36 



Cornell Junior Extension Bulletin 26 



27. CHESTNUT 



(Castanea dentata (Marshall) Borkhausen) 



Chestnut, once common across the State south of the Adirondacks, has 

 in the last decade succumbed to the deadly chestnut blight, so that with 

 the exception of Chautauqua County, there are practically no live trees of 

 commercial size in the State. It is only a matter of time until the blight 



CHESTNUT 

 Twig, one-half natural size 

 fruit, one-third natural size 



leaf and 



will wipe out the species in Chautauqua County also. Perhaps almost 

 any other species could have been better spared in the farmer's woodlot 

 because of its rapid growth, the many uses of its wood, and the fine crop 

 of nuts it furnished in addition. The wood is light, soft, coarse-grained, 

 reddish brown in color, and durable in contact with the soil. It is 

 used largely for ties, telephone poles, and posts. 



Bark — on young trunks smooth, reddish brown in color, with age 

 broken by shallow fissures into long, broad, flat, more or less slanting 

 ridges. 



Twigs — stout, greenish yellow or reddish brown in color, somewhat 

 swollen at base of buds. 



Winter buds — small, egg-shaped, light chestnut brown in color, set at 

 an angle to the leaf scar ; terminal bud absent. 



Leaves — simple, alternate, from 6 to 8 inches long, sharp-pointed, 

 widely toothed. 



Fruit — a light brown burr, sharp, spiny without and hairy within; 

 opening at the first frost and letting fall generally 3 nuts. Nuts — shiny, 

 woolly at the top; shell very thin; kernel solid, white, sweet, and make,, 

 excellent eatinov 



