Note 3075 — BOOK XVII. THE NATURAL HISTORY OF THE CULTIVATED TREES. (continued 2)

The chesnut is grown with the greatest difficulty from layers and slips, and never from suckers. Pliny borrows this erroneous assertion from Columella, B. iv. c. 32. In mentioning the heaps of five nuts, Pliny seems to have had some superstitious observance in view, for Columella only says that they must be sown thickly, to prevent accident. The same is done at the present day, in order to make provision for the depredations of field-mice, rats, and mice, which are particularly fond of them.