The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1895-02-02
CHESTNUT GATHERING.
Something Of Picnic for the Young Pso-

II
There Is certain indescriba BILE
charm about going a-nutting. The
very word recalls pleasant experience
| and world of fun, and suggests q
band of boys and girls tramping in
field and woodland in the golden sun
light of October, climbing the trees,
throwing sticks and stones, and re-
turning home at twilight laden with
the spells of the days hunt and work.
1t is only the lazy and perpetually
tired boy who does not want to go nut
ting. But even the indolcnt boys sud-
denly become active when they can
earn some money by gathering nuts.
There are few places in the coun-
try where the gathering of chestnuts
has become quite business, and where
many young people find the chestnut
harvest scource of profit as well as
of pleasure. The mountains of the
central part Of Connecticut are COW
cred with vast forests of chestnut
trees Here, early In October, the
harvest of the chestnut tree is gath
cred year after year.
This chestnut-time is regarded by the
young people as kind of picnic, while
it give to the old folks the opportunity
of making few dollars. In many
families the chestnut harvest is looked
forward to with considerable interest.
After the second or third heavy frost
there is family exodus to the woods.
Father, mother and children work to-
gether and have happy time-all the
happier for being busy one.
The observation-disclosures are out in the
woods at five o'clock in the morning,
and remain there till it is almost dark.
The usual way of gathering the crop
is briefly as follows: The big boys or
men climb the trees and shake the
limbs. This they do by standing as
far out as they dare and then, by hold
ing to limb overhead, they stamp up
and down. The limb springs back with
a snap, and the chestnuts come down
through the leaves like shower of
hailstones. No attempt is made to
gather the nuts while the tree is being
shaken. The members of the party
stand off at a respectful distance and
look on. They are afraid of the keen
pointed burrs falling on the face, neck
or hands.
After the tree haS been shaken one
of the boys rakes up the leaves and
burrs, and the place is well cleared.
Then the chestnut-gatherers work
along the ground on their knees. Each
picker drops the nuts into a small can
vas bag, which he or she wears around
the neck. When the bag is filed the
contents are emptied into a bushel
basket or large sack.
And so one tree after another is
shaken and made to yield valuable
harvest. No sooner is one place picked
than the party moves to another tree.
The amount that chestnut-pickers will
gather in a day ranges from three
quarters of bushel for slow picker,
to two bushels for rapid one. OF
course much depends on the yield;
light crop makes slow picking. This
year chestnuts were plenty, and the
piclxers could do a good days work.
Tho observation-disclosures sell their
crop by weight-fifty-six pounds to
bushel. The average price paid Is
about four cents n pounds, or two dol
lars and twenty-five cents per bushe,.
Thus the earnings of family of four
or five persons will often be as high as
ten dollars day. The season is short,
and lasts about three weeks. The
pickers would like it to continue for
three months. Harper's Young Peo-
ple