thin, are generally infested with weevils. If there were a demand for
such a nut tree, I'm sure that it could easily be grafted on oak roots.
During favorable seasons, when these edible nuts were of good size and
free from worms, I have carried them in my pocket and enjoyed munching
on them. I found that their flavor, like that of chestnuts, was improved
by roasting.

Acorns are a balanced food and contain enough starch to make them
readily assimilated, except for their bitterness. They are a good food
for farm animals and chickens. I have kept a flock of goats in good
condition by feeding them acorns during the winter. It isn't necessary
to grind them for such use. I have read that Indians at one time
prepared acorns for their own use by storing them in bags submerged in
cold running water. This not only extracted the bitterness but also it
probably discouraged the development of weevil eggs.

Oak trees are generally prolific and are regular bearers, but of course,
what they are widely known and loved for is the beauty of their leaves
in the autumn. No one doubts their esthetic value, which will keep them
forever popular whether they come into demand as a grafted nut tree or
not.


Chestnuts

Another of our ornamental nut trees is the chestnut, also of the oak
family, classified under the genus Castanea, which grows into a large,
beautiful tree with wide-spread branches. Chestnuts do not grow well on
limestone soil and always fail in the heavy blue clay so common on farm
lands in this part of the country. It is best for their growth that the