106 



THE CHESTNUT-TREE. 



known^ in our own island^ which are sufficiently 

 surprising. The great chestnut-tree at Tort- 

 worthy in Gloucestershire^ measured nearly 

 fifty feet round. This tree was known as a 

 boundary mark^ in the reign of King John : its 

 age isy with reason^ supposed to exceed one 

 thousand years^ and it still continues to pro- 

 duce fruit. 



Much of the fruit of the chestnut is con- 

 sumed by the poorer classes of people on the 

 continent^ particularly those of Spain and Italy. 

 When dried and powdered, persons are not 

 long in choosing between cakes made of them 

 and starvation. The chestnuts usually eaten 

 at desserts are imported from France and 

 Spain. Those produced by British trees are 

 not so fine ; nevertheless, they are eaten, and 

 bear a price in the market." 



