126 



CHESTNUT. 

 Castanea dentata, (Marshall) Borkhausen. 



FORlf — A large tree usually attaining a height of 60-80 ft. with a diameter of 3-4 ft., bu 

 may reach a height of over 100 ft. with a diameter of 10 feet. A tree with a diameter of 1 

 ft. has been recorded from Francis Cove, western North Carolina. Open grown trees hav 

 short trunks with deep, widespreading crov/ns. Trees in close stands tall, with little ste^ 

 taper and few lateral branches. 



BARK — On old truhks fibrous, deeply fissured; fissures separate somewhat oblique ridge 

 which are covered wlt'i dark brown scales. On young trunks and older branches much smoothei' 

 See Fig. 82. 



TWIGS — Stout, smootli, greenish to brown, round or angular, swollen at the nodes; covere 

 v/ith numerous small, white, raised lenticels. Pith star-shaped. 



BUDS — Alternate, axillary; terminal bud absent; ovoid, i of an inch long, sharp to blunt-pointed 

 covered by 2-3 dark chestnut-brown scales. 



LEAVES — Alternate, simple, oblong-lanceolate, sharp-pointed at apex, toothed on margir 

 smooth on both lowtr and upper sides. 



LEAF-SCARS — Semi-cval in outline; raised from twig; with numerous, rather Inconspicuouf 

 scattered, occasionally clustered bundle-scars. 



FLOWERS — Appear in June or July. Staminate in crowded clusters along ament; pistillal 

 appear at base of upper aments as globular involucres. 



FRUIT — Matures in September or October. A bur covered with numerous, prickly spint 

 and containing 1-5, usually 2-3 nuts. 



WOOD — Distinctly rin^-porous; with indistinct medullary rays; quite strong in young tree 

 rather weak in older ones; yellowish-brown, very durable, splits easily, rich in tannic aeii 

 Weighs 28.07 lbs. per cubic foot. Used for railroad ties, telegraph poles, fence posts, rail; 

 cheap furniture, and tannic acid. 



DISTINGUISHING CHARACTERKTICS— The Chestnut can readily be distinguished from a 

 other trees except the Chinquapin by its characteristic fruit. See "Distinguishing Characteristics, 

 under Chinquapin, page 127. For Genus Description and Key to Species, see page 125. 



RAKGE — Maine to Michigan, south to Delaware and along the mountains to Alabama, Mi 

 sissippi, and Arkansas. 



DISTRIBUTION IN PENNSYLVANIA — Very common in the eastern, southern and centr 

 parts and locally in other parts. It is the most common tree of Pennsylvania. 



HABITAT — Grows almost on any kind of soil, from bottom lands to mountain tops, bi 

 does not love limestone or extremely wet soil. In the North it is common on glacial drl 

 but in the South it remains close to mountains and reaches its best development in west© 

 North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. 



IMPORTANCE OF THE SPECIES — This species, which reproduces itself best by sprout, | 

 also by seed and seedling, is one of the most important commercial species in this Sta 

 It haf, shown itself to be the surest of all our trees to reproduce a stand fully from spro 

 It grows fast and is usec^ foP many purposes in small as well as large sizes, and thus can 

 managed in short rotation, which insures a certain profit on the investment. A Chestli' 

 forest managed for tl'e purpose of producing telegraph poles should be run on rotations < 

 about 55 years. On poor soil it may be necessary to increase the length of the rotation. Go 

 tendance reduces the length of the rotation while the absence of it will not only increa 

 the length but also result in an inferior grade of wood. The great variety of uses to whi 

 the wood of this species is put will drain the existing forest to an enormous extent. The 

 is urgent need to reproduce, develop, and improve our existing stands and also to gua 

 against such destructive organic enemies as the Chestnut Bark Disease (Endothia gyrosa Vl 

 parasitica) commonly known as the Chestnut Blight. 



