212 Nuts of Commerce. 



known to Americans from the beautiful jjreen color which they im- 

 part to ices and confectionery. They are much used by oriental 

 nations. Most of the pistachia nuts used in Europe and America 

 are grown on the shores of the Mediterranean, and although 

 slightlv larger it is said that they are not equal in flavor to the 

 smaller native variety brought from Persia. The nuts are covered 

 with a delicate husk, which rul)s off. and is blotched with brilliant 

 red and jjurijle, while the kernel is bright green. These nuts grow 

 in clusters on small trees. 



No description of the common ])eanut is necessary, but there are 

 occasionallv new varieties introduced worthy of some attention as, 

 for instance, the so-called Spanish peanut, although raised in Vir- 

 ginia. The kernels are rounder and more delicate than those of the 

 common variety, consequently more highly esteemed, by confec- 

 tioners; but the habitual 'peanut eaters' like the others best. Cuba 

 peanuts are occasionally seen in our markets, and they are three or 

 four times as large as the home-grown, and of a reddish color, sup- 

 posed to be due to the reddish soil in which they are grown. 



The so-called Chinese chestnut (Trapa) is not a chestnut at all, 

 but the seed of an aquatic plant found in swamps and ponds. The 

 nuts have a curious resemblance to the horns of cattle, and are of a 

 dark brown or black color, but tilled with a white, sweet meat or 

 kernel. They are imported and sold in this countr3- as curiosities, 

 and not for eating. When fresh, or not too dry, they may be 

 sprouted by placing them in a jar of water, but they have rarely 

 been cultivated here, although it is said that they are grown in 

 France. Street venders often have these nuts for sale, with a sprig 

 of watercress — which somewhat resembles the true leaves — stuck 

 into them for the purpose of deceiving purchasers. 



The following named nuts are also worthy of consideration, 

 and some of them if not all may prove to be of considerable value. 

 The Japan chestnut is said to be as large as the Spanish, and some 

 persons claim that it is as sweet as the American. It has not as yet 

 appeared in our markets, although many nurserymen offer the trees 

 for sale. They come into bearing when quite young, and the trees 

 are said to be quite as hard 3' as the American chestnut. 



The extensive use of nuts by cooks and caterers has given rise 

 to a new branch of trade ; that is shelled nuts, and now nearly all 

 kinds can be bought shelled and ready for use. The shelled kernels, 

 if kept in tight glass jars, do not deteriorate in flavor, and in some 

 cases, as in that of the black walnut ( Juglans nigra), it is claimed 

 that they keep much longer and better than in' the shells. The 



