Rensselaer Union, Volume 7, Number 22, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 February 1875 — Culture of the Chestnut. [ARTICLE]

Culture of the Chestnut.

One of the best trees to plant for profit is the chestnut. When properly cared for, it grows rapidly and will soon bear nuts enough to afford full remuneration for all outlay. The culture is simple, and no one who raises trees for profit should neglect the §weet chestnut. The seeds may be planted either in fall or spring; but it is usually better to wait till spring, as they are frequently thrown out of the ground by the frost er eaten by mice when fall planted. One thing is indispensable for success—the nuts must not he allowed to dry. As soon as they fall from the tree they should be planted or mixed with moist sand and kept in a cellar till time for planting in the spring More failures arise from allowing the nuts to dry than from any other cause. The nuts should be planted in good, mellow’ soil and covered about two inches deep. A slight mulch of straw or manure will be of great benefit in preventing a hard crust from forming. Unless the cultivator is near where the chestnuts are grown and can be perfectly sure of getting fresh seeds, we would advise purchasing oneyear-old trees from a nursery rather than endeavoring to raise them from the nuts. The one-year-old trees can be purchased at very reasonable figures, and usually it will be better to order them from the nursery than to run the risk of buying and planting the seeds. For timber or for nuts the young trees should be planted in rows eight feet apart each way-. This will give 680 trees to an acre.' The land should than be planted with corn, as this will give shade and protection to the young trees autUkeep the ground activated and free from weeds till the trees are of sufficient age to take themse.ves. When the trees begin to crowd each other takeout every alternate tree,

and in after years repeat the process, so * 3 to give each tree the necessary reom. Chestnut trees require but little if any pruning, and the most that should be dene is to shorten in a few of the irregular branches.— -Rural World.