REPRINTED FROM ORCHARD AND FARM. 
the top to about four and a half feet if 
the tree is a straight whip, but if it is 
branched at about this height, shorten 
the branches down to within two or 
three buds from the trunk. A small 
tree, under three feet, should be cut 
down to within three or four buds from 
the ground, the strongest shoot bein.^- 
allowed to grow to form the trunk and 
being headed the following season. 
Staking the young trees is desirable, 
but not usually necessary. 
IRRIGATION 
As In the case- of many other trees, 
the chestnut will produce without irri- 
gation, but a larger tree and conse- 
quently a larger yield, will result if 
water is applied. 
While the tree is young, regular irri- 
gation is very desirable, but if water is 
unavailable, the young tree may be 
brought into bearing without it. 
In the case of the unirrigated or- 
chard, greater care in preparation and 
planting is necessary, as well as more 
attention to cultivation. 
FREQUENCY OF IRRIGATION 
Unless inter-crops are grown, irriga- 
tion may be limited to one application 
a month during the growing season, 
after the trees are in bearing. But 
young trees, before the bearing age, 
usually require water twice a month. 
It is essential that the water penetrate 
well into the sub-soil. 
With a long iron rod or a soil auger 
the irrigator can test the penetration 
and gauge the application of water ac- 
cordingly. 
Light irrigation induces shallow 
rooting, which is very undesirable. 
Do not continue irrigation too late 
in the growing season as it is likely 
to make the nuts crack open and over- 
develop them. Cracked nuts soon 
spoil and mold. 
Cultivation mu.st be thorough so that 
free growth is promoted. After ma- 
turity, cultivation need not be so in- 
tensive. 
Old trees, even when given little care, 
seem to bear heavily. In Nevada City 
trees that have had no care for years 
each year bear heavy crops of market- 
able nuts. 
During the first few years- it is ad- 
visable to hoe around the tree by hand, 
but after the tree is well established, 
annual plowing, or on light soils, a 
good discing in the spring, with cul- 
tivation after each irrigation, will be 
sufficient. 
While the planting of annual cover 
crops is not necessary, if practiced, it 
should be started the first year so as 
to build up a rich soil for the future. 
PRUNING 
At the end of the first year, pruning 
should be commenced with the idea of 
training the young tree. Only three or 
four shoots, well branched about the 
stem, should be allowed to grow to 
form the main scaffold limbs. Once 
these are branched to the owner's 
satisfaction, the only pruning needed 
Paragon Chestnut at 8 Years 
is to keep cross limbs out and keep the 
head open. It is absolutely neces.sai-y 
if one is to harvest lavKe crops of large 
nuts. This does not mean that the 
center must be pruned in goblet shape, 
like a pear or apple tree. Simply let 
the tree develop naturally, but do not 
let it become bushy. 
If grafted trees show a tendency to 
bear heavily while young, the burrs 
should be thinned out so that very few 
are left; otherwise the tree will grow 
out of shape and be retarded in its 
development. 
HARVESTING 
Allow the burrs to mature thor- 
oughl.v, and fall of their own weight. 
Some varieties stick so that shaking or 
Jarring the limbs must be resorted to. 
On other v.-irieties the burrs will open 
so that the nuts fall to the ground. 
Burrs which fall and do not open, 
easily can be made to "shed" their 
nuts by pressure of the feet or by 
striking with a small wooden mallet. 
Some use heavy leather gloves and 
fwist them out by hand. A short 
stick, turned up on end like a hockey 
stick, is ver.v helpful. 
The nuts should be picked up every 
morning and stored in sacks, if they 
are to be shipped at once. If they are 
to be kept for a while, they should be 
tlHown in a heap on the floor of a 
shed, to sweat. The pile should be 
stirred twice a day for two days; then 
the nuts may be sacked.' 
Always store chestnuts so that air 
(an circ iilair- frci ly. Ncypv pile sacks 
one on tup of anothci- lor any length 
of time, or they will h<!at and mold. 
If lack of space necessitates stacking, 
place sticks between the sacks to give 
ventilation, and do not pile too deep. 
In gathering the nuts, have two pails 
— one for first grade, perfect nuts, and 
the other for culls and second size. 
Even the use of three pails may be ad- 
visable, for firsts, seconds and culls. 
Seconds and culls mixed with firsts 
brin.g down the price. Nuts of large 
size with split skins should be placed 
with the culls as they mold easily. 
IS CROSS-POLLINATION 
NECESSARY? 
Chestnuts at first bearing, develop 
a R-reat many burrs but few con- 
tain nuts. This has been erroneously 
cited as (lup to the lack of cross-pollin- 
alion. anil has been said to indicate 
lliaf the tlicstnut will not bear when 
lilantvd by itself. 
With .seedlings and grafted trees, a 
mi.\ture of varieties will give better 
results, but the fact that only a few 
burrs develop nuts really is a provision 
of natyre, for if. all the burrs were 
filled, the tree could not stand the 
weight, nor develop the nuts to a mar- 
ketable size. 
UNLIKE OTHER TREES 
It is a well-known fact that all of 
our cultivated trees do not develop 
e\ pi-.v blossom into fruit. The peach 
and idnnis set so many that a great 
expense is involved in thinning to get 
fruit of market size. Pears and apples 
shed the un-pollinated blossoms soon 
after blossoming, but the chestnut 
holds every burr whether empty or 
full, until harvest time. Mature trees 
yielding from 100 to 300 pounds of nuts 
will have a great many empty burrs. 
MISCELLANEOUS HINTS 
Here are a few brief hints and ran- 
dom notes concerning chestnuts: 
Always ship in double sacks, as 
every trainman or handler seems to 
feel that something gives him the right 
to sample them. Observation of the 
double-sack rule will save the shipper 
much loss and trouble. 
Following is a method of preservation 
if it is desired to keep the nuts in a 
bright, plump condition through the 
winter months for home use: Place 
the nuts in five-gallon oil cans or tight 
boxes and cover with two or three 
grain sacks. Dump out once a week 
and allow them to air for a half hour 
■or more, keeping in cool shed or dry 
cellar. 
A pest of the Eastern States is a 
small worm which is the larvae of the 
chestnut weevil. So far as I know, this 
pest never has made its appearance 
on the Coast. In order to prevent its 
introduction. Native American Sweet 
chestnuts or any others produced in the 
Easterh States should not be brought 
into California. 
("nil chestnuts can be used safely for 
fattening poultry and hogs. Cattle also 
will eat them. Tn fact, it is necessary 
to fence out stock from hearing trees 
if you wish to sa\-e the crop durin.g the 
harvest season! 
This pamphlet is a resume of a series of three articles prepared by Mr. Parsons 
for ORCHARD and FARM and published in the March, April and May, 1922, 
numbers of this magazine. 
Copyright, 1922, by Country Life Puhli.iMny Company. 
All Rights Reserved Vy the Author. 
