GERARDI NURSERY 
O’FALLON, ILL. 
require roasting as does the European. The tree 
has the shape and size of an apple tree, grow¬ 
ing different from the European which grows 
more upright. The nuts are as large or larg¬ 
er than the European chestnut. With chest¬ 
nuts now selling at 22c per lb. (wholesale) it 
is* safe to say that a chestnut orchard is sure 
to be a gilt-edge investment. We will plant 
them heavily. The government has imported 
extra fine seed and disseminated the seedlings 
among responsible parties. Some of the nuts 
of this seed measured two inches in diameter. 
We have 40 of these seedlings growing and are 
hoping to see some very choice trees among 
them. The seed of the hairv chestnut costs 
us nurserymen 80c per lb. Why at half that 
price for the nuts, a chestnut orchard would 
tempt Henry Ford. 
Butternuts 
The butternut is adapted to the far north 
where other nuts will not mature. Of these 
we grow two hybrids—the Mitchell and the 
Kenwcrthy. We have both bearing and can¬ 
not detect any difference in them. They are a 
cross between the heartnut and butternut. 
Somewhat small, but good flavor and good 
crackers with a reasonably thin shell. Tre¬ 
mendous growers. One-year trees on three- 
year black walnut stocks often reach 
seven feet. 
The Northern Pecans 
We do not grow the southern varieties be¬ 
cause they grow so much faster in the south 
that we cannot meet their prices. Of the older 
northern varieties the Greenriver and Busseron 
are outstanding in Illinois. The Norton also 
is very promising. The Posy is one of the 
largest and bears young, but of the five we 
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