On the Management of the Spanish Chestnut Tree. 141 



the produce, though they are only six in number, was suffi- 

 cient to afford the family a daily supply from the beginning 

 of November till after Christmas. The nuts are much smaller 

 than the Spanish imported fruit, but they are beyond com- 

 parison sweeter to the taste. The crops are little subject to 

 injury, except from very late frosts. The trees are in general 

 covered with blossoms to a degree that retards their annual 

 increase. They are now so low, that a part of the crop is 

 gathered from the ground, and the remainder by a step- 

 ladder. They require no care or attendance on the part of 

 the gardener, except only the labour of gathering the fruit. 

 Most people prefer the taste of the fruit to that of the im- 

 ported, but there can be no doubt that when the usage of 

 grafting Chestnuts becomes common in this country, grafts 

 of all other sorts will in due time be procured from the 

 continent. 



The kernels of these Chestnuts, and of all others ripened 

 in England, are more liable to shrivel and dry up than those 

 imported, owing to a deficiency of summer heat in our cli- 

 mate to mature the fruit ; this must be guarded against by 

 keeping the nuts always in a cool place, rather damp than 

 dry ; the vessel best suited to preserve them is an earthen- 

 ware jar with a cover ; this will not only keep them cool, but . 

 it will restrain the loss of moisture without entirely prevent- 

 ing perspiration, and thus endangering the loss of vitality, 

 the immediate consequence of which is the appearance of 

 must and mouldiness. 



