Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1879-11-28
Che.tuaf Harvest in Italy.

The CHESTNUT 1AfsccAs WHICH tAAcs
nlsce in october. IL the great event OF
Inc wear IN the Apsanines, and furnishes
, recreation. rather than task, 10 al
.l.sses Of the PopalA:ion- The schools
ave their annual vacation IN that
r,ou;h. in order that the children may
isis, IN it and II IL difficult to dad
lands for any extra household work,
while q pleasant gypsy life goes on
,uder the trees The steep woods are
hen alive with merry parties picking
he mahogany brown ruts from among
he fallen leaves. and dropping them
ITO long canvas pouches Sung at the
v,,s, for the purpose. The boughs are
never shaken TO detAch them. and the
burs fall singly As they ripep. rustling
through the leaves, and breaking the
forest silence with q heavy thud ss they
strike the ground. They lie till picked
ID from day to day, during The sppoint-
ei time for gathering then, which lasts
month, and is fixed by municipal proc
lamation from Michselmas
Day. September 18th, to the feast Of
Saiuts Simon and Jude, October 18th,
but sometimes extended by special re-
ouest, il the season be unusually late,
Tor ten days longer. Any one wander
ing OF the recognized paths through
the woods during that period is liable
TO he shot by the proprietor, as in the
Swiss vineyards IN vintage time, but
this sanguinary law seems to remain
dead letter. After the legal term has
expired, the woods are free to the whole
world; and are invaded by troops of
beggars, cleaning any chance belated
chestnuts, which, falling now, are the
prize of the first conner. Those which
drop at any time ON road passable for
wheeled vehicles are also public prop.
erty, and, as the highway runs through
Eaestnut woods, the poor have little
= arvest by the roadside. The proprie
tors OF woods too extensive for the gath.
ering to he done by the members of
their own households, engage mum.
Der of girls'to assist, giving them food
and lodging for forty days, and to each
two sacks Of chestnut flour on her de-
parture. After their days work in the
woods they are expected to spin or weave
in the evening for the benefit Of the
housewife, who thus gets her winters
supply of yarn or linen pretty we'll adj
vanced in q this month. The poorer
girls look forward to being employed
in this way asa great treat, and will
often throw up other occupations rather
than lose it. In fine season it. is, in
deed, sufficiently pleasant, for the lovely
weather Of q dry October among these
Tuscan highlands makes open. mir life
unalloyed pleasure but, on the other
hand, one can hardly conjure up more
dismal picture, than that presented by
the dripping chestnut woods if the au-
tumn rains have chosen that month for
their own, when the sheeting floods of
heaven thresh down the withered leaves
as they fan, and; the soaked jburs have
to be tshed out Of the, swirlipg yellow
torrents that furrew the ground in all
directions. Wet or dry, however, Octo
Der, unless the yield be exceptionally
scanty, is season OF Abundah ce and re-
joicing through the; country. while the
peasants consume the fresh chestnuts
by the sackful. not roasted, as they are
eaten in the, cities, but pluinly boiled
1sRa eaten hot from the husk. The great
Mass is spread ON The floors of the dry
ing.houses -, !blind, deserted looking
buildings scattered ahrough the woods
for this purpose, and which in, the
autumn seem to shoulder internally US
the smoke Of the, FIRE lit TO- extract the
moisture from the fresh chestnuts es-
capes through all the intersticss Of the
roof and walls. From the drying, house
they are taken to the mill. and ground
in farina dolce, fine meal Of pinkish
color, and siokly.sweet flavor, which
forms the staple food Of the popula
ton. From this they make polenta or
porrilge, in other districts made from
Indian meal and ,necci, round cakes
baked between chestnut leaves, which
are dried and kept for thepurpose, with
the result Of imparting slightly pun
gent flavor of smoke that the stranger
will hardly find an improvement. Other
delicacies, too, are made from the chest
nut flour, such az cakes covered with
chocolate and sugar, but none are likely
to commend themselves to Northern
palates. .-.. ..5 ...,..
-