ss 



sn&y be eipected lo be ifoiind in tliis state. It prefeW a dry, sandy or gn.V'- 

 «lly soil to an alluyial, clayey or moist one ; even upon very poor sand and 

 gravel it will grow very rapidly. Becky hill sides, where soil can be found 

 Bufficient to start it, may yet be covered with this valuable tree. Experi' 

 ments heretofore made with it have undoubtedly failed from placing it upon 

 soil unsuited to its production. 



To induce farther experiments with the tree, somfi of its excellent qualities 

 will be pointed out. The nuts always oomm»nd a price higher than any other 

 nut in the market ; they are now worth from 9 to 10 dollars a bushel in New 

 York city. One crop of the first quality of nuts from a tree 20 years old 

 Would mons than psty for the almost worthless land on which it grows, and of 

 Ihe planting and cate of the tree. Though it would require a somewhat 

 large topped tree to produce a bushel of nuts, it does not therefore necessi- 

 tate an old tree. Here size of nut would act a conspicuous part. The larger 

 and earlier the nut the more sure and greater the yield. * 



For uut.bearing the trees might require to be planted at the distance of 

 83 feet each way, or 40 lo the acre of land, as that distance would allow 

 space for them to head. Allowing for each tree a half bushel of nuts, and 

 but $5 per bushel, we have a yield of $100 to the acre — a return far above 

 that of any cultivated crop^ raised and ^thered at the same expense In 

 the southern counties of Europe the chestnut forms a large share of the food 

 of the people, being cooked in various ways, and eaten raw. • Our American 

 nuts are richer and sweeter than theirs. 



Several jears may pass before such a yield as we have supposed is pro* 

 duced ; but it is to be remembered that we are supposing these trees to oo 

 •cupy land-s which otherwise would bring little or no return ; therefore there 

 ■can be no loss in waiting for the growth of the trees, except the small amount 

 of interest on the investment. Should the trees be planted on lands which 

 could not be cultivated with other crops, it wonld be as well to plant as high 

 as 640 trees to the acre, and give them the entilre ground as soon as their shade 

 covered it, and commence to thin them out as the trees reached sizes for 

 stakes, trellises, rails, posts, fuel and the thousand other purposes for which 

 their wood is valuable. 



A few other kinds of timber may be more durable than chestnut, but none 

 of equal value can be so rabidly and easily grown. When the tree becomes 

 large it Is more valuable than when y^oung, and the more rapid the growth 

 the more valuable the timber. Look into the work shop of the cabinet male 

 eis "-^^ ^^* i* converted into many useful articles of furniture. You cannot 

 enter a railroad car, a Steamboat or hotel without seeing chestnut timber 

 employed in some article of furniture, or portion of the structure itself. The 

 very coarseness of its grain When properly filled with oil and varnish to re^ 

 «eive a polish, gives to the wood an almost endless variety of forms and 

 taatchless beauty for fuTniture and oasemients. 



