' In Latin^ Castanea ; in French, Chdtaignier. 



190. The Botanical characters are :— -It has male and female flowers on the 

 same tree, sometimes at separate distances, and, at other times, near each 

 other. The male flowers are fixed to a long string, forming a sort of kat-kin ; 

 these have each an empalement of one leaf, cut into five parts ; they have no 

 petals, but include about ten or twelve bristly stamina, terminated by oblong 

 summits. The female flov/ers have also an empalement of one leaf, divided 

 into four parts, having no petals, but a germen fixed to the empalement, 

 supports three styles, crowued by a reflexed stigma. The germen, which is 

 situated at the base of the empalement, becomes a roundish fruit, armed 

 with soft spines, including one or more nuts. 



191. There are divers sorts of Chesnuts ; but I need 

 mention only two of these sorts, these being the only ones 

 fit for timber trees or underwood; namely, the Spanish 

 Chesnut and the American Chesnut. There are, indeed, 

 divers varieties of what we call the Horse Chesnuts ; and as 

 our Horse Chesnut always will be cultivated more or less, 

 I shall speak of that bye-and-bye. 



192. THE SPANISH CHESNUT.—This is a tree not 

 remarkable for great height; but it comes to a considerable 

 size, and its timber is thought to be, in many respects, 

 equal to that of our Oak. There are indubitable signs of 

 its having been a tree much cultivated in England in former 

 times :— the roofing of Westminster Hall is said to consist 

 of Chesnut w^ood, which is also to be found in almost all of 

 those gentlemen's mansion-houses, such great numbers of 

 which existed in England formerly, and so very few 

 of which the Protestant Reformation, aided so materially by 

 the loaning and funding and paper-money system, has left 



