THE CHESTNUTS AMERICAN CHESTNUT. 77 



AMERICAN CHESTNUT (Castanea dentata Marsh.). 

 (Synonym: Castanea saliva Miller, var. americana Sarg.) 



As previously noted there is a diversity of opinion among botanists concerning 

 the rank which this tree should occupy whether or not it should be regarded as a 

 distinct species. Most American botanists have followed DeCandolle in holding it 

 to be a variety of the European chestnut, and as such it will be found in Gray's 

 Manual (6th edition, 1889) ; Castanea saliva Miller, var. americana. There seems to 

 be good reason, however, for regarding it as a distinct species and accepting Mr. G-. 

 B. Sudworth's determination of the earliest name identifiable with it, 1 we have thus 

 regarded it. It is a large tree, with oblong, lanceolate, pointed leaves, acute at the 

 base, with coarsely dentate margin, smooth and green on both sides when mature. 

 The nuts are very sweet, and are rarely single, commonly two to seven in an involucre, 

 and in the latter case are flattened on one or both sides. In some cases the involucres 

 are spiked. The most striking differences between this and the foreign chestnuts are 

 its taller, more slender and upright growth, thinner and smoother leaves, which are 

 more pendent in their position than those of the European and Japanese trees, and its 

 uniformly smaller and sweeter nuts. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. 



Within North America the chestnut is found native from Portland, Me., through 

 southern Vermont, along the south shore of Lake Ontario, across the Province of 

 Ontario, Canada, the southern extremity of Lake Huron, thence southward across 

 the southeastern corner of Michigan, across southeastern Indiana and Illinois, almost 

 to the Mississippi ; thence southward through Kentucky, Tennessee, and Mississippi 

 to Louisiana, and in a southeasterly direction across Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, 

 and North Carolina to the coast. Within this area it occurs either singly or in mixed 

 forest growth, usually on high, sandy land, gravel ridges or mountain slopes either 

 wholly or comparatively free from limestone. Replies received from 150 correspond- 

 ents in answer to the question, "What conditions and soil are most favorable to chest- 

 nut culture?" indicate that four-fifths of the observers favored high land for the 

 chestnut as compared with low land ; that nearly two-thirds of these prefer dry, rocky, 

 sandy, gravelly soil to those of a richer and more compact character, and that there 

 are a few cases, at least, where chestnut trees make a fine growth on limestone land, 

 notwithstanding the popular belief to the contrary. 



The possibility of extending the area of growth of the chestnut has received 

 some attention, but not much that is definite and conclusive has been determined. 

 The most promising fields for this extension seem to be along the northern boundary 

 of its native growth, on gravelly or sandy. hillsides and mountain slopes where a 

 healthy growth of tree can be secured, and where the wood will ripen early enough 

 in the autumn to avoid danger from severe winters. On deep prairie soils and alluvial 

 bottom lands the chestnut is reported as short-lived and unsatisfactory in growth. 

 B. F. Johnson, of Champaign, 111., believes this is because of the presence of lime in 

 such soil, as he finds that the chestnut does well on gravelly or sandy ridges even in 

 prairie regions. Under cultivation the chestnut has made a satisfactory growth as 

 far north as Saco, Me., and in warm clay locations in Vermont the tree fruits well. In 

 the latter State the chestnut has grown, in a small way, for seventy-five years. In 

 Michigan there are numerous small plantings now yielding nuts, the most extensive 

 work in this line having been by the Lake Shore and Michigan Southern Railroad 

 Company, along this line of road. In Wisconsin planted chestnut trees have made 

 a satisfactory wood growth at Pewaukee and West Salem, but the nut crops have 

 been irregular and light. At Weyuawega ten chestnut trees, planted in 1858 and 



1 Bui. Torrey Botanical Club, May, 1892. 



