The American chestnut is not as sweet as Chinese chestnut but is much finer in texture and richer in subtle pleasing flavor. We would say that the quality is higher. Castanea dentata has the most uniformly delicious nuts. It is excelled, however, by many individuals of C. pumila. In our opinion these possess the highest quality nuts in the entire genus.
Our American chestnuts hybrids, especially those with C. Sequinii, are very interesting. The latter make a dwarf tree that bears incredible amounts of small chestnuts. They have pollination problems to be solved and the nuts are seldom filled. Pollen sterility is a common feature with them. They are also everbearing.
Some Northern strains of Chinese chestnut seem barely hardy but promise to survive. Of the grafted varieties we have, Abundance is the most vigorous. "Nanking" has winter-killed here and it has been replanted this year. These are very blight resistant, and rarely lose a branch to this disease after winter injury. The Japanese behave in much the same way.
We have many obscure chestnut species and hybrids growing here. They are grown for study, hybridizing purposes, and as a source of supply to interested members. When mature, we hope to obtain some cash crops from our Chinese and Japanese Chestnut trees. Blight in Europe will no doubt, in about 5 years more, reduce imports of chestnuts thus creating higher prices and a more favorable market.
Chinese chestnuts do not keep well when stored using standard commercial practices. European chestnuts are shipped in barrels and kept in open fruit boxes for weeks at a time in front of fruit and vegetable stores in New York City. Storekeepers never moisten these believing that rot would result. These are viable even in January and sometimes as late as March. Will our present Chinese chestnuts keep as well under these conditions? We think not. American Chestnuts can be kept in bulk only.
We are continually striving to obtain by selection and subsequent hybridization, the best chestnuts that can be grown in our severe climate. The Chinese chestnut has performed miracles in the Southeast, but we regret that it is not the answer to our problems. Only a long period of seed selection will turn up better trees of this species.
Prolonged heat and drought caused us much concern this year. Some one year old seedlings died outright but older trees only suffered varying degrees of defoliation. In some areas, the subsoil was reported powder dry to a depth of six feet. Even the native forest trees dropped much foliage and went into premature dormancy. Oddly enough, the American and Japanese chestnuts suffered much less defoliation than the common Allegheny chinkapin, C. pumila. C. henryi, a rare species, a native of China, and the several chinkapins native to the Gulf Coast seemed inherently adjusted to drought and heat, and thrived without apparent damage. The Ozark tree chinkapins did well also.
Hybrid hazels and choice native seedlings have been set out here in the last few years. We are adding a few every year and planting them between chestnuts to prevent the latter from forming extensive root grafts. This is done in anticipation of oak wilt, which has not yet made its appearance here.
Experiences and Observations on Nut Growing in Central Texas
KAUFMAN FLORIDA, Rotan, Texas