304 HOKTICULTURAL MANUAL. 



States. The leaves are also smaller. The burs are 

 smaller, but the nuts are larger than any varieties yet 

 introduced. Some of the best varieties of all classes are 

 described in Part II of this book. 



The tree and bush species, known as ' chinquapins" in 

 the South, bear smaller nuts than the chestnuts and usually 

 grow in bush form not more than three to five feet in 

 height. But the tree species (Castanea pumila) on rich 

 soils, in Arkansas and east Texas, we have known to grow 

 thirty or more feet in height. But on thin land both 

 species are shrubs that throw up numerous suckers or 

 stolons. The dwarf species have been used to some extent 

 as stocks for the Japan and other good varieties. But the 

 habit of suckering is specially objectionable. 



292. Propagation and Planting. All varieties and 

 species grow readily from the nuts kept moist by stratifica- 

 tion. But the nuts must be planted as early as the' condi- 

 tion of soil will permit, or they will sprout in the box (5). 

 If grown from seed, the tap-roots should be cut by running 

 a sharp spade under them or they should be transplanted 

 when one year old, to give a good root system. In graft- 

 ing we have found the side-graft (85) most successful, 

 doing the work in the open air when the buds begin to 

 expand. At the West, if the scions are inserted early they 

 are apt to dry up before active sap-circulation begins. We 

 have had the best success when they were covered with 

 paper sacks (284). 



As yet, in the eastern States, grafting has been mainly 

 confined to inserting scions in sprouts on mountain land, 

 where the chestnut or chinquapin are indigenous. Where 

 the Japan varieties have been inserted in this way, they 

 have proven profitable in some cases. But the weeds, 

 sprouts, and danger of fire have proven drawbacks to this 

 system, and systematic orchards are now being started. 



