AMERICAN CHESNUT. 
7 
annually laden with fruit. I have never met with instances of such extra- 
ordinary growth in the United States, but the American species is probably 
susceptible of an equal development, since, in the forests of North Carolina, 
it is commonly as tall and as large as the corresponding species in those of 
Europe. I have measured several stocks which, at 6 feet from the ground, 
were 15 or 16 feet in circumference, and which equalled the loftiest trees 
in stature. 
The Chesnut is a stranger to the Province of Maine, the State of Ver- 
mont and a great part of Gennesee, to the maritime parts of Virginia, to 
the Carolinas, Georgia, the Floridas and Louisiana as far as the mouth of 
the Ohio. 
Though the American Chesnut nearly resembles that of Europe in its 
general appearance, its foliage, its fruit, and the properties of its wood, it 
is treated by botanists as a distinct speeies. Its leaves are 6 or 7 inches 
long, lè inch broad, coarsely toothed, of an elongated oval form, of a fine 
brilliant color and of a firm texture, with prominent parallel nerves beneath. 
The barren flowers are whitish, unpleasant to the smell, and grouped on 
axillary peduncles 4 or 5 inches long. The fertile aments are similarly 
disposed, but less conspicuous. The fruit is spherical, covered with fine 
prickles, and stored with two dark brown seeds or nuts, about as large as 
the end of the finger, convex on one side, flattened on the other, and coated 
round the extremity with whitish down. They are smaller and sweeter 
than the wild chesnuts of Europe, and are sold in the markets of New York, 
Philadelphia and Baltimore. 
The wood is strong, elastic, and capable of enduring the succession of 
dryness and moisture. Its durability renders it especially valuable for 
posts, which should be made of trees less than 10 inches in diameter and 
charred before they are planted in the earth. In Connecticut, Pennsyl- 
vania and a part of Virginia, it is also preferred for rails, and is said to 
last more than fifty years. F or shingles this wood is superior to any species 
of Oak, though it has the same defect of warping. It is not extensively 
used for staves, and its pores, like those of the Red Oak, are so open that it 
is proper only for dry wares ; the European species, which is more compact, 
is employed in Italy to contain wines and brandy. 
Throughout France and the south of Europe, young Chesnuts are almost 
exclusively chosen for hoops, and they are found to be better adapted to 
this important use than any other species, as they last longer in the hum- 
idity of the cellar. I have been informed by coopers at New York and 
| Philadelphia that the American Chesnut is too brittle for hoops ; if such 
is the fact, the European species has the advantage of superior flexibility. 
A more probable reason is that it is not strong enough to remain firmly 
attached, like the Hickory, by crossing the ends, but requires to be bound 
j| with osier, which is an additional labor and expense. 
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