THE FRUIT GROWER 
JAMES M. IRVINE. MANAOINO EDITOR 
ST. JOSEPH. MO. 
Messrs. Olen Bros.. February 20, 1908. 
Rochester, N. Y. 
Gentlemen:--We have yours of recent date, and thank you very much for the 
samples of the Sober Paragon chestnut wb^ch you sent. This should certainly be a valuable 
acquisition among our nut trees, for the chestnuts are not only large, but they are as 
sweet and tender as the small American nuts. 
The writer was very much pleased with the samples you sent. I may say just here, 
that I really like chestnuts which have been dried in the way these samples were better 
than I do when the nuts are fresh, and I appreciated all the more the samples you sent. 
At what price can you furnish a couple of these trees, and are the bloom self 
fertile, so that no other variety is needed to fertilize the blossoms? 
Dict-JMI Yours truly, THE FRUIT GROWER. 
Sten - JK - U. 
Editor. 
LOCATION AND SOIL 
In point of hardiness, it is all that could be desired. There are trees growing 
in the cold and Northern climes of Canada, and they have not been injured by the 
cold. No particular soil is necessary to grow chestnuts, but it should not be wet 
and heavy. Soil that will grow peaches or cherries will grow chestnuts. 
“The chestnut orchard is possible in almost any locality, but should be located 
on well-drained gravelly soil for best results. It succeeds well on rocky hillsides 
with soil of sufficient looseness and depth, and with either a northern or eastern 
exposure. It will thrive on rather poor land, but is slow and uncertain on stiff, 
clayey soils, although excellent results are reported from the California Station 
on heavy clays. In general, it is considered more important to have a thoroughly 
drained soil than soil of a particular character. 
RAPID GROWTH 
Mr. Sober speaks of the rapid growth as follows: “I measured one graft 
that grew in one year, 54 ft. 10 in. of wood; this included the main stem and all 
the lateral branches, and the next season it bore three quarts of nuts. This tree 
was 17 months old when the nuts were taken from it. This graft was set May 
1, 1906, and nuts ripened October 1, 1907.” 
PLANTING DIRECTIONS 
Transplanting can be done either in fall or spring. If done in the fall, it 
should be after the growth has ripened or ceased. During the winter, the dirt 
will have a chance to settle around the roots, and by spring the loss of root fibre 
ORANGE JUDD COMPANY 
Publishers 
THE ORANGE JUDD FARMER AMERICAN AGRICULTURIST NEW ENGLAND HOMESTEAD 
439-441 Lafayette Street. New York 
Messrs. Glen Bros., 
Rochester, N. Y. 
February 19, 1908. 
Dear Sirs:--I have Just tested the sample of the new Sober Paragon Chestnut 
sent by you. Of course in mid-February one can hardly expect to have chestnuts in prime 
shape, and these were as hard as a brick. I ground them up. however, and found them to be 
very sweet; as sweet as any native chestnuts I ate during boyhood at this time of year. 
I have no doubt that when fresh they are delicious. Three of the samples you sent me 
were a trifle over an inch in the widest diameter, the largest nearly li inches. They 
closely resemble the native Americans which I have known since boyhood and they do not 
have any of that puckery quality characteristic of some of the European varieties I have 
eaten. I have no doubt from this very imperfect acquaintance with the nut that it is a 
valuable variety. 
Very truly yours. % ^ ){cU^ 
GLEN BROTHERS 
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