Thoreau Manuscript, Berg Collection, “Notes on Fruits” folder, Accession Number 265-266

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[XX]     7

[XX]     Nuts

[XX]     Tree whose fruit is stones—fit to have

[XX]     been the food of man in the iron age.

[XX]     I should like to see a man whose diet was

[XX]     berries & nuts alone. Yet I would not

[XX]     rob the squirrels, who before any man are

[XX]     the true owners—

[XX]     Nov 12-53 Tasted today a black walnut—a spherical

[XX]     & corrugated nut with a large meat, but of a

[XX]     strong oily taste.

[XX]     Nov 30-53 What a heavenly blue the cedars berries!—a peculiar

[XX]     light

[XX]     XXX XXX-54 Now say is hazel-nut time

[XX]     XXX XXX Saw a bushel of hazel nuts in their burrs

[XX]     which some boys had opened on the ground

[XX]     to dry, behind Hodgman’s.

[XX]     XXX XXX Hazel nut time about a week ago, to be

[XX]     in advance of the squirrels. I see the dried reddened

[XX]     burrs & shells under every bush where they have

[XX]     been

[XX]     Sep XXX & 13-54 Many butternuts have dropt—more than walnuts

[XX]     19" Many pignuts have fallen

[XX]     Fallen acorns in a few days acquir that whole-

[XX]     some shining dark chestnut (?) color

[XX]     Scar. o. acorns figures—

[XX]     21 Those pretty little white o. acorn stars with 3 rays

[XX]     are now quite XXX or on the ground.

[XX]     22 Celtis berries beg. to yellow

[XX]     The shrub

[XX]     Oct 20-54 For the most part shag barks do not rattle

[XX]     out yet (at Wachusett) but it is time to gather

[XX]     them on ac. of squirrels.

[XX]     Oct 19-55 —Pm to Pine Hill for chestnuts (Ind summer day)

[XX]     The chestnuts are scarce & small apparently have just

[XX]     begun to open their burrs


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8

Nuts

Oct 26--55 The squirrels have already begun on the

mockernuts—though the trees are still covered with

yellow & brown leaves—&the nuts do not fall.

Oct 27-55 Pm—a-chestnutting down the XXX. It

is high time we came a chestnutting for the nuts have

nearly all fallen, & you must depend on what you

can find on the ground, left by the squirrels, &

cannot shake down any more to speak of— The trees

are nearly all bare of leaves as well as burrs. The

wind comes cold from the NW—as if there

were snow on the earth in that direction.

Aug 28-56 A wall strewn with the dry-brown husks

of hazel-nuts stript by squirrels

Oct 5" on Hill. It is too early for walnuts & too late for

hazel nuts

Oct 8’-56 A few chestnut burrs are open, & have

been some days—before they could have felt frost—

showing that they would open without it—but

a stone will not jar them down—nor a club—

thrown into the tree yet. I get half a pocket

full out of slightly gaping burrs at the

expense of many prickles in my fingers. The

squirrels have cut off some burrs. I see the

marks of their teeth.

Oct 16 Many chestnut burs are now ope, yet a

stone will not jar down many nuts yet. Burrs

which were quite green on the 8" are now all

brown & dry & the prickles come off in your

hand when you touch them—yet the nuts

do not readily drop out. Many nuts have

fallen within 2 or 3 days, but many squirrels

have been busily picking them up.


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Physical Description:  XXX

Journal Sources:  XXX

Index Citations:  XXX

Drafts:  XXX

Published Versions:  XXX

Annotations:  XXX

Comments:  XXX

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Physical Description:  XXX

Journal Sources:  XXX

Index Citations:  XXX

Drafts:  XXX

Published Versions:  XXX

Annotations:  XXX

Comments:  XXX

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This transcript appears here by permission of
The Henry W. and Albert A. Berg Collection of English and American Literature
at the
New York Public Library

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