John Carton tends chestnut grove in Marshall

Thursday, October 15, 2009
By SYDNEY STONNER/Staff writer

John Carton's chestnut trees are laden with nuts earlier this year.
(Contributed photo)
[Click to enlarge]

Editor's note (10:05 a.m. Oct. 16): I've suspended comments on this story temporarily. A number of people have concerns about BYS, but this is not the appropriate forum to air those grievances. Please contact me at marshalleditor@socket.net or 886-2233 if you want to talk about specific problems you find newsworthy. I will be out of the office until Monday.

At his home on East Eastwood Street, Marshall resident John Carton has several chestnut trees. They are Chinese Chestnut cuttings, grafted onto original American Chestnut roots, he said.

Carton recently brought in his fall chestnut harvest, after the fuzzy, green pods opened up and the nuts inside dropped to the ground.

"I try to pick up all the nuts on the day they fall, and even at that I have a lot of competition by the squirrels and deer," he said.

Another reason to pick up the nuts quickly is the chestnut borer. This insect is attracted to the nuts and can cause a great deal of harm to the trees. To maintain and protect them, Carton must spray the trees with insecticide targeting the borers each August, which he called "no small feat" because of the trees' height.

Carton's chestnut trees are about 50 feet tall and 20 years old, he said.

In early America, chestnut trees grew throughout the eastern portion of the country, making up about 25 percent of forests, according to the American Chestnut Foundation. But beginning in 1904, a blight attacked the chestnut trees, and the majority were destroyed by the mid-20th century.

Now, groups like the ACS are trying to restore the chestnut tree population. The University of Missouri Center for Agroforestry is promoting chestnuts as an orchard crop.

The center operates a demonstration orchard near New Franklin, and will host the Seventh Annual Missouri Chestnut Roast Saturday, Oct. 17, where chestnut and other nut items will be available for sampling and purchase.

The event is scheduled from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the university's Horticulture and Agroforestry Research Center. Among the planned activities is the dedication of the restored Thomas Hickman House built in 1819.

Information from the Associated Press was included in this story.

Contact Sydney Stonner at marshallbusiness@socket.net

On the Web:

www.centerforagroforestry.org/events/che...

Comments

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I LIKE CHESTNUTS AND I LIKED THE STORY!

-- Posted by izaak on Thu, Oct 15, 2009, at 9:34 PM

I love chestnuts

-- Posted by chuckhaynie on Thu, Oct 15, 2009, at 6:46 PM

does anyone realy care about chestnuts. Please this is a lame story.

-- Posted by notgvnasht on Thu, Oct 15, 2009, at 6:38 PM

Response by Eric Crump/Editor:

It might be interesting to those who grow or want to learn about alternative crops. Or those who want to attend area festivals. Or anybody who likes to eat chestnuts. If you don't fall into any of those groups, perhaps the story is not for you.

I think I made a mistake in writing the headline for this story (I've changed it). I can understand why people would want to express their concern and disappointment if they believe things are not going well at BYS, but the story is about John Carton's cool hobby, not about BYS woes. I would urge everyone to express their concerns to BYS board members.

-- Posted by Eric Crump on Thu, Oct 15, 2009, at 6:31 PM

BYS was a funtional and highly praised agency for over 20 years ... children were well served and employees have been happy. All of this has changed. When will the board realize that they MUST listen to BYS staff and supporters who have been calling out in desparation for many many months now? Everyone there now lives in fear of another irrational decision (hidden from the Board) and swift retribution if they dare to speak. Their voices have been silenced.

-- Posted by Truth-is-God on Thu, Oct 15, 2009, at 6:09 PM

You don't even have to ask those that work there. People are talking about it all over town. At Wal-Mart, at the Friday night football games, on the square....everywhere. What happened to the Butterfield that we all knew growing up?

-- Posted by luvthoseowls on Thu, Oct 15, 2009, at 3:46 PM

First - I want to say everyone is so happy that John has been able to retire and is enjoying it. Second - chaos is not the word for what is happening out at Butterfield. Morale is so far down that it will take something monumental to lift it back up!Ask anyone who works there - unless of course they are in "the group".

-- Posted by Bambi on Thu, Oct 15, 2009, at 3:20 PM

I hear that golfer...I know he is very much missed at BYS. It's definately not the same, there have been some major changes. Chaos.

-- Posted by karma is real on Thu, Oct 15, 2009, at 2:28 PM

There are many that wish he was still the Director of Butterfield instead of his chestnut grove.

-- Posted by golfer on Thu, Oct 15, 2009, at 1:17 PM