Daily independent. [volume] (Elko, Nev.) 188?-1915, 1898-11-23
CHESTNUT GROWING.
Extensive H1perineats with Japaa-
csc and European Trees That
Promise Well.

Systematic chestnut growing prom
ises to he an important industry in
this country. It is now about CEN
fury since the emigre ancestor of the
powder-making Du Points imported
from his native France some varieties
of the Eurcpean chestnut. He lived
on the banks OF the Brandywine, near
Wilmington, Del, and thence distrib-
uted European chestnuts TO his friends
and to others interested in tree Gull
ture. To this day there are more Flu.
ropean chestnuts in the region within
100 miles of Philadelphia than any
where else in the country.
1t was quite three-quarters of CEN
fury after Du Points importation of
European chestnuts that japanese
chestnuts began to attract attention
in this country, and again the region
about Philadelphia became the center
of interest. Probably the largest
grove of japanese chestnuts in Amer
lea is situated near Cleminton, N. j.,
Is miles from Philadelphia. Here a
tract of land 500 acres in area is
given over to the culture of these
trees. The tract was originally for
est OF rctive American chestnut trees.
They we're all cut down. and after the
''oHHfr shoots from the roots of the
'.!l"r' :rc"& had grown two years they
zero :cr;'<ted with the japanese chest
nut. III from two to three years the
:rra::ei trees began 70 bear, and at
he emil c: ten years they were yielding
S lnlIch ~; half bushcl of chestnuts
% : trC". The orchard, if such il may
re can":i is crudely cultivated with
rough harrow, and the fallen leaves
are permitted to rot and enrich the
ground. ...
The European and the japanese
'hestTn;s are vastly larger than the
Hativc American chestnuts, but by
20 means so sweet in the raw
state. When cooked, however, they
are very ralatable. They are used
not only for the enlivenment of Hal.
lowe'e parties, but also for the
Thanksgiving turkey, and boiled as an
ordinary vegetable. The Italians in
this country convert them into meal,
from which they make rich and
nourishing cake. ....
The Japanese chestnuts ripen about
the middle of September; the Euro
pean chestnut two or three weeks
later. When the former first come
into the market they fetch from ten
to fourteen dollars a bushel. When
the European chestnuts come into
market the price falls to six or eight
dollars bushel, and at the height of
! the season the native American chest
nuts fetch only three or four dollars
bushel, in spite of their excellent
flavor. The higher price of the for
| eign varieties seems to be due solely
to their great size.
In view of the new interest in the
chestnut as an article of food, and
therefore of industrial importance,
scientific agriculturists are mdAing a
careful study of the tree and its fruit.
The great enemy Of the nut is the
unpleasantly familiar worm known as
the chestnut weevil. He, too, is I'M
der scientific investigation, and the
! best method of destroying him is being
! made n subject of special study. A
blight that is destroying the chestnut
leaves is also attracting the attention
of scientific agriculturists. In the
course of these Investigations Ameri-
can men of science have been in cor
respondence with botanists not only
in England, Spain and Italy, but even
in Japan.-N. Y. Sun.