Ivan Bo and the American Chestnut

[WDH]

We were cleaning up some old sheds this weekend.  There was an old veneer table in bad repair in one of the the open sheds.  The veneer was peeling off, and the table was broken and done for.  I peeled the old veneer off in preparation for burning the parts, and much to my surprise, the substrate of the top was american chestnut .  What a diamond in the rough!

There were about four 6" boards that made up the table top.  I need to make a large frame for my youngest daughter's senior picture....Now, I have found the perfect wood for it .

I am excited!  I love chestnut.

This one is for you, Mr. Ivan.

[Don K]

Good find Danny. I've seen Norm use some reclaimed old Chestnut. It is a beautiful rare wood. If you have any scraps left send a little on the Penwood Express and I'll make you a pen.

Don

[WDH]

The Penwood express will run again!

[Ron Wenrich]

The basics behind the cross breeding is that they have several designated American chestnut trees.  These are used mainly for their pollen.  Each year, volunteers will go out and put plastic bags around the chestnut flowers and collect pollen.  It usually involves the use of a crane, and really good access.  Here's my understanding of the process.

Orchards are started out with the Chinese variety.  When they get to nut bearing size, they are crossed with the American chestnut.  That give the offspring a 50/50 American to Chinese. 

These nuts are then put in another orchard.  When they get to nut bearing size, the blight is introduced.  Those that survive have blight resistance.  They are then cross pollinated with the American chestnut.  The next generation is 75/50 with blight resistance.

Again, they are put in another orchard.  The blight is introduced and the survivors get cross bred with the American to give a 83/17 mix. 

One final orchard, using the same process and you come up with a 90/10 mix.  It should have high blight resistance and predominately America characteristics.

I've been a member of the Chestnut Foundation for a number of years.  I have yet to be contacted about any trees.  I'm thinking the state is going to get first crack, along with some really old members.

[nsmike]

I believe that 2010 is the magic date for availability. I read a news release that the first of the seed prodction for realease groves was being planted. I think it was in the Chestnut Foundation's new release archive. Initial releases were to be to members.
Mike

[OneWithWood]

At the last Indiana Forest and Woodland Owners Association meeting one of the presenters talked about the American Chestnut program.  If I recall he said they are very close but not quite there.  He handed out samples of chestnuts for us to munch on while he spoke.  That was some good eating 

[SwampDonkey]

I've ate chestnuts before to. They may have been Chinese. I wouldn't know. Beech nuts taste good to ya know.  Just ask the black bears.

[Dave Shepard]

Craig, the ACF member I was talking to, said they are at 15/16ths and are one more cross away from their target. I am going to stop by the nursery this weekend, if I get a chance, and check it out. I will try to get some pics, if it's ok with him. It would be great to someday be able to build a timber frame from chestnut again.


Dave

[letemgrow]

My brother has been trying to find American Chestnut for years.  He converted a one room school house into a home, and the schools name was Chestnut Grove.  He would go just about anywhere to get a real American Chestnut. 

The American Chestnut Cooperators Foundation will send ya 10, 100% American seednuts from trees with blight resistance in October with a 20 dollar yearly donation.  They also like to get the reports back yearly on how they are progressing. 

Here is their website:

 http://www.accf-online.org/index.html

[letemgrow]

Here are some pics of my young 100% American Chestnut trees from The American Chestnut Cooperators Foundation:




These next pics are of a blighted seedling I planted and it is going on year 4 now and the tree looks like it will beat the blight.