Since
then, I have purchased beechnut seeds several times from various
seedsmen, but none of these seeds has ever sprouted. I think this is
because beechnuts, like chestnuts, must be handled with great care to
retain their viability.
In 1938, I ordered 100 beechnut trees from the Hershey Nurseries of
Downingtown, Pennsylvania. Although these trees were set in sandy soil,
there are now only about five of them alive, and of these, only four are
growing well enough to suggest that they will some day become big trees.
Beechnuts must be protected against mice and rabbits as these species of
rodents are very fond of bark and young growth of these trees and I have
every reason to believe that deer are in the same category.
Oaks
Although the acorns produced by the red oak are very bitter and
consistently wormy, those from the white oak are more edible. In my own
exploring, I have found one tree, apparently a hybrid between the red
and white oaks, which bears good acorns. The nuts, which are long and
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.
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