Most soils in the Southeast are somewhat low in fertility and must receive good care if chestnuts are to grow well. The annual application of commercial fertilizers is generally required as is the growing of a winter green manure crop, preferably a legume. One of the most satisfactory systems is to plant hairy vetch, Austrian winter peas, or blue lupine[6] in late October or early November, applying broadcast at the time of planting from 400 to 600 pounds per acre of a 0-14-10 or 0-14-7 fertilizer mixture. This green manure crop should then be disced in by April 15 of the following spring, with subsequent shallow cultivations at about six-week intervals through the growing season. The ground should be clean by the middle of August to facilitate harvesting the nuts. If such a system of culture is not feasible, as on too steep slopes or around buildings, mowing or mulching can be used to advantage, but the trees must be given annual applications of a complete fertilizer mixture, such as 4-8-6, 6-8-8, or 5-7-5. These should be made each year about a month before growth starts at a rate of 2 to 3 pounds for each year of tree age. This should be broadcast under and slightly beyond the spread of the branches. It has not yet been found necessary to spray the trees for the control of any disease or insect. This does not indicate that control measures may not be required at some time in the future, for it is the history of horticultural crops when planted in any concentration that diseases and insects increase in number and degree of injury. As yet, the chestnut weevil has not been found at the lower elevations in the Southeast. In a few plantings a condition causing some premature defoliation has been observed at infrequent intervals. The condition begins as a leaf scorch which may or may not develop to the point where the leaf drops. It is thought to be caused by some mineral deficiency or unbalance associated with erratic weather conditions, but the exact cause is yet unknown. A leaf spot disease has been observed but has caused no appreciable defoliation and no control measures have been thought necessary. [Footnote 6: Blue lupine is winter-hardy only in the warmer coastal areas, not adapted north of Columbus, Georgia, Meridian, Mississippi, or Shreveport, Louisiana. Ed.] +Harvesting and Nut Storage+