New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1885-12-06
EVERY CHESTNUT HAS ITS WORN
ArLEAsr THIS Is WHAT A DEALER SAYS.

WHERE THE POPULAR FRUIT Is GATHERED-AN
IDEAL cufsrNUrING PARTY.
The sad-eyed Italian with his chestnut stand
who ornaments every ceruer eXctes I'm the mind
OF the average citizen not much the memory OF the
army or decrepr Jokes that have come limping down
the vsas ages past rs OF the days when he used
roam the woods search OF the best chestnut tree
AZ lrtwheel spoke or hickory stick his hand Us
weapou OF offence. and old salt-Dag sung over his
back I'm which to carry oil the booty Every fall after
the first October frost tho same procession
wcnds It's way through tho New-Engand
woods after school is ont Away goes the
troop over stone walls AMI across closely cropped
meadows in search OF tho most desirable tree. for the
characteristics of each are known.
ans treo tall aud venerable and its fruit Is big.
brown and o tue flavor, butts branches
high that the most aspiring club .ch them. and
only after IA strong wind has shaken the limbs,
and seat the nuts the ground will 1t pay to visit
tho tree other have fruit that is less sweet and
Iutcv but their branches are lower and they he
easily "clubbed" and compelled to yield up. their
abundance. Under OF these the chattering group
gathers The girls ana the smaller boys pick up while
the more sturdy lads WELD tho club.
There is warning cry OF Heads 4"
and up goes q club end end. II circles
through the air in the ~. 'estio manner of eagle
whose steering apparatus is out Of order. descends in
the tip top of the tree and bangs It's way downward
and bur~s fails alike the just and unjust The capa-
sous sal. bag gaps wide but the spells collected by
many busy hands soon initiate II 70 the condition OF a
city Official aud IL borne nome IN TRIUMPH 10 nave It's
contents poured forth into countless shallow milk pans
If II dSesn'C bHrst on the way there.
Whether the yOungster who nc this moment may DO
twisting his shoulder out OF joint and nolry swapping his
head tho attempt To throw particularly big club
to the top or tho highest tree Ia some Connecticut
Woodland, will ever walk down Broadway
a certain minute and high-prced portion OF the wares
OF tho Sad-eyed itaiia9 OF the future. 1t is
will wonder from what sourees-besde the aIanacs aud
fanny papersal the chestnuts come. And unless the
coalition OF the trade changes his loyalty his New
England home VIII be shocked at the knowledSe that
Mono Of them from the Eastern states Baltimore
PeEasyiVahla, New lOrA alu northern NewJersey are
the source OF supply Tor the chestnut trade or THIS city
Hundreds OF bushels como here 10 be consumed or
shipped TO Albany and other cities.
Chestuus rarely cultivated systematically, I'm
these regions, but they are more rgd guarded from
cry IA In New-Ensand Sometimes chestnut trees are
out but 10 Is for the timber primarily, and tho nuts
arc auiucidental advantage In Pennsylvania, espco-
ally, chesRuttng party ~ apt 10 meet Win dlscour
agemcnt In the shape Of TeutOntc eXpetiyes bulldogs
and shoguns which mar the beauty the rural picture
seen In the Connecticut grove.
IAN the chestnuts 20 through Washington Market"
said dealer he shook sieve full ar tho article
der discussion yesterday The shaking sent the dirt
through the meshes OF the sieve and brought the ght
wormy nuts to s Top where ney were SNee Tn1 ana
- like this they bring from p 90 To - % bushe OF
sixty pounds. Some have 10 be picked over cateully
and others don't, according TO where they come from
and who gathered them
suppose that WOrlnlneS9l Is Contagious, Sald the
reporter he picked ont particularly fat and thriving
specimen. One woriny chestnut would corrupt a
whole barrelfu in tlme, wouldn'tItp
Every chestnut you're eating has worm In IT," re-
piled the dealer with reassurug grim You take the
fairest soundest ono yonev and keep 10 In warm
place. like incubator and it'll hatch ont "a worm Ar
Engagements perfected Tor the future Appearance OF
that wenn by little insect while the tree Is yet In bios
Then To help the thing the chestnuts get uJ
heat themselves by sort Of spontaneous combustion
Iet that barrel stand thcro all night you couldn't beaI
10 run your hand down Into In the morning. it would
| bo so hot They must be kept In a cold place"
Hon many bushels Of ohestnuts pass through th,
| market In yearr
4" don't know, and can't guess We handle hundreds
| tho business"