CHESTNUTS AND CHINQUAPINS 197 



Indeed, the greedy fellow seems anxious only to 

 see how many sacs he can empty per minute, so 

 that he accomplishes no end of good for the fu- 

 ture horse-chestnut family in a very short time. 



The prickly burrs of the horse-chestnut are 

 held high up out of harm's way. They are 

 satin lined, with a delicate partition in the mid- 

 dle, and contain, two mahogany-colored nuts, 

 white scarred on one end. How daintily the 

 nuts are polished by Nature 's practised hand 1 

 They fall with a loud thud when frost and wind 

 unlock the burrs. But after all they are a huge 

 disappointment, and they have the "horse 

 laugh" on those who expect to enjoy their treas- 

 ure. They are as bitter as gall, but they are 

 not poisonous, as many suppose. In the old 

 country, cattle, sheep, and pigs feed upon them, 

 and the rooks are said to relish them heartily. 

 According to ancient superstition, a horse-chest- 

 nut carried in one's pocket will keep away rheu- 

 matic attacks. An old authority proclaims that 

 the horse-chestnut got its name from the fact 

 that the people of the East "do with the fruit 

 thereof cure their horses of the cough, shortness 

 of breath, and such like diseases." 



Horse-chestnut trees were in great demand as 

 ornamental trees in the grounds surrounding 

 old colonial mansions. They "possess the 



