The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1886-02-04
CHESTNUTS.
Where the Popular Fruit is Gathered.


The sad-eyed Italian with his chest
nut-stand, who ornaments every street
corner, excites in the mind of the aver
age citizen not 50 much the memory OF
the army of decrepit jokes that have
come limping down the vistas of ages
past, us of the days when he used to
roam the woods in search of the best
chestnut tree, with cart-wheel spoke
or hickory stick in his hand as wea-
pom of offense and an old salt-bag
slung over his back in which to carry
off the booty. Every fall after the first
October frost the same procession wends
its way through the New England
woods after school is out Away goes
the troop over stone walls and across
closely-cropped meadows in search of
the most desirable tree, for the charac-
teristics of each are known.
This tree is tall and venerable, and
its fruit is big, brown, and of the sweet
est flavor, but its branches are so high
that the most aspiring club can not
reach them, and only after strong
wind has shaken the limbs and scatter.
ed the nuts on the ground, will it pay
to visit the tree. Other trees have fruit
that is less sweet and juicy. but their
branches are lower, and they can be
easily ''clubbed" and compelled to Weld
up their abundance. Under one of
these the chattering group gathers. The
girls and the smaller boys pick up,
while the more sturdy lads WELD the
club. There is warning cry of
''Heads," and up goes club end over
end. 1t circles through the air in the
majestic manner of an eagle whose
steering apparatus is out of order, de-
scends in the tip-top of the tree, and
bangs its way downward tlom branch
to branch, while a perfect rain of chest
nuts and burrs falls alike on the just
and unjust. The capacious salt-bag
gaps wide, but the spoils collected by
many busy hands soon initiate it to the
condition of city official, and it is
borne home in triumph, to have its con-
tents poured into Countless shallow
milk-pans, if it doesn't burst on the
way there.
Whether the youngster who at this
moment may be twisting his shoulder
out of joint and nearly swapping his
head off in the attempt to throw par
ticularly big club to the top of the high
est tree in some Connecticut woodland
will ever walk down Broadway and
hold open his pockets to receive
certain minute and high-priced portion
Of the wares of the sad-eyed Italian of
the future it is impossible to say. But if
such should be the case he will wonder
from what sources-besides the alman-
acs and funny papers-all the chestnuts
come. And unless the condition of the
trade changes his loyalty to his New
England home he will be shocked at the
knowledge that none of them come
from the eastern states. Baltimore,
Pennsylvania New York, and northern
New Jersey are the sources of supply
for the chestnut trade of this city. Hun
dreds of bushels come here to be con-
sumed OF shipped to Albany and other
cities.
Chestnuts are rarely cultivated sys-
tematically, even in these regions, but
they are more rigidly guarded from
depredatlons, as they are not considered
common property, as in New England.
Sometimes chestnut trees are set out,
but it is for the timber primarily, and
the nuts are an incidental advantage.
In Pennsylvania, especially, chestnut
ing party is apt to meet with discour-
agements i'll the shape of Teutonic ex-
pletives, bulldogs, and shot-guns. which
mar the beauty of the rural picture as
seen in the Connecticut groves
"All the chestnuts 90 through Wash
ington market" said a dealer, as he
shook sieve full of the article under
discussion yesterday. The shaking sent
the dirt through the meshes of the sieve,
and brought the light, wormy nuts to
the top, where they were picked out and
thrown away. ''ln plentiful season."
he continued, like this they bring from
$3.50 to $3.50 bushel of sixty pounds.
Some have to be picked over carefully,
and others don't, according to where
they come from and who gathered
them"
81 suppose that worminess is conta-
glous, said the reporter, as he picked
out a particularly fat and thriving
specimen. "One wormy chestnut would
corrupt a whole barrelful in time,
wouldn't it?''
Every chestnut you are eating has q
worm in it, y replied the dealer, with a
reassuring grin. ''You take the fairest,
soundest one you ever saw and keep il
in warm place, like an incubator, and
1T hatch out worm. Arrangements
are perfected for the future appearance
OF that worm by little insect while the
tree is yet in blossom Then, to help
the thing out, the chestnuts get up heat
themselves by sort of spontaneous
combustion. Ii | let the barrel stand
all night you couldn't bear to run your
hand down into it in the morning it
would be SO hot. They must be kept in
a cold place"
"How many bushels of chestnuts pass
through the market in year?"
IL don't know, and | can't guess.
We handle hundreds OF bushels our
selves, and there are good many
others in the business. .''-Net0 York Irit-
buae.