18 FARMERS’ 
plantings there. It probably can 
be grown successfully in northern 
parts of the eastern United States 
if planted on appropriate sites. 
In general, orchard chestnuts are 
likely to grow well on areas and 
under conditions that are suitable 
for peaches. : 
There isa great deal of variation 
in the time required for seedling 
trees to come into bearing. Seed- 
lings sometimes begin to bear nuts 
4 to 5 years after the seeds are 
planted, but usually they require 7 
or 8 years or more. Nut yield 
varies among trees grown from seed 
of different seedling trees and also 
among trees grown from seed of 
the same seedling tree. The nuts 
vary in size, shape, and color. 
Some trees mature crops early, 
others in midseason, and others late. 
Grafted trees sometimes bear nuts 
the second year after grafting. 
Reconimended early bearing horti- 
cultural varieties of Chinese chest- 
nut include the Kuling, Meiling, 
BULLETIN 2068 
and Nanking, which the United 
States Department of Agriculture 
released to commercial nurserymen 
a few years ago. The Abundance 
variety, also, has done well in many 
plantings. 
Management 
On sloping land the trees should 
be planted on the contour, to pre- 
vent excessive erosion. 
Chestnuts planted for nut pro- 
duction require maximum sunlight, 
since any tree or part of a tree not 
receiving full sunlight cannot bear 
a heavy yield of nuts. Spacing the 
trees 40 feet or farther apart per- 
mits them to develop into the 
spreading, rounded form needed for 
heavy nut production (fig. 13). 
Mature trees should be spaced at 
least 40 feet and preferably 50 or 
60 feet apart. 
Early spring planting is recom- 
mended. Asa rule the trees should 
be planted when cold weather is no 
longer expected and as soon as the 
FIGURE 
13.—A 14-year-old Chinese chestnut orchard on 
the Eastern Shore of 
Maryland. 
