November 5, 1890.] 



Garden and Forest. 



539 



of our native Hazel-bushes, so well known in the north-eastern 

 part of the continent, and hardy enough to be indigenous quite 

 far north in Canada. 



The branches of this little Chestnut are usually well covered 

 with foliage of a rather light green color. The leaves are 

 smooth, shining above, and covered with a smooth grayish 

 down or tomentum beneath. In general contour they resem- 

 ble those of the common Chestnut, but they are shorter, being 

 only from three to five inches long, and they are less acutely 

 pointed and are broader in proportion to the length. The yel- 

 lowish white staminate blossoms appear in much profusion at 



the nuts fall to the ground, and, if the atmosphere or ground is 

 moist.they at once begin to germinate and put forth a radicle. 

 Indeed, the propensity to germinate is so great that the nuts 

 often sprout before they fall, and, as they do not long retain their 

 vitality, they cannot be transported for planting in distant 

 places unless packed in soil or other material which will pre- 

 vent too fast drying. The difficulty of transporting the fresh 

 seed while it retains its vitality has no doubt been a factor in 

 preventing the wide and general dissemination which the plant 

 seems to merit. The nuts, though small, are sweet and of 

 good flavor, and the plants are quite prolific and usually bear 



Fig. 69. — The Catalpa-tree [Catalfa bignonoides). — See page 536. 



about the same time as those of the common Chestnut at the 

 end of June or early in July, and at this time these Chestnut- 

 shrubs present quite a pretty appearance when massed to- 

 gether. The blossoms are followed by the clusters of light 

 green involucres, or "Chestnut-burs," which reach maturity 

 about the 1st of October, when they open and disclose the 

 smooth, shining, dark brown nuts. 



The nuts of the common Chestnut are usually borne two or 

 three in a bur ; but those of the Chinquapin are produced 

 singly, so that their sides are not flattened, and they are only 

 about half the size of chestnuts. Soon after the involucres open 



freely every year. By care and selection larger and finer 

 flavored nuts than the average might easily be obtained. It 

 seems possible that this Dwarf Chestnut might thrive in higher 

 latitudes than this, in places where the Chestnut-tree will not 

 live, and especially in regions where winter snows are gen- 

 erally deep. 



The Japanese Photinia villosa, which was figured in the first 

 volume of Garden and Forest (page 67), is very handsome 

 when in full fruit, although perhaps not more showy than some 

 speGies of Hawthorns or of Crab Apples at this season. The 

 serrated, stiff, thick, dark green leaves generally cover the 



