Delaware gazette and state journal. (Wilmington, Del.) 1883-1902, 1899-01-12
THE CULTURE OF GHEsTNUTS. .

-L-------A------f u" u
European Varieties Were introduced In
This Ssighborhood by Col. du Points
Grandfather. ra e
Il. ]. du Point de Nemours, the
founder Of the powder works on tho
Brandywine, was also the Introduce
of European chestnuts into this
vicinity. This fact is brought out IN
a recent bulletin from the Delaware
College Agricultural Experiment 10
which Prof G. Harold Powell, horti.
culturist and entomologist, discusses
tho European and Japanese chestnuts
in the Eastern United States
Commercial chestnut culture, -
writes Prof. Powell, sis beginning to
| take place among the permanent
horticultural industries of the United
States. The enormous annual crops of
small, sweet chestnuts, and the lack Of
appreciation of the value of the chests
nut iu tho dietary economy by
| Americans have held back the sys
type into large, desirable kinds. and
discouraged, for many years, the intro
duction of improved varieties from
Europe or Asia. A few European
seedlings have been growing for nearly
u century within so miles OF Whining.
ton, Del, and Philadelphia. Pa,
where the history of the European
chestnut in America largely centres.
In all this time but few orchards or
groves have been developed, and only
within few years have any Of the
seedlings been selected for commercial
propagation. /"
1.-THE introductions that mark the
beginning Of the general dissemination
around Wilmington and Philadelphia, w
he continues, "werc those of Eleuthere
lrenee du Pont dc Nemours, who, with
his family, emigratcd from France 10
America in 1899, and after Residence
at Bergen Point, N. j., where no took
much pleasure in propagating u mum
Der of European seeds and plants re-.
ceived from France removed to Della.
ware in 1902 and settled on the
Brandywine, where he established the
famous du Pont Powder Mills.
lrenee du Pont, as he was usually
called, had pronounced tastes for hort.
culture and agriculture. and in coming
TO America had credentials from tho
Institute of France, authorizing him
to secure for the Institute useful in
formation on tho flora and sylvia OF the
United States Mr.. du Pont Forwarded
boxes OF seeds 10 France from time TO
time, and among them was a case
to Madame Bonaparte, wife of the
, First Consul, afterwards the Empress
Josephine; and in return many plant;
. and seeds were sent to him. In the
| winter Of lS02-3, no writes TO Mn.
, Prudhomme, u Frrnohman, who was 8
neighbor at Bergen Point, and an
ardent horticulturist, | greatly regret
that all the chestnuts which were sent
from France were spoiled, but hope
that We will be luckier next season,
and have taken steps to procure not
only French chestnuts, but young trees
as we'll, from different sources
Although tho datc Of tho receipt Of
this shipment OF chcstmts is not re.
corded, it can be inferred from Mr..
du Points journals and correspondence,
that he planted number Of French
chestnuts in his garden ut Eleutharean
Mills, Christiana hundred, near Viii
mington, Dol. in the spring of 1907
and it is certain that Il considerable
number of trees became established
and ilourished there, some Of which
; are still in existence.
lrenee du Pont had largo and varied
business interests. lie carried on TN
'AtNuaiNo correspondence anu llHI o
/ wide acquaintance around Wilmington
aud Philadelphia. To many of hi,
friends he sent nuts or cions from his
famous French Marrons, and FROM
these chestnuts multitude of seed
lipgs sprang up ard are still standing
along the fence rows or in tho gardens.
a few of these surviving seedlings
by attracting the attention Of enter
prising nurserymon, havo thcrob,
entered the variety ranks, but there
r arc numbers that have long lain 10
obscurity, which, if introduced, might
justly claim varietaf distinction. ~
} Tho notes concerning the du Pcnt
, introduction of ciestnutS wore sent u
} Prof. Powell by Col. II. y. du Pont,
; who gathered them, after much 70,
. search, from the correspondence and
: other papers of his grandfather, lrenet
du Pont.
Speaking OF tho uses of the chest
| nut, Prof. Powell says: ''l}ofure chest
nut culture can becons prominent
' industry, there will mood TO he u larseI
Il appreciation of the uses TO which tllt
/, chestnut can be put. Popular snnt
' ment will also n0ed revising, 81 thai
!; the chestnut harvest will not Je looked
/ upon as public property, purposeIy
q grown for tho benefit Of the com
\ munity ut largo. Tho chestnut in
a dustry, us a means of charging tx
. food supply of the United States, is
> horticultural phase that is worthy o.
, serious consideration. In. many Euro
pean countries the chestnut is LOOKED
upon as staple article Of diet. .
The composition of European chest
nuts has been shown to DO similar
+ that of wheat.
a Hints on chestnut culture are given
d Ms well MS facts concerning insect pest
: which iniure the crop. illustrators
I are given of several varieties of ~