The Chesnut. 



point of the bine is kept, at certain times, too long from 

 the sun. At any rate, such is the fact; and, if you take two 

 hop-bines coming out of the same hill, and out of the same 

 plant, and being exactly of the same age and strength, and 

 put one to a pole which is three inches through, and another 

 to a pole which is two inches through, you will see the 

 latter not only mount a great deal faster than the former, 

 but be, and continue to be throughout the summer, much 

 more vigorous, and finally to produce a better crop. This 

 fact is well known to all intelligent hop-planters, some of 

 whom, in order to obviate the injury arising from large- 

 butted poles, stick in little rods as leaders, to conduct the 

 bine to the pole, at two or three feet from the ground. 



198. For this reason the Chesnut Poles ought to be so 

 managed, as to be kept as small as possible at the butt. 

 This object is best insured by crowding, by pruning the 

 side shoots, and by thus sending the sap towards the top of 

 the plant. No body prunes underwood ; but it would pay 

 very well, especially in the case of the Chesnut, As many 

 shoots as come out, ought to be left to grow from the stem, 

 which naturally tend to diminish the size of the butts ; 

 while taking off the side shoots, to six or seven feet from 

 the ground, would cause the top of the pole to be stouter 

 in proportion to the bottom. When Chesnut coppices are 

 cut down, the cutting, as mentioned in the case of the 

 Ash, and is to be understood with regard to all other under- 

 woods, ought to be as close to the ground as possible, and 

 always with an upward, and not with a downward, stroke 

 of the hook or axe. 



199. AMERICAN CHESNUT.—This is far more lofty 

 than I have ever seen any of the Spanish Chesnuts. It 

 frequently rises to the height of a hundred feet; and I have 



