82 



NUT CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES. 



young oak plants which have been sown where they are to remain permanently or 

 which have been freshly transplanted. They should be grafted by ordinary cleft 

 grafting or in the forkings of the branches. When the sap commences to flow they 

 may be branch grafted on the sides under the bark. The scion in this case is a small 

 branch, or part of a branch, from 4 to 8 inches long, having the lower part cut with 

 a long, splice cut, the surface of which should be perfectly smooth and cut thin to the 

 bark at the point. This shoot when developed will form a branch almost perpen- 

 dicular to the stem. The scion having been prepared, we make on the stock two 

 incisions forming a T through the bark, the bark is raised and the scion slipped under 

 it, so that the top of the spliced cut may be on a level with the transverse incision in 

 the stock. It is then bandaged, and the air excluded from the cuttings by the appli- 

 cation of clay or wax. It is preferable to graft close to the ground." 



CULTURAL DIRECTIONS. 



In the orchard spaces should be left between the trees of from 40 to 50 feet, unless 

 varieties are of dwarfish growth. The use of the spaces between for growing other 

 crops till the chestnut shades the ground is neither more nor less objectionable than 

 the cropping of orchards of other fruit trees. If the land is annually well fertilized 

 for the crops to be grown and the culture is thorough, the trees should make satis- 

 factory growth. 



AGE OF BEARING. 



Samuel 0. Moon says an orchard of Numbo or Paragon chestnuts will become 

 profitable as early as an orchard of Baldwin or Smith Cider apple, and pay as well. 

 He continues: "The bearing age for chestnuts is similar to that of apples and pears. 

 Natural trees usually commence to bear from 12 to 20 years of age and grafted trees of 

 the most prolific varieties in from two to seven years after grafting, varying, of 

 course, with the age of the stocks on which they are grafted, and other conditions." 



PREPARATION FOR MARKET. 



The nuts may be best prepared for market by plunging into scalding water as soon 

 as gathered. It can be done by placing a bushel of nuts in an ordinary washtub and 

 pouring boiling-hot water over them in sufficient quantity to cover the nuts. Stir 

 the nuts in the water to equalize the heat. The wormy nuts will float and are easily 

 removed. The eggs and larv* of all insects are destroyed by this process and the 

 meat of the nuts cures without becoming flinty hard in the curing for winter as in 

 ordinary drying of the nuts. The water should be drained oif after remaining about 

 fifteen minutes, and the nuts should be carefully dried. For drying they may be placed 

 in sacks in such quantity as will allow their loose spreading about 2 inches thick; 

 the sacks should be frequently turned and shaken up as they lie spread in the sun 

 or dryhouse. When surplus moisture is driven off and the risk of molding is avoided, 

 the nuts may be packed in barrels or otherwise stored for the winter. It will be 

 found that such nuts are quite tender, retaining for a long time much of the quality 

 that makes them so acceptable when fresh. Nuts that have been scalded will not 

 germinate. Prices at which chestnuts sell per bushel range in different reports as 



follows : 



Per bueliel. 



Alabama $3. 00 to $4. 00 



Connecticut l.OOto 4.00 



Canada 4.00 



Georgia 50 to 5. 00 



Illinois 6. 00 



Indiana 3.00to 5.00 



Kentucky l.OOto 2.00 



Maryland l.OOto 3.00 



Per bnahel . 



Massachusetts $2. 00 to $5. 00 



Michigan 3.00to 5.00 



Nebraska 5.00 



New Jersey 2.00to 6.00 



New York 2. 00 to 10. 00 



Ohio 2. 50 to 10.00 



Pennsylvania 7. 00 



