The White Pine news. [volume] (Treasure City, Nev.) 1868-1906, 1902-02-13
PENNSYLVANIA ODD FARM.
1t Is In the Mountain District and the
Owner Raises Only Chestnuts.


Il. W. Warner, the noted geologist
and mineralogist, of Wllliamsport, Pa,
is owner and cultiyator of probably the
oldest farm in Pennsylvania, If not In
the United States.
It is the chestnut farm, located In the
mountain district of northeast Lyeom-
ing County, and the Sullivan County
line.
The trees. of which there are over
3.Oo0 are set in rows exactly as fruit
trees are arranged in an orchard, and
they receive the same or more care
full attention. The original saplings
were culled from a wide area of chest
nut thleket, and the resulting crop
has been notable for the enormous size
Of the nuts, some measuring an inch
across and growing as many as seven
In burr.
While on a prospecting trip through
the Pennsylvania mountains the geoio-
gist came upon the great copse from
which he secured the CRAFTS that nave
produced his strange farm. The trees
We're loaded with enormous burrs'
measuring from four to six inches IN
| diameter.
He secured some sciOns, grated them
on the common American sweet chest
nut, and from this parent stock pro-
duced. to his own amazement, the Big
American chestnut, the largest specl-
men grown.
For three successive seasons the cul-
tiYator continued grating with marvel
Gus results, for now the three-year-old
trees measure over ten feet in height.
They began bearing the second year.
but about one-half the young Durfs
were cut off as soon as they formed IN
order to prevent the trees from bearing
too prolifically, and thus cndangering
their growth. They will not be allow
ed to yield an entire crop until AFTER
four or five years old, at which time
they will have attained a good rugged
size. and will be able to withstand
strong winds and to bear the weight OF
the burrs.
Mr.. Warner allowed the nuts on a
few CRAFTS to develop on the ana d
year-old trees. and so he gathered from
2-year-old tree thirty full-sized burrs
and on the 3-year-old trees got many
larger.
The nuts this season measure from
one and one-fourth inches to one ana
one-h half inches in diameter, and are the
sweetest and finest-grained ehestnuts
in the world.
1t was learned that the flavor of the
fruit might be impaired by the size, but
the kernels are as good as, If not bet
ter than, the choicest Pennsylvania
chestnuts picked up in the field.
The Big American contains three to
seven nuts, and when the grated trees
have attained an age of 10 or II years.
they should each yield bushel Of nuts
a season. When these grated trees
have reached height Of fifty feet they
should produce about three bushels Of
nuts per tree each year.
The soil In which the chestnut or
chard was planted is deep, sandy, we'll
drained, and rolling, and about Loo
feet above tidewater. In this ground
the native chestnut grows in abund-
ance and bears good crops every year.
The chestnut tree is hardy and one
of the most vital trees in existence,
never being diseased or affected by
worms which injure the development.
Warner expects that his novel farm
will be safe and paying Investment
If he can guard against his greatest
foe, the small boy.