Round The Square:

RTS for Tuesday, November 18, 2008

NUT CASES: Here a nut, there a burr, everywhere a leaf, leaf.

We’ve accumulated quite a few specimens which relate to our recent columns about the American chestnut tree.

We obviously put a “burr” under somebody’s saddle a month or so ago when we expressed some doubt about the identity of supposed chestnuts found in the Allegheny National Forest, and we have since been appropriately chastened.

And in the process, we’ve learned quite a lot.

To recap: A group attempting to save the Rimrock Overlook area of the forest from oil and gas development had reported that it had found chestnut trees which had somehow manage to survive and thrive despite a blight which had virtually wiped out the species. A reader had begged to differ and suggested their identification had been erroneous.

It may take us a couple columns, but allow us to elucidate on this fascinating subject.

But before we actually get started, let us tell you about some of the objects we’ve accumulated in our tiny office.

Gary Daugherty of Port Allegany stopped by with a branch from a chestnut tree containing two burrs — unopened. Even after having them in the office a couple weeks, they did not open to allow us an inspection.

We would gladly break open the burrs but you cannot quite understand the word, “sharp” until you get one of these spines under your fingernail.

Gary picked the branch off one of two fully grown American chestnut trees which have been around for 25 years or better.

He himself wondered if such chestnut trees are protected. We don’t know.

We also got a chestnut tree branch from Bob Whiteman who works in Duke Center and dropped it off at the home of our Newspaper in Education coordinator Jane Larson in Duke. Again, the burrs have not opened and we have not as yet had the courage to break them open.

We also got a box of items delivered by Pat Franco of Rew. In it was a chestnut as well as an unopened chestnut burr. Since we’ve had some apparent misidentification, we also included samples of a black walnut and a butternut.

With all these items cluttering our office, one would think someone would have dropped off a pail of chestnuts ready for roasting. No such luck, so far.

More tomorrow on this subject.

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