442 NUTS. 



lutions of the nut deep into its centre. The French, Spanish, 

 and Italian chestnuts are of the same stock. The trees are 

 strong growers, introduced originally into Europe from Asia 

 Minor. The nuts vary considerably in size and in quality. 

 They are usually large, oblate conical in shape, the scar small 

 compared with that of the Japanese varieties, in which latter 

 it sometimes covers nearly half the shell. These nuts are 

 often not worth growing in the United States, the greater 

 promise of the newly introduced Japanese varieties of chest- 

 nut (Guri) being much more attractive, although they have 

 not as yet proved so hardy as their European congeners. 

 The wild chestnuts of Japan annually produce large crops of 

 nuts about an inch in diameter the variety known as Tama- 

 guri (Mountain Chestnut) being highly esteemed by the 

 Japanese. The tree is some thirty feet high. The culti- 

 vated sorts are of many varieties, the largest of all being the 

 Tamba-guri (Fig. 577). These trees grow thirty to sixty feet 

 high. 



All of these foreign chestnuts compensate in a measure for 

 their inferior flavor to our native sorts, by their greater size 

 and the earlier bearing of the trees. They are furthermore 

 very prolific. 



Grafting these great nuts upon American stocks will prob- 

 ably add to their hardiness and vigor. 



VARIETIES. 



Advance. Large, smooth, dark. Tree vigorous, productive, bears 

 early. Ripens last of September. Japan. 



Alpha.* Large. Tree vigorous, regular, and prolific bearer. Ear- 

 liest to ripen. Japanese. Originated in New Jersey. 



Bartram Late. Medium, bright color, three to a burr. Ripens 

 middle of October. European. Originated in Pennsylvania. 



Black. Large, dark color, productive. Ripens last of September. 

 Japan. Originated in New Jersey. 



Dager. Large. A seedling of Ridgeley. European. Origin 

 Delaware. 



Early Reliance. Medium, smooth, bright. Tree dwarf, spread- 

 ing, bears early. Ripens last of September. Japan. 



