THE FELIX GILLET NURSERY 
NEVADA CITY, CALIFORNIA 
25 
i 
CHESTNUTS 
YIELD A 
REGULAR INCOME 
IF YOU 
PLANT OUR 
“FALL FROM THE BURR” 
VARIETIES 
THEY BEAR YOUNG—YIELD HEAVY 
Requiring but occasional pruning, no spraying, no 
propping, no ladder climbing— the Chestnut is pro¬ 
duced at very low costs. After the tree has been in 
three or four years no pruning is necessary. Let it 
grow naturally. Old trees should have the bushy 
growth removed from inside every four or five 
y tars. Grafted chestnuts bear young, sometimes the 
ii.'St year in the nursery. Customers report picking 
nuts from our trees the first year planted. This 
dees c >t mean a fortune at once. Small trees can’t 
bear big crops. From the seventh year they will 
pay and from then on yearly increases will be 
steady. Please don’t ask us to predict what your 
trees will bear at a given age; soil, care and climate 
govern these things. According to age yields of 
2000 to 5000 pounds per acre may be expected. At a 
minimum price of 15c per pound, the cash return 
will run from $300 to $750 per acre. Chestnuts bloom 
in June and are never injured by frost. 
How to Plant and Grow the Chestnut 
Where To Plant —This is a regular mountain tree 
and in the Sierra Nevada Mountains wherever the 
Black Oak is found will be ideal conditions. They 
are also at home in the Valleys and are doing well 
near the coast. Immense trees can be expected on 
the deep, heavy soils. They take kindly to adobe. 
How to Plant —On heavy, rich soil plant 60x60 feet. 
Poorer land 50x50, or if space is limited, 40x40. The 
chestnut requires plenty of light and air. Sixty feet 
between the rows and 30 feet apart in the row is 
Lest plan. This takes 24 trees to the acre. Take 
out every other tree in row before they crowd. 
This plan allows inter-cropping of the wide row 
for a number of years. Seedling trees may be used 
for the interplants. 
Soils —The chestnut does best on soils that are 
slightly acid, deep and fertile. This tree can not be 
expected to resist Oak Rest fungus. 
Cross-Pollination —More than one variety should 
be planted, both for benefits of cross-pollination and 
to lengthen out the harvest season. Existing non¬ 
bearing trees may be brought to production by 
planting our grafted “FALL FROM THE BURR” 
varieties. Our Quercy variety has abundance of 
pollen. 
Cost To Plant —60x60 ft. square method takes 12 
trees. Triangle method, 14 trees per acre, which 
costs only $7.00 to $15.00 per acre for grafted trees. 
WE RECOMMEND 
All varieties listed for California; with preference 
to Quercy and French Marrons for coast counties. 
All varieties listed, for Eastern states and Pacific 
Northwest, except QUERCY, which may however be 
used as a pollenizer. 
Planting —Dig holes 2x2 feet all around. With 
sharp knife remove broken roots and cut ends of 
all roots to sound wood. Remove all buds below 
ground-line. Plant tree not deeper than before. Use 
only top soil (well firmed with ball of foot) about 
the roots. Tie tree firmly to stake soon as planted. 
Set stake while planting to avoid driving it into 
roots. Cut back whip trees one-half and allow one 
strong shoot to grow to six feet where it may be 
he’aded. Branched trees cut back to 3 or 4 branches 
and head in branches to 3 buds from trunk. En¬ 
courage growth to one central leader. Let grow 
naturally. DON’T TRAIN TO VASE FORM. Shade 
trunk for first few years with Yucca Tree Pro¬ 
tectors (see page 27), or two thin boards. 
Irrigation —When well established they will bear 
bountifully without irrigation. If water is available, 
irrigation should be practiced. Heavy irrigation 
followed by cultivation three weeks before nuts be¬ 
gin to fall is highly desirable, to loosen nuts from 
burr. 
Plant This Variety For Steady Income 
The LARGE AMERICAN SWEET Chestnut is our own introduction and 
originated in Virginia, apparently a hybrid between the native American and 
European. It was sent to Felix Gillet for trial by the U. S. Department of 
Agriculture a great many years ago. The original tree still stands on our 
grounds and our scions are taken direct from it. It has great merit on 
account of its size, quality and regular heavy bearing. This variety has no 
faults, which is difficult to say about most varieties of fruits and nuts. 
Large American Sweet IT FALLS FREE FROM THE BI RR. 
Covers 50-Cent Piece 
The United States Department of Agriculture has rigid quarantine against importation 
of mouldy wormy chestnuts from abroad. This protects our markets. 
