THE CHESTNUTS FOREIGN CHESTNUTS. 87 



more pubescent than either Numbo or Ridgely. The skin is quite astringent. The 

 quality is good, fully equal to the best of its species. The tree is hardy and pro- 

 ductive in Lancaster Couuty, Pa. The original tree was, according to Thomas Mee- 

 hau, grown by W. L. Shaffer, of Gennantown, Pa., from a nut from one of the Spanish 

 chestnut trees then in bearing in the old gardens around Philadelphia. Mr. Shaffer 

 supposed it to have "some American blood," but Mr. Meehan sees no evidence of this 

 in either tree or fruit. The variety was introduced to the trade by H. M. Engle, of 

 Marietta, Pa., about 1888. The colored illustration (pi. 2) represents the variety 

 truthfully. 



RIDGELT (Dupont, pi. 14, fig. 12). This variety bears two or three nuts to the 

 bur and ripens about midseason. The nut is smaller than Paragon and with less 

 pubescence at the tip. The skin is astringent, but the flavor of the nut is good. 

 The tree is thrifty and very productive in Delaware and New Jersey. On informa- 

 tion received in 1889 this was thought to be a variety of the American chestnut, but 

 an examination of specimens of leaves and fruit since that time shows it to be of 

 the European type. It is one of the hardiest of the large chestnuts. Edward 

 Ridgely, of Dover, Del., furnishes the following history: "It was sent as a sprouted 

 nut in a flowerpot by Mr. Dupont of Wilmington, Del., to my father about 1822. It 

 is a very prolific bearer, producing annually from 2 to 5 bushels of nuts of large size. 

 These sell readily at from $6 to $10 per bushel. The largest crop was 5 bushels, and 

 the highest price received was $11 per bushel. It has failed to bear only two years 

 and that on account of the rose bugs, which destroyed the blossoms. 1 The original 

 tree is still in a thrifty condition, but I do not think the nuts are quite as large as 

 when the tree was younger. I have had 60 selected nuts fill a quart measure. I have 

 raised quite a number of trees by planting the nuts, but they have never come out like 

 the original." 



JAPANESE CHESTNUT (Castanea Japonica Blume). 



The Japanese chestnut makes a smaller tree than either of the other species, and 

 is a valuable introduction. It has slender branches and handsome foliage, is of com- 

 pact symmetrical habit, and will be found a useful ornamental tree for small planta- 

 tions where there would not be room for some of the larger shade trees. Messrs. 

 Parry, of New Jersey, have been the largest importers and propagators of this species. 

 Specimens of five of their selected varieties have been received at this office, and in 

 size surpass all other chestnuts in our collection. In early and prolific bearing this 

 species also leads the others. Like the European chestnut, the kernel is surrounded 

 with a bitter skin which should be removed before eating. The late William Parry 

 fruited many varieties for several years and said of the Mammoth that it never failed 

 to produce good crops, having no off years. C. C. Georgeson says : "There are several 

 varieties in Japan. The Giant, which attains its greatest size in the district of Tamba, 

 is undoubtedly the largest variety of the chestnut in existence. Another variety that 

 is no larger than the common American chestnut grows pretty much all over that 

 country. Besides these the Japanese have a very small variety which they call ' Shi- 

 baguri.' The tree is small and scrubby, the leaves are very small, and the nuts 

 scarcely larger than filberts." 2 



In propagating seedlings from Japanese chestnuts, H. M. Engle says he finds as 

 manj varieties as there are Ohicasa plums or Russian apricots. 



L. H. Bailey says: 3 "It is to be regretted that our nurserymen are lumping the 

 oriental fruit off as Japanese chestnuts. This means nothing except that the plants 

 chance to be Japanese in origin, and varieties of widely different merit may be sold 



1 The Rural New Yorker reports an experiment in June, 1891, where it was found that water at 

 125 of heat may be sprayed on the flowers and foliage of plants infested with the rose bug, killing 

 these insects thereby and without injury to the plants. American Garden, July, 1891, page 421. 



'* American Garden, May, 1891, page 265. 



3 American Garden, May, 1891, page 278. 



