In California, A Treasure Hunt For Gold Rush-Era Fruit And Nut Trees

Source: http://www.npr.org/sections/thesalt/2016/01/19/463510632/in-california-a-treasure-hunt-for-gold-rush-era-fruit-and-nut-trees?utm_medium=RSS&utm_campaign=thesalt

Amigo Bob Cantisano and his partners believe these chestnuts come from a Marron de Lyon tree, originally from France. He thinks the tree was one of many varieties of fruit, grape and nut plants introduced into California by Felix Gillet, a French nurseryman, in the late 1800s.

Amigo Bob Cantisano and his partners believe these chestnuts come from a Marron de Lyon tree, originally from France. He thinks the tree was one of many varieties of fruit, grape and nut plants introduced into California by Felix Gillet, a French nurseryman, in the late 1800s.

Lisa Morehouse/KQED

In California’s Nevada County, an unusual explorer with an unusual name — Amigo Bob Cantisano — hunts for remnants of the Gold Rush, just not the kind you might expect.

The treasures Cantisano seeks are trees: the fruits and nuts planted at homesteads and stagecoach stops in the late 1800s. Despite decades of neglect, many are still highly productiv…

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