Pliny l.
15.c.23.from this natural guard, concludes them to be excellent food, and doubtless Caesar thought so, when he transported them from Sardis first into Italy, whence they were propagated into France, and thence among us; another encouragement to make such experiments out of foreign countries.

Some sow them confusedly in the furrow like the acorn, and govern them as the oak; but then would the ground be broken up 'twixt November and February; and when they spring, be clensed, and thinn'd two foot asunder, after two years growth: Likewise may copses of chesnuts be wonderfully increased and thickned, by laying the tender and young branches; but such as spring from the nuts and marrons, are best of all, and will thrive exceedingly, if (being let stand without removing) the ground be stirr'd, and loosened about their roots, for two or three of the first years, and the superfluous wood prun'd away; and indeed for good trees, they should be shrip'd up after the first year's removal; they also shoot into gallant poles from a felled stem: Thus will you have a copse ready for a felling, within eight years, which (besides many other uses) will yield you incomparable poles for any work of the garden, vineyard or hopyard, till the next cutting: And if the tree like the ground, will in ten or twelve years grow to a kind of timber, and bear plentiful fruit.
3.

I have seen many chesnut-trees transplanted as big as my arm, their heads cut off at five and six foot height; but they came on at leisure: In such plantations, and all others for avenues, you may set them from thirty to ten foot distance, though they will grow much nearer, and shoot into poles, if (being tender) you cultivate them like the ash, the nature of whose shade it resembles, since nothing affects much to grow under it: Some husbands tell me, that the young chesnut-trees should not be pruned or touched with any knife or edge-tool, for the first three or four years, but rather cropp'd or broken off, which I leave to farther experience; however, many forbear to top them, when they transplant.
4.

The chesnut being graffed in the wallnut, oak, or beech, (I have been told) will come exceeding fair, and produce incomparable fruit; for the wallnut, and chesnut in each other, it is probable; but I have not as yet made a full attempt; they also speak of inoculating cherries in the chesnut-stock for a later fruit.

In the mean time, I wish we did more universally propagate the horse-chesnut, which being easily increas'd from layers, grows into a good standard, and bears a most glorious flower, even in our cold country: This tree (so call'd, for the cure of horses broken-winded, and other cattel of coughs) is now all the mode for the avenues to their countrey palaces in France, as appears by the late Superintendent's plantation at Vaux.