Blight-Resistant Chestnuts and Related Tree Crops 13 
‘tree is well worthy of further study and introduction. It may prove 
very useful as a timber tree and possibly as a tannin-producing tree. 
These are matters, however, that must be determined by further 
experiment. 
The use of Castanea henryi for breeding purposes is to be com- 
mended. Crosses with our native chestnut (C. dentata) may give 
size, resistance to blight, and nuts of good quality and large size 
all characters much to be desired. Crosses of C. henryi and (. 
mollissima may also produce valuable results. The latter lacks 
qualities as a timber tree which might be provided by C. henryi. 
Both these forms being resistant to blight, they would be likely 
to make the resultant cross more valuable 
CHINESE DWARF CHINQUAPIN 
(Castanea seguinii Dode) 
While agricultural explorer of the United States Department of 
Agriculture, with headquarters at Ichang, Hupeh Province, China, 
Meyer collected this chestnut on November 16, 1917. The following 
is his original note sent with the seeds (S. P. I. No. 45949) on the 
date mentioned : 
(No. 2459a. Ichang, Hupeh, China. November 16, 1917.) A shrubby chin- 
quapin occasionally growing into a tree 25 to 40 feet high, occurring on 
mountain slopes here and there in central China often in great quantities. 
Sprouts only 2 feet high often produce nuts. It appears to be totally resist- 
ant to the bark fungus (Hndothia parasitica) and may be of considerable 
value in breeding experiments such as Dr. Walter Van Fleet has been con- 
ducting for several years. This species seems to be more moisture loving 
than Castanea mollissima, but it grows well on the most barren mountain 
slopes. Chinese name Moh pan li, meaning “hairy board oak.” 
A few seedlings were grown and distributed from this lot of 
seeds; but, unfortunately, all have been lost. Wilson, collecting for 
the Arnold Arboretum, reports finding this chestnut in several lo- 
calities in China. He raised a number of seedlings, but they were 
all lost by fire. 
Sargent reports that this chestnut is very abundant on the hills 
and mountain sides throughout the Yangtsze Valley, from the 
neighborhood of Ningpo on the east to eastern Szechwan on the 
west. “It also grows in the Provinces of Shensi and Kweichow, but 
Wilson does not remember meeting with it in western Szechwan. 
Usually it is a bush or a low bushy tree, but under favorable condi- 
tions it forms a shapely tree from 12 to 15 meters tall, with spreading 
branches and a trunk 1 to 1.5 meters in girth.” ® : 
Castanea seguinii, like the timber chinquapin of China, may prove 
useful for breeding work. Its ability to resist blight is an important 
feature, and it would seem well worthy of further introduction and 
trial as a means of increasing our list of resistant and valuable chest- 
nuts. 
JAPANESE CHESTNUT 
(Castanea crenata Sieb. and Zucc.) 
The Japanese chestnut has been grown in this country for a num- 
ber of years, but not so long as the European species. It is exten- 
sively grown in Japan and is widely used in that country as food for 
5 §aRGHNT, C. §. PLANTA WILSONIANAB. Vol. 3, p. 195. 1916. 
