NUTS. 



573 



forest-trees, common in most parts of the United States and Europe, and 

 bearing excellent Nuts. The foreign variety best known in this country- 

 is the Spanish Chestnut, with fruit nearly as large as that of the Horse- 

 Chestnut, and which is excellent when boiled or roasted. It thrives 

 very well here, but is not quite hardy to the north or east of this. One 

 or two English varieties have been produced, of considerable excellence, 

 among which the Downton is considered the best. The French cultivate 

 a dozen or more varieties of greater or less excellence, but though some 

 of them have been introduced, we have not yet fairly tested them in this 

 country. 



The Chinquapin, or Dwarf Chestnut, common in some parts of the 

 Middle and Southern States, is a dwarf species of the chestnut, usually 

 growing not more than six to ten feet high, and bearing fruit of half 

 the size of the common chestnut, with the same flavor. It is worth a 

 place in a small fruit-garden as a curiosity. 



All the chestnuts are very easily cultivated in any good, light soil, 

 and may be propagated by grafting and by sowing the seeds. 



The European Walnut (Juglans regia, L. ; Noger, of the French ; 

 Walnussbaum, German ; Noce, Italian ; and No gal, Spanish), better 

 known here as the Madeira Nut, is a fine lofty growing tree, with a 

 handsome spreading head, and bearing crops of large and excellent nuts, 

 enclosed like those of our native black walnut in a simple husk. It 

 stands the winter very well here, and to the south of this it would un- 

 doubtedly be a profitable fruit to plant for the market. The fruit in a 

 green state is very highly esteemed for pickling, and the great quantities 

 of the ripe nuts annually imported and sold here, prove the estimation 

 in which they are held for the table. There are several varieties re- 

 puted to be of rather finer quality, which, however, have not displaced 

 the original species, even in the gardens of Europe, and have not yet 

 borne fruit here. 



This tree is usually propagated by the seed, and transplanted from 

 the nurseries when from three to six feet high. But it may also be 

 grafted, with due care, on the common hickory-nut. A number of dis- 

 tinct varieties have been produced from seed and perpetuated by grafting. 

 Among them the following are regarded as of the most value : — ■ 



Dwarf Prolific. 



Early-Bearing. Fertile. Precocious. 



This is a dwarf-growing and very early bearing variety, very desi- 

 rable for small fruit-gardens, as it may in our Northern States be easily 

 protected in winter. The trees commence bearing when not more than 

 three feet high, and, like the common walnut, it reproduces itself nearly 

 always from seed. 



Large-Fruited. 



Double. French. De Jauge. 



This is the largest of all, and of little value except as its size makes 

 it attractive, or its shell may be of value for forming toys. 



