The Chestnuts 



Texas. It grows to be a tree west of the Mississippi River, reach- 

 ing its greatest size and abundance in Arkansas and Texas. The 

 leaves, flowers and nuts proclaim this tree's close kinship with the 

 chestnut. A single ovoid nut with sweet kernel is contained in the 

 globular spine husk. These are found in autumn in the markets 

 of Southern cities. 



The chinquapin grows lustily and fruits abundantly on a 

 rocky bank in the Arnold Arboretum at Boston. This proves its 

 hardiness far north of its natural range, and a sight of this thicket 

 (or any other like it) must convince anyone that it is an orna- 

 mental shrub worthy of introduction into parks and private 

 estates. 



Where the chinquapin grows large it is used for railroad ties 

 and fence posts. Its wood has the qualities of chestnut lumber, 

 but is heavier. 



2. Genus CASTANOPSIS, Spach. 



The Golden - leaved Chestnut (Castanopsis chrysophyUr, 

 A. DC), also called chinquapin, seems to be a connecting link 

 between chestnuts and oaks. One American species represents 

 the large genus which is widely distributed through Asia. Our 

 tree grows from Oregon south along the mountain slopes that face 

 toward the Pacific Ocean. In northern California it is one of the 

 splendid trees of the coast valleys, often above loo feet in height, 

 with sturdy trunk supporting a broad, dense, rounded dome. 

 The glory of the tree is its dark, lustrous foliage, lined with a yellow 

 scurf. The leaves persist for two or three years, turning yellow 

 before they fall. Thus the twigs are always decked with green 

 and gold. The flowers are much like those of the chinquapin of 

 the South; the sweet nut protrudes from a cup, or saucer, thickly 

 set with long spines. One hardly knows whether to call it a chest- 

 niit bur or a spiny acorn cup. It is both — and neither. The 

 coarse wood which resembles chestnut is sometimes used for 

 ploughs and other implements. The bark is rich in tannin. 



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