The Van Buren press., 1899-01-07
CHESTNUT GROWING.
Extensive Experiments with Japan.
ese and European Trees That
Promise Well

Systematic chestnut growing prom
lses to be an important industry IN
this country. 1t IS now about a cen
tary since the emigre ancestor Of the
powder-malSing 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 distrib-
uted European ehestnuts to his friends
and to others interested in tree euI-
ture. To this day there are more ku-
ropean ehestnuts IN the region within
f0l miles of Philadelphia than any
where else in the country.
It was quite three-quarters OF a cen
tury after Du Points Importation OF
European ehestnuts that Japanese
ehestnuts began 20 attract attention
IN this country and again the region
about Philadelphia became the center
of interest Probably the largest
grove of Japanese ehestnuts in Amer
iea Is situated near Cleminton, y. j.,
Is miles from Philadelphia. Here a
tract OF land 500 acres in area is
xiven over to the culture of these
trees. The tract was originally for
est of ma tive American chestnut trees.
They we're all cut down, and after the
Young shoots from the roots OF the
felled trees had grown two years they
we're grated with the Japanese chest
nut. In from two TO three years the
grated trees began 70 bear, and at
the end of ten years they were yielding
as much as half bushel Of ehestHuts
To tree. The orchard. Il such it may
be called. is erudely cultivated with a
rough harrow, and the fallen leaves
are permitted to rot and enrich the
ground.
The European and the Japanese
ehestnuts are vastly larger than the
native American ehestnuts. but by
no means so sweet n 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 vegetable. The Italians in
this country convert them into meal,
from which they make rich and
nourishing cake.
The japanese ehestnuts 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 ehestnuts come into
market the price falls to six or eight
dollars a 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
favor 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 making a
careful study of the tree and it's fruit.
The great enemy of the nut is the
unpleasant1y familiar worm known as
the chestnut weeYil. He, too, is IN
der scientific investigation, and the
best method of destroying him is being
made subject of special study. 4
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.