Daily camera., 1898-11-10
CHESTNUT GROWING.
Hxtsnstvs Experiments with JaDAAa
ose and EurOpean Trees That
Promise Well.

Systematic chestnut growing prom
ises to be an important industry in
this country. 1t is now about CEN
tury since the emigre ancestor OF the
powder-making Du Points imported
from his native France some varieties
of the European chestnut. He lived
on the banks of the Brandywine, near
Wilmington, Del, and thence dlstrib-
uted European chestnuts to his friends
and to others interested in tree cul-
ture. To this day there are more Eu.
ropean chestnuts in the region within
100 miles of Philadelphia than any
where else in the country.
1t was quite three-quarters OF cen
tury 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..
1s 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 native American chestnut trees.
They were all cut down, and after the
young shoots from the roots of the
felled trees had grown two years they
were grated with the japanese chest
nut. In from two to three years the
grated trees began to bear, and at
the end Of ten years they were yielding
as much as half bushel Of chestnuts
to a tree. The orchard, if such it may
be called, is crudely cultivated with a
rough harrow, and the fallen leaves
are permitted to rot and enrich the
ground.
The European and the japanese
chestnuts are vastly larger than the
native American chestnuts, but by
no means so sweet in the raw
state. When cooked, however, they
are very palatable. They are used
not only for the enlivenment Of Hal
lowe'en parties, but also for the
Thanksgiving turkey, and boiled as an
ordinary egetable. The Italians in
this country convert them into meal
from which they make a 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 ter
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
a 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 thu
chestnut as an article of food, ano
therefore Of industrial Importance
scientific agriculturists are making &
careful study of the tree and its fruit
The great enemy of the nut is the
unpleasantly familiar worm known a.
the chestnut weevil. He, too, is un
der scientific investigation, and the
best method of destroying him is being
made a subject of special study. a
blight that is destroying the chestnu
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 ever
In Japan.-N. Y. Sun.