GOLDEN-LEAF CHESTNUT. 95 



foliage with a cheerful smile. Besides these transienl moods 

 of sympathy with passing events, it hath, moreover, later on 

 in the season, more abiding features: when the tender shoots 

 and young leaves put themselves forth, they appear clad in 

 yellow down of the cygnet, or in golden velvet; these hold 

 the attention effectually and steadily to its true characteris- 

 tic expression. This latter quality, seen from a distance, 

 awakes a charming illusion, as if the beholder were review- 

 ing a magnificent evergreen tree clad in golden bloom. 



Another forest tree, alike illusive to the distant eye, occurs 

 to mind; we allude to the dense-flowered Chestnut, or Tan- 

 bark Oak (Q. densiflora). A similar large sylvan companion 

 of castanopsis, and for the most part the typical tree, is found 

 among redwoods, or near by, and in similarly tempered belts 

 of coast or moderate mountain ranges. These young twiggy 

 tufts are of an almost pure velvety white, against a lighter 

 and duller green background. This, like the chestnut, is a 

 choice landscape ornament, simulating it in general sym- 

 metrical outline, although the oak is of somewhat more open 

 and spreading habit, and especially so in isolated trees of 

 open grounds; is also an evergreen, and claims close botan- 

 ical alliance with the chestnut; but the leaves are toothed 

 on the margins, and has the large, well-known acorn with 

 mossy cup, whereas this tree of which we treat bears a 

 prickly chestnut burr, with rather hard, brittly-shelled, sub- 

 triangular sweet nuts, about the size, texture, and quality of 

 the common hazel. But to return from this parallel digres- 

 sion, deemed advisable by way of contrast, and because so 

 many are apt to confound these two very distinct trees, thus 

 leading to confusion and, as we have known, to controversy. 



Whenever brought into cultivation this will make a mag- 

 nificent ornamental shade and shelter tree for certain fog- 

 line localities of the State, and for foreign climes of similar 

 requirements. Besides, for valuable timber it should be 

 observed that the wood splits straight, and about as readily 

 as its eastern relatives, is nearly as soft and easy to work in 

 the recent state, yet becomes very hard when dry from age 

 or proper seasoning, such as soaking, boiling, steaming, etc. 

 As seasoned stuff it planes and polishes remarkably smooth, 

 is glossy, lightly yellowish or golden tinted when varnished, 

 and valuable for cabinet work; it is also found to be very 

 tough and elastic, and therefore highly prized by the wheel- 

 wright, shipbuilder, and for many mechanical purposes. 



The ripe fruit, which sets the preceding year, appears sim- 

 ultaneously with the flowers, from August to September ; 

 catkins strictly upright, one to three or four inches long at 

 the extremity of the twigs; leaves seven to eight inches long- 

 by one and a half inches wide, dark green above, golden 

 yellow, densely scurfy, beneath; margin entire, thick, and 



