806 ENCYCLOPEDIA OF PRACTICAL HORTICULTURE 
e hes ae & 
Fig. 3. French (1), and Japanese (2), Chestnuts Grown by Mr. A. A. Quarnberg at Van- 
couver, Washington. 
tempt to place their merits side by side 
as impartially as possible, basing the 
estimate not on a limited observation of 
a few trees, but on an acquaintance with 
both species growing together on a large 
commercial scale. 
Japanese Group 
Advantages 
Early maturity of tree. 
Ease of caring for trees. 
Early ripening of nuts. 
Large size of nuts. 
Enormous productiveness. 
Small size of bur. 
Freedom from leaf blight. 
Freer from worms than Europeans. 
The money makers in the large 
groves. 
10. Affinity for American stocks. 
11. Ornamental value. 
= 
Disadvantages 
1. Overbearing, if not thinned. 
Poorer quality of many. 
3. Delicate growth of some. 
re 
European Group 
Advantages 
1. Great productiveness of some. 
2. Timber value of tree. 
3. Finer quality. 
4. Beautiful appearance of nuts of 
5. Prolific bearing of a few. 
Disadvantages 
1. Late maturity of many. 
2. Late ripening of nuts. 
3. Shy bearing of many when young. 
4. Largeness of bur, which may be- 
come watersoaked and break the trees. 
5. Great susceptibility to leaf blight. 
6. Greater susceptibiltiy to weevil. 
7. Do not compare with Japanese in 
the commercial groves as money makers. 
It can be stated as a general principle, 
that the Japanese flora is better fitted to 
the climatic conditions of the Eastern 
United States than the flora of Western 
Europe, the latter succeeding best on 
the Pacific coast. Hence it is thought 
that if the Japanese species is used as 
a basis for further improvement, hap- 
pier results will eventually follow its 
amelioration in the Eastern United 
States. The Japanese or European var- 
ieties, as they exist, should be looked 
upon only as stepping-stones to better 
kinds. By the continued judicious selec- 
tion of seedlings from varieties of the 
best flavor, the quality of the Japanese 
chestnut can be greatly improved in a 
few generations. Some of the finer 
quality of the chinquapin or of the na- 
tive chestnut might be infused into the 
Japanese with happy results, and a more 
vigorous tree would. follow the incorpora- 
tion of. a little European blood. One 
type should supplement the other where- 
ever the adaptability of both is proven. 
