American Chestnut

[David]

Me and the wife have just obtained about twenty small logs of Ameircan Chestnut and are in the process of cutting it in to pieces, blanks, blocks and waxing it. Problem is we have never seen any infro on use. These trees have all died from the blight and are not chinese. Anyone out there have any infro. The logs were rather small anywhere from six to 20 inches in diameter at the base to about four inches at the top. The trees have been cut about two years and there is very little spliting even though the ends were not sealed and were left in the round. Some if not most have no cracks is this normal for chestnut. Thanks David and Judy

 

[Jake Debski]

If indeed it is American Chestnut you have some rare lumber. Nearly all American Chestnut trees were killed by a blight at the early part of the 20th Century. A few survived in isolation and are highly sought after, more for research and propagation than anything else. The lumber is very stable and rot resistant. I have only turned one small piece salvaged from an old barn. It was easy to turn with sharp tools and finished beautifully. Do you know how long the tree has been dead? I have heard of the occasional tree (died late in the blight years) still being useable after all this time but it is usually very wormy.
There are a few hybrids being experimented with the hope of re-establishing this valuable timber.

 

[David]

These trees are part of the experimenting that is takeing place to try to find a resistant tree. They have not been crossed but the people that gave them to us are still hoping that they can find a resistant tree. I have located three live one in the past month but all have the cankers and are shoots from old trees. They take pollen from all trees they can find and use it on flowers of other trees always using the best trees pollen to pollinate misspelled that other trees that exhibit resistance to the fungus. These have the canoe shaped leaves not the rounded leaves of the chinese or chinese american hybred. They have been cut about a year and some were dead a year before that.

 

[Erwin Nistler]

I have several American chestnut growing in Minnesota. I was sent the seedlings , about 8 years ago, by a member of some chestnut society dedicated to preserving these trees.
The ones I planted in central MN are from 2' to 12' tall. Big difference but that is the way it is. They hang tough untill about 5' tall then grow much faster.
Only one in northern MN lived. It was about 5 ft tall last summer but died back this past winter which was very cold.. Coldest was lower then -40 up there.
It is sending out new shoot about a ft above the ground. If it lives up there the blight will never find it. I get seed pods but no good seeds. If I ever do I will plant more
I also wonder how the wood is but certainley will ot cut one to find out.