Extensive expansion has not appeared possible in the near future until
the 1946 crop was harvested. This was unexpectedly large and a number of
tons are known either to have been planted immediately or set aside for
planting in the spring of 1947. It is conceivable that annual production
of nuts available for seed purposes will increase rapidly. In this case,
the extent of planting within the next few years will be entirely a
matter of guesswork.
Extensive planting in the early future cannot be considered economically
safe for in addition to the usual number of problems that must be solved
in establishing any new horticultural enterprise, chestnut growers must
expect keen competition with imports from both Europe and Asia. At the
outbreak of World War II, an average of more than 16 million pounds of
chestnuts were yearly being imported into this country.[6] These imports
will doubtless again appear with the return of normal international
relations.
[Footnote 6: Computed from Table 541, p. 413, Agricultural Statistics
1938. U. S. Dept. Agr. 19]
Furthermore almost an exact half-century ago, the chestnut outlook was
regarded as being so bright that it could hardly go wrong. During the
middle and late 'nineties extensive chestnut developments were
established in certain eastern districts mainly by use of Paragon and
other varieties of European parentage. Thousands of small plantings were
developed about home grounds and occasionally there were large orchards.
The greatest developments were conducted by top working suckers that
sprung up from stumps of native chestnut trees on cutover mountain land.
Hundreds of acres were handled in this manner. Without exception, all
ended in financial disaster.