252 



THE GAKDENER'S ASSISTANT. 



packed in dry clean sand, and kept in a dry cool 

 place. 



Little is known respecting the comparative 

 merits of the varieties in this country; and the 

 following particulars as to the principal sorts 

 are chiefly taken upon the authority of M. 

 Vilmorin : — 



Bitter Almond. — Differs little from Common, except 

 in the kernel being bitter. The shell is generally hard 

 and of a dark colour ; there are several sub- varieties, dif- 

 fering in the size of the nut, as well as in the colour and 

 thickness of the shell. 



Common (Amandier Commun). — Nut about \\ inch in 

 length ; shell hard and smooth, terminating in a sharp 

 point ; kernel small, sweet, but inferior to that of the 

 other kinds. It is productive, and the sort most com- 

 monly cultivated in France. According to Downing it 

 is one of the most hardy and productive kinds in the 

 climate of New York. It is frequently used as a stock 

 for the Peach. 



Hard-shelled Sxoeet ( Amande douce a coque dure). — Nut 

 about lh inch long, smooth, and of a dull colour; shell 

 thick and hard ; kernel small. Differs from Common in 

 having larger fruit. Also grown as a stock. 



Ladies' Almond (Amandier des Dames). —Nut oval, 

 more than 1 inch in length ; shell of a light colour, 

 porous, and so tender that it can be broken between the 

 fingers; kernel sweet and rich. Considered the best sort, 

 but is not so hardy as Common. 



Peach Almond (Amandier Pecher). — Appears to be a 

 cross between the Peach and Almond. It produces two 

 kinds of fruit on the same tree, and sometimes on the 

 same branch. The one is large, fleshy, and succulent, 

 like a Peach, but bitter, and only edible when cooked; 

 the other has only a dry husk like the Almond. They 

 both contain a stone with a tolerably sweet kernel. 



Pistachia Almond (Amandier Pistache). — Nut small, 

 somewhat resembling a Pistachia nut in size and form. 



Soft-shelled Sweet (Amande douce a coque tendre). — 

 Resembles the Hard-shelled Sweet, but has a tender 

 shell ; kernel sweet and of good flavour, usually eaten in 

 a young state. Very productive in France. 



Sultana Almond (Amandier Sultane). — The nut re- 

 sembles that of the Ladies' Almond, but is smaller; 

 probably only a variation of that sort. Not an abundant 

 bearer, and is peculiar to the south of France. 



Chestnut (Castanea sativa) is a native of 

 South Europe, North Africa, and the Orient. 

 It was at one time supposed to have been in- 

 troduced into Europe from the trans-Caspian 

 regions by the Romans, but the large areas 

 covered with it from Portugal to the Caspian 

 represent an indigenous growth. It has been 

 so generally cultivated in Europe for centuries 

 that it is not easy to determine how much of 

 its actual distribution is due to the interference 

 of man. In Italy and France careful attention 

 has been paid to the improvement of the fruit. 

 In Pliny's time eight varieties were known, and 

 now there are very many more. 



"The cultivated Chestnuts are divided into 



two classes, known as Marrons and Chataignes, 

 the latter bearing about the same relation to 

 the former as the Crab- Apple does to the Apple. 

 Marrons are larger, more farinaceous, and much 

 sweeter and more aromatic than the ordinary 

 Chestnut, and are the result of careful selection 

 and cultivation, which has been going on for 

 centuries. Marrons of the best quality are pro- 

 duced in France, although it is in Italy that the 

 Chestnut is more used as an article of food 

 than in other parts of the world " {Sargent). 



The following interesting note on the Chest- 

 nut in Italy appeared in the Daily News: — 

 "Signor Schirza, Inspector-general of Forests, 

 says that the famous Chestnut-tree on Mount 

 Etna still lives, and it now measures 64 metres 

 (about 210 feet) at the base. Its age is esti- 

 mated differently, the most recent observer 

 fixing it at about 850 years. Almost all the 

 Italian Provinces cultivate the Chestnut, some 

 500,000 acres being covered with it. The most 

 are found in the provinces of Lucca, Sondria, 

 and Genoa. The total annual produce of nuts 

 in this country is about 5,768,000 quintals. 

 There are several methods of preserving the 

 nuts, from sugaring them to slightly boiling 

 and then drying them, or laying them, when 

 newly gathered in November, among perfectly 

 dry sand in earthenware vessels and burying 

 the vessels in dry earth, when they will remain 

 fresh and good till the following June." 



In England very little attention has been 

 given to the Chestnut as a food-producing tree; 

 yet there are few of what are known as forest 

 trees which have anything like so great a value 

 in this respect. Chestnuts are largely planted 

 for effect, being excellent shade-trees, and suit- 

 able for screens, avenues, or groups, or as single 

 specimens in landscape effects; moreover, there 

 are few trees which thrive so well on poor sandy 

 or gravelly soil. If, therefore, instead of plant- 

 ing the common form, the nut of which has 

 been compared to a Crab -Apple, the large 

 Marrons were planted, the crop of nuts obtained 

 from them each year would be of considerable 

 value. 



The Chestnut of North America (C. dentata) 

 and the Japanese Chestnut (C. crenata) are very 

 nearly allied to the European plant, and their 

 nuts are used as food in the same way. 



The Chestnut succeeds in sandy soils and 

 sandy loams resting on a dry subsoil. Cal- 

 careous soils are not well suited to its growth, 

 and in stiff clays and retentive subsoils it seldom 

 lives for any length of time. 



Propagation is effected by grafting and bud- 



