NORTHERN NUT GROWERS ASSOCIATION

(INCORPORATED)

REPORT

OF THE PROCEEDINGS AT THE

FIFTEENTH ANNUAL MEETING

NEW YORK CITY SEPTEMBER 3, 4 and 5, 1924

CONTENTS

 Officers and Committees of the Association 3 State Vice-Presidents 4 Members of the Association 5 Constitution 10 By-Laws 13 Proceedings of the Fifteenth Annual Convention 15 Secretary's Report 15 Treasurer's Report 18 Address--Dr. Britton 19 Reports from State Vice-Presidents 20-30 Top Working Hickories in the North--W. C. Deming 32 Notes on Mediate and Immediate Grafting at All Times of the Year--R. T. Morris 44 Stocks For Hickories--W. G. Bixby 48 The Search for Blight-resisting Chestnut Sprouts--J. F. Collins 57 Protection of Wounds in Nut Trees--J. F. Collins 61 A Harangue on the Nut Situation in Iowa--S. W. Snyder 65 Some of the More Important Insects Attacking Northern Nuts--Fred E. Brooks 68 Developing a Nut Industry in the Northeast--G. A. Zimmerman 75 Transplanting Nut Trees--W. G. Bixby 78 Heredity in Trees and Plants--A. F. Blakeslee 81 Progress Report on Nut Culture in Canada--J. A. Neilson 88 Notes by Professor A. S. Colby 93 Address by Prof. MacDaniels 99 Nut Tree Crops as a Part of Permanent Agriculture Without Plowing--J. R. Smith 103 Notes at Mr. Bixby's Nut Orchards and Nurseries, Baldwin, N. Y. 107 Exhibits at the House of W. G. Bixby 113 Notes Taken at Merribrooke, Dr. Morris' Estate Near Stamford, Conn. 114 Amendment to By-Laws 121 Nuts--R. S. Copeland 125 Hardiness in Nut Trees--C. A. Reed 127 Walnut Grafting Investigations--T. J. Talbert 135 Care and Preparation of Nuts for Seed Purposes--E. R. Lake 137 Exhibits 140 Members Present 142

OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION

 _President_ HARRY R. WEBER, Gerke Building, Cincinnati, Ohio

 _Vice-President_ MRS. W. D. ELLWANGER, 510 East Avenue, Rochester, N. Y. 

 _Secretary_ C. A. REED, Box 485 Pa. Ave. Station, Washington, D. C. 

 _Assistant Secretary_ MRS. B. W. GAHN, 485 Pa. Ave. Station, Washington, D. C. 

 _Treasurer_ H. J. HILLIARD, Sound View, Conn. 

_DIRECTORS_

HARRY R. WEBER, DR. ROBT. T. MORRIS, WILLARD G. BIXBY, DR. W. C. DEMING, JAMES S. MCGLENNON

_COMMITTEES_

 _Auditing_--MRS. KARL W. GREENE, P. H. O'CONNOR

 _Executive_--HARRY R. WEBER, MRS. W. D. ELLWANGER, C. A. REED, H. J. HILLIARD, W. S. LINTON, J. S. MCGLENNON

 _Finance_--T. P. LITTLEPAGE, W. G. BIXBY, DR. W. C. DEMING

 _Hybrids_--DR. R. T. MORRIS, J. F. JONES, W. G. BIXBY, HOWARD SPENCE

 _Membership_--HARRY R. WEBER, H. D. SPENCER, DR. J. R. SMITH, R. T. OLCOTT, W. G. BIXBY, J. A. NEILSON, DR. W. C. DEMING, J. W. HERSHEY

 _Nomenclature_--C. A. REED, DR. R. T. MORRIS, J. F. JONES

 _Press and Publications_--DR. W. C. DEMING, W. G. BIXBY, M. G. KAINS

 Program--HARRY R. WEBER, F. A. BARTLETT, C. A. REED, DR. ROBT. T. MORRIS, A. S. COLBY

 _Promising Seedlings_--C. A. REED, J. F. JONES, W. G. BIXBY, J. A. NEILSON, S. W. SNYDER

STATE VICE-PRESIDENTS

 Arkansas Prof. N. F. Drake Univ. Of Arkansas, Fayetteville

 California Will J. Thorpe 1545 Divisadero St. , San Francisco

 Canada James A. Neilson Hort. Exp. Sta. , Vineland, Ontario

 China P. W. Wang Sec'y Kinsan Arboretum, 147 N. Sechuan Road, Shanghai

 Connecticut Dr. W. C. Deming 983 Main St. , Hartford, Conn. 

 Dist. Of Columbia Karl W. Greene Ridge Road, N. W. , Washington

 England Howard Spence The Red House, Ainsdale, Southport

 Georgia J. M. Patterson Putney

 Illinois Henry D. Spencer Decatur

 Indiana J. F. Wilkinson Rockport

 Iowa S. W. Snyder Center Point

 Kansas James Sharp Council Grove

 Maryland P. H. O'Connor Bowie

 Massachusetts C. Leroy Cleaver 496 Commonwealth Ave. , Boston

 Michigan Dr. J. H. Kellogg Battle Creek

 Missouri P. C. Stark Louisiana

 Nebraska William Caha Wahoo

 New Jersey C. S. Ridgway Lumberton

 New York L. H. MacDaniels Cornell Univ. , Ithaca

 North Carolina H. M. Curran N. C. Dept. Of Agriculture, Raleigh

 Ohio James L. Brooke Pleasantville

 Oregon Knight Pearcy Salem

 Pennsylvania John Rick 438 Penn Square, Reading

 Tennessee J. W. Waite Normandy

 Utah Joseph A. Smith Edgewood Hall, Providence

 Vermont F. C. Holbrook Brattleboro

 Virginia D. S. Harris Roselawn, Capital Landing Road, Williamsburg, R. F. D. 3

 Washington Richard H. Turk Washougal

 West Virginia Dr. J. E. Cannaday Box 693, Charleston

MEMBERS OF THE NORTHERN NUT GROWERS ASSOCIATION

(Compiled November 12, 1924)

 ARKANSAS *Drake, Prof. N. F. , Univ. Of Arkansas, Fayetteville. Dunn, D. K. , Wynne

 CALIFORNIA Thorpe, Will J. , 1545 Divisadero Street, San Francisco

 CANADA Neilson, Jas. A. , Ontario Hort. Exp. Sta. , Vineland. 

 CHINA *Wang, P. W. , Sec'y, Kinsan Arboretum, 147 No. Szechuan Road, Shanghai. 

 CONNECTICUT Bartlett, Francis A. , Stamford Deming, Dr. W. C. , 983 Main St. , Hartford Hardon, Mrs. Henry, Wilton Hilliard, H. J. , Sound View Hungerford, Newman, Torrington, R. F. D. No. 2, Box 100 Ives, E. M. , Sterling Orchards, Meriden Montgomery, Robt. H. , Cos Cob, Conn. (1924) *Morris, Dr. Robt. T. , Cos Cob, Route 28, Box 95 Pomeroy, Eleazer, 120 Bloomfield Ave. , Windsor Sessions, Albert L. , 25 Bellevue Ave. , Bristol

 DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA Agriculture, Library of U. S. Dept. Of Close, Prof. C. P. , Pomologist, Dept. Of Agriculture Greene, Karl W. , Ridge Road, N. W. Gravatt, G. F. , Forest Pathology, B. P. I. Agriculture *Littlepage, T. P. , Union Trust Building Reed, C. A. , Dept. Of Agriculture Williams, A. Ray, Union Trust Bldg. Von Ammon, S. , Bureau of Standards Gahn, Mrs. B. W. , U. S. Department of Agriculture

 ENGLAND Spence, Howard, The Red House, Ainsdale, Southport

 GEORGIA Patterson, J. M. , Putney Steele, R. C. , Lakemont, Rabun County Wight, J. B. , Cairo

 ILLINOIS Brown, Roy W. , 220 E. Cleveland St. , Spring Valley Casper, O. H. , Anna Flexer, Walter G. , 210 Campbell St. , Joliet Foote, Lorenzo S. , Anna Illinois, University of, Urbana (Librarian) Mosnat, H. R. , 10910 Prospect Ave. , Morgan Park, Chicago Mueller, Robert, Decatur Nash, C. J. , 1302 E. 53rd St. , Chicago Potter, Hon. W. O. , Marion Riehl, E. A. , Godfrey, Route 2 Rodhouse, T. W. , Jr. , Pleasant Hill, R. R. 2 Shaw, James E. , Champaign, Box 644 Spencer, Henry D. , 275 W. Decatur St. , Decatur Swisher, S. L. , Mulkeytown Vulgamott, Chas. E. , Cerro Gordo

 INDIANA Clayton, C. L. , Owensville Copp, Lloyd, 819 W. Foster St. , Kokomo Gilmer, Frank, 1012 Riverside Drive, South Bend Staderman, A. L. , 120 South 7th St. , Terre Haute Wilkinson, J. F. , Rockport

 IOWA Adams, Gerald W. , Moorhead Armknecht, George, Donnellson. (1923) Bricker, C. W. , Ladora Snyder, S. W. , Center Point

 KANSAS Bishop, S. L. , Conway Springs, Route No. 1 Fessenden, C. D. , Cherokee Hardin, Martin, Horton Hitchcock, Chas. W. , Belle Plaine Gray, Dr. Clyde, Horton Sharpe, James, Council Grove

 MARYLAND Jordan, Dr. Llewellyn, 100 Baltimore Ave. , Takoma Park Keenan, Dr. John F. , Brentwood O'Connor, P. W. , Bowie Wall, A. V. , Baltimore Watkins, Asa H. , Mount Airy. (1924). 

 MASSACHUSETTS *Bowditch, James H. , 903 Tremont Bldg. , Boston Bowles, Francis T. , Barnstable Cleaver, C. Leroy, Hingham Center Sawyer, James C. , Andover

 MICHIGAN Bonine, Chester H. , Vandalia Charles, Dr. Elmer, Pontiac Graves, Henry B. , 2134 Dime Bank Bldg. , Detroit Kellogg, Dr. J. H. , 202 Manchester St. , Battle Creek *Linton, Hon. W. S. , Saginaw Penney, Senator Harvey A. , 425 So. Jefferson Ave. , Saginaw Michigan, University of, Ann Arbor. (1924). 

 MISSOURI Stark, P. C. , Louisiana Tiedke, J. F. , R. F. D. , Rockville. (1924). Youkey, J. M. , 2519 Monroe Ave. , Kansas City

 NEBRASKA Caha, William, Wahoo Thomas, Dr. W. A. , Lincoln

 NEW JERSEY Clarke, Miss E. A. , W. Point Pleasant, Box 57 Gaty, Theo. E. , 50 Morris Ave. , Morristown *Jaques, Lee W. , 74 Waverly St. , Jersey City Landmann, Miss M. V. , Cranbury, R. D. No. 2 Ridgeway, C. S. , Lumberton

 NEW YORK Abbott, Frederick B. , 1211 Tabor Court, Brooklyn Ashworth, Fred L. , Heuvelton Bennett, Howard S. , 851 Joseph Ave. , Rochester Bethea, J. G. , 243 Rutgers St. , Rochester Bixby, Willard G. , 32 Grand Ave. , Baldwin, L. I. Bixby, Mrs. Willard G. , 32 Grand Ave. , Baldwin Brinton, Mrs. Willard Cope, 36 So. Central Pk. , N. Y. City Buist, Dr. G. L. , 3 Hancock St. , Brooklyn Clark, George H. , 131 State St. , Rochester Cothran, John C. , 104 High St. , Lockport Corsan, G. H. , 55 Hanson Place, Brooklyn Diprose, Alfred H. , 468 Clinton Ave. , South, Rochester Dunbar, John, Dep't. Of Parks, Rochester Ellwanger, Mrs. W. D. , 510 East Ave. , Rochester Gager, Dr. C. Stewart, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn Gaty, Theo. E. Jr. , Clermont Gillett, Dr. Henry W. , 140 W. 57th St. , New York City Graham, S. H. , R. D. 5, Ithaca Hart, Frank E. , Landing Road, Brighton Haws, Elwood D. , Public Market, Rochester Hodgson, Casper W. , Yonkers, (World Book Co. ) *Huntington, A. M. , 15 W. 81st St. , New York City Johnson, Harriet, M. B. , 40 Irving Place, New York City Krieg, Fred J. , 11 Gladys St. , Rochester Liveright, Frank I. , 120 W. 70th St. , N. Y. C. MacDaniel, S. H. , Dept. Of Pomology, New York State College of Agriculture, Ithaca Motondo, Grant F. , 198 Monroe Ave. , Rochester Nolan, Mrs. C. R. , 47 Dickinson St. , Rochester Nolan, M. J. , 47 Dickinson St. , Rochester Olcott, Ralph T. (Editor American Nut Journal), Ellwanger and Barry Building, Rochester Paterno, Dr. Chas. V. , 117 W. 54th St. , N. Y. City Pomeroy, A. C. , Lockport Rawnsley, Mrs. Annie, 242 Linden St. , Rochester Rawnsley, James B. , 242 Linden St. , Rochester Reinold, O. S. , Yonkers-on-Hudson, (1924). Schroeder, E. A. , 223 East Ave. , Rochester Shutt, Erwin E. , 509 Plymouth Ave. , Rochester Solley, Dr. John B. , 968 Lexington Ave. , New York City Teele, Arthur W. , 120 Broadway, New York City Tucker, Geo. B. , 110 Harvard St. , Rochester Vollertsen, Conrad, 375 Gregory St. , Rochester Waller, Percy, 284 Court St. , Rochester Wile, M. E. , 955 Harvard St. , Rochester Wissman, Mrs. F. De R. , Westchester, New York City Wyckoff, E. L. , Aurora

 NORTH CAROLINA Hutchings, Miss L. C. , Pine Bluff Matthews, C. D. , North Carolina Dept. Of Agriculture, Raleigh

 OHIO Beatty, Dr. W. M. L. , Route 3, Croton Road, Centerburg Coon, Charles, Groveport Dayton, J. H. , (Storrs & Harrison), Painesville Fickes, W. R. , Wooster, R. No. 6 Hinnen, Dr. G. A. , 1343 Delta Ave. , Cincinnati Neff, Wm. N. , Martel *Weber, Harry R. , 123 East 6th St. , Cincinnati

 PENNSYLVANIA Althouse, C. Scott, 540 Pear St. , Reading Baum, Dr. F. L. , Boyertown Bohn, Dr. H. W. , 24 No. 9th St. , Reading Boy Scouts of America, Reading Davis, Miss E. W. , Walnut Lane and Odgen Ave. , Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. (1923). Druckemiller, W. H. , 31 N. 4th St. , Sunbury Fritz, Ammon P. , 35 E. Franklin St. , Ephrata Gribbel, Mrs. John, Wyncote Hershey, John W. , E. Downingtown Hess, Elam G. , Manheim Hile, Anthony, Curwensville Jenkins, Charles Francis, Farm Journal, Philadelphia *Jones, J. F. , Lancaster, Box 527 Kaufman, M. M. , Clarion Leach, Will, Cornell Building, Scranton Mellor, Alfred, 152 W. Walnut Lane, Germantown, Philadelphia Minick, C. G. , Ridgway Paden, Riley W. , Enon Valley Patterson, J. E. , 77 North Franklin St. , Wilkes-Barre Pratt, Arthur H. , Kennett Square *Rick, John, 438 Penn Square, Reading Rose, William J. , 55 North West St. , Carlisle Rush, J. G. , 630 Third St. , Lancaster Smedley, Samuel L. , Newton Square, R. F. D. No. 1 Smith, Dr. J. Russell, Swarthmore Wilhelm, Dr. Edward A. , Clarion *Wister, John C. , Clarkson and Wister Sts. , Germantown Zimmerman, Dr. G. A. , Piketown

 RHODE ISLAND Allen, Philip, Providence

 TENNESSEE Waite, J. W. , Normandy

 UTAH Smith, Joseph A. , Edgewood Hall, Providence

 VERMONT Aldrich, A. W. , Springfield, R. F. D. No. 3 Ellis, Zenas H. , Fair Haven Holbrook, F. C. , Battleboro

 VIRGINIA Gould, Katherine Clemons, Boonsboro, Care of C. M. Daniels, via Lynchburg, R. F. D. 4 Harris, D. S. , Roselawn, Capital Landing Road, Williamsburg, R. 3 Hopkins, N. S. , Dixondale Jordan, J. H. , Bohannon Moock, Harry C. , Roanoke, Route 5

 WASHINGTON Berg, D. H. , Nooksack Turk, Richard H. , Washougal

 WEST VIRGINIA Brooks, Fred E. , French Creek Cannaday, Dr. J. E. , Charleston, Box 693 Hartzel, B. F. , Shepherdstown Mish, A. F. , Inwood

 WISCONSIN Holden, Dr. Louis Edward, Beloit

* Life Member. 

CONSTITUTION

 ARTICLE I

 _Name. _ This society shall be known as the NORTHERN NUT GROWERS ASSOCIATION. 

 ARTICLE II

 _Object. _ Its object shall be the promotion of interest in nut-bearing plants, their products and their culture. 

 ARTICLE III

 _Membership. _ Membership in the society shall be open to all persons who desire to further nut culture, without reference to place of residence or nationality, subject to the rules and regulations of the committee on membership. 

 ARTICLE IV

 _Officers. _ There shall be a president, a vice-president, a secretary and a treasurer, who shall be elected by ballot at the annual meeting; and an executive committee of six persons, of which the president, the two last retiring presidents, the vice-president, the secretary and the treasurer shall be members. There shall be a state vice-president from each state, dependency, or country represented in the membership of the association, who shall be appointed by the president. 

 ARTICLE V

 _Election of Officers. _ A committee of five members shall be elected at the annual meeting for the purpose of nominating officers for the following year. 

 ARTICLE VI

 _Meetings. _ The place and time of the annual meeting shall be selected by the membership in session or, in the event of no selection being made at this time, the executive committee shall choose the place and time for the holding of the annual convention. Such other meetings as may seem desirable may be called by the president and executive committee. 

 ARTICLE VII

 _Quorum. _ Ten members of the association shall constitute a quorum, but must include two of the four elected officers. 

 ARTICLE VIII

 _Amendments. _ This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any annual meeting, notice of such amendment having been read at the previous annual meeting, or a copy of the proposed amendment having been mailed by any member to each member thirty days before the date of the annual meeting. 

BY-LAWS

 Article I

 _Committees. _ The association shall appoint standing committees as follows: On membership, on finance, on programme, on press and publication, on nomenclature, on promising seedlings, on hybrids, and an auditing committee. The committee on membership may make recommendations to the association as to the discipline or expulsion of any member. 

 ARTICLE II

 _Fees. _ Annual members shall pay three dollars annually, or four dollars and a half including a year's subscription to the American Nut Journal. Contributing members shall pay ten dollars annually, this membership including a year's subscription to the American Nut Journal. Life members shall make one payment of fifty dollars, and shall be exempt from further dues. Honorary members shall be exempt from dues. 

 ARTICLE III

 _Membership. _ All annual memberships shall begin either with the first day of the calendar quarter following the date of joining the association, or with the first day of the calendar quarter preceding that date as may be arranged between the new member and the Treasurer. 

 ARTICLE IV

 _Amendments. _ By-laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of members present at any annual meeting. 

 ARTICLE V

 Members shall be sent a notification of annual dues at the time they are due, and if not paid within two months, they shall be sent a _second notice_, telling them that they are not in good standing on account of non-payment of dues, and are not entitled to receive the annual report. 

 At the end of thirty days from the sending of the second notice, a _third notice_ shall be sent notifying such members that unless dues are paid within ten days from receipt of this notice, their names will be dropped from the rolls for non-payment of dues. 

REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS

at the

FIFTEENTH ANNUAL CONVENTION

of the

NORTHERN NUT GROWERS' ASSOCIATION, INC. 

September 3, 4 and 5, 1924

Held in the

MUSEUM OF THE BOTANICAL GARDENS

BRONX PARK, NEW YORK CITY

EXCURSIONS

Baldwin, Long Island, Sept. 4 Stamford, Connecticut, Sept. 5

_Chairman_--PRESIDENT HARRY R. WEBER

FIRST DAY--MORNING SESSION

THE PRESIDENT: The meeting will please be in order, and we will have thesecretary read his report. 

THE SECRETARY: Secretary's Report for 1924. --Fourteen years ago, onNovember 17, 1910, two women and ten men, seers and prophets, met fororganization in this building at the invitation of Dr. N. L. Britton, atthat time and now, Director of the New York Botanic Gardens. We meethere again today by reason of his unfailing kindness. 

Of the twelve persons present at that first meeting, three are hereagain, Dr. Britton, Dr. Morris and myself, and two are known to be dead, Prof. Craig of Cornell University, and Mr. Henry Hales, of Ridgewood, New Jersey. 

The association has held an annual convention each year of itsexistence except during the war, in 1918, when no formal meeting washeld. An annual report has been published every year, except that thereport of the proceedings of the first meeting was incorporated in thereport of the second meeting, and the ninth report, that for 1918, hasnot yet been issued. 

The present secretary has held the office every year except in 1918 and1919, during military service, when Mr. Bixby took his place. 

From an educational and scientific standpoint I think the associationmay be said to have fulfilled creditably its original declaration ofpurpose, "the promotion of interest in nut-bearing plants, theirproducts and their culture. " Many choice nuts have been brought tonotice and perpetuated. The establishment of nurseries where grafted nuttrees of choice varieties may be obtained has been encouraged. The artof grafting and propagating nut trees has been brought to a high degreeof success by members of the association. Experimental orchards, both oftransplanted nursery trees and of topworked native trees, have beenestablished in widely separated parts of the country. 

Acting on the suggestion and request of members of the association, Mr. Olcott established the American Nut Journal, one of the most importantof our accomplishments. Finally, and perhaps best of all, a number ofhorticultural institutions have taken up seriously the study of nutculture and the planting of experimental orchards. Testimony to thiswill be found in letters to be read by the secretary and in the presenceon our program today of representatives of several horticultural andother institutions of learning. I believe that the association can takecredit to itself for having, by its publications and other means ofinfluence, in large degree brought about this interest and action. 

As for any commercial success in nut-growing, brought about by ouractivities, when we compare nut-growing in our field with pecan-growingin the South, and with walnut, almond, and perhaps filbert-growing, onthe Pacific Coast, our results are meagre indeed. Of course commercialproduction, the building of a new industry of food supply for thepeople, is our ultimate goal. Why are our results in this direction, after fourteen years of effort, so small? Is it because we have devotedourselves too exclusively to the scientific and educational aspects ofour problems and neglected, either from over-cautiousness or frominertia, to encourage commercial plantings? There are some of ourmembers who think that we have. They say that we should have beenbolder in assuring people of success to be attained in nut treeplanting. 

As for me I do not think that we have been too cautious. We who are soaccused, can point to the disastrous results of following the advice ofcommercially interested persons, results which have had much to do withretarding and discouraging nut planting and counteracting the labors ofour association. 

But now, however, I believe that we have reached a state of knowledgewhere we can confidently recommend the commercial planting of nutorchards. We recommend the Indiana pecan in many states; the improvedblack walnuts over a much wider area, and the chestnut in manylocalities where it is not a native tree. The top-working of nativehickories and black walnuts also can be confidently recommended. Inevery case, however, the adaptability of the kind of nut to the localityshould be passed upon by an expert. In every case, also, even in that oftop-working native hickories and walnuts, intelligent and generous careis essential for any degree of commercial success. 

It is probable also, that the planting of the European filbert can berecommended under conditions of intelligent care. 

Now what of the association's future? The field is boundless but theworking cash is wanting. Faith is unlimited but works are conditioned bywant of appeal to commercial powers. It is almost a vicious circle, nocommercial appeal no money, no money no development to appeal tocommerce. But we do make progress and it is accelerated progress. Intime we must necessarily arrive at our goal. Our lines of advance aresketched out and our progress along these lines depends on the energy ofthe workers and the means with which they have to work. 

I shall ask the association to establish a rule as to when members arein good standing and when they should be dropped from the rolls fornon-payment of dues. 

I shall also ask for a clear understanding, in the form of an amendmentto the by-laws, on the question of annual dues and their combinationwith the American Nut Journal. 

It is desirable that we have a ruling as to a fiscal year. 

The delay in the issuance of the annual report was due to myunwillingness to contract debts for the payment of which funds were notin sight. 

The treasurer's report will show that we have a surplus in the treasuryto date of about $50. The report of the treasurer is too long to be readat this time, so I will simply repeat that it shows on hand a cashsurplus of $50. I will turn the detailed report over to the auditingcommittee for their action. 

TREASURER'S REPORT

STATEMENT OF ACCOUNTS OF THE NORTHERN NUT GROWERS' ASSOCIATION FROM OCT. 3, 1923, TO AUG. 31, 1924, BOTH INCLUSIVE

NOTE--Owing to delay in mails, the report given below is a later onethan that used by the secretary. The one here included should havereached the secretary previous to convention, and it is the final, correct statement. 

 RECEIPTS

 Membership--Plan No. 1 $ 2. 00 Membership--Plan No. 2 19. 25 Membership--Plan No. 6 111. 00 Membership--Plan No. 7 149. 50 Membership--Plan No. 9 8. 25 Membership--Plan No. 10 7. 75 ------- Total receipts from membership $297. 75 Transfer of Funds from Former Treasurer 104. 13 Contributions 235. 00 Sales of Literature 10. 01 Interest . 10 ------- Total $646. 99

 EXPENDITURES

 Cash on hand $ . 80 Middletown National Bank, Middletown, Conn. (Deposit) 170. 64 Litchfield Savings Society, Litchfield, Conn. (Deposit) 4. 23 Charged to Loss. 2 Subs, to Amn. Nut Journal on former Treasurer's account 3. 00 Expenses: Postage, Express and Insurance $ 9. 79 Government Envelopes and Stamps 15. 63 Adhesive Stamps 8. 54 Postal Cards 1. 25 Postal Cards and Printing 3. 25 Registry Fee and Money Order Fee . 18 Telegrams 1. 18 Reporting Proceedings of Rochester Convention 50. 00 Transcript of Proceedings of Rochester Convention 85. 00 Reporting, etc. , Proceedings of Washington Convention 60. 00 Blank Account Book for the Association 5. 00 Seal for the Association 7. 00 1000 Letterheads 8. 50 1500 Letters 8. 50 500 Letters, double sheet 8. 00 1500 Circulars 6. 50 500 Reports, (92 pp. , including cover) 184. 00 500 Manila Envelopes 2. 00 Printing 1. 50 Addressing and Mailing 2. 50 ------

 $468. 32 ------- $646. 99

Respectfully submitted, H. J. HILLIARD, Treas. , Northern Nut Growers Ass'n, Inc. 

 * * * * *

THE PRESIDENT: We will now be addressed by Dr. Britton, Director of theBotanical Gardens in which we are assembled. 

DR. BRITTON: Mr. President and Members of the Northern Nut Growers'Association: By curious coincidence, in looking over the records of theNew York Botanical Society's reports, I find the printed account of theorganization meeting of your association. It is printed in the Journalof the New York Botanical Gardens, No. 132, for December, 1910. Thearticle is written by George B. Nash. I believe I will read this reportand if, perchance, the document is not in your files, I will turn thiscopy over to your president for preservation. 

ORGANIZATION MEETING, NORTHERN NUT GROWERS ASSOCIATION

A meeting was held in the museum building on November 17, (1910) for thepurpose of organizing an association devoted to the interests ofnut-growing. The meeting was called to order shortly after 2 p. M. ByDr. N. L. Britton, who welcomed those present and wished them success intheir undertaking. During his remarks he referred to a recent visit toCuba where he succeeded in collecting nuts of the Cuban walnut, _Juglansinsularis Griseb_. Specimens of these were exhibited and some of thempresented to Dr. R. T. Morris for his collection of edible nuts of theworld, deposited at Cornell University. 

Dr. W. C. Deming was made chairman of the meeting and a temporarysecretary was elected. The chairman read a number of letters fromvarious parts of the country expressing an active interest in theformation of an organization such as was proposed. A committee of threewas appointed by the chair to draft a constitution. This committee, consisting of Mr. John Craig, Dr. R. T. Morris and Mr. T. P. Littlepage, submitted a report recommending that the name of the organization be theNorthern Nut Growers' Association, that residents of all parts of thecountry be eligible to membership, and that the officers be a president, a vice-president and a secretary-treasurer. An executive committee offive was also provided for, two of said committee to be the presidentand secretary-treasurer. The annual dues were placed at $2. 00, and lifemembership at $20. 00. The recommendations of the committee were adopted. 

An interesting exhibition of nuts, and specimens illustrating methods ofgrafting, formed a feature of the meeting. Chestnuts, walnuts, andhickory nuts, including the pecan, were illustrated in much variety. Mr. T. P. Littlepage had a series of nuts of the pecan which he hadcollected from a number of selected trees in Kentucky and vicinity. Oneof these, almost globular in form, was of particular excellence, beingof clean cleavage and delicious flavor. 

Dr. R. T. Morris was elected president; Mr. T. P. Littlepage, vice-president; and Dr. W. C. Deming, secretary-treasurer. 

 George V. Nash. 

DR. BRITTON: May I say to you that our good wishes for your association, expressed at that time, are simply repeated now, and we hope that youwill make yourselves at home and as comfortable as possible. We havemade arrangement for the convention to leave here about one o'clock, forluncheon at Sormani's as guests of the Botanical Society. The autos willbe at the door promptly, so I trust that you will adjust the session soas to be free to leave then. 

THE PRESIDENT: We wish to extend our thanks to Dr. Britton for his kindremarks and for his hospitality. 

We will now have the secretary read reports from our statevice-presidents. 

THE SECRETARY: These are very interesting. The first one is from Mrs. Ellwanger, our state vice-president for New York. 

(Reading in part) "My walnut trees are doing well and have many morenuts than ever before. The filberts planted two years ago, also havesome, and the chestnuts, those the blight have left me, are covered withburs. There are beech nuts, too. --I intend to keep on planting chestnuttrees, in spite of the blight. "

Mr. C. S. Ridgway, Lumberton, New Jersey, writes as follows:

"There are very few nut trees in our vicinity. In fact, very few exceptwhat I have--some large old pecans at Mt. Holley, but the fruit is sosmall they are not gathered. "

The next letter is from Mr. Howard Spence, of Ainsdale, Southport, England. Mr. Spence writes:

"During the last year I have got one of our horticultural researchstations interested in the subject of walnut culture and just recentlythe headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries also. Thelatter are using a small pamphlet on nut culture generally, to which Ihave contributed some facts. But a point of more definite interest atthe moment is that the Minister has agreed to instruct all theirinspectors over the country to make a collection of all walnuts of meritand forward them to me for classification and identification ofvarieties which may be worth perpetuating. As almost all the largenumber of trees in this country are seedlings I am hopeful that someinteresting material may be located. "

Here is a letter from Mr. Richard H. Turk, Vice-President for the stateof Washington:

"Your request for a report from this Pacific Coast state came as asurprise. The Western Walnut Growers' Association is very stronglyorganized as regards Oregon and Washington, and it is difficult topersuade our nut growers here to join an association with its base ofoperations so far removed as the Northern Nut Growers' Association. Ibelieve that I have been responsible for an additional membership of atleast one or two which I think can be considerably augmented this fall. 

Filbert growing has firmly caught hold of the enthusiasm of the peoplehere. The acreage has reached 2, 000 acres as compared to a bare 150acres of six years ago. I estimate a planting of 1, 500 additional acresto this quick bearing nut, this season. I have trees enough in mynursery to plant 600 acres but regard the majority of the plants asbeing too small. Planters plant even the smallest one-year layers out adistance varying from ten to twenty-five feet. I regard this as a wasteof time, money and energy. Trees with two year old roots are none toobig. The variety most planted is the Barcelona, closely followed by DuChilly, and is supported by pollinizers for these two varieties at therate of one pollinizer to every nine of the commercial sort. Intent eyesare watching every new seedling in search of new and superior varieties. Some have been found and will be propagated. Nut growers are but warmingto the idea. I am putting out eight thousand four-year old seedlingfilbert trees in orchard form to be tested for qualities desired in abetter filbert. 

Tree filberts instead of bushes is a new idea that is fast gainingheadway against the old method of removing the suckers by hand eachseason. _Corylus colurna_, the Turkish species, and _Corylus chinensis_, the Chinese tree hazel, are most favored as stocks. It has been foundthat these trees are easily grafted to filberts, that they are extremelyhardy and grow twice as fast as the filbert, and that the vigor of thestock enlarges the size of the nut, regardless of variety. Foremost inthe recommendation of grafted tree filberts, I have correspondents inmany foreign countries and have arranged for the delivery of severalthousand pounds of these nuts to grow seedlings of. 

The tree hazel is of the future as yet, and one must recognize thedemand for layered stock until replaced by what appears to be better. Toadd at least thirty acres to my present filbert plantings this year ismy desire. I am planting at least 400 trees to the acre as interplantsin a grafted walnut orchard. No use in wasting time before the treesbegin to bear profitable crops. Three and four years at most forman-sized returns when using a ten foot planting. 

One planting of Du Chilly filberts last year produced an average ofclose to 40 pounds per tree on nine-year-old trees and an average of 10pounds on four-year-old trees. The spread of the latter trees was scarcefour feet, and I counted 22 nuts on a branch eight inches in length. Mr. A. W. Ward reports an average crop of 200 nuts to each two-year-oldfilbert tree in his four-acre planting this season. These are also DuChillys that are fast building up a sentiment favoring them before thelower-priced Barcelona variety. The Barcelona is a more vigorous treeand shells out of the husk 75% whereas the Du Chilly is but 40% selfhusking, but that will not offset the differential of five to ten centsper pound in favor of the great, oblong nuts. 

The _walnut_ acreage of Washington and Oregon is approximately 12, 000acres and is now taking a new hold with all the additional plantingbeing made up of _grafted_ trees. The VROOMAN FRANQUETTE variety graftedon the California black walnut stock is the tree used in theseplantings. Formerly, seedlings of the so-called second generation typewere quite popular, but when it became evident that seedlings would nottransmit the superior qualities of the parent, that method ofpropagation was thrown into the discard. Eight thousand acres of theacreage now out, are seedling trees that must be topworked before Oregonwill be truly famous for the quality of the nuts it produces. Theseseedling trees are paying at present under our present high prices aftermany years of barrenness. 

My own 900 seedling trees I top-worked last year to the VroomanFranquette variety, placing as many as thirty grafts in some trees andobtained an average of 70 per cent successful grafts. These grafts havemade wonderful growth this season, and are quite capable of bearinglarge quantities of nuts next season. My crew of walnut grafters arebecoming well known over a radius of 100 miles, and the work they aredoing is a road to profit for many an owner of unproductive nut trees. 

This fall I intend publishing some of the leading articles of thenut-growing authorities of this section, in conjunction with a cataloguewell illustrated and containing my experience as a nut grower. Anyonecontemplating planting walnuts or filberts may well send in theirreservation of copy. Generally speaking, nut tree nurserymen and nuttree planters have not had time nor desire to add to the literature onthis subject. I believe that when the nurserymen get behind the move toplant nut trees there will be some very interesting developments. Thereis one good thing in sight, and that is that it will not be theold-fashioned seedling that they will push this time. I think that youpeople of the East have got to make another determined effort to drivehome the impossibility of seedlings ever being satisfactory. Outside theassociation a nut tree is a nut tree regardless of seedling and graftedtrees, and one is expected to bear just as many fine large nuts as theother and just as soon. After losing twenty to thirty thousand dollarsin delayed returns from a seedling walnut orchard, is it any wonder thatI oppose the planting of more seedlings by the unwary?

In concluding this report I wish to state that I have talked nuts beforea score of different meetings during the last year, and in the press ofOregon and Washington have done much to encourage the prospectivegrower. "

THE SECRETARY: It seems to me that this report is one that will be veryuseful to nut growers in the East and very suggestive to beginners innut growing. I would like to ask Mr. Reed if he has any comments to makeon the report. 

MR. REED: As I know conditions in the Pacific Northwest Mr. Turk hasgiven an accurate report. The one criticism that I might make would be, perhaps, that there seems to be a probability of over-enthusiasm. Thisoften occurs in any part of the country with respect to new things. Ithas been most conspicuous with the pecan in the South, and the almondindustry in the West. As the pioneers in the nut industry in Oregon andWashington are acquiring greater experience they are increasingly morecautious with regard to such matters as varieties, planting sites, planting distances, interpollination, and others of kindred nature. 

The industry in the Northwest is still comparatively small. It iscentered mainly in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and to some extent ina narrow strip running north towards Seattle. The best informed areplanting only in fertile, moist, properly drained soils so situated thatair drainage is good. The local soils are much more variable than wouldbe suggested by casual observation. Also, greater attention is beingpaid to air drainage in that part of the country than in the East. Several years ago there was a sudden drop in temperature from 32 degreesabove to 24 degrees below zero, at McMinnville, Oregon. This provedfatal to trees and plants of many kinds, particularly those on flatbottoms or on hillsides from which, for any reason, the cold air wasprevented from blowing to lower levels. 

In addition to the species of nuts discussed by Mr. Turk, somethingmight be said regarding the possibilities of chestnut culture in thePacific Northwest. Numerous trees, planted singly or even in smallgroups found there, grow so well as to indicate plainly that the genusis capable of adapting itself to existing environment. However, bothplanters and consumers are generally prejudiced against the chestnut. This is easily explained for the reason that either sufficient numbersof varieties have not been planted together to ensure interpollination, or Japanese chestnuts have been planted. Early planters were evidentlynot aware that most varieties are largely self-sterile, and they did notknow that the average Japanese chestnuts are fit for consumption onlywhen cooked. Had these two facts been taken into consideration by them, it is not improbable that there would now have been an entirelydifferent situation regarding the chestnut in that part of the country. 

THE SECRETARY: I have a few more reports. Is it the sentiment of themeeting that I go on reading them?

MR. REED: I would like to hear the reports. 

 * * * * *

THE SECRETARY: _Knight Pearcy, from Salem, Oregon_, writes:

"Both filbert and walnut planting have continued in Oregon during thepast year. There has been a steady increase in the acreage of these twonut crops during the past five years but, fortunately, no planting boom. 

The older walnut orchards are almost all seedling groves and many ofthese seedling groves are producing a very attractive revenue. Practically all of the new plantings are of grafted trees, it havingbeen amply demonstrated that, while seedlings are often revenueproducers, the grafted orchards bring in more revenue and at no greatercost of operation. Seedling orchards are offered for sale, but very fewgrafted plantings are on the market. The Franquette continues to be theprincipal tree planted; probably 95% of the new plantings being of thisvariety. 

A co-operative walnut marketing association has been formed, and thisyear for the first time carlot shipments of Oregon nuts will be sentEast. 

The filbert, a younger member of the Oregon horticultural family thanthe walnut, is being planted as heavily as the walnut, if not moreheavily. Probably 60, 000 trees were planted in the Willamette Valley ofOregon last year. Production of filberts has not yet become heavy enoughto supply home markets. It will probably be some time before Oregonfilberts reach eastern markets. 

No other nuts are grown commercially in the state, although the chestnutdoes well here. "

_Mr. T, C. Tucker, State Vice-President from California_, writes:

"The principal consideration in relation to the California nut situationis a recognition of the tremendous increase in planting within the lastten years. Many of these newly planted orchards have already come intobearing. The marketable almond tonnage of California has increased untilit is now over three times that of ten years ago. The walnut tonnage hasdoubled during the same period. 

New plantings are going forward very slowly at the present time due tothe conditions prevailing in the fruit industry in general. 

Economic conditions, coupled with the keenest kind of foreigncompetition have interfered materially with the sale of almonds in thiscountry, with the result that almond growers have been losing moneyevery year for the past four years. At the same time the tremendouslyincreased domestic tonnage has resulted in keeping the prices to theconsumer very low in relation to pre-war prices and costs. The consumerhas been getting the benefit of maintaining the domestic almondproducers in the business. The fact that domestic tonnage cannot be keptdown, as soon as a profit is in sight, warrants the American public inmaintaining a sizable industry in this country by means of a protectivetariff, even though it may appear on the surface as though it might meanincreased prices. The experiences of the last four years havedemonstrated beyond a doubt that increases in import duties have notresulted in increased prices to the consumer. They have, in fact, increased the competition to a point where prices have dropped ratherthan risen. 

The same situation applies to walnuts, except possibly as regards lossesto growers during recent years. The fact that walnuts ordinarily takelonger to come into bearing than almonds has prevented any rapidincrease in production such as has taken place with almonds. They are, however, facing many of the same conditions of keen competition fromcountries where costs of production are very, very low. 

Conditions this year point to both almond and walnut crops ofapproximately the same size as last year. That means the walnut cropwill be around 25, 000 tons and the almond crop around 10, 000 tons. Thecondition of the walnut crop seems to be about normal. Where irrigationis not available they are suffering from lack of water. Almonds thisyear are showing in many districts the disastrous effects of theunusually dry season. This will show up most strongly, however, inreduced tonnage for next year, and stick-tights for this year. Theselatter, however, are not saleable, so the consumer need not worry butthat the almonds received in the markets will be good, edible almonds. What the final outcome of the drought will be it is a little too earlyto tell. 

Pecans and filberts are produced in such small quantities in Californiathat they do not affect the market in any way except possibly locally. There is nothing to indicate any abnormal condition affecting either ofthese in the few places where they are grown. No large plantings ofeither of these nuts are being made, since there seems to beconsiderable question as to how successful they will be from acommercial standpoint. 

Chestnuts are not being planted as fast as they might be, especially inthose sections of the state to which they are well adapted. With therapid disappearance of the chestnut forests of the eastern states, through the ravages of the chestnut bark disease, there is no reason whychestnuts could not be grown in California, especially in many of thefoot-hill districts. This, of course, presupposes that the chestnut barkdisease can be kept out of the state, and we believe it can be. Thegeneral price situation, however, is such as to discourage any extensiveplantings at this time. The interest that is being taken in possiblefuture plantings, however, is such that it appears reasonable to believethat the next few years will see materially larger plantings made, provided there is any improvement in agricultural economy conditions. "

_Mr. James Sharp, Vice-President from Kansas_, writes:

"The only nut native here is black walnut, and the crop is heavy. Thereare some Stabler and Thomas planted here, and some grafted on nativeblack are bearing. We have something like fifty grafted pecans plantedof all varieties, but none bearing yet. The pecan is a native south andeast of here in Kansas, and the crop is good, I understand. We also havea few grafted sweet chestnuts growing in Kansas which are bearing well, and more are being planted. I have one English walnut growing near myhouse, which had male blooms last spring, but no nuts. We do not thinkthey will be a success in Kansas but we hope to grow some nuts on ourtree next year, the first in Kansas. "

_Mr. U. H. Walker, Nacla, Colorado_, who says he is probably the onlyone in that state attempting to grow nut trees, instead of fruit, writesof his attempts. His place is at an altitude of 5, 800 feet, where he canat times look down into the clouds, and on clear days can look up intoperpetual snow. Mr. Walker has black walnut trees that have producedcrops each year for the last ten years, three pecan trees and twopersimmons. He has been experimenting with nut trees obtained from thegovernment for the last ten or twelve years, and is willing to plant andcare for any trees which the members of the association would like tohave tried out in the center of the Rocky Mountain district. 

_Prof. V. R. Gardner, Michigan Agricultural College_, in a letter to C. A. Reed, says: "We are getting a very nice collection of hardy nutsstarted on our Graham Station grounds near Grand Rapids. These are forthe most part young trees being planted in orchard form. We are alsodoing some top-grafting and as soon as we shall be able to accumulatemore data upon which to base recommendations, I am inclined to thinkthat we will put on a number of nut grafting demonstrations in thestate. I am sure there will be a demand for it. 

If your meetings could be held later in the year, perhaps some timeduring the winter, I think it would be easier for some of the stationmen to attend them. "

MR. REED: Might I add that Prof. Gardner was at one time Assistant inHorticulture at Corvallis, in the heart of the walnut district ofOregon. From there he went to Missouri as State Horticulturist. Duringthe three years at that place he top-worked a considerable number ofwalnut trees with scions of supposedly hardy varieties of Persianwalnuts, especially the Franquette, and such varieties of Eastern blackas he could obtain. The Persian practically was killed out during thefirst winter. The black walnut tops are now coming into bearing, andconsiderable attention is being attracted to them throughout theMid-West. Prof. Colby may know something further regarding the work inMissouri. 

THE SECRETARY: I hope you notice how many more reports we are gettingfrom the men connected with the horticultural departments of the stateinstitutions. Here is a letter from H. H. Bartlett, Director of theBotanical Gardens at Ann Arbor, University of Michigan:

"Our Botanical Garden in its present location is relatively new, havingbeen established only in 1914. The development of permanent plantingshas been mostly in the last two or three years, so you see we have asyet done nothing with nut trees other than to assemble what varieties wecould get hold of. I must confess that the poor little things look muchas if the wrath of heaven had overtaken them. We had 8 degrees of froston the night of May 22d, when all the trees were in young leaf. All thenut trees were badly killed back, some below the graft, so I've had topull some out. Since they had only a miserable start last year, theylook pretty sad now. However, I'll replace where necessary, and hope forbetter luck next time. 

If there should be an opportunity in the course of the discussion tostate that we are prepared to receive and take care of nut trees thatoriginators wish to try out in this region, I shall appreciate it. Weare receiving occasional nut-bearing plants from the Office of Seed andPlant Introduction of the Department of Agriculture, and are very gladto act as a testing station for new introductions or productions. 

In order not to give a false impression as to the extent of our work, Ifeel impelled to say that we haven't yet a nut tree in bearing, and onlyone over three feet high. "

_Mr. Conrad Vollertsen_ writes that he will not be able to be here as hehad planned. He states that all of his 31 varieties of filbert trees, except one, have fairly good nut crops. His place, as you know, is inRochester, N. Y. 

_Mr. F. A. Bartlett, of Stamford, Conn. _, writes:

"You may be interested to know that some of my nut trees are giving someresults this year. A number of varieties of filberts are fruiting, three varieties of black walnuts, almonds, Chinese chestnuts, heartnuts, besides the native hickory and butternuts. "

MR. REED: According to Mr. Bartlett the Lancaster heartnut, which wasintroduced by Mr. Jones, is starting out in highly encouraging manner athis place near Stamford. It has grown well and is now a handsome, symmetrical tree. Indications are that it will bear well. 

THE SECRETARY: Mr. Bartlett takes good care of his trees. We shall hopeto pay a visit to his place. 

I have a letter from Mr. Hicks, Westbury, Long Island. He will be withus today, and he proposes in his letter that we make an excursion to hisplace on Long Island. 

_Mr. J. W. Killen, Felton, Delaware, _ in a letter to Mr. Reed, writes asfollows:

"This year we are maturing some nuts on the cordiformis and sieboldianatypes of the Japanese walnut (young trees 3 to 5 feet high) that had nostaminate blossoms. These we are producing by crossing with the pollenfrom one of our best Persians. We are looking for something interestingfrom there nuts when planted and the trees come into bearing. But allthis takes time and patience. We had more chestnuts last fall than everbefore, and the prices averaged higher, about 20 cents per pound, wholesale. Our best chestnuts are looking good now. Will soon beopening; usually begin about the 5th to the 10th of September, to openup. 

"We have not succeeded very well in propagating Mollissima (Chinesechestnut) but we find the quality of the nuts very good. All of ourAmerican sweet and all of the European type, including Paragon, Numbo, Dager, Ridgely, etc. , have been gone for years, and left our Japs justabout as healthy looking as they were 20 years ago, yet they were allset in the same block. "

THE SECRETARY: It is encouraging to know that Mr. Killen has a strain ofchestnuts that will grow there without being destroyed by blight. 

MR. REED: Blight is not serious with his trees. 

THE SECRETARY: It is with mine. But Mollissima has resistance. 

MR. REED: The real pest in Mr. Killen's chestnut planting is the weevil. The nuts have to be marketed promptly in order to avoid destruction bythis insect. 

THE SECRETARY: I have a letter from Mr. Littlepage, who regrets that hewill not be able to be with us. 

Another letter is from Mr. Riehl, who regrets that because of his age hewill not be able to take the long trip from Godfrey, Ill. , to New YorkCity. He writes to us of the place of the chestnut in northern nutculture, as follows:

"Blight and weevil are the greatest enemies of this nut. Blight in allprobability will destroy practically all native chestnut where it isnative, and in all such districts the planting of chestnut orchards forprofit will be useless until varieties are found or produced that areimmune to that disease. In time this, no doubt, will be done. If I werefifty years younger and lived in a blight section, it would appeal to meto do something in that line. 

Where the chestnut does not grow naturally it can be grown without fearof the disease. I have the largest chestnut orchard in the West, of allages from seedlings to sixty years, with no blight. 

Even were there no blight it would not be advisable to plant chestnutorchards where it is native because of the weevil. The weevil appears tobe worse on the large improved varieties than on the smaller native. Ofcourse any one planting a chestnut orchard now would plant the newer, larger varieties, as they will always outsell the smaller. No one whohas not talked with handlers of chestnuts can have any idea of thehandicap the weevil is to sales and prices. Where the chestnut is notnative the nuts produced will be free of weevils. 

The place to plant chestnut orchards is where the chestnut is notnative, on soils that are not wet. Such situations exist in the centralwest and westward to the Pacific coast. I have had reports of chestnuttrees growing and bearing in all this territory, and have had favorablereports of trees that I sent there of my improved varieties. 

There is a good market at good prices for good, homegrown chestnuts. Myown crops so far have sold readily at 25 to 40 cents per poundwholesale, and the demand is always for more after the crop is all sold. 

Of all the nuts that I have experimented with I have found the chestnutto come into profitable bearing sooner and more profitably than anyother. "

DR. MORRIS: Some of the state vice-presidents have spoken of nativechestnuts of good kinds. One obstacle, however, in the distribution ofgood chestnuts, has been the state laws which prevent us from sendingchestnuts from one state to the other. I would like to ask Mr. Reed ifit would be possible to make some arrangement at Washington wherebyscions might be sent under government inspection to the West and toother parts of the country where blight does not exist. On my propertyat Stamford I had several thousand choice chestnut trees. The blightappeared and I cut out 5, 000 trees that were from fifty years to morethan a hundred years old. Among them there was one sweet Americanchestnut superior to the others. It had a very large, high-quality nut, and very beautiful appearance, having two distinct shades of chestnutcolor. The tree was the first to go down with the blight but I have keptit going ever since by grafting on other chestnut stock. I would likemighty well to have that chestnut grow in other parts of the country. Itwould be an addition to our nut supply. 

Furthermore I have among a large number of hybrids, two of very highquality between the American sweet chestnut and the chinkapin. I gavethese to Mr. Jones. He found, however, that he had no market for thembecause of the fear of blight. I would like to present scions of this toanybody outside the chestnut area where chestnuts are being grown, provided I can do this under government methods. We should find a way todo this. 

THE SECRETARY: And not by boot-legging. 

MR. REED: As Prof. Collins is more likely to be informed in regard toquarantine laws than I am he is the proper one to answer that question. I may say, however, that the federal department is unlikely to interferein any way with the carrying out of state quarantine laws. Prof. Collinsis now in the room. Dr. Morris, will you kindly re-state the question tohim?

DR. MORRIS: In brief, I have some very superior chestnuts. They will bevaluable for horticultural purposes in other parts, or in non-blightregions, of the country. I have kept them going by care and attention. Iwould be very glad to send those out of Connecticut, provided that theway may be found, by sending them through Washington to other states. Itwould be necessary, however, to have the scions treated in such a way asto make sure that the endothia spores had been destroyed. 

THE PRESIDENT: I suggest that Prof. Collins give the matter somethought, and when he gives his paper he will be able to inform us aboutthat. We will now ask Mr. Reed for a report as to promising seedlings. 

MR. REED: There are quite a number of new things which might bementioned. One is a group of Chinese walnuts now in their second orthird year in the nursery of Mr. Jones, at Lancaster. In this lot thereare many beautiful young trees grown from nuts obtained for Mr. Jones byMr. P. W. Wang, of Shanghai. They are from North China, the territorywhich I visited more than two years ago and from which I also obtainedconsiderable seed. Of the latter we have now several hundred seedlingsready for distribution. Personally I would like them to be distributedamong members of this association. Mr. Jones has 300 or 400 of the Wangtrees which he proposes to sell as seedlings. Others will be used asstocks for grafting varieties of _regia_. 

Dr. Morris has already referred to the Chinese chestnuts. Mr. Dorsett, of the U. S. Department of Agriculture, has recently arrived in Chinafor a two-years' trip. He will doubtless send many chestnuts. 

Another particularly interesting group of nut trees is a lot ofhazel-filbert hybrids produced by Mr. Jones. These are between the Rushand the Barcelona, or other European varieties. He now has plants threeto five years of age in bearing. They average as high as a man's head. Practically all are in bearing with attractive clusters of nuts, andsome are fruiting heavily. The Rush variety, as most members know, is anative hazel of unusually prolific habits of bearing. The nuts are offair size and quality. 

Recently I have seen some interesting pecan trees in the East. Two ofthese are on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, one in the outskirts ofEaston and the other at Princess Anne; the former is a trifle thelarger, measuring 15 ft 5 inches in girth at breast height, the lattermeasuring 4 feet and 2 inches at the same distance and estimated to be110 feet high. It was grown from a nut said to have been planted in1800. The nuts from these trees are small but well filled and muchappreciated by their respective communities. 

THE PRESIDENT: We have the secretary down for a paper. 

THE SECRETARY: This paper opens a symposium on topworking hickorytrees. 

TOP WORKING HICKORIES IN THE NORTH

_By W. C. Deming, Connecticut_

I do not recall a single modern improvement of importance in the art ofgrafting nut trees in the North that is not due to either Mr. Jones orDr. Morris, except that to Mr. Riehl belongs, I believe, the credit ofthe idea of waxing the entire graft, which is now the acceptedprocedure. Therefore I speak before these two gentlemen with diffidence. I do so in the hope that perhaps I may recall something which they haveforgotten to make known, or that what I say may elicit from themavailable emendatory remarks. My experience of fourteen years on my ownplace, and of five years grafting for others, is the basis of myobservations. 

_Compatibility of Species and Varieties_

This question will be particularly discussed by Mr. Bixby who has beenconducting careful experiments that should soon settle the question forthe commoner hickories. A few scattering observations of my own may beuseful. 

It is generally believed that any species of the genus hickory willcatch on any other, though not necessarily that the union will beblessed. It is self evident that any hickory will thrive on any varietyof the same species, shagbark on shagbark, pecan on pecan, though evenhere close observation will probably disclose differences ofcompatibility. Probably any hybrid hickory will thrive on either of itsparents. In some cases this may turn out to be a test of hybridity. Forinstance, the Barnes is one of the few shagbarks known to thrive onmockernut. It shows other evidences of mockernut blood. 

I have found no hickory, so far, that does not appear to thrive on theshagbark, except the pecan. Even here there are differences. I have oneMajor pecan on shagbark that is over twenty-five feet high that has avery healthy appearance and that has shown staminate bloom for two orthree years. I have also an Indian pecan that looks fairly prosperous. The Iowa pecans, the Marquart, Greenbay, Campbell, Witte, and others, catch readily and grow vigorously, at least for the first years. Thereare many data, however, on the adaptability of the pecan to the shagbarkand the consensus of opinion is that ultimate results are poor. This isprobably because the shagbark starts early and makes its season's growthin about six weeks, while the pecan naturally has a much longer growingseason. However, these observations have been made, mostly, in the Southand it may be different in the North. The question is not yet finallydecided. 

The Stanley shellbark, H. Laciniosa, is completely at home on theshagbark, apparently, but has not yet borne with me. 

The Hatch bitternut grew luxuriantly on shagbark for a year but blewoff. 

The Zorn hybrid made a growth of one foot on shagbark but then waswinter killed, apparently. 

I have a back pasture full of vigorous pignuts, H. Glabra, which foreleven years I have been grafting with faith which now seems childlike, that soon I would have fourteen acres of bearing hickory trees. Yet as aresult of all these years of grafting the only hickories that I havefound to thrive are the Brooks, which appears to be vigorous, theTerpenny, which is vigorous and bearing nuts in its fourth year, andpossibly the Barnes. Not a single pecan survived more than a year, though many started. The Beaver hybrid makes a long spindling growth andthen, in the first or second year, the leaves turn yellow and mosaic andthe growth dies. The Kirtland, Kentucky, Hales, Taylor and severalothers, have all with me, proved failures on the pignut. Mr. Bixby'sexperiments appear to be showing somewhat different results. 

The question of the compatibility of species and varieties is really avery important one because in some localities either the pignut or themockernut is the prevailing species, and we wish to know with whatspecies and varieties they may be successfully grafted. For instance, ifthe Barnes, which is an excellent shagbark, will do well on both thepignut and the mockernut, where so many other varieties fail, and theBrooks is at home on the pignut, these are highly important facts to beknown by the man with fifteen acres of hilly woodland full of youngpignuts and mockernuts. 

_Size of Stocks_

I prefer stocks of moderate size, up to three inches in diameter. Onegets greater results for the labor with these than with larger trees. Ofcourse a tree of any size may be topworked but the labor isdisproportionately greater, especially in the after care. 

_Cutting Back Stocks for Topworking_

I doubt if it is important to cut back stocks during the dormant season, except that then there is more time. With larger trees this counts for agood deal, but in the smaller ones I like to cut them off just where Iwant to graft at the time of doing so. However, they may be cut off whendormant at the point of selection for grafting and later grafted withoutfurther cutting back. This reduces, or does away with the risk ofbleeding. Except in very small stocks it is better to leave a number ofthe lower branches to prevent bleeding. When bleeding does occur it maybe checked by making one or more cuts with the knife or saw into thesapwood of the trunk below the graft. Better results come when thecutting back is of the top branches and not the lower ones because ofthe stronger flow of sap toward the top of the tree. In my opinion aside branch should always be left at the point where the stock is cutoff to maintain a circulation of sap. Otherwise the stub will often dieback and the graft fail. Also, the cambium close to a side branch willbe observed to be thicker and I infer that the circulation of sap ismore active. I prefer to cut off the top half, or two-thirds of the treeand graft into the top and the side branches near the top. 

Hickories in full foliage may usually be cut back without evident harm. Occasionally a tree will be apparently shocked to death. Sometimes whena tree in foliage is cut back severely the remaining leaves will turnblack and partly, or completely, die, but the tree will throw outvigorous new growth later. 

Trees up to three inches in diameter may have the whole top cut off, atthe risk of occasionally shocking a tree to death. Such complete cuttingback must be done in the dormant season or there will be severe andprolonged bleeding. This method has the advantage of forcing atremendous growth in the grafts which will need careful support. This ismuch more easily done however, than when the grafts are in the top ofthe tree. Cutting back in the dormant season and painting with paraffinehas not worked well for me as the paraffine has not adhered well for anylength of time to the freshly cut surfaces. Probably this could beeasily remedied if it were a real advantage. In the case of small stocksand branches where there is no bleeding and the paraffine adheres wellgreen callus will often be seen spreading out beneath the paraffine overthe cut surface. 

Stocks should be vigorous. Dwarfed, stunted, submerged, hide bound treesmake poor stocks. This is important, I believe. 

_Scions_

The condition of the scion is the most important element for success intop-working hickory trees. The technique of grafting has been sosimplified as to make it fairly easy, and native stocks are usuallyvigorous. But unless the scions have full vitality success will belimited. They should be plump and not pithy. A limited success ispossible with scions of feeble growth, or those subjected todevitalising influences in keeping or handling, but the largest successwill be had with well grown scions, cut from vigorous trees or grafts, whose buds are completely dormant, and have a fresh, green appearance oncutting. When the cambium layer shows a yellowish or brownish tint thescions are useless. Slender wood may make good scions but is moredifficult to keep in good condition. Heavy wood from vigorous, young, grafted trees, or from cut back trees, makes the best scions and is theeasiest to keep. Wood more than 1 year old and as large as one canhandle makes good scions. Dr. Morris, with the use of the plane, hassucceeded with astonishingly large scions and even branches. Sometimesbuds are absent from these large scions or are very inconspicuous. Theymay be searched for with a lens. 

Preferably scions should be cut when entirely dormant. Buds that showsigns of breaking should be removed. Scions cut after growth starts maybe used with success if there are dormant buds. This "immediategrafting, " as Dr. Morris calls it has not been fully studied. It may beof great value. It is quite successful with the apple and the pear. Itappears to depend chiefly on the presence of dormant buds of vitality. 

The later in the season the dormant scions are cut the shorter the timethey have to be kept, though probably this is not of importance if themethod of keeping is right. 

_Keeping Scions_

The larger the scion the easier it is to keep it. Dr. Morris cuts wholebranches and keeps them in the sawdust of his icehouse. I have cut themtwo inches in diameter and kept them lying uncovered on the barn cellarfloor into the second summer looking fresh and green. The smaller thescion the more susceptible it is to moisture environment. Scions must bekept where it is neither too moist nor too dry. Usually the mistake ismade of keeping them too moist. The buds may start if the scions are toomoist even when the temperature is quite low. This happened for me whenI stored scions for a week or two in the very cold bottom of an icebox. The most successful grafters keep scions with a sort of intelligentneglect. Dr. Morris buries them in the sawdust of his icehouse and itseems to make no difference if ice is there or not. I once tried keepingthem in an icehouse over the ice and they became soaking wet. I havenoticed that Dr. Morris's sawdust seems quite dry. Mr. Jones keeps some, at least, of his in bins or barrels covered with burlap bags. He saysthat heartnut scions keep best not packed away but kept in the opencellar. I notice that Mr. Jones has been using some kind of millplanings in place of sphagnum moss. Branches and large scions will keepwell in a medium that seems dry to the touch. Small scions, such asthose cut from old parent trees, require careful handling to preventshriveling, on the one hand, or bud starting on the other. A lowtemperature is probably desirable, but the right condition of moistureis essential to the proper keeping of scions for any length of time. Ishould naturally prefer to keep them in darkness, but I am not sure thatit is important. Undoubtedly the access of some air is necessary but itwould be difficult to keep it altogether away. I do not know how longscions would keep if entirely covered with paraffine. One year I dippedall the cut ends of my scions in melted paraffine but I am not sure thatit is worth the trouble. One year I packed away my scions in rathermoist sphagnum moss. The first time I looked at them they were enmeshedin mold mycelium. Later many of the buds started to grow. As suggestedby Mr. Jones, dipping either the scions or the moss in half strengthBordeaux mixture will remedy the mold trouble. Parenthetically, thisshould be of help in keeping chestnuts, chinkapins, and other nuts thatspoil easily with mold, for planting in the spring. Packing scionstightly and heavily covered in boxes for any length of time has been, inmy observation, disastrous. In shipping scions a method advised, and onethat I have followed with satisfaction, is to wrap the scions, eitherseparately or together, in paraffine paper without any packing next thescions but putting it, instead, outside the paraffine paper. Thispacking may be sphagnum moss or mill planings slightly moistened. Thisalso is wrapped in a moisture impervious covering and then in ordinarywrapping paper. For shipping long distanced the moss or planings shouldbe dipped in half strength Bordeaux mixture. 

The surface of the bark of scions that are being kept should always bedry, never moist. But they should never be so dry as to look shrivelled. Until you know just what scions will do under the conditions you provideyou should examine them frequently. 

_Equipment_

The essentials are a knife, raffia and the wax heater with brush. A sawis necessary if stocks are to be cut back, and pruning shears areconvenient for cutting scions into proper lengths and for trimming andpruning stocks. The knife most used is the grafting knife of Maher &Gross, with a three inch straight blade and a round handle that gives agood grasp. 

I used to suspect that the men who said that scions ought to be cut withtwo strokes of the knife were trying to establish an unattainable ideal. But after Mr. Jones and Dr. Morris had taught me how to sharpen my knifeI found that I could cut one that way myself sometimes. Mr. Jones'smethod of sharpening is to hone the knife flat on the surface next thescion and with a bevel on the upper edge. I found that this made scioncutting so much easier that I thought it was the whole secret. But oneday I saw another doubter come up to Mr. Jones and ask him if it wastrue that he could cut a scion with two strokes of the knife. Mr. Jonessaid he thought he could but he had no knife just then. The man pulledout his pocket knife and asked if that would do. Mr. Jones looked at it, took a stick and with two strokes cut a perfect scion. Since then I havefelt that there is something to it besides the way you sharpen yourknife. 

A very important element in shaping scions is to give a drawing motionto the knife by keeping the handle well advanced before the blade. Thecutting is done with a draw and not a push. This is one of the mostimportant factors for success in shaping scions. 

It seems hardly necessary to say that the stroke of the knife should beaway from the grafter. Yet it is a common sight to see beginners cuttingto the thumb. 

Dr. Morris showed me that if, in sharpening your knife, you hold thelittle whetstone between the thumb and middle finger of the left handyou are less likely to put a feather edge on it. A feather edge issomething to clip the sprouting wings of any budding saint of a grafter. When you get the right edge on your knife often you can use it the wholeday without resharpening, or at most with simply a stropping on a pieceof wood or leather. But improper use of the knife, or the least knick, will spoil the edge and sometimes it will be quite difficult to get itback. Therefore the blade should always be protected by a sheath, neverlaid down or used for cutting raffia, or anything but the actual cuttingof the graft. For this purpose a leather sheath worn on the front of thebelt, as first used by Dr. Morris, is almost a necessity. This sheathmay be made by any leather worker and should have at least two pockets, one for the grafting knife and one for another knife to be used fortrimming, cutting raffia and other odd things. It is convenient to havea little pocket for a pencil also and one may provide places for otherarticles of equipment at fancy. 

I do not know that there is much to be said here about raffia. But agreat deal has been said, and will be said, elsewhere, when the raffiais rotten and breaks in the middle of tying a graft. It is the devil'sown stuff to carry when you don't carry it right. The right way to carryit is to tuck one end of the bundle under one side of your belt, passthe bundle behind your back and the other end under the other side ofyour belt. Then the raffia never gets mixed up with scions, tools andprofanity and the end of a strand is as handy as the knives in yourbelt. On the whole I do not know of any binding material as satisfactoryas raffia. It is stronger and easier to use when it is damp. 

One of the great advances in the art of grafting is the use of meltedwax. I believe that we have to credit Mr. Jones for this. The use ofparaffine for grafting wax we owe to Dr. Morris. To him also we owe theMerribrook melter which has added so much to the comfort and convenienceof grafting that it can be recommended as an outdoor sport for ladies. Ido not like the brush that Dr. Morris recommends but prefer a stifferone such as can be bought for ten cents. 

Equipments vary with the individual and with the difference in the workto be done. Mr. Slaughter carries into the nursery, when he is workingfor Mr. Jones in the semi-tropical sun of Lancaster, a stool withparasol attachment. Mr. Biederman of Arizona has the most elaborateequipment which includes a table, planes, curved knives and gouges. Dr. Morris carries a knapsack. I like an ordinary light market basket thatMother Earth holds up for me when I'm not moving from place to place. When in a tree I stuff my pockets with scions. 

A saw is usually a necessity. For portability I prefer a curved one thathas a draw cut. It has also an aesthetic element and doesn't look likea meat saw, which can't be said of Mr. Jones's saw that seduced Dr. Morris from church. For heavy and steady work I much prefer acarpenter's sharp hand saw. A two-edged saw is an abomination devised byconscienceless manufacturers for the seduction of innocent amateurs. 

For pruning shears I have a personal fancy for the French, hand-madeinstrument, each one individual, a work of art and a potential legacy toone's horticultural heir, if one doesn't let the village blacksmithmonkey with it, as I did with mine. 

On some grafts it is desirable to use a bit of paper, either beneath oroutside of the raffia, to make waxing easier. For this I have foundscraps of Japanese paper napkin very adaptive to surfaces and absorptiveof wax. 

On very heavy grafts Dr. Morris uses the Spanish windlass, as devised byhim, for which he carries sisal cord, wooden or metal meat skewers, small staples and a mallet. He uses a chisel to cut slots in very thickbark and planes for shaping heavy grafts. 

I have tried fastening in grafts with a nail, using iron and brass nailsand bank pins. Mr. Jones has suggested cement covered nails. Myexperience with iron nails is that they damage the scions. The use ofnails has not been fully worked out. They are almost essential in bridgegrafting apple trees. I think that just the right kind of a staple mightbe a help with some kinds of grafts. 

Paper bags, 2 pound size, are sometimes wanted, for protection from sunor insects or to make the grafts conspicuous. Mr. Jones shades graftsmade close to the ground with a slip of paper. 

For labels for immediate use the wooden ones, painted on one side andwith copper wire fastening, are satisfactory. Attach them by thenurseryman's method, which it has taken me many years to recognize asthe right one, by twisting the _doubled_ wire around a convenientobject. Do not separate the wires which will probably permit the labelto flap in the wind and soon wear out the wires. I used to think thatthe nurseryman's method was the result of hurry or laziness. 

Copper labels, to be written on with a stylus, cost 1-1/2 or 2 centseach, according to size. The smaller I consider preferable. I imaginedthat these would solve the label problem. Picture my disappointment whenI found that many of them cracked, or broke off entirely near theeyelet, from flapping in the wind. If they are to be used they must befastened so as not to move with the wind. Mr. Bixby has an excellentlabel made on an aluminum strip printing machine. It has a hole in eachend and is fastened with a heavy copper wire. He uses two of theselabels on each tree. Dr. Morris sometimes uses a heavy wire stake towhich he fastens the labels. A good method of attaching labels, and onethat does away with the risk of girdling the graft or tree, is to fastenthe label to a staple driven into the tree. The matter of labels is atroublesome one for they will get lost no matter what you do. 

Other conveniences of equipment are a small whetstone, a small hammer, matches, and some volatile oil, like citronella, lavender, wintergreen, or other black fly and mosquito repellant. It is almost suicidal to slapa mosquito on the back of your neck with a keen grafting knife in yourhand. A supply of parowax and alcohol for the lantern's sake should beremembered. 

_Technique_

If the stocks are vigorous and active, and the scions full of vitality, I doubt if the technique is of chief importance, provided it isordinarily good. However, a good technique will increase the percentageof success. One should have a variety of methods at command for varyingconditions of stocks and scions. 

One may come as near 100% success in grafting hickories as one is ableand willing to observe all the known factors of success. I think that wecan say now that the factors of success in hickory grafting are known. They are a vigorous and active stock, a scion of abundant vitality, coaptation of the freshly cut cambium layers and prevention ofdesiccation. 

The stock and scion have already been considered. How is coadaptationbest obtained? One of the best methods, one that can be used in allseasons and in most conditions of stock and scion, is the side graft, the one that Mr. Jones uses in his nursery work. That is the bestargument for this graft. It is, perhaps, the simplest, and at the sametime one of the most difficult, of all grafts. The scion is cut wedgeshaped and pushed into a slanting incision in the side of the stock. Mr. Jones's modified cleft graft is only a side graft made in the top of thestock after cutting it off. The difficulty lies chiefly in cutting thescion and the incision in the stock so that the fit will be perfectlytrue. This requires practice. 

The bark slot graft, as Dr. Morris calls it, I have used for severalyears. It can be used only during the growing season when the bark willslip. It is very successful, whether put in at the top of a cut offstock, or inserted in the side of a limb or the trunk. It is notconvenient to use unless the scion is considerably smaller than thestock. The scion is cut with a scarf, or bevel, on one side only. Whenthe slot is to be made in the top of a cut off stock two vertical cutsare made through the bark, as far apart as the scion is wide, the tongueof bark thus formed is raised slightly at the top, and the point of thescion is inserted, cut surface toward the center of the tree, and pusheddown firmly into place. The superfluous part of the tongue of bark isthen cut off. By slightly undercutting the edges of the slot, andslightly tapering it toward the bottom, the scion may be wedged, ordovetailed, in place so as to be very firm. It is even possible todispense with tying, sometimes, but better not to do so. 

When the slot is to be made in the side of a limb or trunk the sameprocedure is followed except that it is necessary before making the slotto remove a notch of bark, at right angles to the axis of the trunk, soas to free the upper end of the tongue of bark. 

The bark slot graft is the easiest of all and readily mastered once thegrafter learns to shape a true scion. It is much better than the oldbark graft where the bark of the stock is forced away from the woodleaving considerable space to be filled or covered. 

These two forms of graft, the side graft, of which Mr. Jones's modifiedcleft graft is only a variation, as before stated, and the bark slot, inits two variations as described, will meet all needs in topworkinghickory trees. 

Finally, prevention of desiccation of the graft is obtained by waxing. Ihave found Dr. Morris's method with melted paraffine satisfactory. Theaddition of raw pine gum, as advocated by Dr. Morris is undoubtedly anadvantage under certain conditions, described by him, but I have not yetused it. The melted parowax is applied to the whole graft and wrapping, leaving no cut surface exposed and the whole scion being covered. If theparaffine is at just the right temperature it will spread at a touch, covering the surfaces without danger of scalding. It is much moreeffective thus applied than if colder and daubed on. The thicker thewaxing the more likely to crack and separate. If the paraffine smokes itis too hot. If it does not smoke, and is dexterously applied, I think wecan feel safely that it cannot be too hot. But if applied with a heavyhand it may be too hot even at a temperature so low that it will notspread. 

_Season for Grafting_

According to Dr. Morris nut trees can be grafted successfully in anymonth of the year. But practically I think that grafting will be limitedto that part of the year during which the cambium layer of the stock isactive. At other times of the year preservation of the vitality of thescion will be too problematical, it seems to me, even if it is verycarefully waxed. However, I may be mistaken. At any rate grafting is notvery pleasant work out of doors in very cold weather. The success ofbench grafting would be an argument for the success of dormant seasongrafting out of doors. 

_After Care_

Without thoughtful after care the labor of topworking will almostcertainly be lost. There are many ways in which the grafts can be lostbut the two commonest are by being choked, or inhibited, by growth fromthe stock, and by being blown out by the wind. All new growth from thestock must be rigorously prevented. Grafts often make so heavy a growththat, if not blown out by the wind, they will be dragged out by theirown weight. Consequently they must often be supported. When the graftsare in, or near, the trunk of the stock, and not too high, the handiestmethod of support is to cut a sapling of proper length, sharpen thebutt, stick this into the ground at the base of the stock, and tie it intwo places to the stock. When the grafts are too far out or too high forthis method laths or slats or sticks may be tied or nailed to thebranches. Support is likely to be even more necessary in the secondseason when the growth is often astonishing. 

Bud worms will sometimes destroy your graft just as it is starting, butthey are easily found if looked for. With my conditions the most harm byinsects is done by the night feeding beetles, which are particularlyexasperating as morning after morning you watch the progress of theirdestructive work without ever seeing them. Bagging is the onlypreventive and it pays to use bags when a particular graft is cherished. 

_Is Topworking Hickories Worth While?_

Up to the present time it is the surest and easiest way, practically theonly way, of getting good results with the hickories, excepting thepecan. The root systems of the native stocks are well established andpush the grafts rapidly. I have had a Siers hybrid grow 11 feet Straightup in a season. A Taylor matured several nuts on the third season'sgrowth. A Terpenny had a crop the fourth year, the Griffin bearsannually since its fifth year, the Kirtland and Barnes since the sixth. The Kentucky is a little slower. None of the hybrids have yet borne withme but with others they have borne quite early. We can be sure that thehickories will bear when top worked as soon as the average apple tree. The size of the crop that any topworked hickory tree will bear willdepend on the size to which you have been able to grow the tree and thehabit of bearing of the particular variety. I think, also, that there isgood evidence to show that the size of the tree, the size of the nutsand the size of the crop will depend largely on the amount of care andthe amount of plant food that is given the tree. 

Two years ago I topworked a number of hickory trees for Mr. Patterson ofWilkes-Barre, one of our members, and Mr. Patterson's foreman put in afew grafts under my observation. This summer I went to Wilkes-Barre toinspect my work. The foreman took me out into a field where he had donea lot of grafting the year before and I found that he had had a littlebetter percentage of success than I had had. He had used the bark slotgraft for everything, even when the scions were almost as big as thestocks. Before this I had thought that long experience was necessary forsuccessful grafting. Now I see that if you have good scions, a Morrismelter and a half hour of instructions, you will have all the essentialsfor immediate success. Hickory grafting is easy now. But let no one becontemptuous, for this ease has come only after many years of experimentand countless failures by many men. The former difficulty in graftingthe hickory seems now like a mystery. The history of its evolution wouldmake a very pretty story for the nut grower. 

NOTES ON MEDIATE AND IMMEDIATE GRAFTING AT ALL TIMES OF THE YEAR

_By Dr. R. T. Morris, Connecticut_

Any newly described fact which releases information on the subject oftree grafting opens vistas of the new frontier in world agriculture. 

Time was when men went from one country to another in search of freshtop soil. That was when they did not know better. It was when their cogsof habit turned their cogs of thought. They were engaged in raisingannual plants at a considerable expenditure of time, labor and expense. They committed wastage of soluble plant foods (a variety of sin). 

Malthus formulated a famous over-population fear-thought. It had basisin his ignorance of the fact that steam was soon to become a factor inthe spreading of food supplies. Furthermore, he seemingly did not knowthat when old top-soil frontiers had gone to the rear, new frontierswould appear in the sub-soil. The tree digs deeper than the farmer everplowed. 

After Malthus came hunger prophets who were ignorant of comingpossibilities of fleet transportation through the air. The caterpillartractor plunging into the tropical jungle will allow of the productionof a practically unlimited food supply. Famine in India, China, andRussia is a social matter and unnecessary. Trees cure famine. 

Within the past decade a number of thinkers on one end of the see-sawhave written heavily on the over-population question not knowing thatthey and their birth control ideas were to be tossed into the air bystill heavier weight of fact on the other end of the see-saw. 

The heavier weight of fact relates to the idea that famine does notbelong to tree food regions. It relates to the fact that tree foods cansupply all of the essentials of provender for men, livestock and fowls;proteins, starches, fats and vitamines in delicious form. It relates tothe fact that tree foods come largely out of the sub-soil withoutapparent diminution of fertility of the ground. The tree allows top-soilbacteria and surface annual plants to manufacture plant food materialsand then deep roots take these materials to the leaves for elaborationby sun chemistry. 

Trees may be grown wherever crops of annual plants may be grown andwhere annual plants may not be grown profitably. They do not require theservice of high cost labor for annual tillage of the soil. For example, four large pecan trees or black walnut trees on an acre of groundwithout tillage or fertilizer may average a thousand pounds of nut meatsannually for a century. How often is the market value and food value ofa thousand pounds of nut meats per acre equalled by crops from annualplants which would require from 100 to 200 plowings and harrowingsduring a hundred years of continuous cultivation leaving out thequestion of expensive fertilizers and labor. Large populations live upondates, olives and figs. For trouble they have to look to religion. 

Several centuries were required for the British farmers to raise thewheat crop from six bushels to thirty bushels per acre. Things movefaster nowadays. It will not require so long a time to carry tree cropsfrom the seedling phase to the phase of grafted kinds with greaterproductivity and quality. In the past the successful tree grafter was aspecially skilled man. Now almost anybody may graft almost any sort oftree at almost any time of the year. 

Aside from grafting, the hybridizing of nut trees, like that of cerealgrain plants, has become a scientific sport appealing to the playinstinct of man. When work becomes play in any field of human activityprogress goes by leaps and bounds. The recent advance in tree graftinghas amounted almost to a revolution rather than an evolution process. Application of a few new grafting principles of great consequence is nowthe order of the day. Old established grafting methods frequently raninto failures when dealing with all but a few trees like the commonfruit bearing kinds. 

The two chief obstacles to successful grafting were desiccation of thegraft and fungous or bacterial parasites which entered the land of milkand honey where sap collected in graft wounds. Both of these dangershave now been practically eliminated and it remains for us to extend theseason of grafting, carrying it away from a hurried procedure in busyspring weeks. 

The chief obstacle to this extension of the grafting season has been thedifficulty in finding the right sort of grafting wax or protectivematerial for covering the graft, buds and all, as well as the wound ofthe stock. For covering the entire graft in order to avoid desiccationgrafting waxes had to be applied in melted form with a brush. They hadto be applied in melted form for filling interstices of wounds in whichsap might collect and ferment. These waxes had the effect of notretaining their quality under greatly varying conditions of heat, coldand moisture. The paraffin waxes which the author has preferred wereinclined to crack and to become separated from the graft and stock incold weather. Furthermore they would remelt and become useless in thevery hot sun of southern latitudes. 

Experimentation for several seasons has resulted in the finding that rawpine gum is miscible with the paraffins in almost all proportionsbecause of physical or chemical affinity. This gives to the wax anelasticity and adhesiveness of such degree that we may now graft treesin cold weather. Cohesiveness of molecules of the mixture is such thatremelting in the hot sun may not destroy the effectiveness of thisprotective coating in hot weather. 

Since the author has depended upon this mixture he has grafted peaches, apples, hazels and hickories successfully in midwinter as well as inmidsummer. Many other kinds of trees have been grafted successfully outof the so-called grafting season but these four kinds which representtwo of the "easiest grafters" and two of the "hardest grafters" willsuffice for purposes of illustration. 

According to old-established idea trees may be grafted successfully onlyfrom scions that have been cut when dormant and stored in properreceptacles. This is what we may term "mediate grafting, " a considerablelength of time intervening between cutting the scions and inserting thegrafts. On the other hand what we may call "immediate grafting" is thetaking of a scion from one tree and grafting it at once in a tree thatis to receive it. Mediate or immediate grafting may both be done atalmost any time of the year, winter or summer, spring or autumn. 

When preparing the scion for immediate grafting in the spring or earlysummer it is best to cut off all the leaves and herbaceous growth of theyear. We then depend upon latent buds situated in the older wood of thescion. The latter may be one year or several years of age. 

In midsummer when top buds have formed we may remove only the leaves, allowing the growth of the year to remain and to serve for graftingmaterial. 

In experiments with the apple for example it was found that mediategrafts inserted on July 10th in the latitude of Stamford, Conn. , beganto burst their buds five or six days later. Immediate grafts inserted atthe same time began to burst their buds about fifteen days later frombuds of the year and about twenty days later from latent buds in olderscion wood. 

New shoots from these mediate apple grafts continued to grow as they doin Spring grafting. Immediate apple grafts on the other hand put outabout six leaves from each bud and then came to a state of rest with theformation of a new top bud. After about ten days of resting these newtop buds again burst forth and grew shoots like those of the mediategrafts. 

The philosophy of these phenomena would seem to include the idea thatthe mediate summer grafts had contained a full supply of pabulum storedup in the cambium layer. The immediate summer grafts, on the other hand, had contained only a partial supply of pabulum, enough to allow them tomake six leaves and a top bud. After a few days of resting these shootswith meager larder could then go forward with new food furnished by thewhole tree. 

Mediate and immediate winter grafts were alike in their method of growthin the spring. This would seem to confirm the idea that character of newgrowth is dependent upon the relative quality of stored pabulum in thecambium layer. 

In experimental work it was noted that both mediate and immediate wintergrafts make a slower start in the spring than do the grafts inserted inspringtime. This is perhaps due to the formation of a protective corkycell layer over wound surfaces. New granulation tissue would then findsome degree of mechanical obstacle in the presence of a corky cell layerat first. 

Herbaceous plants allow of grafting. We are familiar with the example ofthe tomato plant grafted upon the potato plant, furnishing a crop oftomatoes above and potatoes below. 

It seemed to the author that the herbaceous growth of trees should begrafted quite as readily. This seems to be not the case. A number ofexperiments conducted with grafting of the herbaceous growth of trees inadvance of lignification has resulted wholly in failure with both softwood and hard wood trees. 

The walnuts carried herbaceous bud grafts and scion grafts for a longtime however. These grafts sometimes remained quite green and promisingfor a period of a month but lignification progressed in the stockwithout extending to the scion. Speculation would introduce the ideathat lignification relates to a hormone influence proceeding from theleaves of a tree and that the leafless scion does not send forthhormones for stimulating the cells of the scion to the point offurnishing enzymes for wood building. 

Perhaps the most interesting part of new tree work relates toexperiments which are failures. Negative testimony is like the minor keyin music. There are many men who care to do only things that "cannot bedone. " These are the ones who have made our progress in almost everyfield of human activity. 

STOCKS FOR HICKORIES

_Willard G. Bixby, Long Island_

MR. BIXBY: The sheets which I am distributing to you contain tables towhich I shall refer during this talk. But first I will give a littleforeword regarding the trees. The trees enumerated in the tables shownwere nearly all given me by Mr. Henry Hicks of Isaac Hicks & Son, Westbury, Long Island, and were taken to Baldwin and set out in thefall, practically the entire roots being saved and later the treesseverely cut back. They were transplanted without loss except in thecase of the shagbark, and those lost were all undersized trees. All ofthe hickories were of one age, but those lost were ones which had notmade normal growth and had they been discarded in the beginning therewould have been no loss whatever in the transplanting of 300 or 400trees. Later, in the spring of 1924, I found some loose bark pignut(Carya ovalis) seedlings on a farm not far away from my place, and thesewere also transplanted; but they were too small to graft this year. These experiments in grafting, made during 1923 and 1924, have shown ussome new things. With some of the walnuts we had 100 per cent success. With the hickories there was not 100 per cent success, but that was dueto the fact that we were putting scions on stocks that were notcongenial in many instances. You will notice the results as shown on thetables. 

 1923 GRAFTING

 G--Grafts Set C--Successful Catches ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shagbark Mockernut Pignut Pecan Bitternut Total G C G C G C G C G C G C % Barnes 6 6 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 18 18 100. 0% Brooks 5 0 4 2 5 1 5 2 19 5 21. 0% Clark 5 1 5 0 5 2 5 1 5 2 25 6 24. 0% Fairbanks 27 17 27 17 59. 3% Gobble 1 O 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 5 4 80. 0% Griffin 1 1 1 1 1 0 1 0 1 1 5 3 60. 0% Hales 5 3 4 1 5 4 5 5 19 13 52. 5% Kentucky 5 4 3 1 5 4 5 4 5 1 23 14 61. 0% Kirtland 3 1 3 2 3 2 3 2 12 7 58. 4% Laney 6 4 6 4 66. 7% Long Beach 4 3 3 2 4 1 4 2 3 1 18 9 50. 0% Manahan 5 1 5 1 6 2 5 1 5 1 26 6 24. 2% Siers 5 5 5 5 100. 0% Stanley 3 3 3 2 3 3 9 8 89. 0% Taylor 4 3 3 3 4 3 4 3 15 12 80. 0% Vest 5 1 5 0 5 1 5 2 5 1 25 5 20. 0% Weiker 5 1 5 2 5 1 15 4 26. 8% -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --- --- 32 17 51 20 52 26 46 24 91 53 272 140 53. 1% 29. 2% 50. 0% 47. 0% 59. 3% 51. 5%

An inspection of the 1923 grafts made August 21, 1924 showed thefollowing number growing: on shagbark 14, on mockernut 6, on pignut 26, on pecan 24, and on bitternut 16, the only place where there was anymaterial difference being in the case of the mockernut where nearlythree-quarters of the number of grafts growing last summer failed togrow this spring, in fact all varieties failed to grow excepting three, the Barnes, Gobble and Long Beach, all three of which I suspect fromother evidence, have mockernut parentage. In the ease of those on pignutand pecan stocks there was no loss from 1923 and in some instances atleast of those on shagbark and bitternut stocks the loss was due tooutside causes, such as being broken off. 

 1924 GRAFTING

 G--Grafts Set C--Successful Catches -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Shagbark Mockernut Pignut Pecan Bitternut Total G C G C G C G C G C G C % Barnes 8 7 10 4 18 11 61. 0% Beaver 5 1 5 1 20. 0% Brooks 11 8 10 5 21 13 61. 9% Clark 6 0 8 0 5 0 5 1 24 1 4. 6% Fairbanks 5 3 5 3 60. 0% Greenbay 5 0 5 0 0. 0% Hales 5 1 5 1 20. 0% Kentucky 5 2 4 2 9 4 44. 5% Kirtland 5 5 4 3 9 8 88. 8% Laney 5 3 5 2 10 5 50. 0% Manahan 6 2 6 2 33. 3% Mosnat No. 5. 7 1 7 1 14. 7% Mosnat No. 6. 10 6 10 6 60. 0% Siers 5 4 5 4 80. 0% Stanley 12 1 12 1 8. 3% Vest 10 3 15 5 16 5 10 3 12 3 63 19 34. 2% Weiker 5 3 5 3 60. 0% -- -- --- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --- -- 16 3 122 52 54 21 15 4 12 3 219 83 18. 7% 42. 6% 38. 9% 26. 7% 25. 0% 37. 9%

In 1923, it was very evident that the Barnes was the only varietyshowing 100 per cent success on every stock. That was not repeated in1924, but it still showed a high percentage of success. 

From the comparatively modest percentage of catches, 51. 5% on theaverage in 1923 and 37. 9% in 1924, one might hastily conclude that thegrafting was not skillfully done or that the grafts did not have properattention afterward, but as noted above the grafting was done by Dr. Deming, whom I regard as one of the most skillful men that we have, andas the work on walnuts done at the same time showed 100% success with anumber of varieties, I think any question as to the skill with which thework was done and the care the grafted trees had afterwards can bedismissed. 

It is to be regretted that the number of scions at hand was notsufficient to repeat exactly the experiments of 1923 as well as tofollow out the points suggested by the 1923 work, but as there was notenough for both, the latter was done. 

The 100% success of catches of the Barnes in 1923 was not repeated in1924; but the high per cent of catches on the mockernut, (7 out of 8 in1924), is gratifying in view of the few varieties that we have that haveshown adaptability to that stock. As the Barnes is one of our goodvarieties and there is such a wide section of the country where themockernut is the prevailing hickory, it is believed this behavior of theBarnes will prove a valuable addition to our knowledge in top-workingthe hickory. 

No variety as strikingly adapted for use on the pignut has appeared, butthere are a number that have shown fair adaptability. 

The varieties most desirable for top-working various species ofhickories as suggested by this work supplemented by other observationsof the writer, would be as follows:

 Shagbark--Most varieties. Mockernut--Barnes. Pignut--Brooks, Kentucky, Taylor, Kirtland. Bitternut--Beaver, Fairbanks, Laney, Siers. 

It is useful to know that the Barnes is the only one especiallysuccessful on the Mockernut. By the spring of 1924, all grafts onmockernut had died except the Barnes, the Gobble and the Long Beach, andeach of these is thought to have mockernut parentage. 

In the cases of the pignut and the pecan stocks, all of the graftssuccessful in 1923 were still living in 1924. With the shagbark andbitternut most lived. As to pecans there is not much to be said; pecanvarieties would usually be used for the topworking here. 

The results of a few grafts set in 1924 on _Carya ovalis_ and onshellbark seedlings which were 100% failures, are not noted, as theshellbarks were, in the judgment of the writer, too small for thepurpose, and the _Carya ovalis_ had been set out in the spring of 1924but a few weeks before the grafting was done. In other words the latterhad not become sufficiently established to make good stocks, and theformer were not large enough. In each case there was not sufficientvitality available to expect success. 

This brings out one point which has impressed me strongly; that is theneed of having vigorous stocks if they are to be grafted or transplantedsuccessfully. I feel that this point cannot be too strongly emphasized. If a stock either from youthfulness or inherent lack of vigor is notrapid growing it is almost useless to try to graft it or transplant ituntil it does show the needed vigor. 

As to stocks to grow in the nursery with the idea of grafting themlater, the two commonly used, the bitternut for the bitternut hybridsand the pecan for others, there is little further to be recommended atthis time, although for some varieties, notably the Vest, a stock betteradapted to it than any we now have is earnestly to be desired. 

 * * * * *

THE PRESIDENT: Are there any questions on these three papers on hickorygrafting?

MR. REED: There are two points in regard to propagation which I believeshould be mentioned; one is that these various methods that have beendiscussed make it possible to propagate successfully during a greatportion of the year. By beginning early in spring with the dormantgraft, and continuing throughout the summer, these methods can be madeto follow one another so that if one fails still another can be used. These methods greatly prolong the season, and when it is not convenientto propagate at one period by the method proper to use at that timeanother can be employed at a different season. 

The other point is that we are constantly learning more in regard to theinfluence of stock upon scions. For example, hickories on pecans seemsatisfactory while the reverse is at least doubtful. Mr. Jones findsthat _sieboldiana_ is not a good stock for _regia_. We all find nigraapparently satisfactory as a stock for any species of _Juglans_. Theseconspicuous differences of influence of various species upon scionssuggest the possibility of less, but perhaps quite as important, difference of varieties. It is one of the newer phases of study andexperimentation which should be considered by all and reported upon tothis association. 

THE SECRETARY: At my place the Vest, used in top-working large shagbarkhickories, has been very successful. I do not know any that have beenmore successful or that grow more rapidly than it does on the shagbarkhickory. 

DR. MORRIS: The Marquardt is successful at my place. 

MR. O'CONNOR: I do not know why we have not had success with paraffinein a single instance. In grafting fruit trees I had excellent results. Ithought that if this could be done on fruit trees why not on nut trees?But I am going to try with the hickory again. I am going to be morecareful in selecting good, strong stock for that purpose, and I think inthat way we should have better success. 

DR. MORRIS: Did you not perhaps cover the buds of your hickory graftstoo thickly with melted grafting wax? Might not that account for yourfailure? Hickory buds will burst their way through almost any thicknessof grafting wax, but when the paraffines are used without pine gumadmixture the paraffine over the buds is particularly apt to crack andto allow the graft to dry out. 

MR. O'CONNOR: I did not cover the hickory grafts with melted graftingwax at all; I simply put them in like apple grafts with ordinarygrafting wax. 

DR. MORRIS: Practically all hickory grafts will fail under suchcircumstances, but practically all hickory grafts will catch if they arecovered with melted grafting wax of the right sort, provided that thescions and stock are also of the right sort. 

THE SECRETARY: May we now have the President's address?

THE PRESIDENT: Before I begin I wish to call to your attention thispamphlet regarding the fifth Mid-West Horticultural Exposition, to beheld in the Hippodrome, Waterloo, Iowa, November 11 to 16, 1924. It willbe under the auspices of the Iowa State Horticultural Society, co-operating with its afflicted societies and the Greater WaterlooAssociation. The exposition will cover the Mid-West territory, fromPittsburgh to Denver. I wish especially to mention the printed list ofpremiums on page 27. Mr. S. W. Snyder, Center Point, is superintendentof this department. Cash premiums in Department b-Nuts, amount to $289. In addition there will be a grand sweepstakes, a trophy cup, donated bya member of the Northern Nut Growers' Association, for the exhibitorwinning the greatest number of points. Anyone interested could write tothe secretary, Mr. R. S. Herrick, State House, Des Moines, for a printedpremium list. If any members of our Association have pet nuts of avariety which they would like pushed to the front now is the chance. Snyder Brothers are offering special premiums for new nuts unnamed andunpropagated. 

The object of this association, as defined in its constitution, is "thepromotion of interest in nut-bearing plants, their products and theirculture, " and as its name implies, in the northern part of this country. Without going into detail it seems to me that we have achieved theobject of our association, at least to the extent of making practicaluse of our accumulated knowledge. Public interest has been aroused, which may become stale. Articles have appeared in magazines andnewspapers from time to time on subjects relating to nut culture. We arealso on a continual lookout for new varieties, and those of our membersskilled in the art are constantly improving and working out new methodsof grafting and budding, particularly as evidenced by Dr. Morris' workentitled "Nut Growing. " We know approximately how soon a grafted nuttree, especially the black walnut, will begin to bear. At Mr. Jones'Nursery, Lancaster, Pa. , an Ohio black walnut tree in the nursery rowbore a cluster of seven nuts 17 months after the graft was placed. Mr. J. W. Wilkinson, of Rockport, Ind. , has demonstrated that graftednorthern pecan trees bear early and abundantly for their size. 

We have given advice conservatively in reply to all inquiries relativeto nut-bearing plants, perhaps too much so. Much honor and credit is dueto certain members of our association for their untiring work andefforts in its behalf. It is not necessary to mention names as I am suremost of you present know to whom I refer. Our annual reports testify totheir splendid work. 

From this time forward I believe we should adopt the policy of boldlyadvocating the planting of orchards of nut trees. The intending planterwill decide for himself what variety he will plant, and as a guide heshould judge from the wild varieties growing in his vicinity. By sodoing he cannot go very far astray in what will be to him a new venture. Of course certain varieties will be restricted to certain limited areas. This applies particularly to the introduced varieties, as distinguishedfrom the native nut-bearing trees. 

The black walnut has a wider range than any of the other nut trees. Travel wheresoever you will about the country and you will observe wildblack walnut trees growing almost on every farm. The planting of thePersian, or English walnut, as it is more generally known, has had moreof a popular appeal, perhaps from the fact that we are accustomed toseeing clean, smooth nuts of uniform size of that variety in almostevery grocery store, the kernels of which may be extracted without greateffort. The black walnut, on the other hand, has been tolerated as asort of poor relation, and has been given no particular attention, because we have been used to seeing it around. It has not been made todo its share of contributing towards its keep. Our earliestrecollections of it bring to mind bruised fingers as a result of ourendeavors to crack the nuts and the tedious work of manipulating adarning needle to extract the kernels, which we usually picked to piecesin the process. We now know that we simply did not have the right kindof black walnuts. We should put our accumulated knowledge to practicaluse to urge on every occasion the planting of nut orchards, especiallyof approved varieties of the black walnut. This I understand is what theUnited States Department of Agriculture is advocating, and we shouldco-operate all we can with the department in that recommendation. 

It will, no doubt, be urged that sufficient grafted black walnut treesare not available for orchard planting on a large scale. This, no doubt, is true, but on many farms there are wild black walnut trees of a sizesuitable for grafting or top-working. Grafting wood may be obtained inlarger quantities than the grafted trees. Those of our members skilledin the art have not been selfish in imparting their knowledge to othersand are always ready and willing to instruct others in the art. Mostowners of these trees would only be too glad to substitute profitabletops for their trees in lieu of their unprofitable ones. 

I believe that at all our meetings we should have practicaldemonstrations in budding and grafting, as this will tend to arouse theinterest of the uninitiated and will spur the initiated to greaterperfection. 

During the past year there has been a discussion relative to the callingof the black walnut by some other name. Personally I believe we shouldnot attempt the change. The public will not understand and it will takethem a long time to become educated to the change. Valuable time will beconsumed in picking out a new name. Let us take the name as we find it. Properly handled, after the husks are removed, the walnuts will not beas black as they are painted, and besides, we do not eat the shellanyhow. The quality of the kernel will make its appeal. The trouble withall of us has been that too much attention has been given to the looks, rather than the quality, of our food stuffs. Quality has been sacrificedfor looks. Various illustrations of this come to mind with all of us. 

I believe success will attend the planting of black walnut orchards. This will encourage others to follow with orchards of other nut-bearingtrees. Orchards of all kinds of fruit trees are being planted each yearand the planters are content to wait until the trees are large enoughin order to reap the benefits thereof. But somehow the impressionprevails in the minds of many people that a nut tree should show resultsand yield profits soon after it is planted. In recommending to a lady ofmeans that she should plant, as shade trees, northern pecans shepromptly wanted to know how many bushels of nuts she would get off ofthe trees the next year. 

Perhaps we place too much importance on selecting just the right spotand soil in which to plant a nut tree and thus cause the intendingplanter to be too timid in making a start. Those who know anything abouttrees know pretty well where it is not advisable to plant trees, especially those with a long tap-root. They can judge fairly well fromthe wild trees of the same variety growing round about. 

As evidence of what a nut tree will do, those of you who have visitedDevil's Den in Gettysburg Battle Field, have perhaps noticed a butternuttree, now quite old, growing out of the top of the cleft in a huge rock, having sent its roots down to the adjoining soil for nourishment. Thistree has borne nuts even in its adverse situation. 

For the benefit of those interested in the northern pecan, I wish torecord the fact that a seedling pecan tree is growing in ClermontCounty, Ohio, on upland, not far from the eastern boundary line ofHamilton County, about five miles north of the Ohio River. The nut fromwhich the tree grew was brought from Rockport, Indiana, and plantedabout forty-one years ago. The tree is quite large and bears nutscomparable with the wild seedling nuts that may be obtained from theRockport district. If a seedling does this, you may readily see what agrafted tree will do. 

THE PRESIDENT: We will now ask Prof. Collins for his address. 

THE SEARCH FOR BLIGHT-RESISTING CHESTNUT SPROUTS[A]

_Prof. J. Franklin Collins, Rhode Island_

The chestnut blight has now been with us for more than twenty years andhas destroyed practically all the chestnut trees of the northeasternpart of the country. It has spread in all directions from its originalcenter in the immediate vicinity of New York City until it has reachedthe limits of the native chestnut growth in the northeast and north, andis steadily approaching its limits in the west and south. The disease, anative of China and apparently imported into this country on someJapanese or other oriental chestnut, found a more susceptible host inour native chestnut and so became a virulent parasite on this new host. It was not until 1904 that general attention was attracted to thedisease. By that time it had obtained a strong foothold on the chestnutsof southeastern New York (particularly the western end of Long Island), in southwestern Connecticut, and in northern New Jersey. 

All of you are more or less familiar with the efforts made inPennsylvania, New York, and elsewhere in the northeast, in co-operationwith the federal government, to control the disease. These efforts arenow an old story to most of you and there is no need of repeating it atthis time. 

Early in the fight against the blight the attention of many of us wasdirected to locating possible immune or resistant species, varieties, orindividuals. The search for resistant native individuals and theaccompanying experiments in crossing and grafting various species andvarieties has been kept up ever since. Foreign explorers have constantlybeen on the lookout, with more or less success, for chestnuts in othercountries that might be resistant to the blight. It has long been knownthat most forms of the Japanese chestnut (_C. Crenata_) were in generalhighly resistant to the blight. Later it was found that the morerecently introduced Chinese chestnut (_C. Mollissima_) was also quiteresistant, although both the Japanese and the Chinese were far frombeing immune. Quite recently Mr. Rock, explorer for the U. S. Departmentof Agriculture, has brought a new chestnut from southern China forexperimental purposes. Notwithstanding newspaper reports to the contrarythe possibilities of this chestnut in this country apparently areunknown at the present time. Nobody seems to know if it will stand ourclimate, resist the blight, produce worthwhile timber or fruit; nor isits name known, according to late advices that have reached me. 

Some years ago the late Dr. Van Fleet made numerous crosses between theJapanese and the American chestnuts, the Chinquapin, and other speciesand varieties. Personally, I have not been in very close touch with Dr. Van Fleet's experiments. Doubtless some of you know more about them thanI do. Regarding these I will only say at this time that the work begunby Dr. Van Fleet is being continued by the Federal Bureau of PlantIndustry, with Mr. G. F. Gravatt in direct charge of the work so far asthe Office of Investigations in Forest Pathology is concerned. Mr. Gravatt is also testing out the value of scions taken from seeminglyresistant native trees when grafted on resistant stocks. 

Some years after the blight had destroyed most of the chestnut trees inthe northeastern states we kept getting reports from various localitiesto the effect that the blight was apparently dying out. Many of thesereports came from sources that made us doubt their value, but otherscame from more reliable sources. We have had opportunity to investigatea number of these reports and have usually found that the statement thatthe blight was dying out was, in a sense, strictly true, the reasonbeing that the chestnut trees were entirely dead, except for sprouts. This fact naturally prevented the disease from showing us as much as informer years. 

Some twelve years ago I noticed in Pennsylvania a sprout of an Americanchestnut about an inch in diameter which had a typical hypertrophy ofthe disease, apparently completely girdling the sprout at its base; alsoa girdling lesion farther up on the stem. The hypertrophy was such apronounced one and in other respects such a typical example of thedisease that I photographed it. A few years later I was surprised toobserve that this sprout had increased to more than three times itsformer diameter and that the two diseased areas just mentionedapparently had disappeared--at least they were no longer in evidenceexcept as rough-barked areas. To make a long story short this sprout isstill alive and has increased in size and height each year. Although now(1924) it is considerably branched and makes a small bushy tree it isbadly diseased in numerous places and is only partially alive, but thedead portions have not resulted from some half dozen of the originaldisease lesions (apparently girdles), but from later infections. Thevery fact that a sprout should have lived for more than twelve years inthe center of one of the most badly diseased areas known to the writerseems at least to suggest the possibility that future chestnut sproutsmay yet grow in spite of the disease and persist--at least in ashrubbery form if not as a tree. 

The sprout to which I have just called attention is not an isolatedcase, but merely one of the most pronounced that I know about. In acareful survey in July (1924) of the region immediately surrounding thesprout just mentioned two or three other notable, but less pronounced, cases of a similar sort were discovered. In two cases fine lookingbranched sprouts some twenty feet high with healthy-looking foliage werenoted. Both were diseased but the disease seemed not to be veryconspicuous or virulent. In a recent survey of woodland in Rhode Island(July, 1924) much healthy foliage was observed and several large sproutswere found on which the disease (although present) seemed to be doinglittle damage when compared with its former virulence in the samegeneral region. 

I call attention to these cases primarily to acquaint you with theresults of our latest observations on what seems to me to be cases ofgradually developing resistance in some of the remaining sprouts. In allmy intensive work on the blight between 1907 and 1913 I cannot nowrecall a single instance where a chestnut sprout in a disease-riddenarea ever reached a diameter of an inch or thereabouts before itsexistence was cut short by the blight; and yet today--a dozen yearslater--we are finding quite a number of living sprouts over two inchesin diameter, and a few that are three, four, and even up to seven inchesin diameter. Last Friday, August 29, I heard of a small chestnut tree inNew Jersey that bore a few burs last year and which has a dozen or morethis year. If the nuts mature we hope to get some of them to propagate. Last Sunday, August 31, I saw a three inch sprout in Connecticut thathad had a few burs on it. I would be glad to learn of any cases of thissort that may come to your attention. 

You are all thinking men and women and all of you have had experienceswith diseased trees of some sort, many of you with very seriousdiseases, and some of you I know have had a wide experience with thechestnut blight, so you can draw your own conclusions as to thesignificance of the facts that I have stated. 

As to the state laws for transporting material from one state to anotherI am not posted, but I believe that we can be advised by writing to thegovernment at Washington. 

DR. MORRIS: We do not know whether the Washington government willsterilize those scions and send them out for us, but there should besome way of sending from one state to another. [B]

It seems to me that in all probability, the vital energy of theprotoplasm of the endothia is diminishing. Quality, flavor, or anythingyou please, is bound up with certain vitality, and that diminishes andfinally will cease. That is the reason for the endothia growing lessnow. 

PROF. COLLINS: My point was perhaps not exactly that. I meant that theresult is that, with the average cases, we are now getting chestnuts notso quickly destroyed. The explanation may be exactly what you havestated. 

DR. MORRIS: There are two factors to be considered. First, the runningdown of the vital energy of the protoplasm; and second, in the factorswhich affect the vital energy of the plant. 

PROF. COLLINS: In the paper I have just read there was mentioned theapparent number of trees in various parts of the country which are veryslowly dying from the blight, and some which have resisted it entirely, so far; but that was not the point I desired to emphasize. There aresome around New York City which are still growing, and Dr. Graves couldtell us of this. 

MR. O'CONNOR: Would it be desirable to take out an old tree where thereare new sprouts? One tree on Mr. Littlepage's place in Maryland has anumber of sprouts coming up. I suggested that if we could get peopletogether and clean the woods up we could dig up the old trees and onlyleave the blight-resistant ones. 

PROF. COLLINS: That is near Bell Station where we do our experimentalwork. We found one place infected. I cleaned it out and we have not seenanything of the disease since. 

MR. BIXBY: Some five or six years ago I sent a number of chestnuts toWarren, New Hampshire, which is outside of the blight district. I didnot know then much about the blight. They grew for several years and itwas not until one year ago that the trees were found with blight. I gotthe party to cut them down. How long must I wait before it is safe tosend other trees there? I believe they will grow there and bear, but wedo not want to get them affected with the blight. 

PROF. COLLINS: I do not know that anybody could answer that. Apparentlywe have waited 20 years and are still unsafe. It is a case ofexperimentation. 

MR. KAINS: As to the hybrids of Dr. Van Fleet and Dr. Morris, in thespring of 1923 I planted 10 and there are only four alive now. They wereaffected by blight and killed. They were rather large trees whenplanted, and I think for that reason more susceptible. We had the ideafrom the nursery that they would be more likely to withstand the diseasethan would the American sweet chestnut. Have you any reports as to theway these hybrids behave?

MR. REED: As to Dr. Van Fleet's hybrids, so far as we know they are allgoing with the blight. The collection in Washington is practically gone. We are still caring for them and doing what we can but the prospect isnot at all good. We get reports of these distributed around the country, but in no case have we had a report indicating that the Van Fleethybrids were at all resistant. 

[Footnote A: Note--"Blight-resisting" as used in this paper should beinterpreted as a slower death of the host than in former years, whetheror not the result of increased resistance to the parasite on the part ofthe host, or to decreased virulence of the parasite, or to both factorscombined. ]

[Footnote B: Decision From the U. S. Department of Agriculture. Washington, D. C. 

In a letter of later date, addressed to Mr. C. A. Reed, Dr. B. T. Galloway, of the U. S. Dept. Of Agr. , wrote regarding the matter ofdistributing Merribrooke chestnut scions, as follows:

"I have talked with Mr. Stevenson, of the Federal Horticultural Board, regarding this matter, and he says that, while there is no federalquarantine covering the chestnuts, as a matter of policy we have notbeen letting any chestnuts or scions go through our hands into thenon-blight regions. Mr. Stevenson says that Dr. Morris himself might beable to carry out the plan he suggests by dealing direct with some ofthe state institutions in non-blight regions, selecting states that haveno quarantine against chestnuts. "]

PROF. COLLINS: I will now read my paper on

PROTECTION OF WOUNDS IN NUT TREES

I have been asked to discuss briefly the handling of wood decay intop-worked nut trees. I am not sure that I know very much about thelatest methods employed in this type of work. Personally I have had nopractical experience with it. I understand, however, that nut trees aretop-worked by cutting off limbs and inserting one or more scions. I aminformed that limbs as large as six inches or more in diameter havebeen cut for this purpose, particularly on pecan trees in the South, andthat decay has started at the top of these stubs after the scions havebecome established, resulting in a pocket of decay. I assume that it isabout such places as these that you want me to say something. Suchconditions, whatever their origin, call for straight tree surgerymethods. My work on tree surgery has been almost entirely with shadetrees and chestnuts, and only to a very limited extent on other nuttrees. 

The general methods of handling decay are essentially the same on alltrees, as also are the fundamental principles underlying the same, whether on nut or shade trees. I must admit I do not know just whatmethods are being employed by nut growers at the present time tocounteract such decay in top-worked trees, so my suggestions may includenothing with which you are unfamiliar. Again, they may include somemethods that you have already tried and found wanting so far as nuttrees are concerned. 

As a _prevention_ of decay my suggestions, based on my own shade treeexperience, would be:

(1) Avoid cutting large limbs when smaller ones are available and willserve the purpose just as well or better. 

(2) Keep the scars thoroughly and continuously covered with some goodwaterproof and antiseptic material so as to prevent infection of anypart of the cut surfaces. 

(3) Always make the cut somewhat slanting so that rain water willreadily run off, and insert the scions preferably at the upper extremityof the cut. Such an oblique cut normally heals quicker and better onshade trees than a transverse cut, particularly if a vigorous youngsprout is left at the peak of the cut. I am quite certain the samestatement will hold true with scions of nut trees placed at the peak ofthe oblique cut. 

After decay _has started_, I would suggest--

(1) Cut out all the decayed woody matter, preferably from one side, sothat a free and easy drainage of the wound may result. If necessary, when several scions have been placed around the stub, sacrifice one ofthe grafts and make a rather long oblique cut or groove from which alldecayed matter has been removed. Use shellac, liquid grafting wax ormelted paraffine over the cut bark, cambium and adjoining sapwoodimmediately after the final cut is made. 

(2) Cover the entire wound with some good preparation to keep outdisease germs and water. Preferably use for a covering such materials aswill be more or less permanent and which have been found by practicalexperience to be least injurious and most effective on the particularnut tree that you are treating. 

(3) Keep the wound thoroughly painted or covered at all times until itis completely sealed over by a new growth of callus. 

(4) If the top-working was originally done in such a manner that theremoval of all the decay results in a cavity that cannot be properlydrained, it is advisable to fill the cavity with some waterproofing andantiseptic material in order to prevent it holding water and also toassist the cambium in covering the wound. The cavity must first betreated in accordance with approved tree surgery practices. In shadetree work, quite a variety of substances have been used to fill cavitieswith more or less success; e. G. , wood blocks and strips, asphalt andsawdust, asphalt and sand, clear coal tar, clear asphalt, elasticcement, magnesian cement, Roman (or Portland) cement, etc. Of these onlytwo--wooden blocks and Portland cement, have been in general use morethan a few years. Blocks of wood were used in France to fill cavitiesmore than 60 years ago, and in this country to some extent about 50years ago. Later, Portland cement was used in preference to wood forfillings, probably mainly because it was more easily handled. To us ofthe present generation, Portland cement in combination with sand is theone material that seems to have been in general use sufficiently long toallow us to draw any seemingly reliable conclusion as to its realmerits. 

For the personal use of the average orchardist, Portland cement is oneof the last in the list mentioned above that I would recommend. According to a few reports that have reached me, wooden blocks and tarproved to be fairly satisfactory half a century ago, and strips of woodembedded in some flexible and antiseptic material, are proving verysatisfactory today. An excellent preparation to use between the stripsof wood, containing asphalt and asbestos, can be readily bought on themarket, and it has the advantage of being mixed ready for use. Forcavities with horizontal openings that will hold semi-fluid substances, clear asphalt or gas-house (coal) tar may answer all purposes. Forcavities with oblique or vertical openings, or for those on theunderside of a limb, probably some of the magnesian cements, whichreadily adhere to wood, will be found more satisfactory when properlymixed and applied. 

Although I have said more about filling cavities than of other phases ofthe work, I do not wish the impression to go forth that I recommend suchwork except as a last resort, so to speak. The one thing that I do mostemphatically recommend above all others is the prevention of decay sofar as possible by practices that are less likely to allowdecay-producing organisms to gain entrance in the first place, or at anyother time. 

THE PRESIDENT: Does anyone care to discuss this paper?

MR. KAINS: Mr. President: During the last five years, I have plantedseveral hundred nut trees, including the English walnut, black walnut, the heartnut, pecan (northern ones) and some hybrid hickories. I havenoticed that in this nursery stock there has been a good deal ofdying-out of the original stock where the trees had been grafted, andwhere the scion had not covered over. In some of those cases decay hasset in, and the trees have died before they could be attended to or havebeen broken down by the wind. The point is, I think it a mistake fornurserymen to use as large stocks as they have been using in many ofthese cases, because the stump of the stock is too large for the slowlygrowing scions to cover over quickly enough. My experience in theplanting of fruit trees has been uniformly successful with smallerstocks (that is, trees smaller than I have been able to buy for nuttrees) with peaches one year from the bud and with apples not more thantwo years; with berries and stone fruits, not more than two years. Inevery case, with the fruit trees, one year stocks have given me betterresults. First, because they healed over more quickly, and second, because I could cut to better advantage in the trees. In no case have Ibeen able to get nut trees as small as I can apples and peaches. Ibelieve that with the smaller trees amateurs will have better success. Ibring this matter to the attention of those men who are devoting theirlives to the propagation of nut trees. 

THE SECRETARY: The subject of transplanting nut trees was treated fullyby Mr. Bixby in his paper this morning and will be treated by Mr. Hicksthis afternoon in his address on the subject. Mr. Hicks will give alecture, illustrated with slides, showing how the larger nut trees maybe successfully transplanted. 

DR. MORRIS: Mr. Kains' thought was that there was a good deal ofdifficulty from using stocks that were too large. Paraffine will keepthem safe from microbes. 

MR. KAINS: We had difficulty from the drying of the scions. 

DR. MORRIS: I find that if raw pine gum is put in it prevents theparaffine from cracking. 

MR. O'CONNOR: In regard to wounds on the trees I find that creosotemakes a very good antiseptic. I use coal tar and creosote, mixed to aconsistency of cream. I have used Portland cement but I treated withcreosote first. In some cases I used bichloride of mercury. 

MR. REED: It seems to be the experience in the South that, so far as theamateur is concerned, he gets better results with the pecans by plantingtrees of from three to five feet. Trees smaller than that are regardedas dwarfed; but the man who is in a position to exercise greater carecould get quicker results from buying the large-sized trees. Yet itrequires more care in transplanting, more fertilizer, and moreattention. 

MR. REED: I wish to make the motion that the chair name a nominatingcommittee at this time. 

THE PRESIDENT: Is that agreed? All right; then I name Mr. O'Connor forchairman, Mr. Reed, Mr. Olcott, Mr. Bartlett and Mr. Hershey on thecommittee. Are those names acceptable? (Vote shows unanimousacceptance). 

THE PRESIDENT: The convention will adjourn until two o'clock. 

FIRST DAY--AFTERNOON SESSION

Meeting called to order by the President. 

THE SECRETARY: I will read a communication from Mr. Snyder, of CenterPoint, Iowa. But first I would like to explain that when the Presidentin mentioning the Horticultural Exposition at Waterloo, spoke of asweepstakes cup from a member of the N. N. G. A. For the greatest numberof points won in the nut exhibition of which Mr. Snyder has charge hedid not state that he himself was the member who gave the cup. 

A HARANGUE ON THE NUT SITUATION IN IOWA

_By S. W. Snyder, Iowa_

Previous to the organization of the Mid-West Horticultural Expositionthe Iowa State Horticultural Society had given but little attention tothe nut question. But along with the exposition came a demand for a nutdepartment, which resulted in the writer being appointed superintendentand given authority to prepare a limited premium list. 

This resulted in bringing out a number of new and unnamed varieties ofnuts and created some enthusiasm. When it came time to prepare for thesecond exposition, authority was given to greatly increase the premiumlist, which resulted in bringing out more new varieties and created awonderful lot of enthusiasm. 

When it came time to prepare for the third exposition a list was adoptedcalling for $138. 00 in cash premiums, which resulted in bringing outsuch a large exhibit of choice nuts that when we came to makepreparation for the fourth exposition the premium list was increased toa total of $181. 50. This brought out so many fine nuts that it became acommon thing to hear the remark, among the visitors that it was the mostimportant department in the exposition. 

For the coming exposition, to be held next November, the premium list asadopted calls for $280. 00 in cash premiums, and while I am no prophet Iam going to predict that it will result in bringing together the largestnut exhibit ever collected under one roof in the United States. 

At our last exposition held in Council Bluffs, some of the directors ofour state fair observed that the nut department was attracting muchattention and was bringing a good many visitors to the exposition. Theydecided that they must have a nut premium list for the state fair andrequested me to make up a list covering the nut subject as strictlyapplied to the State of Iowa. This I did and am attaching the listhereto. Although our state fair comes off in the month of August, and nonuts are available for exhibit, except such as happen to be kept overfrom the previous year's crop, yet it brought out at our 1923 fair thelargest and best exhibit of nuts that has ever been shown within thisstate, not excepting the exhibits of the exposition. The board ofdirectors were so well pleased with the interest manifested in the nutdepartment that they are continuing the list for this year's fair anddoubtless it will become a permanent feature of future fairs of thisstate. 

So much publicity and attention has been given the nut question withinour state that it has resulted in bringing to light several newvarieties that we think should be propagated before the original treesmay have been destroyed. 

The horticultural department of our Iowa State Agricultural College isnow taking an active interest in the nut question and has assigned oneof the professors to the job of collecting information about and takingpictures of, the best known nut trees within the state. 

If they follow up the nut subject with as much vim and energy as theyhave other phases of horticulture we may look for something in the nutline in the next few years that will be worth while. 

The native nut situation might well be summed up by saying that we haveso many good walnuts, butternuts, hazels, pecans, hickories, and hybridsof the two last named species, that we could banish all foreigners andstill have plenty left to supply every need. 

The crop of nuts for this season is fairly good; some trees have none, others a light crop, and some varieties are carrying a heavy load. 

Of introduced nuts some are proving to be hardy and fruitful, but in myjudgment they are all lacking in eating quality as compared with our ownnative nuts, unless I should except the filbert which has not yet proventhat it will bear profitable crops in this climate. 

In closing I want to give just one instance of the great interest thathas been aroused for nut growing within this state. 

A certain little city of less than two thousand inhabitants happens toown thirty acres of land that is suitable for the growth of timber. Thecitizens propose to plant the entire tract to nut bearing trees andbushes, and eventually make it a free park in which the children of thevillage may be turned loose to gather the nuts. 

Just imagine, if you can, how the enthusiasm of the boys who may befortunate enough to live in that little city, will more than bubble overas the nut gathering season approaches. I hope to be able to assistthose people in their laudible enterprise and wish I may live to see itdevelop into the greatest thing of its kind in the United States. 

THE PRESIDENT: Dr. Brooks, will you kindly give the Vice-President'sreport from West Virginia, preceding your paper?

DR. BROOKS: I have no special report to give as Vice-President of theassociation from West Virginia. I might say, perhaps, that the WestVirginia station is in a land of hills and dales. Our latitude is from200 to 5, 000 feet above the level of the sea, and our average elevationis 1, 500 feet. From our excellent position we can look down 600 feet orso upon the Ohio. Our land contains many species of trees, including nuttrees. Among these there is one species of beech, two of hazel, two ofchestnut, six of hickory, two of walnuts and fifteen of oaks. Fortunately, the chestnut blight has not swept the entire state. Thechestnut has been in the past and is still our most popular tree. Thereare areas where tons of chestnuts are still put on the market everyyear. The people are still thinking more and more of some plant thatmight take its place; they are considering the shagbark hickory and theblack walnut. I predict that in the future there will be more plantingof hazel nuts, black walnuts and shagbark hickories in this state. Theprospect there is promising. 

SOME OF THE MORE IMPORTANT INSECTS ATTACKING NORTHERN NUTS

_By Fred E. Brooks_

_Associate Entomologist U. S. Department of Agriculture_

The prevalence of insect pests need not be regarded as an alarmingobstacle to nut growing in the North, and yet there are numerous speciesof insects which are capable of destroying our nut crops. On the whole Ipresume there are fewer insects that attack nuts in this country thancommonly attack apples, but apple growers are not limited in plantingnor prevented from making profits on account of insect depredations. Neither should the probability of more or less insect injury discouragethe would-be planter of nut trees. 

The presence of an insect in any locality may mean, among otherconsiderations, that the soil, and climatic conditions of that localityare favorable to the plant upon which the insect feeds. We may be surethat wherever the Baltimore butterfly is abundant, nearby is a congenialspot where the turtle's-head, the food plant of the butterfly, flourishes. Just so, in localities where there are many chestnut weevilswe may expect to find chestnut trees thriving and fruiting generously. The same is true of the associations of many other insects and plants. 

Theoretically speaking, one would not care to risk the expenditure ofmuch time or money in propagating a plant in a region that was destituteof insects that might attack that plant. The absence of such insectswould possibly indicate a lack of natural conditions favoring the growthof the plant in question. Thus the presence in any locality of insectsthat feed on nuts may mean that nuts thrive naturally in that localityand that insects are there because of the abundance of a favorite food. 

May I hasten to add, however, that this fact should not lead to anunder-estimation of the possibilities of insect destructiveness, norencourage lax methods in dealing with injurious species. In thebeginning of any nut-growing enterprise we should anticipate the comingof insect pests and be ready to meet them. The planting of pure standsof native nut trees sets up a condition under which insects coming fromthe forest may increase more safely and rapidly than under the morehazardous environment of a scattered forest growth. This applies tocultivated plants generally. It is true of an orange grove, a cornfieldor a potato patch. The mass planting of any crop is quite sure to callsooner or later for measures to offset the stimulus which such plantingsoffer to insect increase. 

Reference may be made to a familiar nut plantation which illustrates anatural result of neglecting one of the insect factors. This plantationis the government's chestnut orchard at Bell, Maryland, which wasplanted for scientific purpose some years ago by Dr. Van Fleet. Thisorchard of around one thousand trees contains numerous species andvarieties of chestnut, some of which bear fruit every year. The variousscientific projects carried on in this orchard in the past have all beenof such a nature that they called for no consideration of weevilincrease. Many nuts have been allowed to lie under the trees until theweevil larvae issued and entered the soil. This has resulted in aconstant increase of weevils until infestation of the nuts becamepractically one-hundred per cent. All nuts of the crop of 1922 were sowormy that when planted they failed to germinate. Injury to the crop of1923 seemed somewhat less severe, but its extent may be indicated by thefact that 3080 nuts from this orchard which were kept by the speaker inrearing jars yielded 11, 085 worms. In the woods adjacent to the orchardthe native chestnut trees are disappearing on account of the blight, andpresumably weevils are on the decrease. Within the small area of theorchard, however, the increase has been abnormal, due, as has beenindicated, to the peculiarly favorable and man-made conditions. If, fromthe time the trees of the orchard began to bear, the investigationsbeing carried on had called for close gathering of the nuts at maturityand the destruction of all the worms that issued from them, there islittle doubt that infestation would have been kept within reasonablebounds. At present, after two years of attention to the collection ofripening nuts, there is an apparent decrease in the number of weevils. Strong emphasis should be placed upon the importance of gatheringchestnuts as soon as they are ripe and prevention of the worms fromreaching the soil. This is especially true of districts where woodssurrounding chestnut orchards do not contain bearing native chestnuttrees. 

_The Nut Weevils_

Now that the subject of nut weevils has been introduced, let us considerin more detail these grotesque, long-snouted insects whose larvae, orgrubs, play havoc with so many of our nuts. Most of us have had theexperience of gathering in autumn rich stores of our delicious nativechestnuts. But how often our anticipations of boiled and roasted feastshave been blighted. We have found that the chestnuts were like the mannawhich fed the children of Israel in the wilderness, "When we left ofthem until the morning they bred worms and became foul. " There arenumerous cases in this country where chestnuts in shipment have beenseized and condemned under the provisions of the Food and Drugs Act. Usually the phraseology of the libel has been "because the shipmentconsisted in part of filthy animal substances, to wit, worms, wormexcreta, worm-eaten chestnuts and decayed chestnuts. " Altogether theloss to chestnuts from weevil injury is beyond computation. 

The beetles which are the parents of the familiar worms in chestnuts arenot commonly seen, or, if observed, they are not associated with thedisgusting inhabitants of the nut kernels. These beetles represent intheir structure a very interesting adaptation to a special end. Themouth is located at the tip of an enormously long snout, or proboscis, and the drill-like instrument is used for puncturing the thick coveringof various kinds of nuts so as to admit the egg into the kernel uponwhich the young will feed. In some cases the mouth is situated at agreater distance from the eyes and other head appendages than is theanal extremity of the insect. There are in the northern part of thiscountry two species which attack chestnuts, one which attackshickory-nuts, one which attacks hazel-nuts and about a dozen whichattack acorns. And here may be mentioned an interesting peculiarity ofthe feeding habit which is decidedly to the advantage of the nut-grower. Each species adheres closely to its own food plant. The hickory-nutweevil does not attack hazel-nuts nor the hazel-nut weevil hickory-nuts. None of the acorn-infesting species will seek for food in the nuts ofchestnut, hickory or hazel. Once the chestnut weevils are absent in alocality, there is no chance that oak trees will serve as a means ofspreading the weevils back into the locality. So closely confined arethese weevils to their particular food plants that many of themdistinguish between the different species of oak and will oviposit onlyin certain kinds of acorns. 

All the different species resemble one another in both the adult andlarval stages. There is also a general similarity in their behavior. Ihave recently discovered, however, a marked difference in the lifecycles of certain species. For example, the larger chestnut weevil andthe smaller chestnut weevil look alike, but they are decidedly unlike intheir development. The grubs of the larger weevil begin to leave thenuts at about the time the nuts drop. They enter the soil to a depth ofseveral inches and fashion smooth-walled cells in which they remainunchanged until the following summer. During June and July theytransform to pupae, and soon afterward to adults. In August they issuefrom the ground and seek the trees where they collect around the bursand begin to deposit eggs soon after the nut kernels start to form. Thislife cycle is continued year after year. To forestall starvation of therace in case of entire failure for a year of the chestnut crop, a fewindividuals carry over the second winter in the ground and then issue asbeetles along with the one-year-old specimens. It is probable that asmall per cent of the insects may remain in the soil over three winters. Thus does nature by unique arrangements safeguard the lives of even thevery small creatures. 

The life cycle of the lesser weevil is quite different. The larvae ofthis species leave the nuts somewhat later in the autumn than do thoseof the larger weevil. Like them, they enter the ground and pass thefirst winter unchanged. The grub stage is continued throughout thesummer, but late in autumn, after the beetles of the larger species havebeen on the trees for some weeks and deposited most of their eggs, thelarvae of the smaller species transform to adults. Instead of comingfrom the ground, however, they remain in their earthen cells throughoutthe winter. The next spring, prior to the blooming of thechestnut-trees, they emerge from the ground and soon thereafter collectin large numbers on the male catkins of the chestnuts. At this time verylittle feeding is done and the sex instinct does not manifest itself. Asthe time approaches for the nuts to mature, however, the beetles beginto feed and pair and soon thereafter to lay their eggs in the ripeningnuts. Most of the eggs are deposited directly into the nuts after theburs begin to open. In the case of the larger weevils the beetles arepresent only about three months of the year. Those of the lesserspecies, however, are perpetually present, those of the youngergeneration reaching the adult stage in the ground before those of theprevious generation have finished laying their eggs in the ripeningnuts. As with the larger species, a few of the smaller weevils carry aslarvae for several years to tide over possible failures of the chestnutcrop. The life cycle of the hickory-nut weevil is similar to that of thelarger chestnut-weevil, and that of the hazel-nut weevil is like that ofthe lesser chestnut weevil. Both cycles are represented among theacorn-infesting species. 

Any intelligent warfare against the nut weevils calls for a knowledge ofthese distinctive life histories. Thus, an abundance of maturing larvaeof the larger species this autumn will insure an abundance of beetles todeposit eggs in the nuts next autumn. With the lesser weevil, however, maturing larvae this autumn will not affect the number of beetles on thetrees the succeeding autumn but will provide beetles for the crop twoyears hence. Large numbers of beetles of the lesser species may bedestroyed by collecting them from the blossoms of chestnut, but, at thatseason of the year there are no beetles of the larger species abroad. 

These weevils are to be made the subject of a bulletin by the Bureau ofEntomology in the near future, in which it is hoped to go more fullyinto a discussion of control measures. 

_Walnut Husk Maggot_

Although none of the weevils of the group just discussed attackswalnuts, the fruit of this tree has a serious enemy in the walnut huskmaggot. This insect is most familiar in the form of multitudes ofdirty-white maggots inhabiting the blackened, slimy husk of ripeningwalnuts. Originally, the black walnut furnished the favorite food ofthis insect, although the husk of butternuts was sometimes attacked. More recently the pest has turned its attention to the Persian walnutswhich are fruiting in many places in the east. The watery, dark-coloredpulp into which the husk of the nut is converted when the maggots beginto feed penetrates the shell of the nut and injures the kernel bystaining it and imparting a strong flavor. The operation of hulling isalso made doubly disagreeable, the nut coming out of the husk discoloredand dirty. 

These maggots hatch from eggs inserted into the husk of nuts by alight-colored fly about the size of our common housefly. Although easilyoverlooked, these flies may be seen on the nuts at almost any time inAugust and September. They have strong ovipositors with which theypuncture the surface of nuts and insert into the openings masses ofwhite eggs from which the maggots hatch. 

As to the control of this pest, the speaker obtained very promisingresults in spraying Persian walnut trees belonging to our friend, J. G. Rush, at West Willow, Pa. , with a solution of 1-1/2 pounds of leadarsenate to 50 gallons of water with 10 pounds of glucose sugar added toimpart a sweet taste. The flies were observed feeding on the sweetcoating given to the leaves and the nuts that ripened later werecomparatively free from maggots. It was obvious that the flies died fromthe poison before depositing many eggs in the nuts. 

_Twig Girdlers_

During the past two seasons the speaker has made special studies ofseveral species of beetles which cut or girdle young hickory trees, orthe branches of larger trees, causing the severed part to break off ordie. Not fewer than four distinct species of beetles in the east havethis habit. Three of the insects do their damage in the larval stage. One of these, _Elaphidion villosum_, has been called the twig-pruner. Itis a well known species and its work in pruning the branches of hickoryand various other trees has often been referred to. The other twospecies which sever the wood in their larval stage are _Pseudobidionunicolor_ and _Agrilus arcuatus_. Thus far, these two have no commonnames. In certain localities they are proving to be very troublesome toboth young and bearing trees. In one block of a nursery in Virginia Iestimated that the Agrilus larvae had ruined one-hundred dollars worthof young hickory trees. Fortunately, the adult of this species feedsfreely on hickory foliage and can be killed readily under nurseryconditions by spraying with arsenical poisons. 

The fourth girdler referred to is our familiar hickory twig-girdler, _Oncideres cingulatus_. In this case the adult insect cuts a ring-likefurrow around the wood and the portion above dies. The purpose of thegirdle is to provide dead wood in which the young may feed. After thegirdle is made, a process which occupies several hours, and, sometimesseveral days, the eggs are laid in the bark above. In central WestVirginia and northward the grubs which hatch from these eggs require twoyears in which to reach maturity. In the vicinity of Richmond andsouthward, however, the larvae mature in one year. This more rapiddevelopment in the south probably accounts in part for the recentserious outbreak of this insect in Virginia and the Carolinas. 

Each female beetle is capable of girdling several twigs. One female ofabout a dozen kept in confinement last autumn made eleven girdles anddeposited 55 eggs. Several of the beetles continued their interestingoperations until after several snows and severe frosts had occurred. 

The twig girdler in the beetle stage feeds rather freely on the bark oftwigs. Enough of the surface is eaten to justify the belief that thebeetles may be killed by spraying with arsenical poisons. This treatmentis being tested at the present time. In the cases of all these insectswhich sever the branches the wood is killed for the safety and comfortof the insect as it undergoes further development above the severedpoint. There is a period of at least several weeks in each case afterthe twig dies during which the insect in one stage or another remains init to complete its growth. This affords an opportunity to gather thetwigs and burn them with the assurance that the insects are beingdestroyed thereby. 

At least some progress has been made in discovering the habits and themethods of controlling these and various other insects that may beexpected to give nut growers in the north more or less trouble. Theremedies that can be offered at the present time are not in all casesentirely satisfactory. There is much yet to be learned, but there arecontrol measures within the reach of most of the nut growers which arewell worth consideration and adoption. 

THE SECRETARY: Dr. Zimmerman, will you read to us now?

DR. ZIMMERMAN: Perhaps some of the members will not be so glad to hearwhat I have to say, but I feel that there is a need for something alongthe line I will refer to. 

DEVELOPING A NUT INDUSTRY IN THE NORTHEAST

BY DR. G. A. ZIMMERMAN, PENNSYLVANIA

We have all heard of the pecan. No doubt most of us have traveledthrough the South at some time or other and have entertained a wish fora pecan grove. A personal friend of mine, a minister, told me recentlythat the only time he was ever tempted to invest in a commercialproposition was when a real estate agent laid a picture of a pecan grovebefore him. I had entertained the thought that some day I might possessan orchard. Therefore, a couple of winters ago, when I found itnecessary to go south for my health, I silently hoped I could kill twobirds with one stone, by getting some undeveloped land and starting apecan grove, which at the same time would keep me in the open air andgive me exercise. Consequently, my eyes were always open and I was onthe constant lookout for pecans. After miles of travel they appeared. They were very interesting and I went into the subject prettythoroughly. I was informed that no cheap land was available any morethat was desirable for pecans. I am not so sure of that. I was alsoinformed that most of the people who had planted groves had made amistake, that the pecan business was just beginning under new ideas, andthat most of the work would have to be done over. From the amount oftrees that are being top-worked I am inclined to believe this is true. 

But I didn't kill the two birds with one stone. I did not attempt tobuild up a pecan grove, but instead I came back with the idea firmlyimpressed that we have a better proposition for the future right here, that we have right here in the North the building material in theshagbark hickory and the black walnut for a nut industry that will rivalor even surpass the enviable position the pecan holds today. Was Icorrect or was I wrong? A second trip last winter has served only toimbed that idea into a firm conviction. 

What ground have I for drawing this conclusion? Some of you, my friends, may disagree with me in some of my remarks, and no doubt insist that Iam uninformed. Perhaps I am, but I am giving my convictionsnevertheless, and I ask you to withhold judgment for twenty years beforedeciding against me. 

Why has the pecan forged to the front as it has? Because the pecan is agood food, easily available, of pleasant taste and presents a fineappearance. From a commercial standpoint, after 20 years or more on thepecan, there is only one really desirable variety available, namely theSchley, and the fact that it readily sold last fall for 80 cents perpound wholesale, while the choice of the other varieties brought 60 and65 cents per pound, bears me out in this. I am not referring to thegreater productivity and other qualities of some of the other varieties. Many of them are tolerated for various reasons. 

How about the shagbark in the North? It is my belief that we do not haveat present a shagbark that will anything like meet the pecan of theSouth, yet the consensus of opinion of the people I know who have eatenboth, decides in favor of the shagbark. The quality of a very ordinaryshagbark is better than the best of pecans. What then, is lacking? Size, shape, thinness of shell, cracking qualities, color, everything butflavor is lacking in most shagbarks. Don't misunderstand me. I am notcondemning what we have, for I believe that if as many years are spentby as many people in finding or developing a shagbark, we will have onethat will surpass the pecan. But as the matter stands I am constrainedto say that I do not know of a really good nut today that will stand thetest of building an industry that will compete with the pecan. We mustfind or develop a couple of really good nuts that will compete, nutsthat are large, smooth, shell thin enough to crack with the fingers, awhite kernel that is plump and easily extracted. I do not believe thatany thick shell nut will ever meet the favor it should or becomeextremely popular. The Weiker, one of our best, is of good size, looksfairly well, but the shell is thick and it is poorly filled. It willnever fill the place for a real industry, and yet they sell for a goodmoney-making price today. 

If we build our groves after this standard we will be in the same placein a few years that many of the pecan growers are now, namely, with alot of trees on hand that must be top-worked later on. But they are thebest we have and, like the old adage that it is better to love and losethan not to love at all, it is better to go ahead with these than not togo at all. 

How about the black walnut? This nut will come to the front and bepopular for baking purposes and candy-making, for it is the only onethat holds its flavor after heating. But its competition will be againstthe thin-shelled English walnut. It will not be extremely popular untilwe get one with a shell equally thin. At present we do not have one. 

How then can we anticipate a great future industry after meting out thisdoleful outlook? Are we going to discard everything we have and startagain? By no means. The price of nuts, even of the ordinary class, issufficient even now to well repay any man for his effort, if producingthem on a large scale, and what must be done is to encourage more peopleto become interested. 

If we could arrange to have nice exhibits of named varieties of nuts atthe various county fairs, and have someone there to explain them, a gooddeal of interest could be created. I frequently see native nutsdisplayed, but not named varieties. 

I shall not refer to the hazel, chestnut, pecan nor butternut, all ofwhich I believe can be developed into a more or less successful industrybut only repeat in closing that I am convinced, after pretty thoroughinvestigation, that the shagbark hickory and the black walnut can bedeveloped into an industry in the Northeast in a much shorter time thanit has taken to develop the pecan, to a point that will equal or surpassthe enviable position that nut holds today. But, and let me impress thispoint, we must develop a few new and better nuts to do it. On account ofthe colder climate, which goes for the developing of fine flavor in allproducts, I do not believe the pecan will ever equal the shagbark inquality. This is our great natural advantage. 

DR. MORRIS: I accept all of the statements by Dr. Zimmerman with oneexception. The pecan is tremendously prolific and so productive thatthere are records of 30 bushels to a tree. I do not know that any of theshagbarks or shellbark hybrids ever will rival that in production. Fromthe marketman's point of view production is of prime importance. In thisthe pecan out-rivals the black walnut. 

TRANSPLANTING NUT TREES

_Willard G. Bixby, Baldwin, N. Y. _

When I set out the first nut trees which now are growing at my place atBaldwin, I was very particular to follow the best advice obtainable. What this was is to be found in Bulletin No. 5, published by theassociation, pages 8 and 9, under Planting Directions. I will not taketime here to read them but will refer those interested to thatpublication. 

Much that is to be found there is unquestionably the best practice thatwe know today. The importance of preventing the roots from drying out, digging holes of sufficient size and filling with good top soil, firmingthe soil well about the roots, severely cutting back after planting andstaking newly set trees if they are of appreciable size above ground, are of the utmost importance and should be emphasized, but others ofthese directions have been modified in my practice and I will relate theunfortunate experiences which caused these changes to be made. 

From the start there has been trouble in transplanting hickories, difficulties with other trees being small in comparison. Out of a numberof fine looking little grafted hickories set out in the fall or springsome would be sure to die. They mostly came from Mr. Jones, who, as arule, has furnished the finest looking hickories that I have received, and were finely packed and seemingly ought to have lived, but only partof them did. After losing a number out of one lot, I watched the lotpurchased next year with particular care. Three out of a lot of six, which had put out leaves well in the spring, by the middle of July beganto show signs of distress, the edges of the leaves beginning to turnbrown which the year previous had been the beginning of the end. I knewwhat had happened the year previous, felt that the trees would die ifsomething was not done, and did something. That something was to digabout six quarts of chicken manure and two trowels of nitrate of sodaaround the three trees that looked sick and saw that they were wateredplentifully till a heavy rain came. At first nothing was noticed, butafter a while the brown disappeared on the leaves that were onlyslightly brown, while in other cases new leaves put out and finally asecond growth of shoots, very small to be sure, but the trees had beensaved. This was diametrically opposed to previous practice of putting nomanure or strong fertilizer in holes when planting the trees, but theresult was so satisfactory that I have continued to dig in about 1/4 ofa wheelbarrow of well rotted stable manure around each tree whenplanting and two trowels of nitrate of soda in May when the growthshould start in the spring. 

The above treatment seemed almost entirely to solve the difficulties oftransplanting and for about two years practically no hickories werelost. Twenty-four Hales trees, 10 years from grafting brought here fromMonticello, Florida, all lived through the first year and 23 of themthrough the second and now seemingly have a long life ahead of them. Inasmuch as Mr. Jones expressed his doubts as to how successful thisexperiment would be I regarded it as somewhat of a triumph. On the otherhand out of the finest looking lot of young Iowa hickories grafted ayear ago this spring and shipped in the fall and set out just ascarefully as I knew how, with well rotted stable manure in the holes andseemingly having every prospect of a long life before them, all havedied now, excepting four, two of which I am making desperate efforts tosave. 

The reason for this failure has not yet been proved, but I have an ideawhat it is. With two exceptions the stocks were not large, unusuallysmall in fact, and the growth of the grafts was small, but, except fortheir small size of stock and graft they were fine looking littlehickories as one often sees. The two that are in good condition todaywere bitternuts on bitternut stocks and both the stocks and grafts werenotably larger than others. One of these bitternuts by the way, isbearing this year. Evidently there was not as much vitality stored inthe smaller trees as in the larger ones. I am inclined to believe thatthe real trouble was because the grafts, excepting the bitternuts, hadnot become sufficiently established before having to stand the shock ofdigging, shipping and transplanting. I have noticed in experiments madeto determine the adaptability of a number of species of hickory asstocks that it was not unusual to find that a graft would do reasonablywell the first summer and die the second. If this happens occasionallywhen hickories have not been transplanted it is undoubtedly very muchmore likely to happen when they are transplanted. I have had practicallyno losses in transplanting hickories when the graft had grown twoseasons before being transplanted. The safe plan, then, would seem to beto let a graft grow two seasons before transplanting. Unfortunatelythis will add to the cost of grafted hickories which even now are soexpensive to produce that almost no nurserymen grow them. 

Another one of the commonly accepted principles that I do not now followis that of not planting trees any deeper than they grew in the nursery. I prefer to plant them a little deeper, say two inches or so. I do notrecall losing any trees seemingly from this slightly deeper planting, while I did lose a considerable number of seedlings last year that wereinadvertently planted two inches or so too shallow. 

Outside of the hickory I have had little trouble in transplanting anytrees excepting some of the hazels. Unless hazels, particularly Americanhazels, are very well rooted, they will need more care the first yearthan most nut trees, particularly protection from the hot sun anddrought. If I get poorly rooted hazels I now plant them in a shady placefor a year or two if they have not grown well the first year, and thenmove them where they are to stay. 

THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Snyder of Center Point advocates planting trees twoto four inches deeper. 

DR. MORRIS: In Dr. Brooks' paper he spoke of some of the twig girdlersin the beetle stage which feed upon the bark of twigs beforeovipositing, and he said that gives a weak point where we may attackthem. On my place at Stamford, where there are forests, that would beimpossible. I have had a good many hazels partially destroyed this yearby girdlers. A great many of the branches have the larvae in them. Ifind also a large number of small hazels on which the leaves andbranches are dying, though there is no apparent injury to the bark. Suddenly, however, a little twig will drop off and yet, in cutting intothem, I did not find any larvae. 

DR. BROOKS: That happens to be the work of an insect which I am justbeginning to study, one of the flat-headed borers, and the reason youhave not seen the larva is that it is very small. It is not half an inchlong. In the second year it comes out as an adult. I judge that controlmeasures should be used in the spring, when I think without doubt thatit would feed on the poisoned spray. 

DR. MORRIS: I find a great many larvae in dead twigs on the ground. Ifwe are going to get this pest out of the way, we should not only look atthe twigs on the tree, but at those on the ground as well. 

DR. BROOKS: That is true of all of these curculios. Dr. Morris'statement is true. The ground should be gone over and the dead and dyingbranches and twigs of the trees should be collected. The insects maturein them. 

DR. COLLINS: Would you advocate pruning often?

DR. BROOKS: No. 

Adjournment to lecture hall. Mr. Henry Hicks of Westbury, Long Island, gave a talk on the transplanting of large trees by his methods, illustrated with lantern slides. This was followed by a talk withlantern slides, on

HEREDITY IN TREES AND PLANTS

_By Dr. A. F. Blakeslee, New York_

Dr. Blakeslee said in part:

One of the first things we notice as we go out into the open isdiversity in the habits of trees and plants. It is through the detailsthus presented that we are able to distinguish one species from another. You can see this diversity the year round in nut trees, and in the nuts. 

If you arrange nuts, or any other objects for that matter, in a curveaccording to size, you will find that the most numerous of them are ofabout the average size. This is equally true when applied to mankind. What is the reason?

There are a number of factors affecting this, but, in general, there aretwo main causes--environment and heredity. We do not know which is themore important but both are absolutely necessary. 

In the picture being shown we see the influence of the black walnut uponplants around it. It creates an environment which influences the abilityof other plants to grow near the roots. 

It must be remembered, however, that what the animate plant transmits isnot the actual character in question, but the ability of the animateplant to develop characteristics. By placing the plant near a blackwalnut tree we do not affect anything but the capacity of the plant todevelop in certain directions. 

I have shown here a diagram to illustrate a certain stock fertilization. Here we have the plant with its stamen and pistils, the egg cells andthe pollen. There are two types of pollenization, one where the pistilis fertilized by insects carrying sticky pollen; the other by movementof the wind carrying the pollen. If I should believe my records, inattempts to cross trees, I might have a cross between a birch and analder, in which the pollen is carried by the wind. I tried once tohybridize pines. I put some pitch pine pollen on the female flower ofanother species and seed resulted. I did this the second year and againI got seed. The third year I put bags on the female flowers before Icould see them developing. Then I got no seeds. I believe that thepollen which had caused the seed to set in the preceding instances hadcome from the south for perhaps hundreds of miles. 

There are times when the pollen of the staminate plant is all shedbefore the pistillate gets ready. Sometimes we have a plant that is selfsterile. I have experimented with pollen from several different nuttrees and also with the Norway spruce. Then again, there are abnormalcases; sometimes there is parthenogenesis. The jimson weed is the firstplant which has ever been reproduced by parthenogenesis. Since that wasdiscovered, an investigator in California has found a similar case infruit developed without pollination. 

One of the most important conceptions in heredity is its effect uponcharacters and factors. Take the Japanese bean here shown for example, one dark bean and one mottled. In the next hybrid generation we findthree mottled and one dark. That is the familiar "three to one" ratio ofMendel's law. We believe now, that all, or at least a very largeproportion of the heredity characters in plants of all kinds may be dueto a series of factors; but the habit of growth of the plant is due to asingle factor. We have the case here of a second generation of theweeping mulberry that I crossed with the white mulberry. As a resultthere was an average of three erects to one weeping one. Certaincharacteristics may be made up of the inter-action of a large number offactors. This will give a little idea as to the complexity of Mendel'slaw. 

How do we get new characters in nature? New types are due to therearrangement of previously existing characters, just as with theold-fashioned kaleidoscope, where you turn the crank and get newpictures. Another way is by the sudden appearance of new factors. 

I wish to speak about one effect of hybridization, which is reallyconnected with heredity factors, the vigor which occurs when we crossdifferent varieties, species, or even races. In my experience certaintypes that have been naturally contrasted finally lose vigor, and aftertwo or three generations the plant disappears. Then again I could showyou cases where yields are greatly increased due to hybridity. These areestablished facts, not only as regards species of plants and trees butalso as regards the human race. Hemy, in Dublin, who has done the bestwork in this line of endeavor, believes that many of our morerapid-growing trees are rapid-growing because they are hybrids. 

To summarize, I have tried to point out the fact that diversity which wesee in nature is real, and that it is brought about by two causes, namely, environment, and heredity. And that heredity is brought about byfactors in the bodies of the chromosomes which are shuffled around likecards in a pack; they reappear in the same way that the cards willreappear. We have no means, as yet, of controlling the appearance of thefactors, but we have two methods of getting new factors, as follows:

One--The finding of new things in nature; that, probably, is the verybest method that can be used. The work of the theoretically plannedproject points out the tremendous importance of the exceptionalindividual. 

Two--By taking the exceptional individuals, and by crossing them, youcan recombine, although the results may be very complex, and obtaincharacters that are very desirable. 

As ministers sometimes say to clinch the moral, I would say, "Seekearnestly that which is best and hold fast to that which is good. "

THE PRESIDENT: Has anyone a question he would like to ask?

DR. MORRIS: In attempting to make crosses between juglans and carya wefind often that the pollen of carya will excite the cell of the juglansbut without making a fusion. What is the element of the male cell of thehickory which starts the female cell of the walnut into action?

THE SECRETARY: I would like to ask Dr. Blakeslee one thing; he showedthe influence of the black walnut on the growth of the hedge, and heshowed that something other than the effect from the black walnut hadcaused these plants to be dwarfed. Is that understood to be a fact?

DR. BLAKESLEE: No; some of the effect was due to the black walnut. 

MR. HICKS: In some cases the trees get sick and die. I have observedmany plants and trees growing close to walnuts and I can point out peachtrees and other fruits planted close to black walnut trees which havebeen injured. I should like to see the question determined. 

MR. O'CONNOR: On Mr. Littlepage's place it seems that some blackberriesthrive better in the shade of the walnut tree than anywhere else. 

DR. BROOKS: In West Virginia there is a locality where blackberries growwild, and it is a matter of common knowledge that black berries willgrow under the black walnut but that apple trees will not grow there. Ihave noticed that the best place to plant jimson seed is under the blackwalnut trees. I have no definite information about this but there issomething in the influence of the black walnut trees. 

MR. BIXBY: I have noticed at my place that cabbages planted under blackwalnut trees were somewhat stunted. I believe that it was the effect ofthe walnut trees growing so speedily that there was not enoughnourishment for both. 

THE PRESIDENT: The next lantern slide lecture will be by Mr. Reed. 

MR. REED: (This lecture was delivered in a darkened hall where it wasnot possible for the reporter to take notes. However, the gist of thetalk is here given). 

The slides illustrated various methods of nut tree propagation, and thatit is possible successfully to graft or bud nut trees at almost any timefrom February until the very end of the growing period. In working overlarge trees the first method in the season to be employed was shown tobe that of the cleft graft. Following this, with large stocks, would bethe slip-bark graft, or with smaller stocks, the chip-bud. The slip-barkgraft has the advantage of being feasible at any time when the barkslips. Dormant scions are more often used with this form of propagation, although by no means necessary, as Dr. Morris has demonstrated that byapplying a coat of paraffin over the entire scion and the cut surfacesof the stock, it is possible to use growing scions at almost any timewhen they can be obtained. The chip-bud is most successful during arelatively short period, beginning about ten days before the buds beginto swell and continuing until after the trees are practically in fullleaf. From this time on the patch, or some other modification of theannular bud, is most commonly used. 

In top-working, when the cleft-graft has failed, the patch-bud may beused late in summer, by inserting buds of the current season's growthin the base of the new shoots springing up from below where the cut wasmade in the stock for the graft, thus affording two opportunities forpropagation during the same season. 

The slides showed various methods of propagating the filbert bylayering, and of propagating more difficult species by inarching. Theywere from a collection soon to be placed in the hands of the extensionService of the U. S. Department of Agriculture and of the various statecolleges of agriculture. 

THE PRESIDENT: We will now adjourn, and will meet in the room upstairsin this building at 10 o'clock tomorrow morning. 

SECOND DAY--MORNING SESSION

Meeting called to order by the President, at 10 a. M. 

THE PRESIDENT: I have the great pleasure of introducing to you Dr. Howe, Assistant Director of the Botanical Gardens. 

DR. HOWE: I shall only take a minute to say that we are delighted tohave you here, and that if we can do anything to assist you, or toperpetuate your success, I hope you will please let us know. As theSpaniards say, "The house is yours. "

I hope that your visit will be so pleasant that you may find itconvenient to come here again. 

THE SECRETARY: Mr. Jones will you tell us something about the handlingof seeds for planting?

MR. JONES: I did not give the subject any thought before coming here butI might say that the nuts should be gathered promptly and dried, placingthem in a shady spot, for they can be injured where the sun is too warm. We stratify them in sand. Then in the spring you can sift the sandthrough a sieve, take out the nuts and plant them. 

In stratifying chestnuts we keep them between layers of wire mesh, formice are very fond of these nuts. We cover the nuts with sand andleaves. Chinkapins we usually keep in cold storage. 

THE SECRETARY: When you stratify these nuts where do you keep them?

MR. JONES: Right out in the open on top of the ground. A frame may bemade with wire nailed on the bottom. This may be set out anywhere in thegarden, but down a little into the dirt. Put in the nuts between layersof sand and leaves. 

THE SECRETARY: Mr. Kelsey told me that the best way he had found to keepnuts was to bury them in a deep hole, perhaps two feet deep. Have youhad experience with that way?

MR. JONES: The way I described is the usual way to keep seed and we getvery fine results. We do that in order to keep the seed cool and so thatthey will not dry out. But we always have to watch out for mice. Itmight be a good idea, in stratifying chestnuts in the box with wire meshon the bottom, to place the box at an angle that would drain off atleast part of the water. 

THE SECRETARY: Dr. Zimmerman, have you anything to say?

DR. ZIMMERMAN: I discovered by accident that black walnuts and hickoriescould be kept very nicely in the dry state until spring; then put wateron them and they will sprout very nicely. But my chestnuts get moldythat way. 

MR. BIXBY: We cover the nuts with at least a sprinkle of earth, may befour or five inches. 

THE SECRETARY: Mr. Jones would keep them with practically no dirt butwith sand and leaves. 

MR. JONES: I would use a little sand over them, two parts of sand to onepart of nuts. We put in six inches of nuts and alternating layers ofsand. 

DR. BROOKS: I know of a man who puts a layer of chestnuts and one ofmoss and says that in the spring the nuts are in splendid condition. 

MR. BIXBY: I have had the nuts sprout very much better when they werestratified as soon as gathered. 

MR. O'CONNOR: I bought about 5 bushels of black walnuts, paying 75 centsa bushel for them. I simply dumped them out on the ground, not botheringabout the shucks at all, and covered them over with dirt. I paid no moreattention to them until spring. Then I put the nuts in trenches withdirt about 5 inches over the top. The mice did not bother them, and Ithink they did well that way. 

THE PRESIDENT: Did the frost affect them?

MR. O'CONNOR: No, not at all. 

THE PRESIDENT: I have a black walnut tree at home that started to growin a neighbor's cellar. It had grown a foot and a half and was ratherwhite in color. I cut off the top and planted it out in the open. Todaythe tree is still growing and is all right. 

We will now have an address by Prof. Neilson, of Canada. 

PROF. NEILSON: Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is a realpleasure for me to get back to this convention once more. I tried tocome last year but owing to certain difficulties I was not able to doso. 

Before I give you my report on nut culture in Canada, I want to tell yousome of my troubles. Two or three years ago, when I began to express myinterest in nut culture, I thought it would be a good idea to get somenuts from China. I wrote to several missionaries in Northwestern Chinaat about our latitude, and I finally secured five bushels of Persianwalnuts and one bushel of Chinese chestnuts. The nuts were a long timeon the road and very few were in fit condition to use when they arrived. I stored some of the Persian walnuts in our cellar at the OntarioCollege. The rest of the nuts I distributed to others. 

The nuts at the college did not fare very well. When I left there I gavedirections to the members of the Department to look after themcarefully. This is how they did it. Someone broke into the cellar wherethe nuts were stratified in the sand, and ran off with about one bushel. The Chinese chestnuts arrived in about the same condition as the Chinesewalnuts. Of these I managed to save about a peck. We divided the nutsinto three equal lots. Some we kept at the Guelph Experiment Station, some at Vineland, and some in the Southwestern Station. Of those atGuelph, out of the whole lot, 35 nuts germinated, and of these the miceate all but five. These five were taken outside and carefully placed ina flat; but someone came along and ran into the flat and smashed thosefive plants all to pieces. 

In addition to this some of my friends tried to tell me that I waschasing wild geese; that nut trees would not ever be importantcommercially in Canada; that 99 per cent of the value of the nut treewas for shade anyhow (as if he meant shade for pigs and cows); and thatthey were not even ornamental. 

Before I read my paper, however, I will say that the work I am now doingis somewhat different from that I had when I was last here, when I wasProf. Of Horticulture. I am now doing extension work for thegovernment. 

PROGRESS REPORT ON NUT CULTURE IN CANADA

_Jas. A. Neilson, M. S. , Extension Horticulturist, HorticulturalExperiment Station, Vineland, Ontario_

During the season of 1923-24 there has been a marked increase in theinterest shown in the culture of nut bearing trees in all parts ofCanada where nut trees can be grown. This is indicated by the numerousletters of enquiry and personal requests for information on nut culturewhich have been received by our Station. A total of 450 letters werereceived or sent out by our office during the past year besides numerousenquiries answered by a personal visit. 

The search for good nut trees has resulted in some interesting additionsto the data presented in the paper published in the last report. One ofthe most gratifying features of this phase of the work has been thediscovery of several new localities where the European filbert isgrowing successfully. It has been located or reported at twenty widelyseparate points in Ontario, the northernmost of which is on Wolf Islandat the mouth of the St. Lawrence River in approximately 44, 100 N. Lat. This plantation is said to have been established before 1840 and wouldtherefore be nearly 90 years old. Another interesting point inconnection with filberts is the amazing way in which they thrive underconditions of absolute neglect. Several of the plantations observedduring the past year were not given the slightest attention and yet weredoing very nicely. Obviously this is not good practice but it would seemto indicate that excellent results could be secured in Southern Ontarioby the proper choice of varieties and the best cultural methods. Thissurvey also showed that the sweet chestnut grew as far north as GeorgianBay. 

The prize nut contest staged by our office last autumn resulted in thediscovery of some very good black walnuts and a fine Japanese heartnut. Samples of these are shown in some of the plates on the table. 

The Persian walnut was found to have a wider distribution and is moreabundant in Ontario than was expected when our nut survey began. About150 bearing trees have been located in that part of Ontario extendingfrom Toronto on Lake Ontario to Goderich on Lake Huron. This number ofcourse will seem insignificant in comparison to the numbers of trees insome sections of the northern United States, but it must not beforgotten that Ontario is on the northern margin of the Persian walnutterritory, and therefore the results are rather encouraging. 

Several fine Paragon chestnut trees have been located which bear goodcrops and which appear to be resistant to chestnut blight. This diseasehas unfortunately appeared at several places in Ontario and willundoubtedly destroy the majority of our chestnut trees. 

The members of this association will be interested to learn thatGellatly Brothers of Gellatly, B. C. , prepared and sent to the BritishEmpire Exhibition at Wembley a large collection of nuts that hasattracted a great deal of attention and favorable comment. This shoulddo a great deal toward advertising the nut cultural possibilities ofthat province and of Canada generally. 

The trial plantations on the experiment station grounds are doing verywell indeed. The black walnuts are making a fine growth and one varietythe McCoy, has a good crop of nuts at two years from planting. The TenEyck is making an extremely rapid growth, in some cases, producing newshoots over four feet in length. 

The English walnuts are also making a good growth and two varieties, Mayette and Hall, have borne nuts in the third season. 

I am pleased to state that we now have about 100 seedlings of theChinese walnut growing on the station grounds and at various otherpoints in Ontario. These little trees seem to be making a more rapidgrowth than our seedlings of the "Ontario, " a Persian walnut which is anative of St. Catharines. 

We also have about 60 seedlings of the Persian walnut from the Northernslopes of the Carpathian Mountains in the Ukranian region of what usedto be the old Austrian-Hungarian Empire. These nuts were obtained fromRev. Paul Crath, of Toronto, who informs me that the winter temperaturesin that part of Europe often go lower than in Toronto. We hope for someinteresting developments from the growth of these trees because of therigorous climatic condition of their native land. 

During the latter part of the past winter an experiment was conducted inpropagating the walnut under greenhouse conditions. For this purpose 100well grown one year black walnut seedlings were obtained from ourforestry station at St. Williams in the late autumn and heeled in out ofdoors until about February 1st. These were then brought inside, plantedin 8 inch pots and placed in the greenhouse where they were allowed toremain until a good leaf growth had been produced. The young trees werethen side cleft grafted with scions of the best English walnuts in thedistrict. While engaged in this work one of the trees was inadvertentlycut off a few inches above the ground. The stub was then whip graftedand to my surprise it made a better growth than the others which had apart of the top left on. The results of our experiment were much betterthan I expected. About 40% of the scions grew which was quitesatisfactory considering that I was a mere novice in the art of graftingnut trees and that my method was an experiment. I believe I could get 70to 75% to grow with greater care in the selection and handling ofscions. The object in doing the work in the greenhouse was to obtainbetter control conditions of moisture and temperature and thus reducethe mortality of scions due to these factors. 

I also outlined an experiment in propagating nut trees by cuttings as athesis subject for one of our fourth year horticultural students at theO. A. C. In this experiment ten cuttings each of English walnut, butternut, Japanese walnut, hickory, chestnut and black walnut wereplanted in sand and watered at intervals with a 1 to 10, 000 solution ofpotassium permanganate. In the course of time the majority of cuttingscame out in leaf, but none formed roots, and hence soon died. It isadmitted that this experiment may have been improperly planned andconducted, but it showed at any rate that it is not an easy matter topropagate most nut plants by root or stem cuttings. 

In 1923 I purchased with my own funds another lot, 1-1/2 bushels, ofgood heartnuts and sent them in lots of about two dozen to thesecretaries of 125 horticultural societies, and to about 30 otherparties for trial planting. I found that this little contribution wasgratefully received and in many cases brought forth inquiries for thenames of people from whom good trees might be purchased. I do notpropose to carry on much more of this free distribution of nuts as thatwould not be fair to the individuals themselves or to those engaged inthe propagation of nut trees. My chief reason for distributing thesenuts was to stimulate interest, and now that my objective has beenattained I will refer inquiring parties to reputable nut nurserymen. 

Numerous requests for addresses on nut culture have been received fromhorticultural societies, women's institutes and other organizations. Ihave always endeavored to comply with these requests and haveinvariably found keen interest shown in the subject. American members ofthis association will likely be interested to learn that the OntarioHorticultural Society is the largest of its kind in the world, having amembership of over 60, 000 while the Women's Institute is an almostequally large and influential organization. 

These powerful and widespread organizations can be and are of greatassistance in carrying on the propaganda for the planting of nut trees. 

The Ontario Horticultural Association, the Ontario Horticultural Counciland the Canadian Horticultural Council have each passed resolutionsexpressing approval of our work in nut culture and asking the DominionMinister of Agriculture to appoint a man to fully investigate the nutcultural possibilities of Canada. I regret to state that no action hasas yet been taken to meet the desires of these organizations. Because ofmany other urgent duties and lack of departmental support, I have notbeen able to devote as much of my time to nut culture as I would like, and therefore have had to make the very best use of the little time Ihave had at my disposal. I am looking forward to the time when those inauthority will have a greater appreciation of the value of nut trees andwill see their way clear to appoint someone to devote his whole time andenergy toward increasing the productiveness and adding to the beauty ofour country by means of more and better nut trees. 

To sum up briefly, my objective is as follows:

1. To carry on the nut tree survey of Canada until we have located thevery best natural and exotic species. 

2. To propagate these best strains, provided they are as good or betterthan the best so far discovered. 

3. To introduce the best hardy species from the northern United Statesand northeastern Asia, on a more extensive scale for test purposes andbreeding work. 

 * * * * *

THE SECRETARY: Prof. Neilson has placed on the table in the hall, verymodestly, a very interesting collection of nuts from Canada and I hopethat you will all look at them. 

THE PRESIDENT: Are there any present who would like to ask Prof. Neilsonquestions?

DR. MORRIS: It seems to me that the Ontario walnut is the best inquality of any I have tried. What did you think of them Mr. Jones?

MR. JONES: I do not think there is any better. 

PROF. NEILSON: I am in favor of another one which I think you willagree is still better. It is larger and betterlooking and the flavor isjust as good. (Displays walnut). 

The interesting feature is that although the tree is a third generationtree, now about 15 years old, it has produced more nuts than the oldertrees. 

DR. MORRIS: If I remember correctly the Ontario is a milder type. 

PROF. NEILSON: I think that this is just as good as the Ontario. I haveseveral trees of this. 

THE PRESIDENT: From what I gathered from your remarks, Prof. Neilson, possibly some moral support would be of assistance to you in your work. Would it be out of order?

PROF. NEILSON: I think it would be a very good idea. The trouble I amhaving is perhaps very localized; it is with but one or two individuals. I think that a resolution by this association would have some effect. Itwould at least present to the authorities the fact that we were beingrecognized. I hope so at least. Our present Minister of Agriculture hasopenly expressed himself in sympathy with the idea of planting more nuttrees; also Mr. Martin, our specialist in poultry keeping and I think ifI can get them lined up it would be all right. The resolution might helpto do this. 

THE PRESIDENT: Dr. Morris the Chair appoints you to that committee; alsoMr. Jones and Mr. Ellis. It wishes you to draw up a suitable resolutionfor that work. 

PROF. NEILSON: I may say that the public in Canada is behind our work. About 97% of my time is spent on the road and I go long distances. Therest of my time I am writing letters, about 1, 200 of them, and about 450of these are on nut culture. 

DR. MORRIS: I have the following resolution to offer: That a letter bewritten to the Dominion Department of Agriculture, along the followinglines: "The Dominion Department of Agriculture has officially statedthat the nut growing industry of British Columbia has become animportant one. The Dominion nevertheless is importing $5, 000, 000 worthof nuts annually from other countries. 

In view of these facts, the Northern Nut Growers' Association inassembly at its 15th Annual Meeting, in New York, commends the work ofProf. J. A. Neilson of the Horticultural Experiment Station at Vineland, Ontario, and expresses the hope that the Canadian Government and privatesupport will further his work in such a way as to make it a matter oflarge public service. Service of the sort relates not only to easternCanada but to the commerce of this entire continent. "

 (Signed) ROBERT T. MORRIS, J. F. JONES Z. H. ELLIS. 

THE PRESIDENT: The secretary will accordingly transmit this message tothe Canadian Government. 

NOTES BY PROFESSOR A. S. COLBY

_Purdue University, Illinois_

Friends: I believe an apology is due you. I was away on my vacation atthe time the invitation came to me to make an address at this meetingand I have come here without one. But I shall be glad to give you somesort of an idea of the past, present and future of nut culture inIllinois. 

I became actively interested in nut growing about a year ago. Our workstarted partly in response to public demand. We have been receiving anincreasing number of letters of inquiry from people interested in thesubject but who know little about it. We are attempting to secure suchinformation as will be of value regarding the best species and varietiesof nuts to plant, where to plant them, and how to care for them. Thereare a number of members of the N. N. G. A. In Illinois and they are verykindly helping me in this work. The Illinois State HorticulturalSociety, founded in 1856, has also been interested to some extent in nutgrowing. 

Illinois has had three grand old men in the nut industry, Mr. George W. Endicott of Villa Ridge, Mr. E. A. Riehl of Alton, and Mr. BenjaminBuckman of Farmingdale. Mr. Riehl is eighty-seven years young now and isthe only one of the three men living. 

Mr. Endicott was interested, not only in the commercial side ofhorticulture but was a pioneer in scientific work. He originated theEndicott plum and other valuable fruits and, since he was interested inplant improvement, naturally turned to hybridization of the chestnut, atree which grows readily in southern Illinois. In 1899 he crossed theJapanese chestnut (Castanea japonica) with pollen from the AmericanSweet (C. Americana). He must have had some difficulty in crossing thespecies because they did not bloom at exactly the same time. He was, however, successful in securing five hybrid seeds, raising three treesfrom them, naming them the Blair, the Boone and the Riehl. Naturallythere were differences in the characteristics of these trees though theywere all vigorous and produced nuts of commercial value. The Blair andRiehl began to bear at four and five years respectively, while the Boonebore its first crop at seventeen months of age. The Boone is the mostvaluable since it matures fruit of good quality about two days earlierthan the Blair and two weeks before the Riehl. It also retains the burrand drops the nuts free at the beginning of the season so that abouthalf the nuts can be picked up before the burrs fall. 

Mr. Endicott was so pleased with the results of the cross that he raisedover 175 seedlings from the Boone tree. From these second generationhybrids he secured trees very uneven in growth and size with a greatrange in time of coming into bearing. The nuts differed widely in size, quality, and season of ripening. The character of the burr showed allgradations between the extremes of thickness, length, rigidity ofspines, etc. These striking variations in the second generation treesshow that many hereditary factors had been segregated and recombined andoffer a most interesting opportunity for scientific study. I havevisited the orchard several times. 

Mr. Endicott died in 1914 but his son Robert has since cared for thetrees which have brought him considerable revenue. He tells me that hesecures about 160 pounds of nuts per year from each of the threeoriginal trees. At an average price of thirty-five cents a poundwholesale the crop from each tree is worth $56. 05 per year. Since thechestnut blooms late it is pretty certain to escape spring frosts. TheBlair, for example, has had a crop failure once only since beginning tobear. 

(Displays photographs of the Japanese and American chestnuts and theBoone tree). 

Mr. Endicott is top working some of the worthless second generationtrees with wood from the Boone tree. 

(Displays photographs showing method of grafting). 

I have had the good fortune to visit Mr. Riehl several times and havesecured many representative nuts from his collection. While he has growna large number of nut species and varieties he believes that thechestnut pays the best in southern Illinois. He plants them on rough andhilly land, difficult to cultivate, pasturing with sheep, and has hadvery good success. He does not worry about the chestnut blight, sincethe chestnut is not native here and there is such a great distancebetween the blight ridden East and Illinois. 

Mr. Buckman was an amateur horticulturist, in the work for the love ofit. On his land he had nearly two thousand varieties of apples andhundreds of varieties of peaches, plums, pears, cherries, grapes, smallfruits, and nuts collected from all over the world. I was muchinterested to study the fine pecan and chestnut trees growing andproducing good crops as well as the persimmon and papaw trees, of whichhe had a number of rare varieties. I was able last spring to securecuttings of a number of rather rare papaw varieties which I sent toDoctor Zimmerman for propagation at the request of Doctor Fairchild. 

Mr. Buckman recently died and there is now a movement on foot to secure, either through the University or the Horticultural Society, as far aspossible, all the valuable data which he had been collecting for years. 

There are several other men interested in nuts as a commercialproposition in Illinois, such as O. H. Casper of Anna and Judge W. O. Potter of Marion. I recently visited these orchards. Mr. Casper hasmostly pecans and walnuts growing in sod. They are from six to eightyears old and would have borne this season if weather conditions hadbeen favorable. 

Judge Potter has over twenty acres of pecans interplanted with chestnutsand filberts. For part of the orchard this is the fifth growing season. The trees are growing vigorously and make a very impressive showing. Icounted thirty-nine nuts on a representative Thomas black walnut tree. The filberts look especially promising. Although the weather at bloomingtime was unfavorable a fair crop of nearly a peck was gathered from fouror five bushes of a late blooming imported variety. Judge Potter is alsogrowing another orchard using apples as fillers between black walnuttrees. This experiment will be watched with great interest since it willbe of great value in showing future possibilities in nut growing inIllinois. 

Now as to some of the things we are trying to do at the experimentstation at Urbana. This will be necessarily a progress report. I ammaking a survey of the state to find promising individuals of thedifferent species and varieties and marking them for future use. Wehave our state fair at Springfield next week and as I speak to the boysand girls attending the state fair school I hope to interest them totell me of any trees in their neighborhoods of particular value. 

Some of the agricultural leaders in the various counties, that is thefarm advisers, are awake to the value of the nut industry and we have anumber of these men co-operating with us. From Gallatin County, in theWabash and Ohio river bottoms, around $100, 000 worth of native pecansare sold in some seasons. In the southern counties and over north of St. Louis in the western part of Illinois there are also native pecan groveswhich are quite profitable. We hope to find valuable northern pecans, adaptable to our conditions. We, of course, know that the English walnutis very difficult to grow in Illinois and we are not recommending it asa commercial proposition. We believe that the black walnut, all thingsconsidered, has the most promise and we hope to have something worthwhile in a few years as propagating material. The Thomas, Stabler, andMiller are especially to be recommended for Illinois at this time. 

We hope soon to have a complete collection of hardy nut trees on ourexperimental trial grounds. Here we shall study not only the varietalcharacteristics but try out new methods of propagating, pruning, fertilizing, etc. There is very likely some connection between winterinjury and hardening up of the wood in autumn and we hope to learnsomething about that problem through the use of various cover crops, forexample. We have at the station a complete experimental cold storageplant in operation where we may be able to learn more about the effectsof extremes of temperature on the roots and trunks of certain species. 

In such new but important work we must make haste slowly. We have somethings to unlearn and many things to learn. We hope to be able in a fewyears to make a worthwhile contribution to such an interesting andimportant subject as nut growing in the middle west. 

I shall be glad to have you ask me any questions which occur to you. 

 * * * * *

THE PRESIDENT: DO you happen to know Mr. Spencer?

PROF. COLBY: No, I wrote Mr. Spencer but I did not get any reply fromhim. I hope to visit him this fall. 

MR. REED: DO you know anything about the top-working of black walnutsfrom Missouri at the university?

PROF. COLBY: No, I do not know about them. 

MR. GREEN: In regard to those Gallatin County nuts; has any survey everbeen made by the U. S. Department of Agriculture of the nut trees inIllinois?

Prof. Colby: Not that I know of. 

Question: At what age are they planting those walnuts in WilliamsonCounty with apples and how far apart?

PROF. COLBY: The walnuts are from 50 to 80 feet apart interplanted withapples. The walnut trees are about two years old; the apples four andfive. 

A SPEAKER: I believe those apple trees will die. 

PROF. COLBY: That's what I want to find out. There is a great differenceof opinion as to the compatibility of walnuts and other fruit trees. 

MR. BIXBY: You will see at Baldwin, this afternoon, peach trees plantedbetween nut trees. It is too soon to say what will happen but so far, itis all right. 

DR. SMITH: As a matter of very great importance, how will you "round up"the forces in Illinois?

PROF. COLBY: We have a number of interesting suggestions brought out inProfessor Neilson's paper. He would use every way possible, includingquestionnaires sent out judiciously, as well as the boys' and girls'clubs, and the Boy Scouts, of which Dr. Morris speaks. The horticulturalsociety can be of very great help. In Illinois where we have over onehundred counties, almost all of which are very efficiently covered byfarm bureaus, the farm advisers are of considerable assistance. Thelocal horticultural societies, as for instance the one with which Mr. Riehl has been so prominently connected in Alton, have helped very muchin the past. The Smith-Hughes teachers in charge of agriculturalteaching in the high schools can easily get in touch with promisingnative trees through their students. I know most of these teachers andknow they will be glad to help me. I recently had a request from theAssociated Press representative in Springfield to write an article onnut growing in Illinois. There is a wonderful field for developmentalong such lines as this. 

THE PRESIDENT: It seems to me that if the agricultural colleges wereasked to hand in information that might bring results, and particularlythe students' work in isolated sections which would not be reached byBoy Scouts. 

PROF. NEILSON: For the benefit of those who did not hear my address in1922, I may say that I have circularized the whole county and thecollege stations; I have sent about 125 circular letters to thehorticultural society and to its officers, high school inspectors, andto anyone I thought might be glad to get the information. I wanted tocarry this further but could not. I wanted to send letters to everyschool teacher in the Province of Ontario and ask them to bring thematter to the attention of the boys and girls, and to offer them asubstantial prize for the location of the best tree in their locality. Iwill say, however, that I got a great deal of encouragement from thehorticultural society, the public school and the high schools. 

THE SECRETARY: I will read again a sentence from Mr. Howard Spence'sletter:

"The Minister of Agriculture has agreed to instruct all their inspectorsover the country to make a collection of all walnuts of merit and toforward them to me for classification and identification of varietieswhich may be worth perpetuating. "

If we could do something of that kind in the United States to enlist theextension agents, we should get some valuable information. 

MR. OLCOTT: I think that a very important thing would be to send thatmessage not only to the state experiment stations, but also to thegovernment authorities. Why should not the Department of Agriculturemake a systematic survey of that kind? Why should it be left to thesmall societies like this one, when the federal Department ofAgriculture is so thoroughly equipped to get this? The department atWashington has expressed interest; I wonder if it would not beappropriate for this association to take some formal action, suggestingfederal government action in that matter, in co-operation with theextension service, Boy Scouts, etc. 

THE PRESIDENT: Will you put that in a resolution?

MR. OLCOTT: I submit the following resolution:

WHEREAS, The investigational and experimental work of the Northern NutGrowers' Association during the last fourteen years has been signallysuccessful in improving native nuts of the northern United States, basedupon discovery and propagation of superior specimens; and

WHEREAS, This work could be greatly extended with the facilities at thecommand of the United States Department of Agriculture, as compared withthe efforts of the small number of members of this association;therefore be it

RESOLVED: That it is the sense of the Northern Nut Growers' Association, in fifteenth annual convention in New York City this fourth day ofSeptember, 1924, that the U. S. Department of Agriculture be asked totake up systematically the work of discovery and investigation ofpromising native nuts in the northern states and of testing selectedspecimens at government stations in co-operation with the authorities ofthe state experiment stations; such discovery to be brought about byenlisting the aid of boy scouts, school children and others, inconnection with the activities of county farm agents, inspectors andother attaches of the department. 

THE PRESIDENT: Prof. MacDaniels, of Cornell University will now addressus. 

_L. H. MacDaniels, Professor of Pomology, Cornell University_

It gives me great pleasure to bring you greetings from the AgriculturalCollege at Cornell University and to express my appreciation for yourinvitation to address this convention concerning what the college isdoing along the line of nut growing. I have a very real interest in nutgrowing and in this association. I like to think of it as comparablewith the American Pomological Society when it started more than onehundred years ago. All of you men who are spending your time and energyin finding new facts regarding the propagation and culture of nut treesare doing pioneer work, and your names will go down in the history ofnut growing in the same way as those of Wilder, Downing, and Prince havecome to us linked with the early development of fruit growing in theUnited States. I feel confident that the work of the association willstand the test of time. 

Interest in nut growing at Cornell, as you probably know, was started byJohn Craig who died about a dozen years ago. He was greatly interestedin northern nut growing and also in southern pecans. As a result of hiswork we are still receiving inquiries about southern pecans addressed toProfessor Craig. While at Cornell he established a course of study innut growing which was a part of the regular curriculum. At the time, however, the actual known facts about the growth of nuts in the northernstates were so few, and reliable information so scarce, that afterProfessor Craig's death, when there was a general consolidation ofcourses in the department, nut growing was combined with another coursein economic fruits. Since that time, as our knowledge of nut growing hasincreased, more and more attention has been given to the subject. Ouraim is, in fact, to give all of the up-to-date information that we haveregarding the propagation and culture of nut trees. 

The nut tree plantings in the experimental orchards at Cornell have notbeen particularly successful. About ten years ago Professor Chandler setout about one-half acre of named varieties of pecans, Persian walnuts, black walnuts, hickories, hazel nuts, chestnuts and Japanese walnuts. These have received good care, both as to cultivation and fertilizationbut to date the only trees which have borne are the Japanese walnuts andthese have not had good crops. Apple trees of the same age in adjacentland have been bearing commercial crops for a number of years, especially such varieties as the McIntosh, Wealthy and R. I. Greening. The climate at Ithaca is apparently rather too rigorous for most of thenut trees. Persian walnuts, hazel nuts and frequently Japanese walnutssuffer from winter injury. In the case of the chestnut, blight haspractically killed all of the trees. The pecans are perfectly hardy butas yet have not borne, probably because our seasons are not sufficientlylong or warm enough to grow this nut to advantage. Hickories have beenvery slow to become established and in fact have never made really goodgrowth. This experience, of course, makes us feel that nut growing isreally not as easy as some enthusiasts would have us believe. 

In addition to this variety planting there are four or five acres ofrecently cleared woodland in which there are hundreds of hickoryseedlings which can be top-worked. We are aiming also in this area toestablish seedlings of all of the hardy nut trees to use as stocks andeventually to get a collection of all named varieties of nut trees. Grafting so far has not been particularly satisfactory due in some casesto failure of the grafts to set; in other cases to the winter killing ofgrafts which have made fairly good growth. Injury by bud moths and windstorms have also been detrimental factors. Our own experience togetherwith observations upon the results of nut grafting elsewhere by expertslead us to believe that grafting of nut trees is a very difficultundertaking as compared with that of other fruit trees. It involves aknack which must be acquired by very considerable experience. I realize, of course, that new facts regarding nut grafting are being discoveredalmost daily and in the future we may look for better results. 

The attitude of the Department of Pomology at the College with regard tonut growing is of necessity conservative. First of all, the men in thedepartment are trained in scientific methods and have a somewhatcritical attitude when it comes to statements regarding marked successin any line. The tendency is in each case to try to find the data or theexperience upon which statements are based. Unfortunately, in nutgrowing there are very little data upon which statements can be based. Mr. Bixby's experiments with stocks are a very good start in the rightdirection, and it is upon such experiments as he is carrying out thatreal knowledge regarding nut growing will be gained. 

We have heard enthusiastic statements as to the profits which may bederived from the planting of nuts in the northern states, but I mustconfess that I have looked in vain both for the facts upon which suchstatements might be based and also for orchards which actually areprofitable. If such exist in New York state I have not been able to findthem even after considerable travel. 

In order to be profitable, an orchard must pay all the expensesinvolved, including interest on the initial cost of land; the cost oflabor and materials and depreciation on tools, etc. We have costaccounts covering these items on many crops such as apples and wheat, but not on nuts. It seems to me we must recognize that nut culture is inits experimental stage only. This is in fact one thing that makes itparticularly attractive for the amateur. 

Another reason for our conservatism is that we feel it our duty to thegrowers to give out statements which are based upon facts only. If a manin a northern state wants to plant ten acres of nuts what shall we tellhim? Shall we tell him to go ahead and assure him that if he takes careof his trees a profitable plantation is certain? On the basis of what weknow I think surely not. A hundred and one unanswered questions come up. What kinds of nuts will succeed under his climatic and soil conditions?What stocks should be used? What varieties will succeed under hisconditions? Will the meats of the nuts fill out in the average season?Are the seasons long enough, etc. The fact is in most cases we do notknow. In most parts of New York state we are extending a natural rangeof many of the nut trees and they have not been grown long enough underthe new conditions to make it possible to answer these questions withcertainty. On the other hand, we can tell the prospective nut growerthat nut growing is in its experimental stages and under certainconditions has great commercial promise. On the basis of our presentknowledge we cannot recommend large plantations but would encourage theplanting of nuts in an experimental way, especially for home use. Itshould be borne in mind that in the early days of fruit growing inAmerica it was the amateur planting of varieties that laid thefoundations for the present industry. If shade trees are to be plantedlet them be nut trees. Plant nut trees as a hobby but do not go into nutculture on a large scale for profit unless you can afford to lose. 

I have great hopes for the future of nut growing in the northern statesand also for this society. I am confident that new and better varietiesof nuts will be found and better methods of propagation andtransplanting originated so that in the future there may be a commercialindustry in the north. For the present, however, I believe thatconservatism is advisable, and that great harm may be done bymisrepresentation. Sound growth of a northern nut industry will be builtupon facts and honest experience and not on conjecture, hearsay, or evenon enthusiasm, however necessary this may be. I believe that we shouldencourage people to plant nuts for pleasure, plant nuts as a hobby, plant them for shade and for posterity, but under present conditions notfor financial profit. 

 * * * * *

THE SECRETARY: We must adjourn at once to the lecture room, that we mayhear Dr. J. Russell Smith's talk on "Nut Tree Crops as a Part ofPermanent Agriculture without Plowing. " He will have some interestingslides to show during his talk. 

Dr. Britton has asked that we have lunch today at noon instead of oneo'clock. Everyone present is invited to take luncheon at that time as aguest of the Botanical Society and of Dr. Britton, it makes nodifference whether they be members or guests. 

MR. REED: May I make the motion to extend a rising vote of thanks to Dr. Britton and his associates for the cordial and generous way in whichthey have entertained us?

(Motion seconded, passed, and acknowledged by rising vote). 

THE PRESIDENT: Dr. Britton, you are officially notified. 

DR. BRITTON: I would like to have that vote of thanks mentioned in theofficial record of this convention, and in the record of the BotanicalSociety. 

THE SECRETARY: We will see to that. 

DR. BRITTON: You will be interested in knowing that we have with us thevery distinguished Curator of the British Botanical Herbarium of theRoyal Society. Dr. Stapf has been traveling in Canada, attending themeetings of the Royal Society there. 

THE PRESIDENT: We shall very much appreciate the opportunity of meetinghim. 

We will now adjourn to the lecture hall, to hear Dr. J. Russell Smith. 

NUT TREE CROPS AS A PART OF PERMANENT AGRICULTURE WITHOUT PLOWING

_Dr. J. Russell Smith, Professor of Economic Geography, ColumbiaUniversity, New York_

My first experience with nut culture was gained on the farm of a man Iknew more than 30 years ago. It was a truck farm not far fromPhiladelphia near a boarding school which I infested and the farmercomplained that I infested the farm. The farm had its fence rows anddriveways lined with grafted chestnut trees bearing abundantly of largefine nuts of European origin. It was remarkable how quickly they filledmy pockets. I usually succeeded in gathering them on the hundred percent basis. 

I am interested in this subject today because of an innate love of treesand because the development of a tree crop agriculture offers a way tostop soil erosion. To me the worst of all economic sins is thedestruction of resources, and the worst of all resource destructions isthe destruction of the soil, our one great and ultimate resource. "Afterman the desert" has been truly said too often of many old lands. 

Soil cover is after all about the only thing that man has as a basis forthe support of his life on earth. All of our food depends directly orindirectly upon plants. 

In hilly countries there is usually but a thin layer of earth and rottonrock between the surface of the field and the bed rock. It is a verydifficult problem to maintain this cover of earth and it is very easy tolose it. Sometimes it is lost through over-pasturing and destruction ofturf; but more largely through plowing. 

The nut tree is particularly effective as a part of a plowlessagriculture which can use the soil permanently where annual crops ruinit quickly because the plow prepares the land for erosion. 

The speed of soil destruction, with its erosion after plowing, isparticularly noticeable with the great American crops, cotton, corn andtobacco, which require clean cultivation. Many orchards are alsocultivated for the double purpose of keeping down rival plants andpreserving moisture, but we pay high in soil loss for the moisture thatwe get by that means on hilly lands. The plow is one of the greatestenemies of the future. As a matter of fact we have already destroyedenough land in the United States to support many millions of people; andtherefore the tree is the more important because it permits anagriculture that will keep the soil indefinitely, and in permanentproduction, without plowing. 

I have aecidently discovered a better way of conserving moisture than byplowing, and I have found it going on in widely scattered places and inwidely different climates. 

Primitive peoples in many parts of the world have long since obtainedthe advantage of cultivation, mainly, increasing the available moisturefor the tree or plant, without cultivation of the soil and the losswhich follows the washing of cultivated soils. As an example I cite theIndians of Arizona, who have grown corn crops for centuries in a countrywith but from six to fifteen inches of rain. They do this by planting inlittle patches at the mouth of a gully where at the time of rain theflood water is led away into furrows and depressions so that itthoroughly soaks the ground in which the corn is planted. 

My attention was first called to this practice by observing a good patchof barley in the edge of the Sahara in Southern Tunis, where the gulleyflow resulting from a winter rain had spread itself out fan-*like andsoaked the triangular alluvial area of sand, which bore a fine crop ofbarley in the midst of the desert. 

For centuries the olive growers of parts of Tunis have led gulley waterto the olive trees where it was retained, in areas that resembled atennis court, with a 12 inch bank of dirt around it and two or threeolive trees within this area thus watered by impounding. 

A practice somewhat similar to this is shown in F. H. King's classicbook on Chinese agriculture, "Farmers of Forty Centuries;" but the mostextreme case that has come to my attention is furnished by the Berbertribe of the Matmatas, of Tunis. These people live on the edge of ahilly, limestone plateau, where the rainfall is less than 10 inches andin some years as low as five. 

An important part of the food supply of these people is furnished bydate and olive trees which they grow in the gulches of their limestoneplateau. They built a dry rock dam behind which earth-wash lodges. Inthis the trees are planted and every rain sends more earth and soaksthat which has collected. The plan can certainly not be called anexperiment for the people have lived there for centuries. They haveolive trees that are several centuries old and I have never seen suchfine olive trees, not in California, or the plains of Spain, Portugal, France, Italy, or in Algeria or Tunis, and I have seen a good many olivetrees in those countries. The olive tree is usually open, light andfeathery. These in the Matmatas gulches are thick and black and rank. 

For automatic cultivation and fertilization the plan of these primitiveagriculturists is hard to beat. You put up your stone dam, and everytime the gulley runs with water your crop is irrigated and fertilized. Can you beat it?

Three Americans of my acquaintance have independently experimented anddiscovered along similar lines. 

The late Freeman Thorpe of Hubert, Minnesota, did it with muchenthusiasm. So did the late Dr. Meyer, a friend of J. F. Jones, nearLancaster. He discovered it accidentally. He put a brush dam across agully. Water stood behind it for days after every rain. The apple treenear it grew much more than the others. That started the Doctor. Hebegan to dig small field reservoirs and collect water near trees and hefound that it paid even with the very expensive process of hoe andshovel. 

The idea has been modernized and brought to the machine stage whichcharacterizes our present-day agriculture, by Mr. Lawrence Lee, a civilengineer-farmer of Leesburg, Va. Mr. Lee runs a level line across theface of the clay hills, and then with a Martin ditcher scoops out aterrace on this horizontal line. It makes the terrace so that the waterwill hold and will not run away. Mr. Lee is sure that nine-tenths of theheavy thunder shower runs off of the hills, in normal conditions ofnon-plowing, and that if he plows, most of the water and much of thesoil go off together. He is also sure that the water pockets hold bothwater and soil. 

Rows of apple trees planted below these waterholding terraces thrivewithout cultivation as well as do other trees across the row withcultivation, but with this difference, ordinary cultivation impoverishesthe soil and this enriches it by keeping all mineral and organic matterin the field. 

The combination of principles worked out by many primitive peoples andalso by Messrs. Thorpe, Meyer and Lee makes it possible for the farmerto arrange his rough land in tree crops so that every rain will waterhis crops, even though the land may be rough and in sod. If he cannotrun horizontal terraces he can dig holes near the trees and lead thewater to these holes by two furrows with the turning plow. This isreally an automatic kind of irrigation. By this means a farmer can usehis odd time whenever he can work the ground, and thus do thecultivation for a whole year or two and at the same time preserve thesoil and establish a permanent agriculture. 

This gives the hill land the same chance as the level lands to grow fatsods. It offers a very interesting combination of blue grass pasturealong with crops of black walnuts, Persian (English) walnuts, pecans, grafted hickories, mulberries (for pigs and chickens), persimmons (forpigs and sheep), oaks (which make more carbohydrate food than corn inmany situations), honey locust (which has a bean as rich as bran andgood for the same purpose) and many other crop trees that will beavailable if good brains keep developing the idea. 

In this connection it may be pointed out that France exports millions ofdollars worth of Persian walnuts and most of them are grown on isolatedtrees scattered about the fields and along roadsides. 

 * * * * *

THE PRESIDENT: We will now adjourn to Sormani's for luncheon and then wewill immediately start for Mr. Bixby's place on Long Island. 

(Adjournment). 

NOTES AT MR. BIXBY'S NUT ORCHARDS AND NURSERIES BALDWIN, NASSAU CO. , N. Y. 

September 4, 1924

Japan walnuts (seedlings) on street set out in 1918 or 1919. All exceptthe tree on the south have borne, 1924 being the third year for one. Oneof them is a heartnut. 

Chinkapins raised from seed outdoors. 

Black walnuts grown in pots and transplanted with a ball of earth andthe entire root. Set out without cutting back and sod and vines allowedto grow around them. While they grew rapidly before transplanting theyhave scarcely grown since. 

Beaver Hickory seedlings. These illustrate well the information to beobtained frequently as to parentage by raising seedlings. The history ofthe Beaver tree was ascertained four or five years ago and from this andthe appearance of the tree and its nuts, it was decided to be a shagbarkx bitternut hybrid. The seedlings bear this out, for they vary fromseemingly pure shagbark to pure bitternut with several in betweenlooking somewhat like the parent tree. It may be that some of these willbear nuts that will be found valuable. 

Japan walnut tree killed with butternut blight. 

Chestnut trees killed with chestnut blight. 

Main experimental orchard. This comprises about four acres and is laidout in rows running north and south, starting at an east and west road. There are 29 trees in each row running north and south, the trees beingabout 15 feet apart. A nut tree is put every 30 feet and a peach orapple or some other tree that is intended to be taken out later, is putin between. 

Row 1 South--(1) Niblack Pecan (5) Warrick Pecan (7) Warrick Pecan (9)Greenriver Pecan (11) Greenriver Pecan (13) Mahan Hickory (15) Marquardt(?) Pecan (17) Siers Hickory (19) Wilkinson (?) Pecan (21) KirtlandHickory (23) Greenbay Pecan (25) Weiker Hickory (27) Burlington Pecan(29) Kentucky Hickory. This Kentucky Hickory blossomed full and some twodozen nuts set which grew to about 5/8 inches long then they droppedoff. Probably it will bear next year. 

Row 2 South--(4) Moneymaker Pecan (10) Pleas Hickory (24) Dennisbitternut, bearing (26) Hatch Bitternut (?). 

Row 3 South--(3) Stanley Hickory (5) Ridenhauer Almond (9) Burkett Pecan(11) Hales Hickory on shagbark (13) Hales Hickory on bitternut (21)Cedarapids Hickory on shagbark (23) Cedarapids Hickory on bitternut (25)Dennis Hickory (27) Fairbanks Hickory. 

Row 3A South--Seedling Black Walnuts. 

Row 3B South--Seedling Chinese Chestnuts. 

Row 3C South--Seedling Chinese Chestnuts. 

Row 4 South--(2) Rush Chinkapin (3) Miracle Chestnut (4) Chinkapin (7)Chinkapin (8) Chinkapin (9) Champion Chestnut (10) Paragon Chestnut (13)Riehl Chestnut (15) Paragon Chestnut (16) Paragon Chestnut (17) MiracleChestnut (22) Champion Chestnut (29) Boone Chestnut. The above trees areall that remain of a row of 29 Chestnut and Chinkapin trees most ofwhich were bearing two years ago, from which a good many quarts ofChestnuts were gathered. Some of them died in 1922 and more in 1923. 

Row 5 South--(1) Beaver Hickory (2) Hacheye (?) Persimmon (3)McCallister Pecan (4) Hayakuma Persimmon (5) McCallister Pecan (6)Kawakami Persimmon (7) Busseron Pecan (9) Busseron Pecan (10) LambertPersimmon (11) Butterick Pecan (12) Josephine Persimmon (13) ButterickPecan (15) Kentucky Pecan (17) Kentucky Pecan (18) Golden Gem Persimmon(bearing) (19) Indiana Pecan (20) Rush Chinkapin (21) Indiana Pecan (23)Posey Pecan (25) Posey Pecan (27) Major Pecan (28) Parry Chestnut (29)Major Pecan. 

Row 5A South--Pecan seedlings. 

Row 5B South--Shellbark seedlings. 

Row 6 South--(1), (2), (3), (4), (5), (6), -(7), (8), (9), (10), (11), (12), (13), (14), (15), (17), (18), (19), (20), (21), (22), (23), (24)Hales Hickory, transplanted some years ago, brought from Monticello, Florida (25) Kentucky Hickory. 

Row 6A North--Butternut seedlings. 

Row 6B North--Butternut seedlings. 

Row 7 South--Vest Hickory seedlings, Hales Hickory seedlings, Juglanscathayensis seedlings, Chinese Persian walnut seedlings, PapershellChinese Persian walnut seedlings, Hybrid hazels (native Long Island xItalian Red 1923). 

Row 7A South--Mockernut seedlings. 

Row 7B South--Mockernut seedlings. 

Row 7C South--Close bark pignut carya glabra seedlings. Loose barkpignut carya ovalis seedlings, Japan walnut seedlings, Adams BlackWalnut seedlings. 

Row 7D South---Persian walnut seedlings, Stabler Black Walnut, perfectform seedlings, Stabler Black Walnut, one lobe seedlings. 

Row 7A North--Japan Walnut seedlings. 

Row 7B North--Japan Walnut seedlings. 

Row 7C North--Japan Walnut seedlings. 

Row 8 South--8A South--8B South--8C South--Seedling Japan Walnut xbutternut hybrids. 

Row 8A North--Japan Walnut seedlings. 

Row 8B North--Japan Walnut seedlings. 

Row 8C North---Persimmon seedlings. 

Row 9 South--(1) Miller Black Walnut (3) Thomas Black Walnut (4) PurpleHazel (5) Thomas Black Walnut (6) Fruhe Lange Hazel (7) Stabler BlackWalnut (9) Kinder Black Walnut (11) Allen Black Walnut (13) Wasson BlackWalnut (15) Peanut Black Walnut (17) Ten Eyck Black Walnut (19)Mattingly Black Walnut (21) McCoy Black Walnut (bearing) (23) ParadoxWalnut (25) Ohio Black Walnut (bearing) (27) Herman Black Walnut (29)Stabler Black Walnut. 

Row 10 South---(2) Stranger Heartnut, bearing (4) California BlackWalnut (6) Seedling Allen Black Walnut (8) Seedling Allen Black Walnut(10) Seedling Allen Black Walnut (12) Casper Hickory (14) Casper Hickory(16) Reike Hickory (18) Vest Hickory (20) Swaim Hickory (22) SwaimHickory (23) Jordan Almond (24) Wampler Hickory (25) Jordan Almond (26)Wampler Hickory (27) Texas Prolific Almond (29) Texas Prolific Almond. 

Row 10C North--Hickory Seedlings. Here may be seen the melancholyresults of not planting hickory seedlings deep enough. 

Row 11 South--(1) Aiken butternut, bearing (3) Stranger Heartnut, bearing, (5) Ritchie Heartnut, bearing (7), (9), (11), (13), (15), (17), (19), (21), (23), (25), (27), (29) Lancaster Heartnut bearing. 

Row 11A South--Grafted and budded black walnuts. 

Row 11B South--Grafted and budded black walnuts. 

Row 11C--South--Grafted and budded butternuts and Japan Walnuts. 

Row 11 North--(1), (2), (3), (4), Aiken butternut (6) Juglansmandshurica (8), (10) Deming butternut. 

Row 11A North--Seedling Japan walnut x butternut hybrids. 

Row 11B North--Seedling Japan Walnut x butternut hybrids. 

Row 11C North--Seedling Japan Walnut x butternut hybrids. 

Row 12--(2) Faust heartnut, bearing (4) Deming butternut, bearing (8)Burlington Pecan (10) Rockville Pecan (20) Snyder Hickory (27) EarlyGolden Persimmon (28) Rockville Pecan (29) Ruby Persimmon. 

Row 12A South--Grafted and budded Black Walnuts, Stabler, Ohio, Thomas &Adams. 

Row 12B South--Grafted and budded Black Walnuts, Wasson, McCoy, TenEyck, O'Connor hybrid Witte Persian Walnut. 

Row 12C South--Grafted and budded butternut & Japan Walnut, Aikenbutternut, Lancaster Heartnut. 

Row 13 South--(1) Franquette Persian Walnut (3) Eureka Persian Walnut(4) Early Golden Persimmon (5) Holden Persian Walnut (7) Eureka PersianWalnut (8) Grosse Kugelnuss filbert, bearing (9) Holden Persian Walnut, bearing (10) White Lambert hazel (11) Alpine Persian Walnut, bearing(12) Italian Red Hazel (13) Lancaster Persian Walnut (14) McFarlandChestnut (15) Meylan Black Persian Walnut (16) Hale Persimmon (17) RushPersian Walnut, bearing (18) Imperial Hazel (19) Cording Walnut, bearing(J cordiformis x regia) (20) Early Golden Persimmon (21) Hall PersianWalnut (22) Yemon Persimmon (23) Paradox walnut (24) Yemon Persimmon(25) Mayette Persian Walnut (26) Floreams Almond (27) Holden PersianWalnut (28) Floreams Almond (29) Mayette Persian Walnut. 

Row 13 North--Chinese Almond so-called, 3 years old, really an apricotwith edible kernels. Has proved perfectly hardy so far. 

Row 14--Grafted and budded black walnuts, Boston Persian Walnut. O'Connor hybrid Walnut, Adams Black Walnut, Alley Black Walnut, Mosnatbutternut. 

Row 15--Grafted and budded Black Walnuts, O'Connor hybrid, Thomas, Stabler. Ohio Persian Walnut. Minnas Zeller Italian Red Hazel, bearing. 

Row 16--American Hazels from West Virginia and Ohio. 

Row 17--Landesberger Lange Zeller, Buettners Zeller, Hempels Zeller, Barnes No. 6, Hazel bearing hybrid nuts, Barnes No. 5 Hazel bearinghybrid nuts, Kentish Cob, Noce Lunghe filbert, Daviana Hazels, bothbearing. 

Row 18--Merveille de Bollwiller filbert bearing, Medium long filbert. Like Merveille de Bollwiller, Althaldestenbener Zeller. 

Row 19---Corylus californica, White Lambert filbert, Vest hazel, GrosseKugelnuss, Hallersche Riesen filbert. Barcelona filbert, Italian Redfilbert, Du Chilly filbert. 

Row 20---Long Island Hazel, bearing Blueberries. 8 plants of selectedvarieties, Jujube, Tree hazel, corylus colurna, Vest hazel bearinghybrid nuts, Daviana hazel bearing, White Aveline hazel, tree hazel, corylus colurna. Long Island hazel bearing, Red Aveline hazel bearing. 

Row 21--Corylus californica, tree hazel corylus colurna. On the southernend of these rows will be found the grafted hickories. 

Row 21--Grafted Shagbark hickories. 

Row 22--Grafted Mockernut hickories. 

Row 23--Grafted Mockernut hickories. 

Row 24--Grafted Pignut hickories. 

Row 25--Grafted Pignut hickories. 

Row 27--Grafted Pecan hickories. 

Row 28--Grafted Pecan hickories. 

Row 30--Grafted Bitternut hickories. 

Row 31---Grafted Bitternut hickories. 

Row 32--Grafted Bitternut hickories. 

Row 33--Grafted Bitternut hickories. 

Row 31--Grafted Bitternut hickory. 

_Additional Notes by Stenographer_

This is a Royal Burbank walnut brought from California, in 1911. Itstood in a yard in Brooklyn until 1917. It did not grow well there butsince we have brought it out here it is growing and bearing, as you see. It is a hybrid of the California black and the Eastern black. The nutitself has not much value. The leaves are rather smaller than others. Itwould not compare with the propagated varieties. It is only consideredas a rapid growing tree. 

Here is a row of Beaver seedlings. This one is a typical shagbark. Thisone is like a bitternut. Every once in a while you will find a tall onewith buds like the old tree. They are all Beaver seedlings from nutsgathered at the same time from the same tree. 

Here are chinkapin seedlings grown out of doors. I simply threw them onthe ground and covered them with leaves. 

Here is a dead Japanese walnut tree. It died of a fungus, melanconium. You can see the fungus all the way down the trunk. It is a weak fungusand sometimes if the tree is nourished properly it will disappear. 

This is a Lancaster heartnut. And so is this. One is much more prolificthan the other. Both grafted on Japanese stock. It is bearing prettywell. It was put out in 1918. 

Here is a Kentucky hickory. It had about 24 nuts, but they have fallenoff. 

This is a Moneymaker pecan. It is growing finely. I bought this treefrom J. B. Wight, of Cairo, Ga. I also have a Burkett from Texas. 

There is a Paragon chestnut which has escaped the blight. Fungus isbeginning on the end of the branch, however. 

Two years ago we had a whole row of these Boone chestnuts. This is theonly one left. They were all in bearing then and a good many quarts ofchestnuts were gathered. Some of them died in 1922 and more in 1923. 

From here up, the trees are hickory (Hales) on pecans. They are tenyears from the graft, and planted here from Monticello, Fla. , two yearsago. 23 out of the 24 trees living. 

There are 12 varieties of Japanese persimmons, bought from Texas. Thisone shows winter-killing but will apparently live. (Hayakuma persimmon). 

Here is a Jap. Persimmon (Kawakami). It has not borne yet. Here is aMcCallister pecan; originated from between the Wabash and Ohio Rivers. 

Those are Thomas black walnuts; they have been out five years, and havenot yet borne. 

This is a Ten Eyck; it has made good growth this year and is a heavybearer. This is a McCoy black walnut. This tree is bearing heavily thisyear, and bore one nut last year. It is about five or six years from thenursery. The parent tree is from near Rockport, Ind. , and is a verylarge one. 

Here is an Ohio; it came from Mr. Jones, I think. These trees arebearing heavily; they have been set out 5 or 6 years. 

These trees are Lancaster heartnuts. They will probably bear heavily oneyear and less the next. 

(Here catkins and nuts were found on the same branch, and a photographwas made). 

MR. REED: There will probably not be any Lancaster here next spring; thelate growth has devitalized the tree. 

Here is a California black walnut but it has not grown verysuccessfully. 

Here is a Stranger heartnut from South Carolina, bearing. 

Here is an O'Connor hybrid walnut on black walnut. The whole tree is3-1/2 feet high; splendid growth for one year. The parent tree is inMaryland, about two miles from Mr. Littlepage's place. 

Here is a Lancaster heartnut which has borne every year, without a stop;you see it is planted in a chicken yard. 

EXHIBITS AT THE HOUSE OF WILLARD G. BIXBY, BALDWIN, N. Y. 

September 4, 1924

 BLACK WALNUTS Varieties: Adams Alley Herman McCoy Miller Ohio Stabler, Perfect Form One Lobe Ten Eyck Thomas Wasson Species: Juglans major, Arizona rupestris, Texas boliviensis, Bolivia insularis, Cuba The extremes of black walnut shape. Adams, long and narrow, Corsan, short and broad Varieties: Butternuts Aiken Deming

 BUTTERNUTS AND JAPAN WALNUTS Varieties: Japan Walnuts Heartnuts Lancaster Ritchie Stranger Species: Juglans cinerea manshurica cathayensis sieboldiana cordiformis Rough shell Japan walnut Juglans sieboldiana x cinerea Juglans sieboldiana x nigra Cording, Juglans cordiformis x regia

 Nuts from 4 trees on Grand Ave. Baldwin

 CHESTNUTS Varieties: Boone Paragon Rochester Morris No. 2 Morris No. 3 Species: Chinkapin Castanopsis

 HAZELS AND FILBERTS Varieties: Althaldensleben Barcelona Daviana Du Chilly Emperor Grosse Kugelnuss Imperial Italian Red Merveille de Bollwiller Montebello Noce Lunghe Red Aveline Red Lambert Rush (American) Vest (American) White Aveline White Lambert Species: Chinese tree Hazel (Corylus chinensis) Constantinople Hazel (tree corylus colurna) Thibet Hazel (Corylus tibetica) Hazel Blight (Specimen)

 HICKORIES Varieties: Beaver Brooks Dennis Fairbanks, Parent tree Grafted tree Galloway Glover Griffin Hales Kirtland Laney Milford Pleas Siers, Parent tree Grafted tree Vest Weiker, Parent tree Grafted tree

 It will be noticed that nuts from young grafted trees are generally larger than those from the parent trees Species and Hybrid: Arkansas Hickory, carya buckleyi Arkansana Bitternut, carya cordiformis, Dennis, Hatch Buckley Hickory, carya Buckleyi Chinese Hickory, carya cathayensis Pallid Hickory, carya pallida Shellbark, carya laciniosa, from 3 locations Water Hickory, carya aquatica Zorn, the largest hickory yet found, carya buckleyi Arkansana x alba

 PECANS Northern Varieties: Burlington Busseron Butterick Campbell Greenriver Indiana Koontz Major McCallister Niblack Norton Posey Witte Species and curiosities: Seedling Pecan from Adams, Ill. The most northern native growing pecan yet seen by Willard G. Bixby Curtis Pecan, without inner shell partition Schley Pecan, one grown in Georgia, the other in southern Pennsylvania. This shows how the nuts are dwarfed by lack of sufficient summer heat

 PERSIAN WALNUTS Varieties: Alpine Boston Colona Franquette Hall Holden Hutchinson Lancaster Mayette Milbank Ontario Pomeroy Rush Sayre Witte Seedlings and Hybrids Chinese Paper Shell Juglans regia x cinerea from 2 locations Allen, juglans regia x rupestris

 MISCELLANEOUS Almond, Ridenhauer Chinese (edible apricot) Beechnuts, American (2 locations) European Queensland Nut Macadamia ternifolia Water Chestnuts: Nelumbium Luteum Nelumbium Speciosum

NOTES TAKEN AT MERRIBROOKE, DR. MORRIS' ESTATE NEAR STAMFORD, CONNECTICUT

Excursion of Friday, September 5, 1924

Arriving at Stamford, all guests and members were met at the station bycars from Dr. Morris' place. After coming together at the house, themembers followed Dr. Morris to the main gateway, where the followingprogram commenced:

DR. MORRIS: If you will all follow me here inside the gateway we willtake the trees as they come in the order of the mimeographed sheet whichyou hold. 

I will first say that the abnormalities at Merribrooke this year werethree in number. First, a destructive invasion of the tent caterpillarwhich attacked nearly all kinds of trees during its traveling stage. Then came a canker worm invasion with partial or complete defoliation ofeven the forest trees. Almost all of the whole leaves on any treerepresent the second set for the season. Then came a drought said tohave been the most severe since 1871. As a result of these threeinfluences most of the fruit trees and nut trees dropped their cropsthis year. 

Among the many introduced and grafted trees at Merribrooke only aboutone hundred typical forms have been tagged for this occasion. The largetags on the trees represent types, the smaller tags represent differentvariations of the type. Numbers on the tags correspond to numbers onthis list. 

We will begin with No. 1--Original Taylor Shagbark hickory. Nut large, thin shelled, good cleavage and high quality. This is practically anannual bearer. The weevil likes it because it is very thin-shelled. Consequently we seldom get a good crop. Most of the trees weredefoliated. This is the best all-around hickory that I have found. Igave prizes for years and got seedlings from all over the country, andthis is the best one that I obtained growing right here at my gate. Itis defoliated by both the tent caterpillar and the canker worm. 

2. Buckley Hickory from Texas. Nut large, round, thick-shelled, peculiarflavor and fragrance. This hickory was first described in 1872 in Texasand then it was forgotten. Dr. Sargent was quite surprised when I toldhim that I had one for the variety really passed out of history amongthe botanists until the past two years. The bark is deeply ridged in theolder trees. The tree has been crippled by the twig girdler this year. 

3. Carolina Hickory Seedling (scaly bark hickory). Nut small, thinshelled, sweet. I think this is one of the most beautiful hickories wehave. It has been crippled this year but not enough to hurt. It has asmall, thin-shelled nut with sweet flavor. The older trees have thescale on the bark. 

4. Carolina Hickory grafted upon other local wild stock, and I do notknow whether it is macrocarpa or pignut. 

5. Shagbark top-worked to Vest variety of shagbark from Virginia thatMr. Bixby described yesterday as having a shell so thin that it could becracked with the hand. 

6. Shagbark top-worked to Carolina and Kentucky varieties. Note thedifferent foliage, and smaller leaves. Here is a graft of threehickories on one stock. 

7. Shagbark top-worked to Vest shagbark above and to McCallister pecanbelow. The foliage of this McCallister would justify putting the tree inany grounds; but here on the shagbark stock the leaves are not solarge. The foliage on Mr. Bixby's was large and beautiful. 

8. Shagbark top-worked to Brooks shagbark. That tree prolongs the nameof one of our audience into history. 

9. Asiatic Winged Walnut (Pterocarya fraxinifolia). I think this wouldbe valuable for hybridizing. 

10. Grafted Woodall American (black) walnut. Nut small, thin shelled. Tree very prolific. This tree has not yet borne, but it should nextyear. I got that from a man near Milford, Del. The nut is thin-shelledand cracks very easily. 

11. Grafted Lutz American Walnut from North Carolina. This tree is aboutsix years from the graft. The nut is large. 

QUESTION: When do you have frosts here at Stamford?

DR. MORRIS: The frosts are from about the middle of September untilsometime in May. Sometimes we miss the September frosts. 

12. Korean Nut Pine. Furnishes important food supply in northern Asia. 

13. Grafted Papaw. Larger part Ketter variety. Prize fruits have weighedabout one pound each. Smaller part Osborn variety No. 3, a choice kind. 

14. Seedling Papaw. 

15. Seedling Papaw, christened "Merribrooke prolific" with clusters offruit of the first year's bearing. Five bunches on the tree and it isthe first year out from the nursery. It is a very beautiful tree for thelawn. 

The growing season of pawpaws is so long that a hard September frost maycatch the fruit before it is ripe in this locality. Fruit will stand alight frost only. 

16. Chinese Pistache seedling. Tree beautiful but nut too small for themarket. May serve for hybridizing purposes. The autumn foliage of thistree is very wonderful. 

17. Grafted Wolfe persimmon. Ripens fruit in July or August. This is anordinary size fruit but the peculiarity is that it ripens before theothers do. 

18. Grafted Cannaday seedless persimmon. You see another member of ourparty has gone down to fame with this Cannaday seedless persimmon. 

19. Stanley shellbark hickory grafted on shagbark stock. 

20. Stock grafted to Kentucky shagbark. 

21. Jeffrey Blue Bull Nut Pine. Nuts small, thin-shelled, rich. Eatenshell and all by the natives. This is one of the most beautiful ofpines. In the top of the tree is placed one of the large gourds which Iraise here on the place. I place these gourds in the tree-tops forbird-houses. All kinds of birds nest in them, from the chickadee to thebarred duck. A squash may be used for this purpose as well as a gourd. 

I raise the pines from seed. 

22. Torrey nut pine from southern California. Nut is large, and has afine flavor. I get my seeds from Bartner Brothers. Pines do not do sowell near cities. The sulphites in the air are picked up by the pinesand this kills them. This particular pine is a surprise to all botanistswho have seen it; it is native in California and is one of thedisappearing pines. I have had five of them and I raised them all fromseed. 

23. Chinese hazel. Grafted on common hazel and outgrowing it, TheChinese hazel makes a tree from 80 to 100 feet in height. This is thefirst year this tree has borne. It is grafted on common stock, and isbeginning to bear earlier than it would have done on its own roots. 

24. Butternut parthenogens. Some are large and some small but all aregrown under the same conditions. That one was defoliated by the cankerworm and then by the tent caterpillar and this is the fourth set ofleaves it has put forth this year. 

25. Hybrid walnut (Siebold x butternut) four years old. 

26. Grafted American walnut. Peanut variety. Only one chubby half ofkernel to each shell. The scions were sent here from Washington, D. C. 

27. Mediate shagbark grafts (Cook variety). Grafted July 10 in midst ofgreat drought. Compare this with the trees you will see farther on inthe walk, grafted near the end of the drought. I do not have muchtrouble with the plain splice graft and I expect it to start ten daysafter I put it in. 

Here is the way I treat a borer, although I have two or three ways ofdoing this. First I find a hole on the tree, like this one. Then Ifollow down to where the borers work. I cut that part away, injectchloroform and fill up the opening with common kitchen soap. 

28. American Chestnut. Merribrooke variety, root-grafted on Japanesechestnut. I grafted that very low, below the ground. It is the bestchestnut I have among several thousands that I planted. This tree wasone of the first to go down with the blight, but I have grafted on otherscions and have kept it going ever since. 

29. Dresher chestnut (European origin) grafted on Japanese chestnut. Thegraft is about three years old. It has borne since the first year. Thereare several nuts on it now. 

(Now we must be careful of the sharp stubs in the woods. These are newlycut brush paths, and all guests wearing low shoes should stepcarefully). 

30. Stanley shellbark hickory, grafted on pignut hickory. Mr. Jonesintroduced this hickory. 

31. Kentucky shagbark grafted on shagbark stock, with bark slot graft. Ilet another twig grow from the same lead for nourishment. I put in threegrafts here two of which are dead. I do not quite approve of thatmethod. I prefer now to go up to the small branches and thensplice-graft on small branches. 

32. Marquardt pecan grafted on stock of pignut. It does well on thishickory. 

33. Hardy, hard-shell almond. 

34. Woodall American walnut. This shows that the Woodall black walnutgrows fairly well on butternut stock. 

35. Shagbark hickory top-worked to Marquardt pecan. 

36. Staminate persimmon trees. 

37. Bony Bush filbert, grafted on common hazel. (Bush badly cut up bygirdler beetle. Elaphidion. Five nuts on the bush). 

38. Purple hazel. Look sharp to find the 20 nuts on this bush. This treeis about 5 years old. 

39. Four large bitternut-hickory trees, top-worked to Beaver hybrid. Beaver branches distinguished by larger leaves and fewer leaflets. Stockshoots will be cut out gradually, allowing Beaver to have entire treefinally. 

40. Bitternut hickory top-worked to Marquardt pecan. 

41. Hybrid walnut. (Siebold x Persian). Tree riddled by walnut weevilevery year hopelessly. 

42. Taylor shagbark hickory grafted on shagbark stock. I fill thecavities with paraffin and turpentine. There are three or four nuts leftin the top of the tree. The tree has borne nuts for three years. 

43. Pinus edulis. 

44. Marquardt pecan on bitternut. 

45. Dead hybrid hickory, grafted to Beaver hybrid. Grafts made enormousgrowth in first year--10 feet for some grafts. All blew out in oneminute of hurricane in advance of thunder storm. 

46. Bartlett hazel grafted on common hazel. There are a number of deadends, caused by a small worm you can hardly see. 

47. Chinese chestnut. Blighted at foot of trunk but the tree continuesto bear. 

48. Garritson persimmon. Best of all varieties called seedless, but thelarge staminate tree nearby spoils that feature. It is about five yearsold, and bears very regularly and heavily. The stock came from Mr. Jones. 

49. Early Golden persimmon. Carries one graft of Everhart seedlessvariety on lowest large branch. 

50. Hybrid walnut. Juglans nigra. I do not remember which parent I used. 

51. Pignolia nut pine. _Pignolia pinea. _ It is a seedling. You can buypignolia nuts in Europe for food everywhere. 

52. Hardy soft-shelled almond. I do not know the variety as the label islost; but the tree was put there about 3 or 4 years ago. It came fromthe Government. 

58. Deming purple walnut. I think Dr. Deming can best tell you aboutthis. 

DR. DEMING: It grows on the side of the road between Norwalk andDanbury, where the very large black walnut tree is, 15 feet incircumference, said to be the largest in Connecticut. This purplevariety has nuts with a brownish red involucre showing sharply againstthe green leaves. The young foliage is purplish red, and the cambium andthe pellicle of the kernels are purple. It is a very fair nut and thetree is very striking when it starts in spring with the beautiful tuftsof leaves. 

DR. MORRIS: It may be a valuable wood for cabinet-makers. Every part ofthe wood is purple. There are two purple trees. The smaller tree isevidently a seedling of the larger. 

54. Young Major pecan. 

55. Webb Persian walnut on American walnut stock. The nuts are enormousand of Alpine type of good quality. You saw some of these yesterdayamong those brought in by Prof. Neilson. You sometimes see these in theFrench market where they are called "Argonne. " I picked this up inGreenwood. It has many nuts this year and this is the second crop ofleaves. 

56. Busseron pecan. This had a full crop of flowers this year, bothstaminate and pistillate. 

57. Appomattox pecan, from the James River in Virginia. This and fourother kinds of pecans would have borne nuts this year excepting fordefoliation. It is a handsome tree and will bear next year. 

58. Seedling filbert. About six years old. 

59. Daviana filbert from Europe. Many people call them "hazels, " but Ithink we should call them "filberts. "

60. Josephine persimmon. It has borne heavily every year except thisyear. It still has some leaves left. Some people are very fond of thefruit. I do not like that as well as the Garretson. It is a bigpersimmon and a very good one. The fruit stays on until late Novemberand December. I think the Garretson is the best persimmon I have everhad. 

61. Lambert persimmon. Largest fruited American kind. 

62. Japanese persimmon, planted between the rocks for protection fromwind in winter, and from heat in summer. Hardy now for two years but ofslow growth. 

63. Beaver grafted on bitternut. 

64. Weiker hybrid hickory on shagbark stock. 

65. European filbert grafted upon common hazel stock. The squirrels havelived on it. I can count 7 nuts left. I made grafts more than a footlong. It was planted three years ago. I could show you several hundredtrees bearing heavily this year, and on all of them we lost the firstcrop of leaves. 

66. Beaver grafted Nov. 5, 1922, on bitternut. 

DR. ZIMMERMAN: Will they live when grafted at any time throughout theyear?

DR. MORRIS: I would not be afraid to graft anything at any time of theyear. 

67. Taylor shagbark grafted July 21, 1924. Probably mockernut stock. Growth slow but sure. 

68. Wild beak hazel. Nuts not so good as those of common hazel. 

69. Bitternut top-worked to Beaver. 

70. Hazel, patch-grafted here and there with Bony Bush filbert. Thelarger and darker leaves are Bony Bush. 

71. Leonard shagbark grafted on stock probably shagbark. Nut very small, thin shelled, highest quality and keeps for four years without becomingrancid. 

72. Shagbark top-worked to Taylor variety, but only a few grafts. Toomuch work for a tree of this size. 

73. Pleas hybrid pecan on butternut stock. 

74. Bitternut top-worked to Beaver. 

75. Here is a very interesting object lesson. No. 74 is a bitternuttop-worked to Beaver, and all doing well. The same day, with the samegraft, I top-worked this pignut. The pignut refused the graft and diedinsulted. But another stock from the same root accepted Marquardt. 

76. Bitternut stock accepting Marquardt pecan tardily. 

77. Here is another form of borer. I treat them in this way: Cut away alittle of the hole, pour in the chloroform and stop up the hole withsoap. That will kill all of the borers in the tree. 

78. Grafts of Laney hybrid hickory on bitternut. 

79. Group of four filberts--not blighting, but not thriving this year orlast. Reason unknown. Soil is heavy clay hardpan near top. Top swampy inspring. 

80. Taylor shagbark on bitternut. 

81. Taylor shagbark on shagbark stock. 

82. Bitternut grafted to Lucado pecan. Grafts grew well for two summers, but died in second winter. 

83. One poor graft of pecan on bitternut. 

84. Pleas hybrid pecan. 

85. Merribrooke chestnut grafted upon Chinese chestnut sprouts. 

DR. ZIMMERMAN: Have you been able to bud chestnuts successfully?

DR. MORRIS: Yes. 

86. Daviana filbert. 

87. Hybrid hazel. (_Colurna x Americana_). 

88. Avellana hazel. Variety _Contorta_. 

89. Siebold walnut. _Parthenogen. _

90. Hybrid chinkapin. (C. Pumila x C. Dentata). Grafted to anotherhybrid, but stock now blighting. 

91. One of a series of chinkapins, natural or hybrids, grafted over toother hybrids or to the Merribrooke variety of American sweet chestnut. Some are blighting. 

92. Original Bony-Bush hazel. Blighting moderately. Treatment for blightnot followed because of wish to note the degree of resistance. 

That bush was named by Dr. J. Russell Smith. The nut is remarkably thinshelled, very long and curious in form. 

93. Chinkapin, not grafted. These bear heavily every yearnotwithstanding the blight. From the same root common chinkapin willkeep on bearing year after year. When one stock blights another takesits place so that heavy continuous bearing is the rule. 

94. Original No. 1 Morris hybrid chinkapin. (C. Pumila x C. Dentata). Nuts of size and quality of American sweet chestnut. Tree blighted inits 13th year after bearing crops for 8 or 9 years. New stump sproutsnow growing. 

(Note: At this time, the guests were called to the lawn back of thehouse, where a luncheon was served by Mrs. Morris. The tables were laidsumptuously, and all enjoyed it the more because of the surroundings, where trees on one side bent over a clear trout-stream, and elsewhereold-fashioned gardens splashed colors over the green background. )

BUSINESS SESSION

Held on Third Day

(Note: It was planned that this session should be held during theafternoon of the third day, after the trip through Dr. Morris's estate. However, while the members were exploring deep in a wooded portion ofMerribrooke, a sudden downpour of rain occurred. The nearest shelter wasfound to be the barn, where the members agreed that the followingsession should be held, since it was not possible to reach the mainhouse. All members were standing during the session, including thereporter who wrote with the notebook resting against one of Dr. Morris'scars. )

Session called to order by President Weber. 

DR. SMITH: There should be added to the by-laws the following amendment:

ARTICLE V. Members all be sent a notification of annual dues at the timethey are due, and if not paid within two months thereafter they shall besent a _second notice_, telling them that they are not in good standingon account of non-payment of dues, and are not entitled to receive theannual report. 

At the end of thirty days from the sending of the second notice, a_third notice_ shall be sent, notifying such members that unless duesare paid within ten days from receipt of this notice, their names willbe dropped from the rolls for non-payment of dues. 

_The President_: The motion has been seconded; all in favor pleasesignify by saying "Aye. "

(Vote carried unanimously). 

_The Secretary_: The association should have a fiscal year. Shall wediscuss this or will the president authorize the secretary and thetreasurer to agree upon a date most convenient to them for the beginningof the fiscal year?

MR. REED: I move that we leave this to the discretion of the secretaryand the treasurer. 

THE PRESIDENT: All in favor of the motion, please signify. 

(Voted as presented). 

THE SECRETARY: I move that combination membership in the Associationwith subscription to the American Nut Journal be $4. 50, a deduction of25 cents each by the Association and the Journal. 

THE PRESIDENT: All in favor of the motion please so indicate. 

(Motion carried). 

THE SECRETARY: The next thing is to elect new officers. 

THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Reed will please read the report of the Committee onNominations. 

MR. REED: The making of this report was one of both great pleasure andof extreme regret. Since Dr. Deming has found that it will not bepossible for him to continue as secretary, the following names areoffered:

 President--Harry R. Weber. Vice-President--Mrs. W. D. Ellwanger. Secretary--Mrs. B. W. Gahn. Treasurer--H. J. Hilliard. 

THE PRESIDENT: Are there any exceptions to this? Will those who are infavor please so state?

(Election carried unanimously). 

DR. SMITH: Dr. Deming's retiring from the secretaryship is a matterwhich all old-timers will regret, and I want to move that thisassociation record in its proceedings the fullest appreciation of hisgreat and faithful service in helping to carry the organization throughso many years. I do not know what we would have done without his serviceand it is with great regret that we see him step aside. 

(Motion seconded and unanimously carried). 

DR. DEMING: I wish to express my gratitude to the members for theirkindness, but I also wish to say that although I have stepped aside, Ihave not entirely passed away. I am still with you and I shall alwaysgive the association the best of my efforts in whatever way they may beneeded; its interests shall always be dear to me. 

DR. MORRIS: It seems to me that we have an object lesson here. Exceptingfor Dr. Deming's efforts I doubt whether this organization could haveheld together and worked harmoniously during its years of existence. Hehas been the key-note of the work with which others have helped, and wehave been successful because of concerted work on the part of a numberof men who are looking forward to the great future of this newagriculture, this new source of agriculture for the entire world, wherein we are going to be able to depend upon the sub-soil for oursustenance. It is through untiring work and self sacrifice that thosewho are so interested in this work have been able to work as a massunit. I do not know of anything more that I could say. 

THE PRESIDENT: I am sure that we all regret to see Dr. Deming stepaside, but we will still have him with us and I am very sure that hewill do all possible for the good of the association always. 

DR. DEMING: I stated a few moments ago that although I had stepped asideI had not passed away; but since then I have changed my mind. I believethat I have entirely passed away. 

DR. SMITH: I move a resolution of great appreciation for Dr. Morris'sand Mrs. Morris's hospitality to us, and for enabling us to enjoy thebeautiful day we have had here. 

(Motion seconded and unanimously passed). 

THE PRESIDENT: Dr. Morris, you now have notice of the official action ofthe association in their desire to thank you. 

DR. MORRIS: I thank you, but I must say that I have had very little todo with it; I may have made the suggestion, but the women always do allof the work and in this case my wife and daughters have done it all. 

THE PRESIDENT: We have not yet decided on the place for our nextconvention. I would like to have your ideas. 

DR. MORRIS: I had three ideas as to that; one is to go to Mr. Riehl'splace next year. Prof. Colby said that if we should, he would assume theresponsibility of the committee on arrangements. We are first to ask Mr. Riehl whether it would be in accordance with his ideas and wishes. 

The second idea is this. We saw yesterday only a small part of Mr. Bixby's exhibit, one of the finest collections in the world. We shouldhave to spend more than a day there to see it satisfactorily. Inconnection with a visit to the Hick's nurseries, and others in thevicinity, it would take more than a day. 

The third idea is to go again to Lancaster to see Mr. Jones' nursery andother things in that vicinity. It seems to me that we must make a choicebetween these three. 

MR. JONES: I would be very glad to have you come to Lancaster. 

DR. MORRIS: The objection to that is that Mr. Riehl is now 86 years ofage. In view of that our first choice ought to be Mr. Riehl's place. 

DR. SMITH: I move that, if it prove acceptable to Mr. Riehl, we meet inwestern Illinois. 

MR. JONES: Why not add, "If that is not satisfactory, to go toLancaster?"

DR. MORRIS: We should go back to Long Island next year and complete whatwe did not see this year, if we do not go to Mr. Riehl's. 

THE SECRETARY: The Secretary has received from the St. Louis Chamber ofCommerce an invitation worded with rather more cordiality than usual tohold our next convention in St. Louis. They offer to provide a meetingplace, speakers, publicity, to do all except give the cash prizes andentertainment. I do not know exactly how far St. Louis is from Alton, but I understand it is one hour's ride by rail. 

MR. REED: We could also see the Botanical Garden and the collection oflarge trees. 

THE PRESIDENT: I think the sentiment is in favor of the western meeting. We can easily get to Mr. Riehl's place from St. Louis. 

MR. REED: It is 22 miles from St. Louis to Alton, and there you canchange and go to Mr. Riehl's. I think it best to go to St. Louis for theconvention and to take a day at Mr. Riehl's place. 

THE SECRETARY: As to the date we would not be able to decide upon thatwithout first consulting Mr. Riehl and learning the time convenient forhim. However, we should express our opinion as to the best time, approximately. 

MR. REED: I believe it would be to the advantage of the organization togo there at a time when the nuts are on the trees. We have seen thespecies and varieties in bearing, but we have not seen a paying orchardready for harvest. I believe we should have the meeting about September10, or a little later. 

THE PRESIDENT: Then we will move that the convention next year be heldat St. Louis on September 10, or a little later as may be decided by theExecutive Committee after consultation with Mr. Riehl. 

(Motion put, voted and carried). 

DR. MORRIS: Another important matter is in regard to publicity. For thismeeting I have sent notes to about 15 different publications, expectingthat they would give us notices. Not a single one of them gave usnotices. This morning one of the reporters called me and said he wassorry he could not be here as he had an important meeting to attend. Hewanted to know what the Northern Nut Growers' Association was like, ifit was something like the Tree Planting Association. The fact is thatpeople do not understand, as yet, the meaning of this association or itspurpose. They do not realize that California sends 25, 000 tons ofwalnuts to market, worth millions of dollars, and 10, 000 tons of almondsthis year. They don't realize that down in Georgia, in the poor, punypinewoods where men had a hard time to make a living at one time, theyare now riding around in limousines because they are growing nuts. Theydo not realize the enormous social and economic importance andconsequence of work of the nut growers of today in the part that theyplay in the agriculture of the world for tomorrow. The newspapers wouldrather send some representative to see a prince fall down with hishorse. But I know from mutual acquaintances that the Prince would ratherbe with us here today at this meeting than to be listening to a thousandand one nonentities and taking part in conversations with no futuremeaning. I believe that if I had thought about inviting him in time Ishould have had him out here. I have had experience with members ofroyalty before and I know what serious-minded people they are. 

The next subject discussed was that of dropping members who are not ingeneral good standing. After the discussion the decision stood that noaction could be taken unless specific charges against the member werepresented and proven true. 

Another matter discussed was that of compensation to Mrs. Gahn for doingsecretarial work for the association. It was voted by those present thatshe should be compensated, but the amount of compensation should be leftto the decision of the Executive Committee. 

The President adjourned the session sine die, at 4 p. M. 

Because of lack of time, several papers were not read. These areincluded herewith:

NUTS

_By Hon. Royal S. Copeland, U. S. Senator from N. Y. _

Whenever there is a peculiar individual in the community, he is apt tobe called a "nut. " As ordinarily used this is a term of derision, butthe more one studies the value of the nut the more he is impressed withthe idea that this isn't a good word to apply to an abnormal individual, unless he happens to be abnormally good. The nut is one of the best ofthe products of nature. It is one of the oldest of foods, and amongcertain animals it is almost the only food depended upon for health andgrowth. 

If Mr. Bryan is mistaken about the origin of man, and if his antagonistsare right, the natural ancestors of the human race were all nut eaters. At least the gorillas and chimpanzees are fond of the nut. When we goback to the early history of the Greeks and the early inhabitants ofGreat Britain, we find that they depended largely upon the acorn forfood. 

When measured by the caloric method it is surprising how much richer innourishment the nut is than almost every other food substance. Nutsaverage about ten times as many calories per pound as the richestvegetables. 

It makes you hungry to hear the names of the nuts. In this country wehave the walnut, butternut, hazel nut and the hickory nut, the chestnutand the beechnut. These are native to our land. Then there arecultivated orchards of Persian walnuts, pecans, almonds and peanuts. 

Christmas and Thanksgiving would be a failure without nuts; they are apart of the hospitable fare and no stocking is well filled at Christmastime unless a handful of nuts is added to the surprises. 

Isn't it amazing what popular ideas there are in existence about thedigestibility of foods. Many of these are fallacious. For instance, itis common belief that nuts are difficult to digest. This is not wellfounded. Of course nuts like all foods which are used as a part of thedessert are considered merely as an addition to the meal, and not a partof the meal structure. You finish your meal, having eaten everything youneed and having filled your stomach, then you are given a dish of icecream and, perhaps, after that the nuts are passed. They taste so goodthat you are tempted to take one more about ten times. You fail to chewthe nut thoroughly and you crowd it into an already overfilled stomach. Because it happens to be the first thing to come up in case of disasteryou jump at the illogical conclusion that your indigestion is due to thenuts. I need not tell you how unscientific is your conviction. 

Several varieties of nuts are used for the making of nut butter, andthis food is a very excellent substitute for meat. 

Certainly nuts have material advantage over a good many foods. They keepindefinitely. They never putrefy. They are not infested with harmfulbacteria. You can never get tape-worm or any other parasitic trouble, which occasionally follows the eating of infected food. 

I am glad there are societies organized to propagate the nut. Aprominent concern of New York City is very active in promulgating thevalue of the nut, and is encouraging the planting of nut trees. 

Somebody has estimated that there are three million miles of countryroads, and that if nut trees were planted alongside these roads therewould be enough protein food for the entire population. 

Nuts are rich in protein, lime, iron and vitamins. 

Many dishes may be made from the nut which have the appearance andflavoring of meat, without the objectionable effects of flesh diet. 

Last year we imported twenty-five million pounds of almonds, fortymillion pounds of Brazil nuts, eighteen million pounds of filberts, andforty-four million pounds of walnuts, --about twenty million dollarsworth of these nuts were brought into the country. 

This shows that there is some appreciation certainly of an article offood which deserves to be even more commonly used than it is at present. 

HARDINESS IN NUT TREES

_By C. A. Reed, U. S. Department of Agriculture_

Nut trees of most species commonly thrive at both latitudes andaltitudes much greater than the limits of regular or even frequent cropproduction. This fact is seldom fully appreciated by prospectiveplanters, particularly in the North, who, not unnaturally, assume thatthe presence of a group of vigorous appearing trees, or even of a singletree, particularly in a fruitful year, is sufficient evidence of localhardiness to justify commercial planting. However, practically all ofour native species of nut-bearing trees are indigenous well beyond therange of regular crop production. This is made possible by occasionalseasons favorable to seed production which enable such species toreproduce themselves. A crop once in a quarter century would besufficient for this purpose. 

Taking the pecan as an illustration of how a species may be affected bylatitude, it has been found that, as the limits of hardiness areapproached, the ill effects on the species in approximate order are:

 (1) reduction in size of nut, especially with oblong varieties in length, (2) increased proportion of faulty kernels, (3) increased irregularity of crop, (4) practical crop failure, and lastly the (5) partial, then complete, destruction of the tree. 

On the other hand, the fact that a tree is subject to occasional winterinjury, or that it bears irregularly, or not at all in a particularsite, is not necessarily to be taken that the same tree in a differentsite or under slightly changed environment would not performsatisfactorily, even in the same locality. A change in exposure or ofcultural treatment, or of rootstock, or of variety, or a modifiedassociation of varieties, might and frequently does bring about entirelydifferent results. Sometimes a southern exposure causes trees to respondto mild weather, in winter or early spring, and to be caught bysubsequent, violent drops in temperature. Some of the best known andbest performing Persian walnut trees in the East are on a northwesternexposure, yet the species is commonly not hardy in the temperateportions of this country. 

To a certain extent the ability of orchard trees to withstand frostinjury is subject to control. The danger is greatest with trees whichhave grown late or those which have become devitalized for some reasonor with those which are in poorly drained soils. The kind of root stockwhich has been used, is known to have had an influence in some cases. Doubtless this will be better understood as different stocks are used bythe leaders in pecan breeding. Varieties also are known to differgreatly in their degree of hardiness. However, failure upon the part ofotherwise normal trees to bear paying crops with regularity is notnecessarily due to low temperatures. Other factors, such asself-sterility, may be wholly responsible for at least the lightness ofcrops. 

So far as the orchardist is concerned, a tree is not hardy unless it iscapable of bearing crops the average of which are profitable. On theother hand, occasional winter injury does not prove that a speciescannot be grown successfully in the same locality. Neither the peach northe apple industries of the North nor those of the citrus in the Southand California nor, in fact, any of the other horticultural commoditiesof this country are wholly unaffected by frost damage. Our forest treesmay be more subject to winter killing than we suspect. A certain amountof winter-injury is to be expected in any part of the country no matterwhat the species of plant may be. 

The frequency with which winter or spring injury is definitely known tooccur gives color to a rising theory that freezing temperatures may playa vastly greater part in the development of the nut industry over theentire country than is commonly supposed. Much of the evidence of damagefrom this cause is of such nature as to be easily overlooked orattributed to other causes. Trees and plants of many kinds have becomeso accustomed to injury by freezing that they are able to recoverwithout the injury always being apparent. A few illustrations of thiswhich have come to the writer's attention might be cited. 

In December 1919, a sudden drop in temperature of from 32°F to 24°Foccurred at McMinnville, Oregon, with fatal result to cultivated treesand shrubs of many kinds. The damage was greatest in flat bottoms, especially those where neither land nor air drainage was good. Undersuch conditions, numerous apple orchards were killed outright. Prunesand Persian walnuts were so badly injured to the snow-line thatsubsequently great numbers of trees were cut down. Both staminate andpistillate buds of filberts above the snow were practically alldestroyed. Later on, the entire tops of many of the older-bearingfilbert trees succumbed. An instance of particular interest, in so faras this discussion is concerned, was afforded by the behavior of ashagbark hickory tree in McMinnville, some 20 or 30 years old, which hadbeen grown from a Missouri seed. In February, when examination was madeof the condition of this tree, it was found that all visible buds hadbeen killed, yet the bark on the branches between the buds was inapparently perfect condition. The question as to what the tree would do, therefore, became one of great interest. The following September, whenrevisited, this tree was found to have such a wealth of luxuriantfoliage that the observer felt that the accuracy of his February recordswas challenged. However, closer inspection showed that growth hadentirely taken place from adventitious buds, and that the dead buds andspurs were still in evidence. There were no nuts on the tree butotherwise the casual observer would not have suspected that the tree hadbeen affected in any way. In all likelihood, the owner of the tree woulddeny that it had been injured. 

Another case of somewhat similar kind occurred early during the presentyear in a pecan orchard in South Georgia. The trees had been set in1917, and in 1919, a portion selected by the Bureau of Plant Industryfor conducting a series of fertilizer and cover-crop experiments. Thesummer of 1923 was extremely dry. This was followed by warm rains in thelate fall and early winter. On January 6, during a period of high wind, the mercury dropped to within a few degrees of zero, official reportsrecording temperatures of from 6 to 8 degrees above zero at variousnearby stations. 

On March 31, Dr. J. J. Skinner, of the Office of Soil FertilityInvestigations, in attending to the spring fertilizer applications, discovered that a high proportion of the trees had been badly winterinjured, as indicated by the usual characteristic evidence. Theseincluded a considerable exudence of sour and frothy sap from the trunksof the trees, particularly those having smooth bark. This invariablyoccurred on the west side. Shot-hole borers, which not infrequentlyfollow such injury, were already at work. 

This situation was at once called to the attention of the owner of theorchard who lived some 50 miles away. He replied that although he madefrequent visits to the orchard, the matter had not attracted hisattention, nor had it been reported to him. On April 17, he inspectedthe orchard and the day following, reported to the Bureau by specialdelivery that as a result of a rather hasty inspection, he was convincedthat from 16 to 20 per cent of the trees in the experimental tract wereinjured, but that in the rest of this orchard the injury wasinsignificant, probably not exceeding 4 per cent. His not unnaturaldeduction was that the high fertilization of the soil in theexperimental tract had caused tender growth which, under the extremeconditions of the previous months, had been unable to survive. 

On April 24, a careful record of the condition of all trees in thistract and of a representative number of those in adjacent parts of theorchard, was made by Mr. J. L. Pelham of the Bureau of Plant Industryand the writer, in company with the owner of the orchard and hissuperintendent. It was found that in the experimental tract, 50 per centof the trees had been visibly injured, thus exceeding the owner'smaximum estimate by about 30 per cent. Of the total number of trees, 20per cent were regarded as being slightly injured, and 30 per centseverely so. Of the fertilized trees within the experimental tract, 55per cent showed injury to some degree as compared with 58 per cent ofthe trees unfertilized, also within the tract. 

Inspection of the trees outside of the experimental tract showed that52. 6 per cent were affected, 40. 8 per cent being slightly, and 11. 8 percent severely injured. A second inspection made June 9 showed thatwhile a few of the most severely injured trees had succumbed, theapparent condition of the majority was greatly improved. In theexperimental tract 6 per cent were dead, 13. 50 per cent in doubtfulcondition, and 80. 25 per cent were apparently in good condition. Of thetrees in outside tracts, the percentage dead, doubtful and apparentlysound were 2. 80, 9. 008 and 87. 42, respectively. 

The lesson of present importance from this narrative is that afforded bythe illustration not only of the ease with which the matter all butescaped the attention of a careful grower but of the difficulty of evenimpressing upon him the full gravity of the situation. In spite of aprejudice which he conceded was in his mind, when he first inspected thetrees on April 17, he underestimated the number affected by fromone-third to one-half. 

This grower was not alone in his failure to detect evidence of winterinjury as was subsequently proven by the negative replies to a generalinquiry to growers in many sections sent out in May, together withnumerous reports of severe injury received during June and early July. The fact is that winter injury was more or less general in the pecanorchards of much of the South. Had it been possible to observe further, it is highly probable that a direct relation would have been foundbetween this damage and the lightness in the set of the crop of nuts in1924 over the general pecan district. 

Other instances of damages to nut trees which have largely escapednotice might be cited, but these will perhaps be sufficient to callsimilar cases to the minds of other observers. Of particular interest inthe northern part of the country are specific instances of the behaviorof individual species and their varieties with reference to ability towithstand local climatic conditions. To cite a few: Mr. E. A. Riehl, ofGodfrey, Ill. , 8 miles from Alton, reports that during his 60 years ofresidence on a high bluff overlooking the Mississippi, the pecan treesin the river bottoms of the immediate neighborhood have fruited withexceeding irregularity. A correspondent from Evansville, who cleared 200acres of forest land along the Ohio of all growth other than pecan, reports that the yields have been disappointing. F. W. McReynolds ofWashington, D. C. Has 50 or more grafted trees now 8 or 10 years old, 10miles north of the District, which, although in otherwise thriftycondition, have not fruited. 

T. P. Littlepage of Washington, D. C. , has some 30 acres of pecan trees, also grafted, on his farm near Bowie, Md. , which have borne some nutsduring the last three years, but the product has been undersized, poorly-filled and distinctly inferior. Mr. Littlepage reports thatduring the past spring, these trees suffered appreciable injury in thefreezing back of the fruit spurs and that the nuts which formed werefrom a second set of spurs. His trees bore in the neighborhood of abushel of nuts which looked more promising than usual until the middleof October when freezing temperature occurring between the 14th and the24th, completely destroyed the crop. At Bell Station, near Glenndale, Md. , about three miles nearer Washington than Bowie, at Marietta, acolonial plantation, there is a clump of pecan trees dating back to thedays of Thomas Jefferson. These are apparently hardy except in thematter of yields. Dr. M. B. Waite, of the Bureau of Plant Industry, whohas long known these trees, states that they bore heavily in one year, about 1912, but that since that time, they have borne very little. 

On the other hand, Mr. Albert Stabler of Washington, has 6 or 8 trees ofvarieties similar to those in the plantings of Messrs. Littlepage andMcReynolds and of about the same age, on a farm not far from that of thelatter, one variety of which, Major, in 1923 bore some very fair qualitynuts. Although small, they were typical for that variety both in respectto size and high quality. The crop of 1924 was practically a failure, the set being very light. In the test orchard of Mr. J. F. Jones ofLancaster, Pa. , young trees of several of the better known varieties aremaking a good start in the way of beginning to yield and in showing noappreciable signs of winter injury. Most of these trees bore light cropslast year, (1923) but are practically barren this year. 

South of Waynesboro, Pa. , on a farm belonging to Mr. G. H. Lesher, thereare 7 seedling pecan trees some 50 years old, which not only show nosigns of winter injury outwardly visible, but have the reputation ofbearing fairly well on alternate years. The present (1924) being thefavorable year, the trees had a good sprinkling of nuts in clusters ofas many as 5 each, when seen on July 23. A few miles farther north, inthe town of Mont Alto, at an altitude of about 1000 feet, near thelocation of the State Forestry School of Pennsylvania, another tree saidto be 65 years old, and having a girth at breast height of 65 inches, onthe residence grounds of Mr. H. B. Verdeer, is apparently as hardy asare the indigenous species of the neighborhood. It is claimed to haverecently borne three pecks of nuts in a single season, and it now has avery good crop. Numerous other instances of pecan trees in the Northmight be cited, but these suffice to establish not only the uncertaintyof hardiness of the pecan in the North, but also the probability of nutcrops in occasional years or oftener, well beyond the generally acceptedrange of the species. 

The hardiness of the Persian walnut is difficult to define. To againquote Dr. Waite, "_Juglans regia_, as we know it in the east and north, frequently succeeds over long intervals of time under conditions ofclimate, soil, elevation, and general environment suitable for thepeach. It is perhaps a trifle more subject to injury by radical drops intemperature, but it recuperates with decidedly greater difficulty. " Dr. Waite points out that there is a striking similarity between therequirements of local environment of the Persian walnut and the sweetcherry. It develops that this is a familiar comparison in southwesternBritish Columbia. Both require good drainage of air and soil, or thebenefit of moderating influence such as is afforded by large bodies ofwater. Also both are endangered by warm spells during the dormantmonths. 

These statements cover the situation quite correctly, as it is seen bythe writer, although it might be added that beyond or west of the OhioRiver, in the middle portion of the country, this species is seldom ableto survive for more than one or two winters. Many trees have beenplanted in Michigan, but the great majority have passed out entirelyeven where peaches normally succeed. However, it is the experience of afew growers in Sanilac County, bordering Lake Huron, that within a halfmile of the lake, there is a greater profit in Persian walnuts than inpeaches. One grower at Lockport, New York, has found Persian walnuts topay better than other orchard crops which he has raised at equal expenseor upon equal areas of land. An orchard at East Avon, widely known atone time and visited by the Northern Nut Growers' Association in 1915, practically succumbed entirely after having borne but one good crop inabout 35 years. Mr. F. A. Bartlett, of Stamford, Conn. , who knowsintimately many dozen trees of this species within a radius of 50 milesof New York City, finds that few bear significant crops except at longintervals. From Stamford, Conn. , near the Atlantic Seaboard, south toNorfolk, Va. , Persian walnut trees are not uncommon in door-yards. Theyare fairly frequent in southern Pennsylvania west over practically halfthe length of the State and through Maryland west to Hagerstown. Thereare perhaps more productive trees in Lancaster County, than in any othercounty in either Pennsylvania or Maryland, with the possible exceptionof some county of the Eastern Shore of the latter state, which sectionalready has been referred to. In Lancaster county yields are sufficientto give considerable profit from trees not occupying expensive land. 

The Japanese walnut affords a curious analogy in regard to hardiness. During normal years, it succeeds over practically the same range as thatof the black walnut, yet it freezes in early fall, mild winter or latespring when conditions are adverse, even when black walnut and pecannearby are not visibly affected. Mr. Jones finds the Lancaster heartnut, a variety originating in his county, to be subject to injury by springfreezing to such an extent that he has largely discontinued itspropagation. Mr. Edwin A. Surprise, of Boston, reports that this varietygrows well in summer but freezes back in winter about as much as itgrows in summer. Mr. Bartlett regards it as one of the most valuableacquisitions in his nut planting at Stamford, Conn. , as it is ahandsome, vigorous grower, and promises to bear well. As a safer varietyin the Lancaster district Mr. Jones has substituted the Faust fromBamberg, S. C. , which vegetates later in spring and thus far has provedless subject to injury. 

The twigs of young black walnut trees are occasionally injured byfreezing in winter, but recorded instances of such damage are rare. Thisis a field which should be investigated, as there is evidently no datashowing even the regularity with which the black walnut bears in anysection, much less the extent to which fruiting is restricted bydestruction of the buds or spurs as a result of severe temperatures inwinter or spring. This also applies to hardiness of the butternut, thehickories and of introduced species of chestnut. 

In conclusion, it is pointed out that planters should not assume thatthe presence of a healthy tree is proof of sufficient hardiness towarrant extensive plantings, neither should they over-look the fact thatan occasional satisfactory crop may be but slim evidence of commercialpossibilities. It requires years of trial before a species or varietycan fully establish its hardiness. Yet, on the other hand, to wait tofind a kind of nut a hundred per cent hardy under all conditions, wouldbe not to plant at all. No varieties of any species are immune to winterinjury over any great portion of the United States. The planting of nuttrees in the northern part of the country is certain to go forward, butfor the present, east of the Rockies, large orchards of nut trees of anyspecies or variety must be regarded as fields promising forexperimentation rather than of sound commercial investment. 

A common error in the minds of the American people is the assumptionthat to be a success, a thing must be performed upon a large scale. Todevelop a nut industry, it is imagined that there must be great orchardsof hundreds of acres. It is not realized that a great proportion of thewalnuts, almonds, filberts, and chestnuts annually imported from Europe, are from roadside, hillside and door-yard trees which could as well havebeen grown in this country on what is now idle land in thickly populatedagricultural districts. No one need expect to attain great wealth fromthe products of door-yard or waste land trees but the by-product whichcould readily be salvaged from nut trees, would likely be veryacceptable when interest and taxes or other bills come due. 

WALNUT GRAFTING INVESTIGATIONS

_T. J. Talbert, Professor of Horticulture, University of Missouri, College of Agriculture_

These investigations are to determine the best varieties of the improvedblack walnut for Missouri. Valuable information is also being procuredin reference to the topworking or cleft grafting of the native seedlingblack walnut to the improved sorts. 

Since practically every Missouri farm contains some waste land uponwhich the native walnut and other nut trees may be growing, it isbelieved that it is possible to topwork these seedling sorts to improvedkinds which will not only supply a larger quantity of thinner shelled, more highly flavored nuts for home use, but a surplus for the market. There is a growing demand for the seedling black walnut. 

At the present time Missouri leads all other states in the production ofthis nut. The results which are being obtained in this experiment areproving to be of unusual interest and profit to Missouri growers. 

The investigation has been extended to include, besides black walnuts, pecans, hickories, hazel nuts, chinkapins and chestnuts. With each ofthese nuts our object is to determine better varieties for Missouriconditions, more profitable and economical methods of production andmore satisfactory methods of culture, as well as to stimulate aninterest in the marketing and larger use of these products. 

The improved varieties of seedling black walnut have been found to beexceedingly easy to propagate by cleft grafting the native or commonseedlings. The cleft graft has been used successfully upon seedlingtrees ranging in diameter from 1-1/2 inches to as much as 8 or 10inches. In general, however, it has been found best to cleft graftbranches or limbs of no greater diameter than from 4 to 6 inches. Suchwounds, if properly handled, usually heal over completely within 3 or 4years. When larger branches are used, decay is much more apt to developin the wound before healing over is accomplished. 

The cleft grafting work is accomplished in the usual way. The limb orbranch is removed by sawing it off. The end of the branch is then splitwith a regular grafting implement used for this purpose; or the work maybe accomplished with an axe. If the branch is large a wedge is driven inthe center to hold the split cavity apart and to relieve the pressureupon the scions which are to be inserted. Wood of the last season'sgrowth is procured from the variety which it is desired to propagate andthe lower end of the scion, which is made about 4 inches long, iswhittled to a wedge shape, after which it is inserted in the slit madeupon the stock. Where the stock is more than 2 inches in diameter, it isusually advisable to place 2 scions; and where the stock is as large as4 to 6 inches or more in diameter 4 scions should generally be used. After the placing of the scions all the cut surfaces should be carefullycovered with grafting wax. Paper sacks are often used in ourexperimental work to cover the grafts and cut surfaces for a week or 10days. It has been found that the inclosing of the grafted branches inpaper sacks for this period lessens greatly the evaporation, and more ofthe inserted scions are apt to grow. 

The scions may grow very rapidly, in which case it is usually necessaryto brace them by tying a stick or branch to the stock and allowing it toextend for 2 or 3 feet above the point at which the grafting work wasdone. The inserted scions are then tied to this support. It is veryimportant that the grower examine grafts after wind storms in order torepair damage which may have been done. 

Investigations at this station have shown that grafts usually bear fruitin 4 years after the grafting operation. We receive some fruit, occasionally, in 3 years after the work is performed. It is alsointeresting to note that when seedling walnuts of the same size areselected, some topworked and others untreated, the grafted trees after 5years' growth generally grow tops equally as large as the tops of theungrafted trees. 

The principal improved varieties of black walnut which are being used atthis Station are as follows: Stabler, Ohio, Thomas and Ten Eyck. 

(Note by the editor. --The cleft graft described by Prof. Talbert hasbeen superseded in the East by other methods, chiefly the bark and themodified cleft grafts). 

CARE AND PREPARATION OF NUTS FOR SEED PURPOSES

_By Prof. E. R. Lake, U. S. Department of Agriculture_

A nut is a seed, and a seed, normally, is an embryo plant asleep. Tokeep a nut-seed asleep and safely resting against the favorable timewhen it may awake, arise and go forth, as a vigorous seedling bent upona career of earth conquest, requires no great or unusual attention andcare save that which is necessary to maintain such conditions as willinsure the complete maturing, ripening and curing of the seed, itsprotection against the ravages of rodents or other nut-eating animals, undue moisture and an unfavorably high temperature. In other wordsharvest the nuts as soon after they are mature as is possible, insuretheir complete curing, store them where they will be kept constantly socool that germination cannot take place, and some nuts, as the blackwalnut and butternut, may germinate at a temperature just above zero(centigrade(?) Ed. ) and keep them moist enough to prevent unduehardening of the tissues or enclosing structures (shell), at the sametime prevent them from becoming saturated with moisture and thusrotting. Summarized, these conditions are: (a) a temperature just toolow for vegetative activity. (b) A moisture content of the nut justbelow turgidity. (c) An immunity against ants, rats, mice and squirrels. 

_Curing. _ A man-devised method for hastening the ripening of a maturedseed or fruit, is usually carried on in a more or less enclosed spacewhere the moisture and temperature conditions are kept carefullyregulated, or in a place where the seeds are kept away from directcontact with sunlight and the earth. Ordinarily, the nuts are placed intrays 2" to 3" deep, 2' to 2-1/2' wide and 5' to 6' long. The bottomtray is then placed upon a pair of sawhorses or other device, in a shadyplace and 2' to 2-1/2' above the ground then the other trays are placedon and above the first one until all the nuts are in the tier of trays, or until it is 2' to 3' tall. Sometimes a current of heated, circulating air is used to doubly hasten the curing process, but thispractice is to be discouraged as too often the undue heating of the nutgerm while in this stage of ripening injures it, and thus the nuts arerendered unfit for reproduction. The nuts in the trays should befrequently stirred or turned over during the first week or ten dayswhile curing. 

In the case of chestnuts, the crop should be harvested as soon aspossible after the first nuts fall so that the damage from weevils maybe kept at a minimum. Immediately after the nuts are surface-dried theyshould be treated to an application of carbon disulphide, one ounce to atightly closed capacity content of an apple barrel; time of treatmentabout 24 hours. While this treatment probably will not kill all theweevils it will insure a much larger percentage of germination thanthere would be otherwise. 

After fumigating the nuts should be spread out on wire-cloth bottomtrays and placed under a shed or trees, where a free circulation of airwill in a few days sufficiently cure the nuts, so that they may bestratified and set away in a pit in the ground on the north side of abuilding, wall, hedge-row or evergreen trees, thus insuring them amplemoisture and protection against sudden changes of temperatures and theravages of rodents and other pests. 

Other nuts of the temperate zone may, in a general way, be treatedwithout any special care other than that required to keep them fromgetting moist and warm, or destroyed by rodents or other nut-eatinganimals, or by fungous troubles. 

On the whole probably the best method of treatment for the amateur orsmall grower of seedling nut trees, is to stratify the nuts as soon asharvested, assuming that the nuts have been fairly well cured by a fewdays' exposure to drying air currents. 

Stratification consists in layering the nuts in clean, sharp sand, lightloam or sawdust and placing them in a cold, moist place, as a welldrained and shaded north hillside, where their contact with the soil andprotection from the direct rays of the sun will insure complete dormancyand at the same time prevent the development of fungous troubles. Tothis end the common practice is to dig a somewhat shallow trench andplace in it, one layer deep, the "flats" in which the nuts arestratified. The flat usually employed is a shallow, wooden box in whichthe bottom is provided with ample, narrow drainage cracks and the topcovered with wire cloth that will keep out mice or larger rodents. Notinfrequently the bottom is a wire cloth one instead of wood. Dimensionsof the flats vary, somewhat, but a convenient size is 30" long, 15"-16"wide, 3"-4" deep, sides ends and bottom being made of lumber strips(creosoted for preservation purposes) 3\4" thick and 3"-4" wide. 

In these flats the nuts are placed layer upon layer, with sand, loam orsawdust between, something as follows: one inch of sand or other mediumon the bottom, then a single layer of nuts, another inch layer of sand, etc. , until the flat is full, when it is covered with the wire cloth, placed in the trench, covered with a few inches to a foot of leaves, moist hay, cornstalks or even soil, and left for the winter. At the timethe medium for layering the nuts is being prepared, it will be well, ifants are present in the section where the nuts are to be stored, orlater placed in nursery bed, to mix a liberal percentage of unleachedwood ashes with the sand, sawdust or loam, say one part in five, more orless. 

Other flats are placed alongside or end to end in the trench until thestock is all in, when the whole may be covered uniformly. The layer ofleaves or hay next to the wire cover of the flats assists in the work ofuncovering when the inspections are made for the purpose of ascertainingthe state of dormancy or germination. 

One step more and the seed stage passes into the province of theseedling. As soon as the stratified nuts begin to germinate they shouldbe removed from the flats and planted in the nursery or propagating bed. The site for this purpose should be one that is well drained, open toair and sunshine and possessing a clean, fine, mellow and rather lightloamy soil. The size of this plat will vary to meet the needs of thequantity of nuts in hand and should be prepared, preferably the fallbefore, by stirring the soil deeply and thoroughly working into it agoodly supply of well rotted stable compost. 

The rows for hand culture may be 18"-30" apart; for loose hoeing, 3' to3-1/2' and should lie along north and south lines. The distance anddepth of the nuts in the row will vary with their size. In general, onemay say that a nut should be planted the length of the lateral diameterbelow the surface of the soil, when it has settled, or about double thatdepth when the soil is freshly worked over it. The distance apart in therow will vary somewhat with the rapidity of growth of the species; sixto eight inches being a fair average for walnuts and chestnuts, and 4 to6 for hickories and pecans. 

 Fifteenth Annual Convention of the Northern Nut Growers' Association, New York City, September 3, 4, 5, 1924

 Species Variety Exhibitor Address Origin

 1. Black walnut J. A. Neilson Vineland, Ont. St. Thomas, Ont. 2. Black walnut " " " " " Niagara-on-Lake. 3. Black walnut Walsh " " " " " Simcoe, Ont. 4. Black walnut " " " " " Electric, Ont. 5. Black walnut " " " " " Villoria, Ont. 6. Black walnut Ohio J. F. Jones Lancaster, Pa. 7. Black walnut Stabler " " " " " 8. Black walnut Thomas " " " " " 9. Persian walnut J. A. Neilson Vineland, Ont. Carpathian Mts. 10. Persian walnut " " " " " Grimsley, Ont. 11. Persian walnut " " " " " St. Catherines, Ont. 12. Persian walnut Alpine J. F. Jones Lancaster, Pa. 13. Persian walnut Mayette seedling " " " " " 14. Persian walnut Sinclair " " " " " 15. Persian walnut Wiltz Mayette " " " " " 16. Heartnut J. A. Neilson Vineland, Ont. Near Jordon, Ont. 17. Heartnut " " " " " Near Hamilton, Ont. 18. Heartnut " " " " " Near Scotland, Ont. 19. Heartnut Faust J. F. Jones Lancaster, Pa. 20. Heartnut Lancaster " " " " " 21. Heartnut Ritchey " " " " " 22. Sieboldiana walnut J. A. Neilson Vineland, Ont. Hamilton, Ont. 23. Sieboldiana walnut " " " " " OAC Campus, Guelph. 24. Shagbark J. A. Neilson Vineland, Ont. Electric, Ont. 25. Shagbark " " " " " Norfolk Co. , Ont. 26. Shagbark hybrid Beaver J. F. Jones Lancaster, Pa. 27. Shagbark hybrid Siers " " " " " 28. Pecan J. A. Neilson Vineland, Ont. 15 miles N. Of Toronto 29. Almond " " " " " Gellatly, B. C. 30. Filbert Tray of mixed " " " " " Gellatly, B. C. 31. Filbert White aveline J. F. Jones Lancaster, Pa. 32. Filbert Barcelona " " " " " 33. Filbert Cosford " " " " " 34. Filbert Daviana " " " " " 35. Filbert Du Chilly " " " " " 36. Filbert Giant de Halle " " " " " 37. Filbert Italian Red " " " " " 38. Filbert Merribrooke " " " " " 39. Filbert Noci Lunghe " " " " " 40. Filbert Rush " " " " " 42. Filbert hybrid Rush x Barcelona " " " " " 43. Filbert hybrid Rush x Barcelona " " " " " 44. Filbert hybrid Rush x Barcelona " " " " " 45. Filbert hybrid Rush Cosford " " " " " 46. Filbert hybrid Rush Cosford " " " " " 47. Filbert hybrid Rush Giant de Halle " " " " " 48. Filbert hybrid Rush Giant de Halle " " " " " 49. Filbert hybrid Rush Giant de Halle " " " " " 50. Filbert hybrid Rush Italian Red " " " " " 51. Photograph--Walnut-cracking machine Black Walnut Company, 509-11-13, Spruce St. , St. Louis, Mo. 52. Budding Knife

[Transcriber's note: No. 41 is missing in the original]

Among those present at the Fifteenth Annual Convention of the NorthernNut Growers' Association, were the following:

 Dr. N. L. Britton, Director of the N. Y. Botanical Gardens. Dr. Fred E. Brooks, Entomologist, U. S. Dept. Of Agriculture. Dr. And Mrs. Frank L. Baum, Boyertown, Pa. Mr. Willard G. Bixby, Baldwin, N. Y. Dr. A. F. Blakeslee, Cold Spring Harbor, L. I. Mr. And Mrs. F. A. Bartlett, Stamford, Conn. Miss H. T. Bennett, Boston, Mass. Prof. J. Franklin Collins, Providence, R. I. Dr. John E. Cannaday, Charleston, W. Va. Mr. G. M. Codding, Mt. Vernon, N. Y. Prof. A. S. Colby, University of Illinois, Urbana, Ill. Dr. W. C. Deming, Hartford, Conn. Mr. Zenas H. Ellis, Fair Haven, Vt. Mrs. W. D. Ellwanger, Rochester, N. Y. Mr. Ammon P. Fritz, 55 E. Franklin St. , Ephrata, Pa. Mr. A. F. Graf, Bardonia, N. Y. Mrs. B. W. Gahn, U. S. Dept. Of Agriculture. Mr. And Mrs. Karl W. Greene, Washington, D. C. Dr. M. A. Howe, Assistant to Director, N. Y. Botanical Gardens. Mr. Henry Hicks, Baldwin, L. I. (Hicks' Nurseries). Mr. John W. Hershey, E. Downington, Pa. Mr. Lee Whitaker Jaques, 74 Waverly St. , Jersey City, N. J. Mr. J. F. Jones, Lancaster, Pa. Mr. M. G. Kains, Suffern, N. Y. Mr. Thomas W. Little, Cos Cob, Conn. Dr. Robt. T. Morris, Cos Cob, Route 28, Box 95, Stamford, Conn. Dr. L. H. MacDaniels, N. Y. State College of Agriculture, Ithaca, N. Y. Prof. Jas. A. Neilson, Horticultural Exp. Station, Vineland, Ont. , Can. Mr. Ralph T. Olcott, Ed. American Nut Journal, Rochester, N. Y. Mrs. R. T. Olcott, Rochester, N. Y. Mr. P. H. O'Connor, Bowie, Md. Mr. C. A. Reed, U. S. Department of Agriculture Mr. John Rick, Reading, Pa. Dr. J. Russell Smith, Columbia University, New York, N. Y. Dr. Oscar Stapf, F. R. S. , late Curator of the Herbarium, Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew, London, England. Mr. Harry R. Weber, Cincinnati, Ohio. Mrs. Laura E. Woodward, West Chester, Pa. Dr. And Mrs. G. A. Zimmerman, Piketown, Pa. 

Naperville, Illinois. Established 1866

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This space is paid for by Jas. L. Brooke, Pleasantville, Ohio, who isonly too anxious at any time to assist in encouraging and promoting NutCulture in the North. 

While he has only recently taken up this work, and is therefore apractical stranger on the roster of The Northern Nut Growers'Association, he will only be too anxious and willing at any time tocontribute to the cause in any way possible. 

He is making a thorough search in his neighborhood where chestnuts, hickory nuts and black walnuts grow in abundance, for nuts of approvedmerit for propagation. 

In case anything is found along this line of endeavor the active membersof the association will hear from him and samples of nuts submitted. 

NUT TREES

An extra select varietal stock of nut trees for northern planting, grownhere in Pennsylvania Nurseries. Trees grafted or budded on transplantedstocks and grown on land especially adapted to these trees, resulting inextra fine trees with exceptionally fine root systems. Write forcatalogue and cultural guide. 

TOOLS and SUPPLIES

For grafting or budding nut trees or top-working wild or natural trees. My methods are original and are used, with slight variation, by all theleading propagators, both north and south. 

Write for booklet on propagation and price list of tools. 

J. F. Jones, Nut Specialist

LANCASTER, PA.