ÆSCULUS, the HORSE-CHESTNUT; a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the heptandria class of plants. Of this genus there is but one known species, viz. the hippocastanum, or common horse-chestnut. It was brought from the northern parts of Asia about the year 1550, and sent to Vienna about 1588. It had the name of castanea from the shape of its fruit; and the title of equini was added on account of its being a proper food, when ground, for horses. This tree makes a noble appearance all the month of May, the extremities of the branches being terminated by fine spikes of flowers spotted with rose-colours, so that the whole tree seems covered with them. It is quick in its growth; so that in a few years it arrives at a size large enough to afford a good shade in summer, as also to produce plenty of flowers. They have however this great inconvenience, that their wood is of no use, being unfit even for burning; and their leaves beginning to fall in July, soon deprive the trees of their beauty. There is something very singular in the growth of these trees, which is, that the whole shoot is performed in less than three weeks after the buds are opened.—The nuts are reckoned good food for horses. In Turkey, they are ground, and mixed with the provender of these animals, especially those which are troubled with coughs or broken-winded. Deer are also very fond of the fruit; and at the time of their ripening keep much about the trees, but especially in strong winds, when the nuts are blown down, which they carefully watch, and greedily devour as they fall. A variety of this species grows naturally in North America, where it rises to the height of 20 feet, but does not spread its branches to any great extent. The flowers are wholly red, whence it is called the scarlet horse-chestnut: they are tubulated, and smaller than those of the other kind; but, for want of bracts to expand, make an indifferent appearance.
Culture.
Culture. These trees are propagated by sowing the nuts, which ought to be done early in the spring; but the nuts should be preserved in sand during the winter, otherwise they are apt to grow mouldy and rot.—The tree will thrive in most soils and situations, but best in a sandy loam; and, if it inclines to moisture, the leaves will continue in verdure much longer than in a very dry ground. When the nuts succeed, and have a proper soil, the plants will shoot near a foot the first summer; so that where they grow pretty thick together, it will be proper to transplant them the following autumn. They ought then to be planted in rows three feet asunder, and one foot distance from one another in the rows. In this nursery they may continue two years, and then be transplanted where they are designed to remain. In transplanting them, the roots ought to be preserved as entire as possible, and none of the branches broken on any account. When such an accident happens, the branch is to be cut over close by the stem, that the wound may heal over. Another particularity with respect to this tree, besides its quickness of growth, is, that as soon as the old leaves fall off, the new bud for the next year is formed, which continues swelling till autumn, at which time the folding leaves are covered with a tenacious juice, which serves as a pigment to defend the tender bud from the winter-frosts; but, upon the first return of warmth in the spring, this melts and runs off, leaving the bud at full liberty to expand. The scarlet horse-chestnut must be propagated from nuts procured from America, for they do not come to perfection in this country. They should be planted in pots early in the spring, and the pots plunged in a moderate hot-bed to forward their growth; towards the end of May, the pots should be put into the earth, in a south-east border, and duly watered in dry weather. They must be screened from the frost during the first winter or two, being impatient of cold whilst young; though when they have attained strength, it seldom hurts them: the following spring they should be carefully separated, and planted a foot distance from each other in a sheltered situation.