THREE HUNDRED ACRES OF GRAFTED 
CHESTNUTS 
Mr. William F. Gibbons visited the orchard in Paxinos, Pa., in 
the interest of “ Suburban Life.’* His article appears in 
the April, 1908, issue, from which we quote. 
T HE road led through a succession of rolling hills, 
where the thin, shaly soil was slipping down over 
_ the rocky out-crop. A stunted growth of scrqb 
oaks and fireweed partly covered the ground. 
For the rest, there were charred stumps and 
stark, dead second-growth timber. On the bare, 
scorched rocks were the whitened snail shells and the chitinous rings of centipedes 
which had perished when the dames destroyed the forest. 
We were on our way to visit the farm of the man who has made a success 
of chestnut culture; but we were coming to his place by the back way across the 
mountain. “Is this the sort of land that is planted with a chestnut orchard?” I in¬ 
quired. 
The driver grew voluble. “This is the kind, and the more land of this kind 
a man’s got, the poorer he is. * * * ” 
The land looked bitterly poor, just the wild mountain land of the Atlantic 
slope; and there are square miles of it from the Carolinas to the St. Lawrence and 
beyond, for that matter — in both directions. 
Out of four hundred acres of such land, of little value when he started to re¬ 
claim it twelve years ago, Mr. Sober now has three hundred acres of chestnut 
groves beginning to bear, with the rest of the tract coming on, and all growing 
yearly into greater value. The farm house is in the Irish Valley, seven miles 
from Shamokin, Pa. 
Some of the first trees to be grafted, which made very rapid growth, became 
top-heavy with the weight of leaves and burs, after a few years, and broke down 
at the point where the graft had been inserted. To prevent this, the method 
known as “cleft” grafting was discarded, and he now uses the “whip” or “tongue” 
altogether. By this means a more perfect union between the stock and the scion 
is secured. 
Harvest time at Chestnut Grove Farm comes about the 1st of October, the 
Paragon nut being a little slower to ripen than the native nut. When the burs 
have turned to a golden brown, they are shaken or knocked from the trees, loaded 
into great box wagons and hauled to the threshing floor. Here the burs are 
spread out in layers not over eighteen inches deep, where they soon crack open. 
While the ordinary wild chestnut of commerce is a small and insignificant 
affair, the Sober Paragon nut averages far larger than any European variety 
grown in this country. Nuts as large as a fifty cent piece are common, and some 
that would cover a silver dollar can be found. 
He has had orders for his nuts at prices ranging from five to twelve dollar? 
per bushel, and now has standing orders for all he can raise at the former figure. 
Of last year’s crop, two car-loads were bagged and sent to the State of Wash¬ 
ington. Already this man has demonstrated that the most productive truck patch 
or wheat field on his own fine farm in the valley is a poor investment by the side 
of his chestnut groves. 
if 
We cordially invite you to visit the orchards 
at Paxinos, Pa., nea>* Shamokin. 
Glen "Brothers 
if 
ROCHESTER, N. Y. 
11 
