The Brookhaven leader., 1886-01-21
CHESTNUTS.
MISS

Every Specimen SdppliedWtth worm
The sad-eyed Italian with his chestnut
stand, who ornaments every street cor
ner. excites in the mind of the average
citizen not so much the memory of the
army of decrepit jokes that have come
limping down the vistas Of ages past rs
of the DAYS when he used TO roam the
woods IN search of the best chestnut tree
with cart-whecl spoke or a hickory
stick in his hand rs n weapon OF otfcnSc
and an old salt-bag slung over his bacS
in which to carry off the booty. Every
fall after the first October frost the sam,
procession wCuds its way through the
New England woods after school is out.
Away goes the troop over stone walls
and across cloSely-croppcd meadows in
search of the most desirable tree, for the
characteristics of each are known.
The tree is tall and venerable. and its
fruit is big, brown and of the sweetest
flavor, but its branches are so high that
the most aspiring club can not reach
them, and only after a strong wind has
shaken the limbs and scattered the nuts
on the ground, will it pay to visit the
tree. Other trees have fruit that is lcsi
sweet and juicy, but their branches are
lower, and they can be easily "2lubbed
and compelled to Weld up thciI
abundance. Under one of these tn,
chattering group gathers. The girl.
and the smaller boys pick up,
while the more sturdy lads WELD the
club. There is warning cry OF
Heads and up goes 4 club end over
end. 1t circles through the air in the
majestic manner of an eagle whose steer.
ing apparatus is out of order, dcsccnds
in the tip-top of the tree, and bangs its
way downward from branch to branch,
while a perfect rain of chestnuts AMI
burrs falls alike on the Just and unjust.
The capacious salt-bag gaps wide, but
the spoils collected by many busy hand,
soon initiate it to the condition OF 4 city
official, and it is borne home in triumph
to have its contents poured into count
less shallow milk-pans fit doesn 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 Oft in the attempt to throw par.
tlcularly big club to the top of the high.
EST tree i'll some Connecticut woodland
will ever walk down Broadway AMI hold
open his pockets to receive certaiL
minute and high-priced portion Of tn,
wares of the sad-cyed Italian OF the flu
ture it is impossible 70 say. Bat if such
should be the case he will wonder from
what sourceS-besides the almanacS and
funny papers-all the chestnutS come
And unless the condition OF the trad,
changes his loyalty to his New England
home will be shocked at the knowledge
that none of them comes from the East
ern States. Baltimore, PENNSYLVANIA.
New York and Northern New Jersey are
the sources Of supply for the chestnut
trade of this city. Hundreds of bushels
come here to be consumed or shipped to
Albany and other cities.
Chesnuts are rarely cultivated SYSTEM
aticaIiy, even in these regions, but they
are more rigidly guarded from dcpreda-
tons, as they are not considered COM
mon 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. a chcstnutting
party is apt to meet with discourage.
ments in the shape of Teutonc cx.
pletives, bulldogs and shotguns, which
mar the beauty OF the rural picture aS
seen in the Connecticut grove
"All the chestnutS 90 through Wash
ington market, said dealer, rs he
shook sieve full of the article under
discussion yesterday. The shaking sent
the dirt through the meshes of the sieve,
ph hp
to the top, where they were
picked out and thrown away.
I'm a plentiful season" he~ CON
tinued, like this they bring from 81 30
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"
II suppose that wormne>s is cOntagi-
ous," said the reporter, as he picked
out particularly fat and thriving speci-
men. Zone wOrmy chestnut would
corrupt whole barrelful in time,
wouldn't it?"
Every chestnut you are eating has
worm in it, replied the dealer with a
reassuring grin. lyon take the fairest,
sOundest one YOU ever saw and keep it in
a warm place, like an incubator, and
it'll 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 a sort of spontaneous
combustion. If l let the barrel stand
there 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 cheotnuts pass
through the market in year,
II don't know, l cant guess. We
handle hundreds of bushels ourselves
and there are good many others in the
business. ~. Y. Tribune