quently and held for from 5 to 10 days depending both upon the
condition of the nuts and the atmospheric conditions at the time of
harvest: During the period of curing, the nuts will shrink rapidly in
weight and the color will change materially. Both luster and brightness
will largely disappear and, although still attractive, the nuts will
quickly become dull brown. Three weeks is about as long as Chinese
chestnuts usually remain edible without special treatment.

Chestnuts should be marketed as promptly as possible both to minimize
deterioration and to take advantage of good prices which are usually
highest early in the season.

Storing

Chestnuts in sound condition when stored may be kept fit for eating or
planting for several months by any one of several methods. When
available, cold storage with temperatures somewhat above freezing is the
simplest and generally the most satisfactory method. Stratifying method.
Stratifying in a wire-mesh container buried deeply in moist but
well-drained sand is very satisfactory and successful. Another method is
to hold the nuts in a tightly closed tin container either in a
refrigerator or in cold storage at 32 deg. F. Burying under a porch or in
the shade of a house or even in a bin of grain, preferably wheat or rye,
is also a good method. Regardless, however, of temperature or other
conditions, germination is likely to begin in early March and nuts
intended for planting should be hastened into the ground as promptly as
possible after that time.

Insect Pests

The two chestnut weevils are the principal insects attacking the nuts.
These are exceedingly well-known in certain large areas where the
chestnut is grown and in these areas both are often extremely abundant.
Unless checked in some way they often render whole crops unfit for use.
One of most effective means of control is to plant trees only in well
populated poultry yards; however, in large developments, this is
impracticable and other methods must be employed. In preliminary work
carried on by the Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine at
Beltsville, DDT has given very encouraging results in the control of the
weevil. The weevils have sometimes been called curculios, under which
name they were well discussed by Brooks and Cotton.[3] The Japanese
Beetle is also a serious pest as chestnut leaves are among its favorite
foods. Control methods have been given by Hadley.[4] Another insect pest
which feeds on the leaves