+------------------------------------------------------------------------+|DISCLAIMER || ||The articles published in the Annual Reports of the Northern Nut Growers||Association are the findings and thoughts solely of the authors and are ||not to be construed as an endorsement by the Northern Nut Growers ||Association, its board of directors, or its members. No endorsement is ||intended for products mentioned, nor is criticism meant for products not||mentioned. The laws and recommendations for pesticide application may ||have changed since the articles were written. It is always the pesticide||applicator's responsibility, by law, to read and follow all current ||label directions for the specific pesticide being used. The discussion ||of specific nut tree cultivars and of specific techniques to grow nut ||trees that might have been successful in one area and at a particular ||time is not a guarantee that similar results will occur elsewhere. |+------------------------------------------------------------------------+ [Illustration] NORTHERN NUT GROWERS ASSOCIATION INCORPORATED 39th Annual Report [Illustration] CONVENTION AT NORRIS, TENN. SEPTEMBER 13-15 1948 TABLE OF CONTENTS _Fruiting Chinese Chestnut Branches_ (_Courtesy Dr. H. Reid Hunter_) 2 Officers and Committees 6 State and Foreign Vice-Presidents 7 Constitution 8 By-Laws 9 Proceedings of the Thirty-ninth Annual Convention 12 Address of Welcome--George F. Gant 12 Response--Dr. L. H. MacDaniels 14 President's Address--John Davidson 15 Secretary's Report--J. C. McDaniel 16 Treasurer's Report--D. C. Snyder 18 Other Business of the Association, Committee Election and Reports 19 The Development and Propagation of Blight Resistant Chestnut in West Virginia--Ralph H. Quick 26 The Present Status of the Chestnut in Virginia--R. C. Moore 31 Growing Chinese Chestnuts in Lee County, Alabama--G. S. Jones 34 Processed Chestnuts on the Market throughout the Year--J. C. Moore 38 Chestnut Growing in the Southeast--Max B. Hardy 41 _Mr. Hardy and Some Chestnuts Prepared for Storage_ 41 Marketing Chestnuts in the Pacific Coast--Carroll D. Bush 51 Chestnut Weevils and Their Control with DDT--E. R. Van Leeuwen 54 Diseases Affecting the Success of Tree Crop Plantings--G. F. Gravatt and Donald C. Stout 60 _Chinese x American Hybrid Chestnut Trees_ 62 _The Brooming Disease of Walnuts_ 64-65 _Trees Killed by the Persimmon Wilt_ 67 Round Table Discussion on Chestnut Problems--Spencer B. Chase, Presiding 69 Greetings from a Kentucky Nut--Dr. C. A. Moss 83 Nut Trees for West Tennessee--Aubrey Richards, M. D. 85 Marketing Black Walnuts as a Community Projects--Rev. Bernard Taylor 87 Experiences with Tree Crops in Meigs County, Tennessee--W. A. Shadow 88 Nut Hobbying in Eastern West Virginia--Wilbert M. Frye 91 A Look, "Backward and Forward" into Nut Growing in Kentucky--W. G. Tatum 93 Round Table Discussion on Judging Schedule for Black Walnuts--Dr. L. H. MacDaniels, Chairman 95 _Fruiting Black Walnut at Brooks, Alberta, Canada_ 103 Present Outlook for Honeylocust in the South--J. C. Moore 104 Possibilities of Filbert Growing in Virginia--E. L. Overholser 111 Filberts for Food and Looks in Kentucky--N. R. Elliott 116 J. F. Jones, Introducer of Many Nut Varieties--Clarence A. Reed 118 _J. F. Jones_ 118 _Mildred and Wesley Langdoc_ 125 The Value of Nut Trees in Tennessee--F. S. Chance 126 The Development and Filling of Nuts--H. L. Crane 130 The Grafted Curly Walnut as a Timber Tree--J. Ford Wilkinson 139 The Black Walnut Situation in Tennessee--George B. Shivery 142 Grafting Walnuts in Ohio--Sylvester Shessler 145 Grafting Walnuts in the Greenhouse--George L. Slate 146 Nut Investigations at the Pennsylvania State College--William S. Clarke, Jr. 148 Black Walnuts: A New Specialty at Renfro Valley--Tom Mullins 149 Marketing Black Walnut Kernels--F. J. McCauley 152 Production of Bacteria-Free Walnut Kernels--Roger W. Pease 157 Pecan Selection in Oklahoma--Dr. Frank B. Cross 160 Pecan Improvement Program for Southwestern Kentucky--W. W. Magill 164 Pecan Production in South Carolina--T. L. Senn 167 Preservation of Shelled Pecans by Drying and Hermetically Sealing--Hubert Harris 169 Follow-Up Studies on the 1946 Ohio Black Walnut Prize Winners--L. Walter Sherman 174 Final Business Session, Election of Officers, Reports of Committees 177 Odds and Ends--Dr. W. C. Deming 181 The Birth of a New Walnut Cracker--B. H. Thompson 183 Marketing of Black Walnuts in Arkansas--T. A. Winkleman 183 Further Notes on Nut Tree Guards for Pasture Plantings--Oliver D. Diller 184 _Wire Guard Around Young Chestnut Tree_ 185 A Pecan Orchard in Glouchester County, Virginia--Mrs. Selina L. Hopkins 186 Indiana Nut Shows Have Educational Value--W. B. Ward 188 _View of an Indiana Nut Exhibit_ 189 The Importance of Stock and Scion Relationship in Hickory and Walnut--Carl Weschcke 190 Progress with Nuts at Wolfeboro, New Hampshire--Matthew Lahti 195 Breeding Chestnuts in the New York City Area--Alfred Szego 196 Winter Injury to Nut Trees at Ithaca, New York, in the Fall and Winter of 1947-48--L. H. MacDaniels and Damon Boynton 199 What Came Through the Hard Winter in Ontario--George Hebden Corsan 201 Filberts Grow in Vermont--Joseph N. Collins 202 Report of Necrology Committee 203 Carl E. Schuster 203 Mrs. Laura Selden Ellwanger 204 M. M. Kaufman 205 Norman B. Ward 205 Attendance 206 Northern Nut Growers Association, Membership List 209 Exhibitors at the 39th Annual Meeting 222 Announcements 223 +Please Note: The membership list is in the back of this volume. + OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION 1949 _President_--H. F. Stoke, 1436 Watts Avenue, Roanoke, Virginia _Vice-President_--Dr. L. H. MacDaniels, Dept. Of Floriculture and Ornamental Horticulture, Cornell University, Ithaca, New York _Treasurer_--Sterling A. Smith, 630 West South Street, Vermilion, Ohio _Secretary_--J. C. McDaniel, Tennessee Dept. Of Agriculture, State Office Bldg. , Nashville 3, Tennessee _Directors_ include above officers _plus_: John Davidson, 234 E. Second Street, Xenia, Ohio; and Clarence A. Reed, 7309 Piney Branch Road, N. W. , Washington 12, D. C. _Dean_--Dr. W. C. Deming, 31 S. Highland, West Hartford 7, Connecticut _Nominating Committee_--Dr. H. L. Crane, Harry R. Weber, Dr. William L. Rohrbacher, J. Ford Wilkinson, George L. Slate EXECUTIVE APPOINTMENTS _Press and Publications_--Editorial Section: Dr. Lewis E. Theiss, Dr. W. C. Deming, Dr. L. H. MacDaniels, C. A. Reed, Dr. A. S. Colby, George L. Slate, Dr. J. , Russell Smith Publicity Section: Dr. J. Russell Smith, C. A. Reed, Dr. A. S. Colby, Carrol D. Bush, A. A. Bungart, J. C. McDaniel Printing Section: John Davidson, Harry R. Weber, J. C. McDaniel _Program_--H. L. Crane, R. P. Allaman, George L. Slate, C. A. Reed, J. C. McDaniel, Raymond E. Silvis _Place of Meeting_--Dr. A. S. Colby, J. F. Wilkinson, D. C. Snyder, Carl F. Walker, H. H. Corsan _Varieties and Contests_--Spencer B. Chase, G. J. Korn, J. F. Wilkinson, Gilbert Becker, A. G. Hirschi, L. Walter Sherman, C. A. Reed, Dr. L. H. MacDaniels, Dr. J. Russell Smith Standards and Judging section of this committee: Dr. L. H. MacDaniels, Spencer B. Chase, C. A. Reed, Dr. J. Russell Smith _Survey and Research_--R. E. Silvis, plus the state and foreign vice-presidents _Membership_--Mrs. Harry Weber, Mrs. Blaine McCollum, Mrs. Stephen Bernath _Exhibits_--R. P. Allaman, Carl Weschcke, Fayette Etter, A. G. Hirschi, G. J. Korn, J. F. Wilkinson, G. L. Smith, Seward Berhow, Royal Oakes, H. H. Corsan, G. H. Corsan _Necrology_--Mrs. Herbert Negus, Mrs. Wm. Rohrbacher, Miss Jeannette F. Johns, Barbara Sly _Audit_--Dr. Wm. Rohrbacher, E. P. Gerber, Raymond E. Silvis _Finance_--Harry Weber, D. C. Snyder, Carl Weschcke, Sterling Smith _Legal Advisers_--Sargent Wellman, Harry Weber _Official Journal--American Fruit Grower_, 1370 Ontario St. , Cleveland 13, Ohio State and Foreign Vice-Presidents Alabama LOVIC ORR Alberta, Canada A. L. YOUNG Arkansas A. C. HALE British Columbia, Canada J. U. GELLATLY California DR. THOMAS R. HAIG Connecticut GEORGE D. PRATT, JR. Delaware LEWIS WILKINS Denmark COUNT F. M. KNUTH District of Columbia GEORGE U. GRAFF Ecuador, South America F. A. COLWELL Florida C. A. AVANT Georgia WM. J. WILSON Idaho J. E. MCGORAN Illinois ROYAL OAKES Indiana FORD WALLICK Iowa IRA M. KYHL Kansas DR. CLYDE GRAY Kentucky DR. C. A. MOSS Manitoba, Canada A. H. YOUNG Maryland BLAINE MCCOLLUM Massachusetts I. W. SHORT Mexico FEDERICO COMPEAN Michigan GILBERT BECKER Minnesota R. E. HODGSON Mississippi JAMES R. MEYER Missouri RALPH RICHTERKESSING Nebraska GEORGE BRAND New Hampshire MATTHEW LAHTI New Jersey MRS. ALAN R. BUCKWALTER New Mexico REV. TITUS GEHRING New York GEORGE SALZER North Carolina DR. R. T. DUNSTAN North Dakota HOMER L. BRADLEY Ohio A. A. BUNGART Oklahoma A. G. HIRSCHI Ontario, Canada G. H. CORSAN Oregon HARRY L. PEARCY Pennsylvania R. P. ALLAMAN Prince Edward Island, Canada ROBERT SNAZELLE Rhode Island PHILIP ALLEN South Carolina JOHN T. BREGGER South Dakota HERMAN RICHTER Tennessee THOMAS G. ZARGER Texas KAUFMAN FLORIDA Utah HARLAN D. PETTERSON Vermont A. W. ALDRICH Virginia H. R. GIBBS Washington CARROLL D. BUSH West Virginia WILBERT M. FRYE Wisconsin NORMAN KOELSCH CONSTITUTION of the NORTHERN NUT GROWERS ASSOCIATION, INCORPORATED (As read at the annual meeting, Guelph, Ontario, September 5, 1947, andadopted September 13, 1948, at Norris, Tennessee) NAME ARTICLE I. This Society shall be known as the Northern Nut GrowersAssociation, Incorporated. It is strictly a non-profit organization. PURPOSES ARTICLE II. The purposes of this Association shall be to promoteinterest in the nut bearing plants; scientific research in theirbreeding and culture; standardization of varietal names thedissemination of information concerning the above and such otherpurposes as may advance the culture of nut bearing plants, particularlyin the North Temperate Zone. MEMBERS ARTICLE III. Membership in this Association shall be open to all personsinterested in supporting the purposes of the Association. Classes ofmembers are as follows: Annual members, Contributing members, Lifemembers, Honorary members, and Perpetual members. Applications formembership in the Association shall be presented to the secretary or thetreasurer in writing, accompanied by the required dues. OFFICERS ARTICLE IV. The elected officers of this Association shall consist of aPresident, Vice-president, a Secretary and a Treasurer or a combinedSecretary-treasurer as the Association may designate. BOARD OF DIRECTORS ARTICLE V. The Board of Directors shall consist of six members of theAssociation who shall be the officers of the Association and the twopreceding elected presidents. If the offices of Secretary and Treasurerare combined, the three past presidents shall serve on the Board ofDirectors. There shall be a State Vice-president for each state, dependency, orcountry represented in the membership of the Association, who shall beappointed by the President. AMENDMENTS TO THE CONSTITUTION ARTICLE VI. This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of themembers present at any annual meeting, notice of such amendment havingbeen read at the previous annual meeting, or copy of the proposedamendments having been mailed by the Secretary or by any member to eachmember thirty days before the date of the annual meeting. BY-LAWS (Revised and adopted at Norris, Tennessee, September 13, 1948) SECTION I. --MEMBERSHIP Classes of membership are defined as follows: ARTICLE 1. _Annual members. _ Persons who are interested in the purposesof the Association who pay annual dues of Three Dollars ($3. 00). ARTICLE 2. _Contributing members. _ Persons who are interested in thepurposes of the Association who pay annual dues of Ten Dollars ($10. 00)or more. ARTICLE 3. _Life members. _ Persons who are interested in the purposes ofthe Association who contribute Seventy Five Dollars ($75. 00) to itssupport and who shall, after such contribution, pay no annual dues. ARTICLE 4. _Honorary members. _ Those whom the Association has elected ashonorary members in recognition of their achievements in the specialfields of the Association and who shall pay no dues. ARTICLE 5. _Perpetual members. _ "Perpetual" membership is eligible toany one who leaves at least five hundred dollars to the Association andsuch membership on payment of said sum to the Association shall entitlethe name of the deceased to be forever enrolled in the list of membersas "Perpetual" with the words "In Memoriam" added thereto. Fundsreceived therefor shall be invested by the Treasurer in interest bearingsecurities legal for trust funds in the District of Columbia. Only theinterest shall be expended by the Association. When such funds are inthe treasury the Treasurer shall be bonded. Provided: that in the eventthe Association becomes defunct or dissolves, then, in that event, theTreasurer shall turn over any funds held in his hands for this purposefor such uses, individuals or companies that the donor may designate atthe time he makes the bequest of the donation. SECTION II. --DUTIES OF OFFICERS ARTICLE 1. The President shall preside at all meetings of theAssociation and Board of Directors, and may call meetings of the Boardof Directors when he believes it to be to the best interests of theAssociation. He shall appoint the State Vice-presidents; the standingcommittees, except the Nominating Committee, and such special committeesas the Association may authorize. ARTICLE 2. Vice-president. In the absence of the President, theVice-president shall perform the duties of the President. ARTICLE 3. Secretary. The Secretary shall be the active executiveofficer of the Association. He shall conduct the correspondence relatingto the Association's interests, assist in obtaining memberships andotherwise actively forward the interests of the Association, and reportto the Annual Meeting and from time to time to meetings of the Board ofDirectors as they may request. ARTICLE 4. Treasurer. The Treasurer shall receive and recordmemberships, receive and account for all moneys of the Association andshall pay all bills approved by the President or the Secretary. He shallgive such security as the Board of Directors may require or may legallybe required, shall invest life memberships or other funds as the Boardof Directors may direct, subject to legal restrictions and in accordancewith the law, and shall submit a verified account of receipts anddisbursements to the Annual meeting and such current accounts as theBoard of Directors may from time to time require. Before the finalbusiness session of the Annual Meeting of the Association, the accountsof the Treasurer shall be submitted for examination to the AuditingCommittee appointed by the President at the opening session of theAnnual Meeting. ARTICLE 5. The Board of Directors shall manage the affairs of theAssociation between meetings. Four members, including at least twoelected officers, shall be considered a quorum. SECTION III. --ELECTIONS ARTICLE 1. The Officers shall be elected at the Annual Meeting and holdoffice for one year beginning immediately following the close of theAnnual Meeting. ARTICLE 2. The Nominating Committee shall present a slate of officers onthe first day of the Annual Meeting and the election shall take place atthe closing session. Nominations for any office may be presented fromthe floor at the time the slate is presented or immediately precedingthe election. ARTICLE 3. For the purpose of nominating officers for the year 1949 andthereafter, a committee of five members shall be elected annually at thepreceding Annual Meeting. ARTICLE 4. A quorum at a regularly called Annual Meeting shall befifteen (15) members and must include at least two of the electedofficers. ARTICLE 5. All classes of members whose dues are paid shall be eligibleto vote and hold office. SECTION IV. --FINANCIAL MATTERS ARTICLE 1. The fiscal year of the Association shall extend from October1st through the following September 30th. All annual memberships shallbegin October 1st. ARTICLE 2. The names of all members whose dues have not been paid byJanuary 1st shall be dropped from the rolls of the Society. Notices ofnon-payment of dues will be mailed to delinquent members on or aboutDecember 1st. ARTICLE 3. The Annual Report shall be sent to only those members whohave paid their dues for the current year. Members whose dues have notbeen paid by January 1st shall be considered delinquent. They will notbe entitled to receive the publication or other benefits of theAssociation until dues are paid. SECTION V. --MEETINGS ARTICLE 1. The place and time of the Annual Meeting shall be selected bythe membership in session or, in the event of no selection being made atthis time, the Board of Directors shall choose the place and time forthe holding of the annual convention. Such other meetings as may seemdesirable may be called by the President and Board of Directors. SECTION VI. --PUBLICATIONS ARTICLE 1. The Association shall publish a report each fiscal year andsuch other publications as may be authorized by the Association. ARTICLE 2. The publishing of the report shall be the responsibility ofthe Committee on Publications. SECTION VII. --AWARDS ARTICLE 1. The Association may provide suitable awards for outstandingcontributions to the cultivation of nut bearing plants and suitablerecognition for meritorious exhibits as may be appropriate. SECTION VIII. --STANDING COMMITTEES As soon as practicable after the Annual Meeting of the Association, thePresident shall appoint the following standing committees: 1. Membership 2. Auditing 3. Publications 4. Survey 5. Program 6. Research 7. Exhibit 8. Varieties and Contests SECTION IX. --REGIONAL GROUPS AND AFFILIATED SOCIETIES ARTICLE 1. The Association shall encourage the formation of regionalgroups of its members, who may elect their own officers and organizetheir own local field days and other programs. They may publish theirproceedings and selected papers in the yearbooks of the parent societysubject to review of the Association's Committee on Publications. ARTICLE 2. Any independent regional association of nut growers mayaffiliate with the Northern Nut Growers Association provided one-fourthof its members are also members of the Northern Nut Growers Association. Such affiliated societies shall pay an annual affiliation fee of $3. 00to the Northern Nut Growers Association. Papers presented at themeetings of the regional society may be published in the proceedings ofthe parent society subject to review of the Association's Committee onPublications. SECTION X. --AMENDMENTS TO BY-LAWS ARTICLE 1. These by-laws may be amended at any Annual Meeting by atwo-thirds vote of the members present provided such amendments shallhave been submitted to the membership in writing at least thirty daysprior to that meeting. PROCEEDINGS of the Thirty-ninth Annual Convention of the Northern NutGrowers Association, Inc. Meeting at NORRIS, TENNESSEE SEPTEMBER 13-15, 1948 The meeting was called to order by President John Davidson at 8:45o'clock, a. M. Address of Welcome GEORGE F. GANT, General Manager, Tennessee Valley Authority, Knoxville, Tennessee Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen: It is a distinct pleasure towelcome you to Norris and to the Tennessee Valley. You have had veryfine weather here, and we hope that you will enjoy the climate and thescenery and the fishing and the pleasures of this part of the countryduring your short stay. The Northern Nut Growers Association is a much older organization than Ihad thought, and it is much older than the Tennessee Valley Authority, but a review of some of the things, you have done and some of theinterests you have expressed from time to time indicate that we havemany interests in common, your organization and the TVA. You are concerned with experimentation of new and better ways of growingtree crops. You are concerned with the environment in which tree cropsmust find a place in our economy and in our culture, because, as Iunderstand it, your interest goes beyond mere economics to the full useof trees. Now, the Tennessee Valley Authority is likewise concerned withexperimentation. As a matter of fact, it is an experiment, a new anddifferent way of achieving a better use of natural resources. There is nothing new in what the TVA does. There are no activitiesconducted by TVA that have not been or are not being conducted by otheragencies all over the country and which have been conducted by Federalagencies for many, many years. The TVA has no new regulatory or coercivefunctions. As a matter of fact, the TVA has no coercive functions. Ithas no new or unique or different governmental functions. There is onlyone thing that is different about TVA, and that is the way in which itapproaches the job of resource use on an overall basis. Now, I might illustrate that by referring to the construction of damsand reservoirs. In the Tennessee Valley the TVA builds dams andreservoirs to prevent floods, to produce a navigable channel, to producepower, and in its reservoirs it also has the responsibility ofachieving the best uses of reservoirs and reservoir lands in theinterests of fish and wild life, in the interests of recreation, and inthe interests of malaria control. Now, the unique fact here is not that these things are going on or beingdone, at least in part, through a Federal agency, but that one Federalagency is responsible for achieving a balance between all of theseactivities and with the administrative responsibility for doing that. Inother efforts the situation is different, with as many as eight agencieshaving something to do with the development of some one of theseactivities in a way which might or might not be integrated. Now, the second illustration, I think, is that unity can be accomplishedonly if all of the agencies which are concerned with the use ofresources have an environment in which they can work effectively. TheFederal Government is not and should not in the Tennessee Valley bedeveloping all of these resources itself. It feels that the unifieddevelopment of the resources depends upon the participation of thepeople of the Tennessee Valley and their institutions, the local and thestate agencies. There can't be unity any more if local agencies areconducting one program and a Federal agency conducting another program, than there can be if several Federal agencies are conducting severalprograms. Consequently, the Tennessee Valley Authority, except for the operationof these huge new facilities which have been added to the resources ofthe Tennessee Valley, conducts its activities in collaboration withlocal and state agencies. That not only avoids the expense ofduplication, but it achieves the collaboration, the participation, theactive interest of the people in getting a full job done. That is true in the field of forestry. Forestry has a particular role inthe Tennessee Valley. First of all, the TVA is concerned with theeffective use and control of water, not only in the river channelitself, but on the land. Forestry, together with engineering andagriculture, must come together, not only come together within theadministrative framework of TVA, but within the framework of what ourcolleges and state departments are doing and with what the land ownersare doing in these watersheds. Further than that, the TVA is fully aware that watershed protectioncannot be achieved except within the economy of the region. That meansthat the best use of forest lands from the economic point of view, fromthe productive point of view, as well as from the conservation point ofview, must be taken into account. For these reasons the TVA is concerned not only with multiple-purposedams, but with multiple-purpose land use. These activities are notconducted directly by TVA, but in cooperation with the land grantcolleges and with the appropriate state departments. I think and I hope that as you review the several activities which aregoing on in the Tennessee Valley area that you will keep thesecharacteristics of TVA in mind. We are very happy to have you here. Ihope that many of you will be able to extend your visit or to come backand see us another time. * * * * * President John Davidson: I am personally very glad to have heard thistalk. I know quite a bit more about the fundamental principles of thework underlying TVA than I did before. Dr. MacDaniels, will you say a word on behalf of the Association? +Response+ Dr. L. H. MacDaniels: Mr. President and members of the Northern NutGrowers Association, I am sure that I voice the sentiment of all of theAssociation to you, Mr. Gant, and all of the Tennessee Valley Authorityour very great appreciation of your allowing us to come and meet withyou and use the very fine facilities which are available here in UpperNorris Park. As far as I am concerned, and probably I am in the same situation asmost of you in the North; we have heard a lot about the Tennessee ValleyAuthority, but mostly it is bandied around in the newspapers and usuallyconnected with some sort of a political argument of one kind or another. And I think that to come here and to see the place and to live in thecabins and drive through the forests, to swim in the lake, as some of usdid yesterday afternoon, went far away around the bend, and went inswimming--I think you might improve the mud bottom in some places, whichis not too good, but it reminds us of our youth, at least--and to fishin the lakes, although not too successfully. After we have done that wecertainly know much more about what sort of a development the TennesseeValley Authority is. Another thing, as a member of the Northern Nut Growers Association andas you are members, I think we all appreciate what the Tennessee ValleyAuthority has done for the Northern Nut Growers Association. TheTennessee Valley Authority has been the first, you might say, largeagency which has taken northern nut growing seriously and has used theknowledge which has been developed by this Association in an extensiveway in the planting and developing of new varieties, developing of newtechniques in the use of the plants, the nut trees and the persimmons, and what not, with which the Northern Nut Growers Association has beenconcerned. As we drive up the valley here and we see these thousands of walnutseedlings which are still to be used and see the plantings which youwill see more intimately later, we can realize just how extensively theTennessee Valley Authority has been concerned with the development ofour forest resources and particularly these plants which are of economicvalue, inasmuch as they are nut trees, and their relationship towildlife and a project of this kind in which forest resources and treeresources are to be made use of. I have noticed that you did mention fishing as one of the things thathas been developed by the Tennessee Valley Authority. I also am remindedof the fact that some of us, including our president, tried to go outand exercise some of these fish, without much success, and I have beentrying to think of the reason. I know, as far as we are concerned, weused all the plugs and spinners and floating baits and sinking baits, and I went completely through my tackle box and pulled out the one thatwe call the "Christmas tree, " a big bunch of spoons with a place to puta minnow on the end, and we dragged that around, almost swamped themotor, but did get around; didn't catch anything. It reminds me of an incident there at Cornell. We have a director, whowas head of the Pomology Department at that time. He had a dog thatwasn't disciplined very well, he wouldn't come when he was called, andso on. The foreman out at the orchard had a dog that was very welldisciplined. He'd say, "Go get my hat, " and he'd get the hat, and "Goquickly, " and he'd go quickly. And this head of the department asked theforeman, "Well, how was it that you trained this dog, and how do youtrain a dog, anyway?" "Well, " he said, "first of all, you have got to know more than the dog. "Perhaps that's the case with some of us and the fish. Anyway, we didn'tcatch any fish. I don't care to say any more, except, Mr. Gant, to express ourappreciation to you for the excellent facilities which you havefurnished. President Davidson: Thank you, Dr. MacDaniels. I believe the next order is the little talk by myself. President's Address JOHN DAVIDSON, Xenia, Ohio When I was notified that this Association, in session at Guelph, hadnamed me as its president, I was surprised and deeply honored. I supposethere is not a single member of this body who does not have the feelingthat the Northern Nut Growers Association is "different, " unique, and, very special: Here are all kinds: scientists and rule-of-thumb planters, experienced professionals and inexperienced amateurs, conservationistsand hobbyists, all bent on one objective--to enlighten Americans andthemselves on the values and opportunities that lie in the study andpractice of planting forest trees which bear crops--specifically, nuts. But the interest of most of our members is rather broader than our namewould indicate. Forest _crops_, not merely nuts, are the logicaloutgrowth in interest that such an organization as ours stimulates. Dr. Zimmerman's work with papaws is a case in point. Mr. Wilkinson's workwith the Lamb curly walnut is another. The persimmon, the papaw, themulberry, the haws, the juneberries--you are likely to find them all, sooner or later, among the nut trees of our members. You will hearpresently about a wood from one of our nut trees that is so valuable, _and so possible to grow_, that we may presently be planting forextraordinarily beautiful and valuable _timber_. Patience is what it takes, and faith. Trees are an example to us. If wecould only look at the procession of the centuries with the eyes of thesequoias, we should see creation moving on marvelously with magnificentfruitfulness, and we should take courage. Has the process of evolution been more successful with plants than withthe human race? Should benevolent creation _fail at its highest point_?Certainly it should not. Nevertheless it certainly will fail there solong as so large a body of the race is undernourished, ill-born, hopelessly submerged--dragging downward rather than lifting upward. Who knows the total answer? Education, of course, is a part of it--inindustry, in eugenics, in moral responsibility. But you can't preacheducation effectively to a starving or half-starved man or child. Themultiplication of population, the better distribution of goodsthroughout the world (which means in the end the avoidance of extremesof over and under-production)--these are the world's next greatestproblems. I personally have the feeling that we are on the verge of analmost unthinkable increase in food productiveness through chemurgy'sbetter and more complete use of plant life. We shall yet learn to gaugepopulation to food supplies and food to population. Both are essential. We need more plant breeders and more organic chemists at work on foodsupply all over the world. We need more people of good will and longvision, fewer political and social parasites; more producers. Singularly, at the very moment of writing these words, a letter from awell known plant breeder is dropped upon my desk. In it he turns downthe idea of an hypothetical executive position which most people wouldregard as promotion. The importance and interest of his work is so great_in its own right_ that he would not think of changing. That is what I mean. We need more of his kind in the world. It is hopedthat in this Association such men may find the kindredship andcomradeship they so richly earn. This was the spirit with which our Association was organized by Dr. Robert Morris, Dr. Deming, and a few far-sighted men in the early daysof this century and carried on by them, by Mr. Reed, Dr. Zimmerman, Professor Neilson and their kind since. We salute them all. Their worksfollow and honor them by their multiplied fruits. I shall not take the time in this full program to review the events ofthe past year. Some of our speakers will do this far better than I. ButI wish to greet our visitors and the new members who may not have beenwith us before. We hope you will feel very much at home in our family ofkindred minds. Also, these remarks would not be complete without recognition of theefforts of those who unselfishly and unstintingly have given of theirtime and strength to this important work: our Secretary, Joe McDaniel!You all know him by his exceptional service to us all. (Let's rise andgive him a hand. ) And while we are on our feet--one of the besttreasurers any organization ever had, efficient, kindly, but a veritablewatch-dog of the Treasury, Mr. Snyder! Also a hand to the members of ourimportant committees, Mr. Chase, Dr. MacDaniels, Mr. Slate, Mr. Stoke--Ican't name or praise them all as they deserve. The NNGA could notpossibly be what it is without them. And now let us get on to the business before us. Secretary's Report J. C. McDANIEL, Nashville, Tennessee The membership of the Association seems to be increasing fairlysteadily. When I checked the mailing list early last October, it had 667names, as compared with 691 listed in the 37th Annual Report. When Ileft Nashville last week, the number had increased to 742, according tomy stenographer's latest count. There have been some discontinuedmemberships, as will happen almost every year in any organization, butthe new members have more than compensated for them, in numbers. We did not add up a total on all the mail sent out in response toinquiries, but it has been voluminous. Close to 800 requests for our nutnursery list have been received solely as a result of Mr. Stoke's_Southern Agriculturist_ chestnut article in last February's issue, andthey are still trickling in. Some new memberships have resulted fromthese contacts, but more have come as a result of our column in the_American Fruit Grower_, and a Chinese chestnut article in _The FlowerGrower_ early last spring, which gave our Association a boost. Some members have said they did not find their _American Fruit Grower_subscriptions of much value to them, particularly since the inaugurationof _The Nutshell_, our news bulletin which has been issued four timessince the last annual meeting. I will take some of the blame for this, since as editor of _The Nutshell_, I am somewhat in the position ofcompeting with myself as columnist for the _Fruit Grower_. Space islimited in the latter publication, too, and sometimes publication of the"Nut Growers News" column is deferred a month or two, and again, I havebeen known to miss a deadline. Most of the columns, as in the previousyears, are digests of material previously given in our Annual Reports. This practice seems to be justified as a matter of keeping nut newsbefore the orcharding public and as a means of attracting some newmemberships for the Association. I do not know of a better conditionedlist of prospects than the more than 150, 000 _American Fruit Grower_subscribers all over the continent, who are at least interested in somekind of fruiting trees or plants. In that many, by the law of averages, are many with some interest in nuts. Several hundred will write to thesecretary or other N. N. G. A. Members who are mentioned during the year, and at least a few score normally will join us. This does not minimize the desirability of having other publicityoutlets. More of you who have a knack at writing should try your owncontributions to national, regional or even community-wide publications. Even short letters to the editor, in such cases, may be read by "kindredspirits, " and you will be read by men and women whose interest in nuttrees (even though it may have been a dormant interest) will bestimulated to the extent of becoming N. N. G. A. Members. Then it is up toour officers, the program committee members, and our contributors tokeep them interested enough to renew their memberships another year! Your comments on _The Nutshell_ have been quite flattering to itseditor. You _all_ can help make it a better publication by contributingshort original observations or clippings of good items on hardy nuttrees from other sources. There is a continuing shortage apparent in the supply of good namedvarieties of hardy nut trees in nearly all areas. This seemsparticularly the case with Chinese chestnuts. Few propagators at presenthave them in even enough quantity to catalogue, and the demand which hasbeen built up by the good publicity on chestnuts exhausts mostnurseries' supplies each spring before all orders can be filled. Ournursery list in the Winter issue of _The Nutshell_ has gone to some2, 000 people and has helped the nurserymen to sell out their treesquickly. We hope this will lead to a sound expansion in the commercialpropagation of _good_ nut trees. I should again call attention to our affiliation with the AmericanHorticultural Society. This enables our members in good standing toreceive their good quarterly publication, _The National HorticulturalMagazine_, for only $3. 50 a year. You may obtain your affiliatemembership through our Treasurer, or directly from the AmericanHorticultural Society, Room 821, Washington Loan and Trust Building, Washington 4, D. C. * * * * * President Davidson: You have heard the Secretary's report. Has anyoneany revisions or modifications of this report to suggest? Dr. MacDaniels: I move acceptance with thanks. (The motion was seconded, a vote taken, and the motion carriedunanimously. ) President Davidson: If the Secretary will also read the Treasurer'sreport, we will proceed with it. Mr. McDaniel: Mr. Snyder wrote recently, regretting that he would missthis meeting (for reasons of health). He says he can not accept theposition of Treasurer another year. Treasurer's Report for Year September 1, 1947 to September 1, 1948 D. C. SNYDER, Center Point, Iowa INCOME Dues $1, 396. 00 Reports sold 153. 75 Bond Dividends 25. 00 Advertising 5. 00 Miss Jones' Postage Acc't. 36. 85 C. A. Reed Typesetting 32. 50 Miscellaneous 7. 60 _________ $1, 656. 70 DISBURSEMENTS Fruit Grower Subscriptions 100. 80 Reports, Stationery etc. 1, 105. 06 Secretary's expense 100. 30 Treasurer's expense 58. 17 Reporting Guelph Meeting 25. 00 Miscellaneous 15. 60 Bank service charges and checks returned N. G. 12. 90 ________ 1, 417. 83 _________ Balance gained during year 238. 87 On hand September 1, 1947 1, 790. 44 Paid out for Bonds 1, 100. 00 _________ 680. 44 _________ Cash total on hand, September 1, 1948 (subject to minor bank service charges and checks which may be returned) $ 919. 31 Bonds in box at Peoples Bank & Trust Company $2, 500. 00 * * * * * President Davidson: You have heard the Treasurer's Report. Any remarks?It is a very good report. It shows that the organization is creeping upfinancially and in very good condition due to the continuous care thatthe Secretary and the Treasurer both have used in keeping up with ourmembership, keeping dues paid up, and so on. I will entertain a motionto accept our Treasurer's Report. Dr. MacDaniels: I so move. (The motion was seconded. ) Mr. O'Rourke: It should be accepted for audit. Dr. MacDaniels: I will accept the amendment. President Davidson: It is moved now, then, that the report be acceptedfor audit. Are there any remarks? (A vote was taken on the motion, and it was carried unanimously. ) President Davidson: The next order of business is the regular businessmeeting of the Association. I think perhaps the first thing we should domight be to proceed with the election of a Nominating Committee and theAuditing Committee. I believe both, if I am not misinformed, areelective and not appointive. The chair will entertain nominations forthe Nominating Committee. +Nominating Committee Elected+ (The following were nominated for the Nominating Committee: Dr. H. L. Crane, Harry R. Weber, Dr. Wm. L. Rohrbacher, J. F. Wilkinson, George L. Slate. Upon motion that the Secretary cast a unanimous ballot for thosenominated, vote was taken and motion carried unanimously. ) President Davidson: Am I correct in saying that the Auditing Committeeis elective, rather than appointive by the Executive Committee? Mr. Silvis: I understood it was three members and just appointed. Mr. McDaniel: Yes, under Article I of the by-laws, it is appointed. President Davidson: In that case we will do nothing about that now. I think perhaps we might proceed with a few resolutions or motionsbefore going to the further order of business. The chair will entertaina motion that the Association give its thanks to Mrs. Baker and hercommittee of the ladies for their entertainment of last evening and forfuture entertainment. Mr. Weber: I so move, Mr. President. (The motion was seconded, a vote called for, and the motion carriedunanimously. ) President Davidson: Also the chair will entertain a motion that theSecretary be instructed to send Dr. Deming our usual affectionategreetings and assure him that his beloved association is still carryingon in the spirit of the founders. Mr. McDaniel: By the way, I have a letter from Dr. Deming. Should I readthat? President Davidson: That would be fine if you would, yes. +A Letter from Dr. Deming+ _(Secretary's note: We substitute a more recent letter, dated May 9, 1949). _ ". .. You are giving me much consolation for all _my_ broken promises toget out the annual report at an early date. I suggest that you have alawyer draw up a contract for the printer to get out the report at agiven date or forfeit so much per day for all delay. If you don't dothat the printer will put you off for something that will give him alittle more profit. I don't know that we ever got out a report in plentyof time for the members to get their orders in early or get otherbenefits from the report if it arrived before planting time. "I note in the announcement of our Connecticut state medical societythat it scheduled a recess of 15 minutes or so at intervals for membersto 'view the exhibits. ' It looks to me like a good idea. .. . "Congratulations on the fast work of Joe, Jr. The idea is to get plentyof limbs before letting him bear. Have you tried the sweet buckeye onhim? [See page 181. ] "We have Spring here, too, as well as you in Nashville, and it is good. "I get awfully tired after very little exertion. I'll be 87 on September1. Too old to undertake any obligations. "Best luck. "Yours, s/W. C. DEMING" President Davidson: That is expressed beautifully, as usual. May I havethat motion? Dr. Crane: It has been moved and seconded that the Secretary beinstructed to send Dr. Deming our affectionate greetings and assure himthat his beloved association is still carrying on in the spirit of thefounders. (A vote on the motion was taken, and it was carried unanimously. ) President Davidson: Another, that the Association accept with deepregrets the resignation of D. C. Snyder, and that the Secretary beinstructed to send him our affectionate greetings and thanks for hislong, efficient and outstanding services as Treasurer of this body. Areyou in favor of such a motion? Mr. Weber: Take out the accepting the resignation part, and the restwill be O. K. President Davidson: That is right. As amended then, with the omission ofthat "accepting the resignation. " (A vote was taken on the motion, and it was carried unanimously. ) +Clarence A. Reed Elected Honorary Member+ President Davidson: One more. The chair will entertain a motion that theSecretary be instructed to send C. A. Reed our greetings and as a smallmeasure of the esteem we have for him and in recognition of his long andextraordinary services to this Association, we elect him a life memberthere-of. Dr. MacDaniels: I think it should be an "honorary member" rather than a"life member. " A life member contributes $75. President Davidson: I believe that is correct, an honorary member. Withthat amendment, then. Dr. MacDaniels: I would so move, Mr. President. Dr. Crane: Second the motion. (A vote was taken on the motion, and it was carried unanimously. ) Dr. Crane: Mr. President, I would like at this time, if I may, to say afew remarks in regard to Mr. Reed. I saw him last Friday afternoon, andhe asked me to convey to the Association his very deep regrets that hewas unable to attend. He had planned to attend, but his doctor saidabsolutely no. So he has learned from experience that he has got to paymore attention to his doctor's orders than he has in the past. He wanted me to tell the members of the Association that although hewasn't here in body he was in spirit and in mind. President Davidson: That's fine. I think perhaps we should proceed firstwith the reports of committees. The Finance Committee. Mr. Weshcke is not here. Mr. Weber is next inorder on that committee. I presume there would be nothing special toreport at this time. Mr. Weber: Nothing. President Davidson: Press and Publication. Mr. Stoke is chairman of thatcommittee. Mr. Stoke is not present at this time. Dr. MacDaniels, wouldyou have anything to say in the matter of Press and PublicationsCommittee? Have you any recommendations or reports to make? Dr. MacDaniels: Mr. Chairman, I hadn't planned to make any report. As amatter of fact, I had very little to do with the work of thePublications Committee this year. I have been rather happy that it hasbeen handled otherwise, and I think our thanks are due to our Secretary, who has carried the brunt, in fact, almost the entire burden of thepublication of the proceedings. Also of _The Nutshell_. That occurredthrough a series of circumstances which I don't wish to outline here. Ithink probably the chief determining factor was that the contract forprinting was awarded to a firm in Nashville, which almost automaticallymade it at least convenient and expedient to have the matter handled inNashville. I believe you will concur in that general opinion. Mr. MacDaniel: Yes. Dr. MacDaniels: So that our Secretary has had an unusually heavy burdenwhich we should not expect him to carry again. President Davidson: Thank you, Dr. MacDaniels. The chair will entertain a motion to accept Dr. MacDaniels' report onbehalf of the Press and Publication Committee. (It was so moved and seconded, a vote taken and motion carriedunanimously. ) President Davidson: On Varieties and Contests. Mr. Zarger is not goingto be with us, I am afraid, and if there is any other member of thatcommittee present who has something to say on the matter of variety andcontests, we would be very glad to hear from him. I don't hear anything, so we will proceed to the next one. The report of the Survey Committee. Mr. Silvis is chairman of thatcommittee, and I will say on his behalf that he was raring to go andwould have gone if it had been the feeling on the part of some of theother members that a survey was timely at that time. It happened thatthat was not the feeling, it was not a good year to make a survey, andon that account I wrote to Mr. Silvis that possibly it would be well toput off any important survey for the year 1947. Do you have anything to say, Mr. Silvis, in addition to this? Mr. Silvis: Well, on the cuff, no, and off the cuff I would like to makethis remark, that I just had one question I was going to require everymember to answer to me for, and that was what kind of a nut tree shouldI plant, and thereby try to establish a zone between frost-free datesfor various locations or states or territories. It didn't develop. I received as late as last week John Bregger's note explaining why itwas his reply came late. But I do want to make this remark, and for ourable Secretary's first issue of _The Nutshell_ I know this to be a fact, that with it, it's the nuts, and without it, it's hell. President Davidson: What shall we do with Mr. Silvis's report? We havesome action to take presently on the matter of survey in addition tothis report. Could I have a motion to accept the report of the SurveyCommittee? Dr. Crane: So move. Mr. Weber: Second. (A vote was taken on the motion, and it was carried unanimously. ) President Davidson: Mr. Chase disappeared again. He is chairman of theProgram Committee. We all have evidence of what he has been doing. Perhaps his program is sufficient to report. Mrs. S. H. Graham is chairman of the Membership Committee. I think Mrs. Graham is not here, so perhaps we can pass on. Report of the Necrology Committee fortunately is blank. Mr. McDaniel: There is one that I know of. Mr. Schuster of Oregon passedaway last winter. President Davidson: I think that points out a little weakness in ourorganization. The death of Mr. Schuster should have been reported andsome notice of it taken, perhaps. Mr. Stoke, you are here as chairman of the Exhibits Committee. Would youlike to say something? Mr. Stoke: I don't know that I have anything to say. The exhibits speakfor themselves back there. I wish to thank those who made contributionsto that exhibit, and some still came in this morning that you haven'tseen. I think it's been fine cooperation. I feel an apology is due for not getting out more publicity on behalf ofthe committee. I had hoped that another copy of _The Nutshell_ would beout before this meeting so I could make another call for exhibits, butit wasn't, and I didn't get my material in to our Secretary in time forthe earlier one. Mr. McDaniel: I believe we did have a notice in the summer issue. Mr. Stoke: Yes, there was a notice. At any rate, we have had exhibitshere all the way from Georgia to New York. I am not sure whether theyhave any from Canada or not. I think it makes a very nice display, and Icertainly appreciate your cooperation. Dr. MacDaniels: In connection with these exhibits, we were driving alongtalking to Mr. Slate about the desirability of the Northern Nut GrowersAssociation sending an exhibit to the Harvest Show of the MassachusettsHorticultural Society. That was done about ten years ago, and theSociety gave us a silver medal at that time. I know from talking withMr. Nehrling that they would be pleased to have such an exhibit put on, and I think that if we could take much of the material from our exhibitshere and send it there that that would make an acceptable exhibit, andwe almost assuredly would get not only considerable publicity out ofthat, because it would be an exhibit of the Northern Nut GrowersAssociation, but we might also get either a cash award or a medal. Ithink if we work behind the scenes, if we preferred the cash we couldget that, which would be of some value to the Association. Now, I speak of this merely to bring it to your attention and to pointout that any of the personally furnished exhibits that you wish to turnover for that purpose, you may arrange with Mr. Stoke for that. (Further discussion on the details of sending in the above-mentionedexhibits. ) Dr. MacDaniels: I would move this Association favored sending an exhibitto the Massachusetts Horticultural Society Harvest show, providedmaterial is available. Dr. Crane: Second the motion. Dr. Silvis: May I make this remark and also be in the form of a motion, that those exhibitors report immediately at the adjournment of thissession to Mr. Stoke and make known to him whether yes or no, whethertheir exhibits can be sent up. President Davidson: Do you make that motion in the form of an amendment? Dr. MacDaniels: I will include that in the motion. Dr. Crane: I accept it. (A vote was taken on the motion as amended, and it was carriedunanimously. ) President Davidson: Place of Meeting Committee. I judge that thatcommittee is not ready to report, is it, Mr. Slate, for this followingmeeting? Mr. Slate: The chairman didn't realize until just before we were readyto leave that he was a member of that committee. I have given the mattersome thought on the way down, and in the previous years I have usuallygone fishing for invitations some time before the meeting. I did drop aline overboard a few days ago, but I didn't catch anything more than Icaught in this big lake up here. Now, from previous experience I don't believe we can consider going tothe Middle West. Mr. Snyder, Mr. Becker in Michigan, and Dr. Colby atIllinois, have not thought that they had enough material to make itworth while to go out there. That throws it back to the East, and wehave been to some of the better places in recent years; Ronoake, Virginia, Hershey, Pennsylvania, and Boston. I think there are two places that we should consider. I think we shouldconsider Beltsville and the New York City region. We all know that thereis plenty of material at Beltsville. We have not been there for sometime. And in the New York City region we have the plantings of GilbertSmith, who is probably 85 or 90 miles above New York. He is not far fromPoughkeepsie where I am sure there are ample facilities for handling thecrowd. Then there may be possibly some of Dr. Graves' plantings thatwould be worth seeing on a field trip. Now, of course, the committee will be very glad to receive invitationsfrom anyone here and consider them, and we will make the final report atthe final business session at the time of the banquet, I believe. Butbetween now and then I want you to consider the matter rather seriouslyand let me know what you are thinking about. President Davidson: I think it would be desirable, if it were possible, for Mr. Slate to wire the proper authorities at Beltsville orPoughkeepsie. Mr. Weber: Mr. President, one of our members is Mr. Bernath, who hasbeen quite faithful in attending nearly all our meetings, and he has, Iimagine, much of interest to show to the members, and he is located nearPoughkeepsie. I am just throwing that out for the members to think overas to what they would think about Poughkeepsie as a possible meetingplace. President Davidson: That's worth listening to. Would it be advisable, do you think, for Mr. Slate at the expense of theAssociation to wire to Poughkeepsie or to Beltsville to see whether aninvitation is available or not? Mr. Slate: Those places are well represented now. Mr. Weber: I imagine Mr. Bernath can speak for himself. Mr. Bernath: I don't know, I think if we could delay it another year, Mr. Smith is going to retire from the State School, and he will haveplenty of time. I am very busy, and he will have loads of time on hishands, and then he can give it his attention. I think that would be allright next year. Mr. Slate: That's up to the Association to decide. Mr. Bernath: We would like to have you come at that time. Mr. Slate: Beltsville is very well represented in Dr. Crane. Mr. Weber: Mr, Chairman, in view of what Mr. Bernath says, I'd acceptMr. Bernath's suggestion and have Poughkeepsie on the list for the yearfollowing. Mr. Bernath: That's right. President Davidson: Dr. Crane may have something. Dr. Crane: Mr. President and members of the Association, we'd like tohave the Association meeting at Beltsville again. However, we have hadfour years of May freezes in Beltsville Station, and I am going to tellyou all is not in any too good condition. A lot of it has been pulled, and we have had to replant an awful lot of the stuff that is now justplanted this year. We lost a lot of the plantings that were made lastyear because of injury. As you folks probably know that have been therebefore, we labored under very great difficulties on soil conditions inthat we have mostly sands and gravel. So we are kind of in a mess there right now. We'd be glad to have theAssociation meet at Beltsville, and we have right good facilities therefor meetings, but as far as any plantings in the area, a lot of the workwe are doing, we are kind of going through a period of change right nowand getting re-established, and I want you to know the situation. President Davidson: Well, we have been forewarned. It's a case, I judge, of not being unwilling to see us, but you are not so anxious, for us tosee you, is that it? Dr. Crane: I wouldn't want you to come there under false hopes that youwould see a lot. Mr. Gravatt: I would like to say we have done quite a lot of work inbreeding chestnuts and also work with forest types, crossing Americanchestnuts and Chinese. But I agree quite with Dr. Crane, that we haven'tso much to show you there. Of course, it's a dog-gone good thing to getfamiliar with these diseases and see what you are up against, becauseall through the history of nut culture, and so forth, one of the basicdefects has been the failure to appreciate the importance of insect anddisease factors. And we are very much in need of more basic researchalong those lines, but I agree with Dr. Crane that at present we have alimited amount to show you there. Of course, there is the Plant Industry Station there with a lot ofexperimental work, greenhouse work and all sorts of basic research work, fertilization work, and so forth, going on there. A lot of people liketo come to Washington. Our plantings are pretty much the same conditionas Dr. Crane's and not a display proposition such as you have here atTVA. President Davidson: Suppose we regard this report, then, as temporaryand hear more from you later. I think that concludes the reports. The Board of Directors, unless there is some other order of business tobe taken up, have some recommendations to make to the Association. Oneis the recommendation that the Association place the annual membershipfee at $3, the supporting membership fee at $10 and the life membershipfee at $75. They didn't wish to take the responsibility of doinganything more than referring that matter to this Association. Dr. MacDaniels: That could be handled in the by-laws under theconstitution. President Davidson: We still also have another rather important matterthat's been referred to the Association, and that is the matter of asufficient amount of remuneration to permit our Secretary to hire astenographer to do the extra amount of work that is graduallyaccumulating in that office. The resolution that is referred to youcalls for a payment of 50 cents per member to the Secretary for thispurpose. .. . We have no right to be set up so that the work of theAssociation would encroach upon a person's job as it is set up at thepresent time. That recommendation was that it was contingent, of course, upon raising the dues to $3. 00 and take 50 cents of that to offset thestenographic help and try to re-organize our affairs between theSecretary and Treasurer so that as much as possible of the routinemailing, and routine stenographic work would be carried in this way. (Discussion on the above recommendation. ) Mr. Weber: I move that the additional remuneration be granted, 50 centsper member, to the Secretary. Mr. Smith: I will second the motion. Mr. Fisher: I'd like to make an amendment to that, that the dues beraised to $3. 00 in order to make this possible. Mr. Weber: I will accept the amendment. Mr Smith: And I will second the motion contingent, of course, to theraising of the dues. (Vote taken, motion carried unanimously. ) President Davidson: We will appoint a Resolutions Committee. +Resolutions Committee+ Sterling Smith, H. L. Crane, Raymond E. Silvis, H. F. Stoke. President Davidson: I think so far as I know that's everything exceptthe report of the Committee on the Constitution. Unless I hear otherwisewe will proceed with that report. (Discussion on Constitution. ) (Constitution and by-laws approved as set out in another part of thisreport, the Constitution having first been read at 1947 meeting) President Davidson: As I understand it, then, this constitution, unlesswe make some other provision, is in effect as of now. Mr. Weber: Now with these by-laws in effect there will have to be afresh nominating committee elected for the next year. Mr. Smith: Mr. President, I make a motion, if it's in order, that theNominating Committee as elected previously for this meeting alsocontinue and serve for next year. Mr. Clarke: Second the motion. (Vote taken, motion carried unanimously. ) President Davidson: There is one other matter that was brought up at thedirectors' meeting, and inasmuch as the directors did not have a quorum, it should be voted through here, I think, and that is that a motion isin order to pay Mrs. Gibbs $25 for her services as stenographer at ourmeeting. That was done, I believe, at Guelph, and it involves a lot ofimportant work. Mr. Korn: I second the motion. (Vote taken, motion carried unanimously. ) President Davidson: Shall we adjourn, with a continuance of the businessmeeting at the banquet? (Recess taken until 1:00 o'clock p. M. ) +Monday Afternoon Session+ President Davidson: Shall we come to order? We now come to the interesting part of our program, and we will listenfirst to Mr. Quick of West Virginia, who will take the place of Mr. Sayers, the State Forester at Charleston, West Virginia. Mr. Quick. The Development and Propagation of Blight Resistant Chestnut in WestVirginia RALPH H. QUICK, Conservation Commission, Charleston, West Virginia Mr. Quick: Ladies and gentlemen of the Association, your guests andfriends: In substituting for the State Forester of West Virginia Irealize that I am undertaking a big job. A few of you know Mr. WilsonSayers, who is the State Forester, and those of you who do may assurethe rest of the group what a big job I am undertaking, because I feelthat I am in pretty good-sized shoes. The subject that has been assigned is The Development and Propagation ofBlight Resistant Chestnut in West Virginia. Now, being a forester, I amperhaps interested in blight resistant chestnut from a little differentstandpoint than the majority of this group. As representing theConservation Commission of that state I might say that we are interestedprimarily from the game-food viewpoint. Now, that's a little bitdifferent, I expect, than most of you have been thinking about, or someof you, at least. But that is the standpoint from which we areinterested. So I would like to go along with you this afternoon and discuss some ofthe things that we have done and some of the things that we arelearning--there are a few yet--that lead us along that line to believethat we can do something with blight-resistant chestnuts in WestVirginia as a game food. We are just at the beginning, so to speak--thatis, the Conservation Commission of that state is just at the beginningof our study. We have been fooling with it a little off and on sinceback in the middle '30's, but interest has lagged and then has picked upagain two or three times. I am sure that as far as the production of good strains ofblight-resistant chestnut, better strains of Chinese, and so on, thatthere are people in West Virginia who are more capable of telling youwhat has been done from a private viewpoint than anyone with theConservation Commission, but we are interested in learning about it andproducing it in large numbers for a game food, and, of course, if we areinterested in distributing from our nursery over the state for thatpurpose, we are interested in producing better strains ofblight-resisting chestnut as we go. Along back in the 1920's a few plantations, or a few trees were plantedin the state by what was then the old Fish and Game Commission, and therecords have been lost, as has been true in many other states. But then, apparently, the beginning was made. In going over some of those earlyplantings I will only have time to hit the high spots and the ones inwhich we are particularly interested in our line, but the first oneswere back there somewhere in the '20's. One of the best plantations, the one that we are particularly interestedin at the present time, is in Jackson County, West Virginia, and it isof the University of Nanking strain, and there were 34 trees plantedthere back in 1926, and we are told that they were planted from 2-0[1]stock, from nuts that came from China in 1924. Twenty-six of those treessurvived, and we think they are pretty good nuts. You may be interestedto know that that plantation now averages 22 feet in height and has anaverage diameter at breast height of 8 inches. The spacing in thatplantation was 26 by 26 feet. Now, we can't take credit, nor do we want to take credit, for thatplantation. The state agency had nothing to do with it. It was put inthere through the cooperation of the gentlemen from Beltsville, but weare very much interested in that plantation; so interested that we havegone to the owner, along with the permission of the fellows fromBeltsville, and sewed the thing up for a five year period, during whichtime we hope to get the seed and to improve our own strains andestablish blocks of our own on state-owned land under differentconditions and on different sites where we expect in the future to beable to secure seed for our use and production at the nursery. In the first few years that this plantation that we are speaking of inJackson County produced, not many people paid much attention to it orattached much significance to it. The man who had charge of it gave thenuts away for experimental purposes or for any reason that anybodyhappened to ask for them, and shipped a lot of them free. But along inthe early 1940's he began to find out what he had, and he startedselling seed and made a pretty good thing out of it. Last year was the first year that we had gotten seed from thatplantation. We got 75 pounds of good nuts taken in the fall of 1947. We have another orchard, another plantation that led us to becomeinterested, I guess, in producing blight-resistant chestnut as a gamefood and along forestry lines, and that is the orchard that we have onnursery property. It was one of the early ones, and I expect one of theearliest in the state, but it was planted along back in 1936, fifty-onetrees. When we started in this we didn't know anything about it at all, so wehave built up our small knowledge in the last few years. But it didn'ttake us long to realize that our orchard on our nursery property was ofbadly crossed material, and it had some very undesirable trees. If wesucceeded in doing anything with them as a game food we would have toeliminate, and only last year did we get around to the place where wecould secure authority to eliminate the undesirable species. We haveabout half of the stand left now, but we are pretty sure that the treesthat we do have are of good strain. It might be interesting for you to note--maybe some of you can topit--we were interested when this orchard was planted, in what wouldhappen if the trees were planted and allowed to grow as a forest stand. So they were planted in six-by-six spacing. Of course, we got a lot ofself-pruning and a lot of competition, as we would in forests by thetrees growing up and competing with each other and reaching for heightand light. Some of them died and some were so badly suppressed that theyfailed to make any growth at all. But there is one tree that we stillhave in that orchard that we are proud of, not from the standpoint ofnut production, nor does it produce a very good nut as far as the humantaste is concerned. But it has made a single stick that far surpassesany other tree we have in the orchard. It looks like a forest tree. In1945--it might be hard for you to believe--it grew nine feet. That isn'tan exaggeration. It was measured. We thought that was a lot better thanfair growth. Of course, it hasn't made any growth like that since, and Idon't think it ever did before, but it just had the push to go and wentnine feet in one growing season. Leaving that orchard for a few minutes, there were 38 plantings of from10 to 50 trees each made by the Soil Conservation Service and theDivision of Forest Pathology of the Bureau of Plant Industry in thespring of 1939. These were examined by Dr. Diller of that Bureau in thespring of 1940 and in 1947. He has told us that he graded thoseplantings as he found them, 10 being good, and he said the next 15 wereonly fair and he put 13 down as total failures. Of those 13 that failed--from the forestry standpoint now, remember--hesaid that 7 of the failures were due to poor site selection, three weresuppressed by surrounding hardwoods and other competing growth, andthree had been destroyed by cattle. [Footnote 1: Meaning, two years old, not transplanted in thenursery. --Ed. ] +A Commercial Chestnut Nurseryman+ I don't know whether any of you know of--I expect you do--the GoldChestnut Nursery in West Virginia near Cowen, and it is owned andoperated by Mr. Arthur A. Gold. He has been interested inblight-resistant chestnuts from a commercial standpoint, selling fromhis nursery for a good many years. He has worked with us some in theConservation Commission and has given us the benefit of his experience. And if any of you have the opportunity I think you would be interestedin seeing Mr. Gold's nursery. He was an old-time nurseryman that handledmost of the conifers found in a commercial nursery, but in the last fewyears he has gone into chestnut production almost entirely, and if youhave an opportunity, I am sure Mr. Gold would welcome you to his nurseryin Webster County. The Game Division of the Conservation Commission of West Virginiaestablished three or four small plantings on the state forests in 1938and 1939, but they had low survival. Dr. Diller in going around withsome of us and checking on those has found that we were back there whereall of us were trying to find something and trying to learn somethingand that we made many mistakes and that we picked poor stock, for onething, and poor sites for another thing, but the great disadvantage andthe biggest limiting factor was our poor selection of sites there in thebeginning. In handling chestnuts that you people handle maybe in small or largequantities where all of your time can be devoted to that particularthing, you probably have a lot of things that you do that we don't havetime to do because at the nursery in West Virginia we are interestedprimarily in producing conifers and other forest trees for thereforestation of abandoned land. So in handling this Chinese chestnut asa game food we are working on a sideline. We have to pick it up as fastas we can do the job and do as much as we can and learn about as much aswe can. And, of course, we learn slower than people who have the time tospend and perhaps the money to spend at it. But we are limited in thosetwo respects. But seed collections are made, and we find it necessary in collectingfrom two of the orchards that we are now using for seed to collect twicea day in the season that the nuts are ripening, because both of thoseorchards which we prize are close to forest lands and squirrel country, and they really give us a race for it. The fact of the matter is theorchard at the nursery has attracted the squirrels on that particularside of the mountain. I have hunted on opening day and killed my limitof squirrels without going outside of the residence and been back atwork time at eight o'clock. It really attracts them on that side of thehill. We are going to compete with the squirrels, but as you will see, we have just about given up that orchard as a seed source. We find it necessary to treat the seed, of course, before we plant it. Many of you people, of course, go into the spraying end of it before thenut ever develops. We haven't the time or the money right now to go intoit that way, so we try to take care of the nut after we collect it andbring it in. I expect it is not necessary for me to go into any of the details on anyof the methods that may be used to get rid of the weevil, because youare all familiar with that. Maybe it suffices to say that we at thenursery now are using the hot water treatment. The little weevil isfound in there and not always apparent. In fact, most of the time itisn't apparent that the nut is infested, but they are, and if we takemeasures to kill the weevil we haven't any germination of the weevil. Weused gas once, but we are limited in that at present. It is a lot moreexpensive. We have, in the first few years that we tried to produce chestnuts atthe nursery, stratified them. We got along pretty well with that in dampsand, we got along fairly well in sawdust, and we got along especiallywell with damp sphagnum moss. But in the end we determined that we aregetting better results if we plant the nuts as they are collected. Inother words, the seed was taken from the orchard, treated to kill theweevil and put in the ground in the fall. Now, you can't get away with that everywhere. Our orchard is far enoughaway from the nursery that we don't have any rodent damage. We have hadsome trouble from skunks, and they finally find out that the nuts are inthere in a row where we have planted them, and they go right down andget them. But we have no trouble from mice or rats. We are far away fromwoodland and buildings. We find that some people have trouble with wind or water erosion. Wedon't have that. So we can get by and do a better job and produce bettertrees by sowing nuts in the fall, and we sow them in the fall, just asif we were sowing black walnuts for production and distribution over thestate. By the next fall when we are ready to distribute those seedlings as 1-0stock we find that we have produced seedlings of about 14 inches inheight as 1-0 stock. From what I have seen that isn't a bad size toproduce as 1-0 stock, though it is better in some places. We find, too, in the spring before germination, that in our particular section of thestate along the Ohio River valley we sometimes get a dry spring and findit necessary to irrigate that land where we planted the chestnuts, justas the seed beds where we planted pine, in order to keep the groundmoist and keep it in a condition where seeds will germinate freely. We weed our chestnuts just as we do every row planted in the nursery, cultivate with the tractor about three times in a season, which is allthe time we have to give to it, and hand weed it once. Perhaps it oughtto have a little more than that. Some seasons I am sure it should, butthat's about the time we are allowed or the time that we can allot tothat. I hope, Mr. Davidson, you will check me here on this time. I don't wantto get too far out and upset the schedule. President Davidson: All right, if necessary. Mr. Quick: In distributing, the seedlings or blight-resistant chestnutseed in West Virginia we began back in 1943 putting them out inquantity. We had to limit them, the only thing in the nursery we had tolimit the amount as to seed. That was because everybody in the statebecame very much interested, and the Conservation Commission makes thoseavailable to any land owner in the state free of charge if he will plantthem as a game food but not under other circumstances. He can't use themfor ornamentals, and he can't use them for shade purposes in his yard. But he can receive a limited number if he is willing to use them forgame. So in scattering them over the state, so many people wanted somany of them that if we didn't watch we'd have all of our chestnutsplanted in three or four, or half a dozen spots in the state, and we areinterested in learning as much as we can by having them put out atdifferent elevations, different sites and under different conditions, sowe had to limit it to ten to an individual in 1943. We have graduallyupped that as our production has gone up, from 15 to 20, then 40, andthis year we are offering 50 to any land owner in the State of WestVirginia. Now you can see why we are interested in trying to improve the nut. Ifwe are going to distribute them all over the state, let's distribute agood nut, a nut that is not only a heavy bearer for the game, but a nut, too, that is fit for human consumption. In our site recommendations we have been trying to follow pretty wellthe ideas of the boys from Beltsville, and we found out that what theyhave been telling us is just about right. In other words, we are settingour chestnuts in the cove types, moist with gentle slope, preferably onthe north, and we are getting better growth there. It doesn't mean asfar as we are concerned that it doesn't grow well on drier land and onrich hill-tops but the growth is so much greater when it's put in goodground and under those conditions. In other words, it needs a tulippoplar site; where tulip poplar is growing or has recently grown mightbe one way to select a site for our chestnuts. In these five year now that we have been distributing these chestnuts wehave distributed something like 200, 000. Now, we know that all of thoseseedlings haven't been good strains, but they have been the best wecould do at that time as we were going along. We hope to learn from youpeople, and we hope you can give us help in improving our strains sothat we can distribute better chestnuts over the state. We haven't had a good system of checking up, until the present time, onplantings that have been made in the past, but we are initiating asystem just now wherein all plantations that have been made from foreststock will have regular examination all over the state of West Virginia, and we are including chestnuts in that. We have made some checks in thestate on certain selected sites and have found out, strange enough, thatthese little plantations that are spotted around on the farms, if theywere put in correctly and handled properly according to ourinstructions, have given us a survival of about 80 to 85 per cent, whichis, as you will remember, about the percentage in the Nanking strainplanting in Jackson County, 26 out of the 34 original trees. That seemsstrange, but it has proved true all over the state in the few checksthat we have made. But we are going into it and checking theseplantations and by so doing I believe we can eliminate a good many ofour own troubles, along with your help. * * * * * President Davidson: Thank you, Mr. Quick for a very interesting paper. Is Professor Moore, present? Our next talk will be on The Present Statusof the Chestnut in Virginia, by Professor R. C. Moore of the VirginiaPolytechnic Institute of Blacksburg, Virginia. Professor Moore. The Present Status of the Chestnut in Virginia R. C. MOORE, Department of Horticulture Virginia Agricultural ExperimentStation Briefly reviewing the past, Virginia has been in the same position asmany other states in regard to the large number of native Americanchestnuts that once grew wild before the blight epidemic occurred. Mostof the chestnuts were found on loose, open type soils rather than onheavy limestone soil. In mountainous parts of the state, considerableincome was obtained from the sale of wild chestnuts. Men, women, andchildren gathered these nuts and traded them at the stores formerchandise. One small country store, in Floyd County, southwestVirginia, assembled and shipped between sixty and eighty thousand poundsannually. A small town, Stuart, in Patrick County, shipped threecarloads daily during the peak of the season. These nuts found their wayto city markets, where chestnut roasters were as commonly seen aspopcorn poppers. Since many of these native chestnut trees grew inforests or on wasteland, there was little expense involved except in thetime required to gather them. The demand was good but frequently thesale price was rather low, especially during years when the crop washeavy. After blight destroyed the wild trees, a considerable amount of timberwas cut from the dead trees. At present this wood has largely decayedbeyond usefulness except for firewood, although in some areas it isbeing gathered for pulpwood. Sprouts have arisen from the bases of thetrunks and have borne nuts, but blight sooner or later destroys thosesprouts. Chinkapins are found in many counties of Virginia, especially on shaleor sandy loam soils. Blight affects chinkapins to a considerable extent;but because of their bushy type of growth, new shoots arise to replaceblighted shoots, thus perpetuating the plants so that they have not diedout. Chinkapins are gathered by children for eating and for sale alongthe roadside, but at present they have little total economic value. +The Asiatic Chestnuts+ Since the native American chestnuts passed out of existence, there hasbeen a gradually accumulating interest in the Asiatic species, especially Chinese chestnuts, which appear superior, in blightresistance and nut quality to the Japanese species. The growing of theseChinese chestnuts is such a new enterprise that its problems are notfully solved nor its opportunities fully explored. The earlier plantings of seedling Chinese chestnut trees were made bycooperating growers and nurserymen. They were interested in a foresttype chestnut that might replace the dead native trees. A few of theseplantings were made under semi-forest conditions, on cut-over timberland or on dry ridges. The first lesson that was learned was that theChinese chestnut is an orchard type tree requiring rather fertile soiland ample moisture. It would not compete favorably with most nativeforest trees, but rather was a slow growing, shallow rooted type oftree. Under these unfavorable growing conditions the trees tended to besmall and to sprout from the bases of the trunks. The weakest seedlingsdied. In other cases the trees were planted in yards, back lots, along thesides of ravines, or in other locations where the soil was fertile andmoist. Under these favorable conditions most seedlings have grown andproduced crops of nuts, especially when the trees were pruned andcompeting weeds and brush were mowed. Very few of these first seedlingsof the Chinese chestnuts showed much promise although a few of them werefairly satisfactory. Several old Japanese chestnut trees have been observed. One of these isestimated to be 50 years of age with a trunk diameter of 18 inches and aheight of about 50 feet. It is growing in a very fertile spot and heavycrops in the past have broken its limbs. Chinkapins growing nearbyappeared to have supplied pollen. Recently the nearest chinkapins werecleared away and hence at present the nuts fail to fill well. Anotherlarge tree in eastern Virginia produces many burs but the nuts fail todevelop, indicating self-sterility. The nuts of both trees are rathercoarse and of poor quality. More recent plantings have been rather widely scattered over the state, although the total number of trees is not large and no one person hasplanted many trees. One large general nursery, serving this area, reported sales last spring of 196 Chinese seedling trees to thirty-fivedifferent customers. The largest single sale was for fifty trees. Several customers purchased only one tree each. +Problems Encountered+ In visiting and corresponding with individuals who are growing Chinesechestnuts, I have made a few observations, as to problems that havearisen. +1. Site and Soil. + The most successful trees from the standpoint ofgrowth and production were those growing on fertile, well drained soilin which moisture was plentiful. The Chinese chestnut tree appears to beshallow rooted and to require good growing conditions. Dry ridges wereunfavorable for growth, and in bottom land the trees frequently weresubjected to late spring freezing of tender shoots. 2. Blight injury to the trees and weevil damage to the nuts seemed to bethe most serious enemies of chestnuts. Seedlings varied considerably intheir resistance to blight. Some of them showed no indications ofblight; others were damaged but outgrew the injury; and a few trees wereweakened and died. Weevils appeared to be quite prevalent. One grower reported almost 100%wormy nuts. It is my understanding that a spray program has beendeveloped for control of the weevil. Mr. H. F. Stoke of Roanoke believesthat the Illinois No. 31-4 chestnut (a hybrid) is resistant to weevil, probably because of its thick burs and closely set spines. +3. Cultural Care. + Chinese chestnuts benefited from pruning; it beingespecially important to cut away the sprouts at the bases of the trunks. Mowing weeds and brush around the trees seemed helpful. Applications ofnitrate of soda stimulated more rapid growth of young trees, and inlimited amounts benefited the older trees. It appears, however, thatthere may be a danger of overstimulation which increases the hazard oflimb breakage by snow and ice, especially in the case of younger trees. The largest crops of nuts, however, were frequently produced on trees ofonly moderate vigor. +4. Freezing damage to the bark of the trunks and large limbs. + Thisoccurred in the VPI Horticultural Department planting in 1945, when atemperature of about 17°F. Occurred after the trees had started growthin the spring. This injury appeared as a darkening of the outer bark andcambium. Trees that were severely damaged became weakened and tended tosprout vigorously from the bases of their trunks. Other trees overcame aslight injury with little apparent ill-effect. +5. Seedlings or Varieties. + The question is whether to grow seedlings orgrafted varieties. Seedlings are more easily propagated, the nurseryplants less expensive, and the trees longer lived on the average; butseedling trees and nuts are quite variable. Named varieties aredifficult to propagate, the nursery plants expensive, and stock-scionincompatability may occur; but the trees and nuts are uniform. Seedlingsserve a useful purpose in developing new varieties; but with moreplanting of superior varieties and a fuller understanding of propagationmethods, and of cultural care, chestnut growing on a commercial scalemay be more likely to become a reality. +Future Prospects+ For the present, at least, it appears that growing Chinese chestnuts maybe limited to small specialty plantings rather than any large commercialenterprise. The trees seem well adapted to yard and back lot plantingas ornamentals and to furnish the family with nuts. Also hobbyists andspecialists find them to be interesting plants with which to work. The industry is new and involves uncertainties and risks, which acommercial grower should not be expected to assume. Further study isneeded to clear up the uncertainties, especially as to production costs, markets, and profits to be expected. As additional trees come intobearing over a wider area, a better understanding may be had of theeconomic value of these chestnuts in the various sections of the state. There is a market for high quality chestnuts, but it remains to be seenwhether there will be sufficient profit with the risks involved toattract commercial growers. +Summary+ In conclusion, the following points are to be stressed in regard togrowing chestnuts in Virginia: (1) Chinese chestnuts are adapted for home planting or for planting byhobbyists and specialists; but their commercial prospects as yet areuncertain. (2) The trees require fertile soil with ample moisture but should not beplanted in frost pockets. (3) Weevils and blight have been the most serious pests. (4) Seedlings serve a useful purpose in developing new varieties; butgreater progress should be expected from growing superior namedvarieties. (5) Additional study is needed to determine the profit prospects, toevaluate varieties, and to work out details of cultural practices, harvesting, and storage of nuts on a variety basis. Although the chestnut blight has destroyed the native _Castanea dentata_trees, it is hoped that breeding programs may produce a blightresistant, hardy tree, of a size that will lend itself to orchardplanting and cultural practices, and which will be regularly productiveof high quality nuts. * * * * * President Davidson: Thank you, Mr. Moore. The next thing on the program is the talk by Mr. G. S. Jones of PhenixCity, Alabama, on Growing Chestnuts in Lee County, Alabama. Growing Chinese Chestnuts in Lee County, Alabama G. S. JONES, R. F. D. 1, Phenix City, Alabama Ever since childhood, chestnuts have held a fascination for me. How wellI remember the delightful Sunday afternoon trips we used to make in thefall up on Earkett's Hill to gather a few small nuts from some nativetrees which often had been burned by woods fires. I occasionally revisitthis area to see these trees, which are in better condition now thanthen. Native chestnuts were never, to my knowledge, very abundant in ourarea and are now indeed scarce, but I still hear of a few living trees, some of which grow as far south as North Florida. I first became interested in Chinese chestnuts from an article I read inthe early '30's in a Department of Agriculture yearbook which I thinkhad been written by Mr. Gravatt. This article told about these treesbeing introduced into this country because of their high resistance toblight. Until this time I had heard little about chestnut blight. Inorder to find out more about these trees I wrote Mr. Gravatt, who inreply said seedling trees were available for distribution on anexperimental basis. I applied for some of these, more, I must admit, toget them to grow on our place just to have some chestnuts than with anythought of disease resistance. When these trees came in the spring of1934 I even had some trouble in getting permission to set them in anopen field near the house, for chestnuts were considered as a tree ofminor importance, to be grown in some out of the way place. These trees were set in sandy loam soil with a porous yellow subsoil ina field of medium elevation which has excellent air drainage so I havehad little damage from cold injury. The soil is of fair fertility forthe Upper Costal Plain area. Of the trees sent me, fourteen of the MLselection, originating, I am informed by Mr. Gravatt, from seed obtainedin Anhwei Province of China, and 10 MO selection originating in ChekiangProvince were set in my orchard. Only two of these failed to survive, leaving a total of twenty-two. These were cultivated with the fieldcrops, mostly cotton and corn, and I must admit didn't have muchindividual attention for several years. I even left the side branches tominimize injury from the mule and plow used in cultivation. Some leavesand trash were put around them at times and they received some benefitfrom the fertilizer of the row crops. I mention this to show that mychestnuts grew quite well though only moderately fertilized, butreceiving good cultivation while young. I might mention that I set twotrees in stiff Piedmont clay soil a few miles above here, to try themunder woodland conditions. These have never done well, although one hadburs but I found no nuts. Other trees which I observe have not beengiven cultivation grow very slowly, although I have not seen any triedon what I would consider _good_ woodland areas. My trees, spaced about 40 x 40 ft. , have grown quite rapidly so that nowsome of the limbs are almost touching. Tree ML No. 2, which is aboutaverage size, measured last fall in diameter 12-1/2 inches, in height 24feet, with a limb spread of 30 feet. By 1943 the trees were getting solarge that cultivation was discontinued. An attempt is made to keep alllitter possible in the orchard, which, with the shade of the trees, hascaused much of the soil to become loose and mellow. Since our sandy soilis very low in calcium I applied limestone one time at the rate of about1500 lbs. Per acre. This I hoped would improve the texture of the soiland make better conditions for growing bur clover between the trees. Basic slag which contains about 10% phosphate was applied at the rate ofabout 600 lbs. Per acre in the early '40's. For the last four or fiveyears I applied about 200 lbs. Of guano (4-10-7 usually) and 200 lbs ofbasic slag annually. Since 1944 I have been adding about 50 lbs. Ofminor mineral elements to the above mixture. Whether it is a coincidenceor not I cannot say, but the next year after applying these elements myyields increased from 430 lbs. The previous year to 961 lbs. And haveremained high ever since. Minor mineral elements show beneficial resultson our garden crops, and I am inclined to believe they are needed, sinceour soil is so sandy and porous, and especially the soil that has beencultivated so long. Since my trees have produced so well with thismoderate fertilization, I have made no check against higher rates ofapplication. In fact I am against the use of large amounts of mineralguanos since I know certain tender shrubs and plants are injured bytheir use and some soil bacteria and animal life are also harmfullyaffected, according to reports I have read. Three of my trees bore a few nuts at four years. No record of yields waskept until the seventh year or 1942, in which I gathered about 328 lbs. Of nuts. After that my records show for 1943, 554 lbs. , 1944--430 lbs;1945--961 lbs; 1946--1722 lbs; 1947--1554 lbs. No individual treerecords were kept except in a few cases. I kept a rough record bylooking at the burs at the end of the season, and classed trees asexcellent, good, or poor producers, along with other characteristics ofthe trees. However, I know several of my trees produced over 100 lbs. Each in 1946 and one tree, ML No. 2, of which I kept a record by weight, in 1947 produced a little over 150 lbs. Of nuts. [A note from Mr. Jones early in 1949 reports a crop of 1, 836 pounds ofchestnuts harvested from his 21 trees in 1948, the largest yield todate. His ML No. 2 tree produced 165 pounds. ] Nuts on a few of my trees begin ripening the latter part of August, butSeptember is the heavy month, with some extending to the middle ofOctober. Their early ripening period while the weather is usually hotand dry, I think tends to cause damage to nuts from the effects of thehot sun and rapid drying. Damage to the nuts and consequent spoilage canbe kept at a minimum if they are gathered promptly, which should bedaily. +Preparing Chestnuts for Market+ Here is how I generally handle my crop. As soon as the nuts are gatheredI put them in a container with water and remove the nuts that float. This eliminates practically all spoiled nuts and those beginning tospoil. Those that sink are then placed in coarse mesh burlap bags (about25 lbs. To the bag) which are tied near the top. These bags are laid ona slatted platform under a shade tree and pressed out flat, so nuts willnot be thicker than 2 or 3 inches. These bags are thoroughly wet withwater once or twice daily, depending on the weather, until I can carrythem to cold storage and store at 30°F. , or they are marketed fresh, advising buyer of the perishable nature of these nuts. Last year my nutskept excellently in cold storage, and after remaining there about sixweeks had dried sufficiently to keep much better after taking out thanwhen they were fresh. Nuts for planting purposes can be kept in excellent condition forseveral weeks by spreading them thinly between layers of damp sphagnummoss and storing in a cool place. This cannot be allowed to get very wetor sprouting will begin. While holding the nuts out of cold storage Iattempt to keep sufficient moisture available so the nuts are notallowed to dry much, and yet have plenty of ventilation to keep themfrom heating or souring. Until I began using this method, a largepercentage of my nuts began spoiling soon after gathering, which causedme much discouragement, as I did not want to offer such a product forsale. Since then my losses still run around 12%, but this could bereduced still further by more prompt gathering and by the elimination ofseveral trees which retain nuts in the burs to a large extent. I have been able to dispose of my nuts quite easily in near-by Columbus, Ga. And for the last few years have had quite a demand for nuts to usein planting. My orchard as a whole has been very healthy, showing no blight signsthat I can detect, although there is little chance of exposure to blightin my section. One tree is slowly dying, which may be due to coldinjury, as it comes into leaf early and also ripens very early. So far Ihave noticed no damage from chestnut weevils. As my trees are seedlings, there is quite a bit of variation in size of nuts and production ofindividual trees. +Undesirable Traits in Seedling Trees+ I might mention some undesirable traits which I notice in my trees. First, I would place retention of nuts in the burs as the worst trouble. This is quite bad in five or six of my trees. Next, nuts too dry andloose in the hull at time of falling, which is present in four or fivetrees, some of which retain nuts in the burs and some which do not. Thedry textured nuts seem to spoil more easily than plump well filled ones. Some trees produce too small nuts but the trees which produce extralarge nuts do not usually yield nearly so heavily as those producingsmall to medium size nuts. I consider too early ripening as undesirable, for those that ripen later are usually better keepers, but this does notalways hold true as some of the later ripening ones are also poorkeepers. This year my trees have an excellent crop of burs and show promise of agood average yield on each tree. Considering all things, I am highlypleased with my Chinese chestnuts and believe they have a good future inour section if no greater troubles arise than I now know of althoughthere is much room for improvement. +Other Tree Crops+ Although Chinese chestnuts are my largest producing tree crop, I amworking with a number of other trees and shrubs for both nut and fruitproduction, as well as other purposes. I have several Thomas blackwalnuts which I set about 1938. Three of these have grown quite rapidlyand are beginning to produce nice crops of nuts, although the kernelshave a tendency to be spongy at times. Of course, I have a small orchard of budded pecans, which do so well inour section. These trees, which are young, are just coming intoproduction. Some other nut trees which I am trying in field plantingsinclude native chestnuts, chinkapins, hazel nuts, native black walnuts, and scaly bark hickory (_Carya ovata_). Since most of these are youngand grow so slowly, I cannot say much about their production yet. I havealso planted quite a large number of white oaks from a high productiontree in hopes of producing acorns for hogs and wild life, also some corkoaks on an experimental basis. Among non-nut producers I am trying honeylocust, persimmons, andmulberries. I also grow catalpa and black locust for fence posts. Thismakes no mention of the great variety of native timber trees such aspines, tulip poplar, and others which I try to protect from fires so asto get as great a variety of trees as possible to use for variouspurposes. I also encourage the growth of ornamental trees and shrubssuch as dogwood, redbud, and holly to add beauty to the landscape inseason. Dr. J. Russell Smith's book, "Tree Crops" has been a great inspirationto me along these lines, and I am attempting to study and use as manytrees, shrubs, and plants here on my place as possible because Ibelieve we can live easier and better and make better use of the landboth for ourselves and nature when we learn how to use our variousnative plants to the best advantage along with many of the exotic ones. I might end by saying that I would much rather work in the shade oftrees than in the open sun and benefit by their long life and varieduses than to depend so heavily on short lived crops which often requiresuch intensive care. * * * * * President Davidson: Thank you, Mr. Jones. A very interesting paper withdetails that are worth listening to. Professor J. C. Moore of the Department of Horticulture, AlabamaPolytechnic Institute, will give us a talk on Processed Chestnuts on theMarket throughout the Year. Processed Chestnuts on the Market throughout the Year J. C. MOORE, Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn, Ala. Professor Moore: Mr. President, members of the Association: I have a fewpackages here that I just wanted to pass around after we get throughwith a short discourse on processed chestnuts. It might be somewhat ofan inspiration to look while I talk a few minutes about it. These nuts, of course, have been put up from the 1947 crop, but I havenuts put up in 1945 that are still in fair shape. The quality on the1945 product is not too good. The quality on the 1947 product isexcellent when the nut is hot. For instance, a toasted chestnut, Ithink, has a quality that no other nut has. When the nut sits in a bagsealed for several weeks and gets cold it still is good, but it doesn'thave quite the crispness that it has when it is really fresh and hot. We were very much disappointed with Chinese chestnuts when they firstbegan to bear at Auburn. We got some plants from Mr. Gravatt and theBureau of Plant Industry in Beltsville in 1938. They were planted; someof them started bearing in 1941. The nuts were large in size; the treesseemed to be perfectly healthy. The early bearing habit gave us a greatdeal of encouragement. Then we sampled these nuts, and the quality wasnot good. While the nuts were green and in storage the nuts decomposedin just a few days' time. The first nuts that we harvested in 1941 were picked, placed in paperbags, set in the office, and we forgot about them, because they were notgood when we put them in the bags, and we just put them back for ourrecord purposes. A few days afterwards they were moldy and ruined. In1942 we had a little better crop, but again the nuts rotted. In 1943 wehad a still larger crop, and the nuts rotted again. We did not know howto take care of those nuts at the time. In 1944 Mr. L. S. Holden was with the Soil Conservation Service. He wastransferred to Auburn at the time I was transferred down into Haiti todo some work on rubber production, and he took my place at Auburn on thehillculture project. In the fall of 1944 Mr. Holden had an idea that hecould can those chestnuts and preserve them. So he took the nuts, cracked the hull off of the nut, ground it with a little food chopper, and placed the nuts in cans, pints and quarts, put them in a pressurecooker at 15 pounds pressure and cooked them for 15 minutes. During the fall of 1944, or after the crop was produced, Mr. Holden leftAuburn, and he told me when he left that he had sent some of the samplesto different parts of the United States and had gotten favorable repliesfrom the samples that he had sent out. That gave me a renewed courage, and along with that in 1945 we sold quite a few raw nuts on the marketat Auburn. Those nuts sold just like hot cakes for 40 cents a pound. There were quite a few comments came back to us about those nuts. Theywere the most beautiful nuts the people had ever seen, and severaldifferent ones made comments that the nuts toasted had excellent qualityand the nuts boiled had excellent quality, and raw nuts after they werecured had an excellent quality. Those few different peoples comment on the material and Mr. Holden'swork that he had done on canning gave me an idea that maybe he hadsomething, and I have worked since that time trying to perfect a productthat would be edible from the hand from a cellophane-bag standpoint. Atthe present time we have a plan worked out whereby we can produce largequantities of Chinese chestnuts in Alabama. The thing that is going to confront us in the near future is themarketing possibility. We have to handle Chinese chestnuts rapidly if weput them on the market raw. This processed method that we have has beenworked out to perfection, we think, for cold storage purposes. Now, you can put Chinese chestnuts raw in cellophane bags and seal themwith a hot iron. These bags are not sealed. It is a non-sealablecellophane. I didn't get hold of the type of cellophane that you canseal. They are unsealed. They have been in this package about a week, and the nuts are in good shape. On cold storage I have held those nutsfor 40 days. Last year was the first time that I tried them in sealedcellophane, but sealed in cellophane bags in cold storage last year theyremained perfectly good for 40 days. At that time the cold storage plantwent bad, and, of course, the nuts molded. We think that on the cold storage proposition, and if you have followedfood processing and cold storage possibilities on strawberry shortcake, strawberry pies, apple pies and other types of cold storage products, Ithink when you go to the locker and pick out a little bag of lima beansin a cold storage locker or any other kind of cold packed foods, if yousee a pack that looks attractive, chestnuts, after you get accustomed totheir flavor especially, it will be a difficult thing for you to fail topick up a bag of chestnuts and walk out with them among your othergrocery purchases. That type of marketing has possibilities throughoutthe year. With that possibility from last year this crop came in. We had anexcellent crop. I contacted Mr. Harris, who is one of the professorsworking with food processing at Auburn, and we went over the work quitecarefully together, what I had done and the possibilities for the workin the future, and with some suggestions from him and with his help wethink we have just about fixed a product that will be a permanent thingon the grocery shelves throughout the year. Up to the present time all of the nuts that were canned in cans with theshells on developed throughout the year somewhat of a soured condition. When you opened the can and smelled, the odor was foul. When you crackedthe shell and tasted the nut, the flesh had just the least bit of a foulodor. Mr. Harris suggested that probably that was a flat sour. Weweren't sure that it was flat sour, but we haven't had the bacteriacheck to find out whether it was caused by one of the thermophilicbacteria or not, but we are pretty confident that it was a flat sourthat caused the foul odor. With careful heating and careful drying wehave developed some products here that I think have a possibility, andthese products will maintain their quality throughout the year. +Nuts Cured Before Canning+ I have canned chestnuts that have been canned for three years, and thequality is just as good as it was a month after they were canned. Theproduct, however, when it is canned green does not have the quality thatit does when it is canned after curing. The way we handle these, tobegin with, is to take the nuts from the field, put them on a woven wireand elevate the wire so that air can go under and over, cure at roomtemperature for about three days. If you cure longer than three days youwill lose quite a few of your nuts. That is a rapid cure. We have nottried curing under cooler conditions to see if we can eliminate part ofthe damage that is caused by deterioration, but curing the nuts rapidlyyou get a deterioration on quite a few of the nuts after the third orfourth day. If you take the raw nuts three days cured rapidly where theair can circulate over and under, the quality is excellent raw, and Ihave those nuts cured for three days in cellophane bags on cold storagethat can be sold throughout the year. Those nuts must be heated enoughto stop the deterioration, whatever it is. It may be a physiologicalcondition, I am not sure, it may be a vitamin reaction, I am not sure, but when the nut dries too fast it turns white on the inside, gets hard, loses its flavor, and it is no good. This nut (indicating) canned in cans, I will give you the treatment forit. I told you we cured them on those drying racks for three days. Thenwe put them in a pressure cooker and run the temperature up to about 10pounds pressure for 30 minutes, take them out of the pressure cooker andhull them, and at that stage they hull quite easily. The hull itselfwill turn loose from the nut quite easily if you heat it a little whilebefore you try to hull. A machine which can thresh the hulls off veryeasily will be simple to develop. After the shell is taken off, thenthey are put in an oven (a drying oven that has an automatic control at270 degrees), for about 10 minutes in order to evaporate the excessmoisture that you get in the steaming process. Then they are put in thecans hot, set back into the oven and heated for just a few moments toget your temperature up again and you put lids on at a boilingtemperature. You get quite a vacuum created by sealing them hot. We havehad as high as fourteen and a half pounds of vacuum on those cans thethird day after they were canned, and if you can get a vacuum like thatby sealing the nuts hot, you can preserve their quality for a longperiod. I don't care if you open any bag that's here and taste these products. You will find that the ones with the shells off are much better than theones with the shells on. I believe you will find that. However, thequality of the nut with the shell on is excellent. [Illustration: Mr. Hardy and some chestnuts prepared for storage(Courtesy Southern Agriculturist)] Chestnut Growing in the Southeast Max B. Hardy, [2] Leeland Farms, Leesburg, Ga. +Introduction+ Just about forty years ago the first blight resistant chestnuts wereintroduced into the Southeast. This event was to have more far-reachingeffects than could be foreseen at that time, as is illustrated by thepresent extensive interest in the growing of these chestnuts as anorchard crop. Chestnut blight, a fungus disease of the native American chestnut(_Castanea dentata_ (Marsh) Borkh), first appeared on Long Island in1904 and destroyed this magnificent nut and timber tree. A Phytophthoraroot disease added its toll so that a bearing tree of this species is ararity in the East at the present time. The U. S. Department ofAgriculture began making introductions of two species of chestnut fromthe Orient in 1906, both of which were resistant to the blight which wasthen destroying the native American chestnut. Of the two species, theJapanese chestnut (_C. Crenata_ Sieb. And Zuce. ) and the Chinesechestnut (_C. Mollissima_ Bl. ), only the latter proved to have muchmerit other than blight resistance and chestnut growing in the easternUnited States in recent years has been confined almost entirely to theChinese chestnut. About twenty-five years ago, after the first introduction from theOrient of seed nuts of blight resistant chestnut species, the U. S. Department of Agriculture distributed a few seedling trees to variousinterested growers in the Southeast. Some of these trees are stillgrowing and bearing good crops of nuts and have reached rather largesize. The distribution of trees produced from nuts imported atsubsequent intervals was continued by the U. S. Department ofAgriculture until rather widely scattered planting of several speciesunder varied soil, climatic, and cultural conditions was attained. Astime passed it became clear that only the Chinese chestnut had promiseas a commercial crop for the production of nuts. As a timber tree noneof the introduced species has as yet shown outstanding merit. [Footnote 2: Formerly Associate Pomologist, U. S. Pecan Field Station, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Albany, Georgia. ] +General Observations+ The Chinese chestnut grows well throughout the southern part of thenatural range of the American chestnut and southward to the Gulf Coast, and possibly even into central Florida. Farther north it apparentlygrows and produces better crops along the Atlantic Coast than inland, thus indicating the need of this species for a long growing season andfreedom from late spring and early fall frosts. In the plantings inGeorgia, from Atlanta to the southward, no loss of crop from late springfrosts has ever been noted. In the Gulf States and northward along theAtlantic seaboard the Chinese chestnut tree is vigorous, healthy, andproductive, coming into bearing at a fairly early age and thereafterproducing regular crops. The trees grow to be rather large in size, developing a somewhat rounded form with a spread of branches about equalto the height. Without pruning when young many sprouts usually developnear the ground so that the mature tree has numerous trunks of aboutequal size, with the lower lateral branches resting on the ground. Nearly all of the Chinese chestnut trees being grown at the present timeare seedlings and exhibit a wide range of tree and nut characteristics. A few trees develop a somewhat more upright type of growth than thatcommonly seen, but this type is generally less productive than trees ofmore spreading habit, and the nuts are smaller and less desirable. Sometrees showing the most upright type of growth originated from nutsimported from the more northern provinces of China and may represent adistinct strain or form of _Castanea mollissima_. The degree ofincompatibility exhibited when southern China strains are grafted onnorthern China strains would indicate the same conclusion. Unfortunately, several different species or strains have been includedin the plantings of most cooperators with the U. S. Department ofAgriculture so that seedlings resulting from cross-pollination of thesetypes may exhibit an even wider range of characteristics and performancefrom the standpoint of commercial production than is commonly seen atpresent. A few of these hybrids may be superior to pure _C. Mollissimaseedlings_ in certain important respects because of hybrid vigor, buttaken as a whole the best types of _C. Mollissima_ seedlings aresuperior to the other blight resistant species for purposes of nutproduction. The earliest introductions of blight resistant chestnuts from the Orientare represented by very few trees in the Southeast, but a small numberof plantings of trees distributed in 1926 have been observed. These areproducing good nuts and the trees are quite healthy, regardless ofconditions of planting except when they have been given no attention ofany kind. In one planting the trees were planted about 10 feet apart onthe square with the result that they are tall and spindly with nutproduction only in the tops and very light on a per tree basis, whichindicates the need of adequate spacing if the trees are to be vigorousand productive. Incidentally, this close spacing has not resulted in adesirable timber type of growth. In two other plantings the trees are planted in cleared areas incut-over timber and then given no further attention. In both locations afew trees are still living but are of no value either for timber or nutproduction. In still another planting on a bench about halfway up amountain, where infrequent cultivation or mowing is practiced, the treesare growing and producing moderately well but the nuts are small. A fewother scattered plantings of a few trees each are doing well aroundhomes though receiving only moderately good care. The distribution of trees by the U. S. Department of Agriculture in 1935and 1937 has resulted in a few plantings that have done moderately well. In one planting the trees are growing fairly well without care but areproducing few nuts. In another planting the trees are planted on ratherheavy soil that is terraced; they are given applications of commercialfertilizers and infrequent cultivations and have been producing fairlygood crops of nuts in recent years. Still another planting of aconsiderable number of trees has been entirely removed through lack ofinterest of the new owner. The plantings described have all been onprivate property. Plantings at various experiment stations have received somewhat moreattention in general than those on private property; but because of lackof keeping quality of the nuts have not for the most part been acceptedas a promising crop and have been the subject of very little study. From the foregoing observations it is evident that the Chinese chestnutcannot withstand the effects of crowding either in a solid planting orin competition with native growth. The trees have performed moderatelywell with a minimum of care, but respond to good care by increasedproduction and nut size. The rotting of the nuts soon after harvest as aresult of improper methods of handling and storage has prevented anearlier acceptance of the crop as of potential economic importance inthe Southeast. +Experimental Studies at the U. S. Pecan Field Station, Albany, Georgia+ In 1926, twenty-eight seedling trees of _Castanea mollissima_ wereplanted in the Champion experimental block at Philema, near Albany, Georgia. These trees grew well and began producing nuts in 1932. In1935, an additional 16 trees were planted in the same block. The treesin both plantings have shown good vegetative vigor and have been fairlyproductive. All the variations common to any group of Chinese chestnutseedling trees have been in evidence. One or two trees have lackedvegetative vigor but have produced heavy crops of nuts for their size. Type of bur opening has varied from free dropping of nuts to those bursfrom which the nuts are removed with difficulty; nut size has variedfrom about 35 to about 90 nuts per pound; the date of earliest andlatest ripening of the nuts varies by about three weeks; nut color hasranged from light browns to dark mahogany and dark chocolate brown; andkeeping quality and eating quality have ranged from good to poor. However, nut production, as shown by the data presented in Table I hasbeen good and nut quality has been acceptable, so that with increasingknowledge of the storage requirements of the nuts the trees have paid agood profit in recent years. One of the older trees has consistentlyproduced close to 150 pounds of nuts each year for the past few years. Some of the trees in this planting have been topworked to selectionsfrom other plantings, including the variety Carr which showed up verypoorly in comparison with most of the seedlings. Some of the trees havebeen culled out because of poor yield or nut size; and some have died asa result of poor drainage. An additional planting at Philema in the Brown tract was made in 1938. The trees were planted in a portion of a five-acre block at somedistance from the original plantings, with a spacing of 25 feet apart onthe square in soil of rather light and sandy texture with fair subsoildrainage. The fertility was low but has been improved through the use ofwinter leguminous green manure crops and commercial fertilizers. Some ofthe trees planted consisted of trees grown from carefully selected_Castanea mollissima_ nuts imported from south China and designated bythe initials MBA, MAY, MAZ, and MAX. Others carried the designatingletters of "FP. " The nuts from which these trees were grown wereimported by the Division of Forest Pathology of the U. S. Department ofAgriculture which also grew and distributed the trees. Still others wereselections of _C. Crenata_, the Japanese chestnut; and _C. Mollissima_selections from an experimental planting in California were alsoincluded. In 1940 the remainder of the five-acre block was planted withtrees grown from seed produced by the original Philema planting. Table I. Summary of chestnut yields at Philema, Georgia. ______________________________________________________ | | | HARVEST DATA | |______________________________| | | | 1926 and 1935 Planting[3] | Length |______________________________| Date Harvest | | Year Harvest Period | Yield No. Trees Av. Yield | Began in Days | in Lbs. Bearing per Tree | _______________________|______________________________| | | 1932 | 14 3 4. 7 | 1933 | 7 7 1. 0 | 1934 | 80 16 5. 0 | 1935 8-29 22 | 222 22 10. 1 | 1936 8-26 33 | 379 25 15. 1 | 1937 8-26 37 | 278 18 15. 4 | 1938 8- 6 42 | 480 21 22. 9 | 1939 8-15 42 | 995 26 38. 3 | 1940 8-27 38 | 740 34 21. 8 | 1941 8-14 51 | 1, 467 38 38. 6 | 1942 9- 3 41 | 876 32 27. 4 | 1943 9- 9 26 | 1, 335 38 25. 1 | 1944 8-15 44 | 560 29 19. 3 | 1945 8-18 34 | 1, 450 27 53. 7 | 1946 8-20 41 | 1, 455 28 52. 0 | 1947 8-26 43 | 1, 975 27 73. 1 | _______________________|______________________________| _______________________________________________________________ | | HARVEST DATA |_______________________________________ | | 1938 and 1940 Planting[4] Length |_______________________________________ Date Harvest | Year Harvest Period | Yield No. Trees Av. Yield Range in Began in Days | in Lbs. Bearing per Tree Yields _______________________|_______________________________________ | 1941 8-14 51 | 44 63 . 7 . 1-6. 9 1942 9- 3 41 | 30 46 . 7 . 1-5. 2 1943 9- 9 26 | 357 108 3. 3 . 1-29. 7 1944 8-15 44 | 716 136 5. 3 . 1-37. 0 1945 8-18 34 | 3, 025 208 14. 6 . 1-50. 7 1946 8-20 41 | 1, 447 173 8. 4 . 1-48. 3 1947 8-26 43 | 6, 615 188 35. 2 . 1-108. 5 _______________________|_______________________________________ [Footnote 3: 28 trees planted in 1926 and 16 planted in 1935, at spacingof 25 to 40 feet. ] [Footnote 4: 274 trees planted in 1938 and 60 in 1940, at spacing of 25feet on square. ] The yield's produced in the 1938 planting have been outstanding, asindicated by the data in Table I, The trees began bearing when youngerand developed heavier production than those of the 1926 planting, whether judged by age of tree or years of bearing. Many of the treeshave produced nuts of outstanding size, attractiveness, eating quality, and keeping quality. There has been the usual degree of variation commonto any collection of seedlings, but the best trees in this planting havebeen superior to any previously seen. Nut size has varied from 23 tomore than 100 to the pound; the color of the nuts has varied from lighttan to deep mahogany, and a few are nearly black. All have been of goodeating quality. The keeping quality has varied materially, some keepingvery well and others quite poorly. Bur opening, has likewise varied so that at one extreme the nuts dropentirely free from the burs on some trees and at the other extreme theburs drop with the nuts in them and considerable work is required toremove the nuts. It is out of this group of trees that the threeseedlings have been selected that the U. S. Department of Agriculture isconsidering worthy of variety status. These have not yet been officiallyreleased and no official description is yet available. The yield datafor these three selected Seedlings are given in Table II. Table II. Yield data by years, of three seedlings tentatively proposed for variety status, Philema, Georgia. ------------------------------------------------------------------------- Tree Proposed Yield in Pounds by Years Total yield No. Nuts (in Lbs. ) per Lb. --------------------------------------- No. Name 1941 1942 1943 1944 1945 1946 1947 1948 from Planting ------------------------------------------------------------------------- 7880[5]Meiling . 2 3. 6 20. 9 36. 9 23. 9 73. 1 36. 9 195. 5 38-43 7919 Kuling 4. 0 3. 8 5. 8 6. 5 13. 8 34. 2 50. 2 38. 2 168. 5 35-43 7930 Nanking . 1 3. 8 28. 0 37. 8 1. 0 87. 7 54. 6 213. 0 30-43 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- [Footnote 5: Meiling ("Beauty") is the first name of Mme. ChiangKai-shek. ] The trees of the "FP" designation and, of other species were grown tofruiting, but have since been removed or topworked in entirety becauseof their lack of desirable characteristics and because they producedpollen for cross-pollination which would result in undesirable progenywhen the _Castanea mollissima_ nuts were used for seed. Furthermore, anumber of trees of the three-letter designations have been removed ortopworked because they produced very small nuts, or showed poor keepingquality, or because of some other undesirable characteristic. Therefore, the nuts now being produced in this experimental orchard are of pure _C. Mollissima_ inheritance of the best type, and, as such, represent someof the best and purest seed nuts available in this country today. Thisprocedure is being continued so as to maintain the quality of the nutsfor seed purposes at its present standard. Unfortunately, many of the nuts offered in the general trade for seedpurposes at the present time are coming from orchards composed of amixture of species or types comparable to the 1938 Philema plantingbefore culling. This is very undesirable because of the greatvariability in the nuts produced by trees with such an origin. Whengrafted or budded trees of the newer and improved varieties areavailable to orchardists chestnut growing for nut production may bebased on the same sound practices as the other fruit industries. In the topworking of "FP" trees at Philema with scions from otherstrains of _Castanea mollissima_ the degree of incompatibility has beenso great, that the scion tops will have either blown out or died at theend of four or five years from grafting. At the present time thisfailure can only be attributed to the fact that the stocks were of mixedancestry. On the other hand, scions of pure _C. Mollissima_ placed onthe same stock strains have made good unions and are entirely normalafter as long as 13 years from grafting. This problem of incompatibilitybetween stock and scion is one that yet remains to be completely solved. The topworking of trees in the five-acre block at Philema has beengenerally successful where incompatibility is not a problem. Bearing-size trees topworked one spring will generally produce a fewnuts in the second subsequent growing-season. Growth the first yearafter grafting will frequently be as much as 12 feet long and verystocky. Both cleft grafting and inlay bark grafting have been practiced, the latter method proving to be the more satisfactory from allstandpoints. In this method of grafting scaffold limbs from 1 to 6inches in diameter are cut off square across. Scions 6 to 8 inches longare prepared by making a slanting cut 2 to 3 inches long and endingabout three-fourths through the scion at its basal end. A strip of barkjust wide and long enough to receive the scion, with about one-half ofthe upper end of the bevel showing above the cut surface of the stub, isthen removed from the stub. The scion is then nailed into place with5/8-inch nails and painted over with melted grafting wax. Two or threescions are required for most stubs. This work is done just as growth isstarting in the spring and the bark is slipping well. The scions maygenerally be cut directly from the trees, but sometimes they may need tobe cut several days earlier and stored in damp material in arefrigerator to keep them dormant. In south Georgia the Chinese chestnut normally begins growth soon afterMarch 1, but in some years it has started as much as a month after thisdate. Between south and north Georgia there is a differential in thetime growth starts in the spring of one to two weeks. This differentialalso carries over into the date of blossoming and the date the harvestperiod begins. In south Georgia pollination generally occurs during thelatter part of April and early part of May, and the harvest periodbegins about 100 days later. The peak of harvest averages 185 days afterthe initiation of growth in the spring. Dormancy comes only after thefirst frost sufficiently heavy to kill the leaves, usually about twomonths after nut harvest is completed. This period between harvest andleaf fall is undoubtedly an important factor in the annual bearing habitof the chestnut in the Southeast since it permits the food reserves inthe tree to be replenished after the crop is mature. This is true underfavorable conditions but does not hold under conditions of crowding, lowsoil fertility, or premature defoliation. For best growth and productionthe tree should be in foliage approximately nine months out of the year. +ORCHARD MANAGEMENT+ The planting of chestnut trees in the Southeast should be done as soonas possible after the trees become dormant in the nursery. They shouldbe planted on fertile soil which is well drained but not subject toserious drought injury. The Chinese chestnut cannot withstand a highwater table, or free standing water, but appears to be somewhatresistant to drought injury when once well established. The chestnuttrees have not yet reached an age at which their largest potential sizehas been attained, but trees of 50-foot spread have been observed. Itappears likely, then, that orchards should be planted at 50 to 60-footdistances on the square, unless closer planting and subsequent thinningis resorted to in order to build up high nut production per acre at anearlier age of the orchard. Planting distances of 25 x 25 feet, 30 x 30feet, 25 x 50 feet, and 30 x 60 feet are recommended for this reason, but only if the orchardist will plan to thin the stand at 10 to 15 yearsof orchard age and at later intervals as required. In no case should thebranches of adjacent trees be allowed to touch as under such conditionscompetition between trees will reduce the yield per tree and nut size, and induce alternate-year bearing. In planting the young tree it is usually advisable to fill the hole inwhich the tree is to be set with top soil, packing it firmly around theroots as the hole is being filled. Usually no fertilizer is used at thetime of planting, although mixing about a handful of bone meal with thesoil around the roots has given a higher percentage of living trees andhas increased growth the first year. A shallow basin around the tree tofacilitate watering when necessary during the first growing season, orthe application of a mulch around the tree, or both, will be helpful inobtaining a high percentage of living trees and good growth. Addingwater at the time of planting is good insurance that the soil will bewell settled around the roots. A wrap of newspaper tied loosely aroundthe trunk of the young tree will aid in preventing winter injury andsun-scald. Under conditions of little or no care the seedling chestnut tree willgenerally develop several trunks as a result of the forcing of multiplesprouts from near the ground line. The tree should be trained to onetrunk, as such a form seems to be less susceptible to winter injurywhile young and makes a much more desirable orchard tree when older. Pruning of the young trees subsequent to the development of the head ata 4 to 5-foot height should be confined to the removal of crossingbranches and those so near to the ground as to interfere with thenecessary cultivation and harvesting work under the tree. Most soils in the Southeast are somewhat low in fertility and mustreceive good care if chestnuts are to grow well. The annual applicationof commercial fertilizers is generally required as is the growing of awinter green manure crop, preferably a legume. One of the mostsatisfactory systems is to plant hairy vetch, Austrian winter peas, orblue lupine[6] in late October or early November, applying broadcast atthe time of planting from 400 to 600 pounds per acre of a 0-14-10 or0-14-7 fertilizer mixture. This green manure crop should then be discedin by April 15 of the following spring, with subsequent shallowcultivations at about six-week intervals through the growing season. Theground should be clean by the middle of August to facilitate harvestingthe nuts. If such a system of culture is not feasible, as on too steepslopes or around buildings, mowing or mulching can be used to advantage, but the trees must be given annual applications of a complete fertilizermixture, such as 4-8-6, 6-8-8, or 5-7-5. These should be made each yearabout a month before growth starts at a rate of 2 to 3 pounds for eachyear of tree age. This should be broadcast under and slightly beyond thespread of the branches. It has not yet been found necessary to spray the trees for the controlof any disease or insect. This does not indicate that control measuresmay not be required at some time in the future, for it is the history ofhorticultural crops when planted in any concentration that diseases andinsects increase in number and degree of injury. As yet, the chestnutweevil has not been found at the lower elevations in the Southeast. In a few plantings a condition causing some premature defoliation hasbeen observed at infrequent intervals. The condition begins as a leafscorch which may or may not develop to the point where the leaf drops. It is thought to be caused by some mineral deficiency or unbalanceassociated with erratic weather conditions, but the exact cause is yetunknown. A leaf spot disease has been observed but has caused noappreciable defoliation and no control measures have been thoughtnecessary. [Footnote 6: Blue lupine is winter-hardy only in the warmer coastalareas, not adapted north of Columbus, Georgia, Meridian, Mississippi, orShreveport, Louisiana. Ed. ] +Harvesting and Nut Storage+ Harvesting of Chinese chestnuts has proved to have definite requirementsif the nuts are to be obtained in the best possible condition. The nutsare quite susceptible to rots of several kinds and must be properlyhandled to keep losses at a minimum. They are also very easily andquickly injured by exposure to the sun, with the consequent, hightemperatures and drying. If the nuts are to be stored for any length oftime, as is necessary when they are to be used for seed purposes and aswill be necessary when they are to be marketed for eating purposesduring the Thanksgiving and Christmas holiday seasons, it is paramountthat they be picked up from the orchard at not more than two-dayintervals. Cleaning up all dropped nuts at daily intervals is mostdesirable. At the end of each day the harvested nuts must be placed in cold storageat temperatures between 32°F. And 45°F. It has been found that a nearlyair-tight container is required in order to maintain a relative humidityof 100% and prevent too much drying of the nuts. A 50-pound tin lard canwith one 20d nail hole in the side near the lid has proven to be a goodcontainer for large quantities and these same cans also make goodshipping containers merely by wiring on the lids. One-gallon frictiontop syrup cans with a single nail hole in the side make a good containerfor smaller quantities. In air-tight containers the nuts do not decaybut germination capacity is quickly destroyed and bitter flavors developquite rapidly. Nuts to be used for eating purposes shortly after harvestmay be stored at lower relative humidities but should be placed in coldstorage. A loss of about 15% in weight from the fresh weight of nuts isnecessary to reach proper eating quality. Nuts dried to this extent aresweet and palatable but cannot be stored for any length of time and failto germinate well when planted. The experimental study of chestnut storage problems is being continuedwith the hope of working out still better methods. The manner ofmarketing chestnuts so that they will reach the consumer in a desirablecondition also is still to be worked out, but it appears possible thatretail cold storage and packaging in moisture-proof bags which arepervious to CO_{2} and O_{2} give promise at present. Probably the mostpromising aid to an increased storage life of chestnuts will comethrough the selection of trees for propagation and planting that producenuts of superior resistance to storage rots. There is rather greatvariation among seedlings in this respect, some being-quite superior, although no completely resistant seedlings have yet been found. +Discussion and Conclusions+ The perishable nature of the nuts of the Chinese chestnut has probablybeen the greatest drawback to an earlier acceptance of this crop as anadjunct to the horticulture of the Southeast. It has been only in thepast few years that enough has been learned about the harvesting andstorage requirements to permit the storing of these chestnuts so thatthey can be marketed in an orderly manner either for eating or for seedpurposes. Storage losses through periods up to six months have been heldto less than 10% for a mixture of nuts from all the trees at Philema. Storage tests of nuts from individual trees have shown a range inkeeping quality from no loss after six months' storage to nearly 100%loss. By culling out the trees producing nuts with a high rate ofspoilage under the best storage conditions it should be possible toreduce storage losses to a minimum. Every grower of seedling treesshould follow this same process of culling out or topworking treesproducing nuts of poor keeping quality if the industry is to grow andprosper, since otherwise the offering of spoiled nuts for sale to theconsumer will soon destroy the demand for the nuts. There is no question but that the Chinese chestnut tree is very welladapted to the Southeast. It has proven to be healthy, vigorous, andproductive. Yield records at Philema show actual yields of more than1, 000 pounds per acre and potential average annual yields of 1, 500 ormore pounds per acre are not out of reason. In 1947, in the Brown tractat Philema, if all the trees that bore nuts had been collected into asolid block the yield per acre would have been nearly 2, 500 pounds. Crowding of the trees in the Brown tract is becoming serious at 11 yearsof age with a 25 x 25 foot spacing. Alternate-year bearing is becomingapparent and the stand of trees must be thinned immediately. Because ofsuch potential yields and because rather extended storage of nuts ofvaried keeping quality is now economically possible the future of thechestnut industry in the Southeast is very promising. The selection and propagation of selected seedlings is desirable as ameans of advancing the industry at a more rapid rate. The propagation ofselected seedlings offers a problem because of lack of compatibilitybetween some stocks and scions. Since the chestnut is almost completelycross-pollinated it may be necessary to develop special plantings of twoor three selections as a source of seed nuts for the production ofstocks. Such plantings might possibly produce seedlings of quite uniformand desirable characteristics, but this prospect, is not very promising. Certainly, the evidence points to the conclusion that scion selectionsmust be worked on stocks of the same strains if incompatibility is to beheld at a minimum. There is a further problem in the propagation of varieties on seedlingrootstocks in the nursery. Only one propagator appears to be having muchsuccess in this art but others must learn it. Topworking of older treesby the inlay bark graft is generally successful and older seedlingorchards can be worked over to improved selections without difficulty solong as the stocks are of compatible strains. Time will be required towork out the details of the solution for this problem but they will beworked out. In the selection of improved seedlings for propagation the strictestattention should be paid to the important characteristics of treevigor, precocity, productiveness, nut size, attractiveness, and keepingand eating quality, and type of bur opening. These characteristics havebeen previously discussed but it is well to emphasise their importance. The tree that comes into bearing at an early age seems likely to be moreproductive in later years. The nuts should be no smaller than 45 nuts tothe pound and be attractive to the eye of the buyer. Most individualsprefer nuts with a bright and shining surface free of fuzz and with afairly rich mahogany or chocolate color. Keeping quality is, of course, of great importance and should be carefully determined. Eating qualityis generally good but distinctly superior selections may be found in thefuture. For the most part eating quality is dependent on the propercuring of the nuts. The type of bur opening is more important thanusually considered, as it materially affects the satisfactory harvestingof the nuts. From the commercial standpoint it appears that the mostdesirable bur should drop from the tree with the nuts still in it but bewell split so that the nuts can be readily removed. Such a bur typeprevents exposure of the enclosed nuts to the hot sun while on the treeand reduces injurious drying to a minimum yet permits rapid gathering ofthe nuts in the burs for later mechanical separation. Nuts that dropfree from the burs are more subject to injury by drying and require morehand work in gathering. Burs that do not split readily would be moredifficult to separate mechanically; and mechanical aids will benecessary for the economical daily gathering of the nuts in commercialorchards. If is encouraging to note that many of the present new plantings in theSoutheast are being made by orchardists rather than hobbyists. Many homeowners are planting a few trees but the acceptance of the Chinesechestnut for commercial production by men already growing other orchardcrops portends the future success of the industry. The hobbyist has beenof great service and should be given full credit for his far-sightedinterest in a crop that now has commercial promise, especially in theSoutheast. Much experimental work is still needed by both State andFederal agencies and by individuals. This work needs be concerned nowmore with details of refinement rather than with basic possibilities ofthe crop. * * * * * President Davidson: Mr. Carroll D. Bush, of whom I am sure you haveoften heard and whom very few of you, including myself, have met, ofGrapeview, Washington, will now tell us something about the Marketing ofChestnuts on the Pacific Coast. Mr. Bush. Marketing Chestnuts on the Pacific Coast CARROLL D. BUSH, Grapeview, Washington Mr. Bush: Friends of the Association: There are so many here that I haveknown through correspondence that I have welcomed this opportunity tosay something to you today. I don't think that I will add very much toanything that has been said. I hope perhaps we will have some ideas fromwhat we have been doing on the Coast. We were in the nursery business near Portland, and during the war wewent out of it, but we are working back in trees again[7], and all thistime we have been preaching the gospel of nut trees, and we find that wecan't preach a gospel unless there is some reward. There is no marketfor chestnuts in our section of the country, and yet we had quite a fewof them around Portland. We could not talk about chestnut trees whenthere was no market. Buyers there had been offering as low as threecents a pound or not buying them at all, and we, ourselves, had quite afew nuts to sell. So I took a trip up to Seattle and found a commissionman there that would take our nuts and arranged with him, and we havesent nuts to Seattle ever since that year and got a very good price. Then a neighbor had me send some of his, and we are still sending nuts. +Introduced on Mid-West Markets+ The next year through Carl Weschcke of St. Paul I got in touch with areliable Minneapolis firm. They evidently had been burned and they weresomewhat skeptical. They said if we would send a sample there they wouldlook them over. So I went out and picked up a mixed sample and shippedto Minneapolis, and they said if we could send nuts as good as thesample they could use some. We began to send them. When we shipped them we made sure we sent nutsthat were considerably better than the sample, and the rewards forshipping there were also very good. Then we went on to Chicago, and wehave been shipping to Chicago over since. At this time I am out here tofind a little more market for some of the nuts that we have in Oregon. At first we put the nuts in cold storage at about 32 degrees, expectingto get a better price on the Thanksgiving market. We found out that wewere making a mistake and that the earliest nuts on the market broughtus our best price. So now we are shipping just as early as we can ship. We first adopted the western cranberry box as being open enough to allowa little drying off and tight enough so that it wouldn't allow too muchand yet we didn't get any mold. We were very much afraid of that, because a good many of the California chestnuts had molded on the way tomarket. Later we turned to the splint bushel basket, and lately we havebeen in favor of the half-bushel basket. There seem to be buyers whodon't like to stock up more than a half bushel at a time, chestnutsbeing of a rather high price. They dry out too fast. We found that cold storage above 32 degrees keeps chestnuts in goodcondition with little dry-out. One dealer in Oregon we know of wraps hiscold storage nuts in waterproof paper, keeps them that way clear on intoJanuary. A very little mold will develop on chestnuts kept in storagefrom 32 to 35 degrees, but not enough so we take any precaution. We havehad a few batches that people have stood in sacks on damp nights, andthey started to mold, especially on the open end, and we find we cankill the mold with Clorox. We have just used a little Clorox in water. We think this would prevent mold from developing on all nuts if theywere put through a chlorine bath. We haven't taken the trouble to dothat. I might say our walnuts, and filberts have been put through achlorine solution, and, of course, after a chlorine solution is used youhave to put the nuts through water again and wash that off. We have on our place a nice washer. We have graded the Europeanvarieties, which we handle mostly, into three grades: standard, fancy, and extra fancy, by size. All our grading has been done by hand, exceptwe expect to have a simple grader this year. [Footnote 7: Mr. Bush informed the secretary by letter, early in 1949, that he did not then have any nursery stock ready for sale at his EagleCreek, Oregon, nursery. From that location about 10 years ago heintroduced, under numbers, three selections of Chinese chestnuts grownfrom seed imported in the early 30's. Two of these, in 1941, were namedAbundance and Honan. The Abundance is now considered one of the mostdesirable varieties from Oklahoma to Pennsylvania, while Honan isslightly less desirable. --Ed. ] +"Sweet" Nuts Sell Faster+ We have a few "sweets. " All of those on our farms are Riehl varieties, hybrids, I think. All of our European chestnuts have an astringentpellicle, heavy with tannic acid. We classify as sweets any of thosethat have a pellicle that is sweet enough to be eaten. We label thesethe sweets and mark them as they go into the market. And while, I say, we don't seem to get a better price for the sweets than for theEuropean, they do sell faster. There are some people in the easterncities that are grabbing these in preference to the large ones. Whilethe large nuts sell very well, I suppose they go to the Italians andEuropeans who are used to cooking them, and out on the West Coastnothing but the large nut goes; the larger the better. In the Seattlemarket we try to send in large nuts. We also grade out all "cracks" by hand. They mold easily, and we have alot of cracked nuts in our climate there, but we have been able todispose of all of these through the Seattle market where they move offvery fast and are lower priced. +California Supplies Distant Markets+ Last winter we went to California and looked into the chestnut marketthere. We found them in the Sierras and found them growing in the CoastRange without irrigation, but the largest growers were in the SanJoaquin Valley near Stockton. The largest grove was 30 acres at Lindenowned by Caesar De Martini. He gave us our best insight into Californiachestnut growing. He used to grade and package his own, and he still hashis cylinder grader. It has three different size holes, one inch, oneand a quarter and one and a half. Anything that goes through theone-inch hole is discarded as a cull. That leaves three sizes, the sizethat goes through the one and a quarter, the one and a half, and thesize that goes out the end, which is, of course, a class of jumbos. All the chestnuts in California, I think, now go to buyers to do thegrading and packing much as De Martini worked out. All of the Californianuts have to be soaked in water just as Mr. Jones does, as they come tothe packer dried out. The largest buyer that we found in Californiashipped about seven carloads, and he shipped them all over the world, the Philippines, Honolulu, Alaska, and other places where the chestnuthasn't been growing. +Early Autumn Best Marketing Season+ Now, I am going to sum up what our experience has been and what werecommend as general from our experience. Your experience may bedifferent. We clean the nuts, wash them, if necessary, grade them; largeand small nuts do not sell well together. We would pack in baskets, halfbushel for sweets. We are trying to make that half bushel basket themark of the sweet nut in the markets where we sell, so that when a buyercomes in there and sees a half bushel basket he knows that's sweets. Then we ship as wet as possible, and they dry out on the way. And justas fast as we can get those nuts off the ground we pack them and shipthem. Our greatest trouble now is, of course, the imported chestnut. They are beginning to come in in great quantities, and they hit themarket in Chicago last year at about the 20th of October, and we triedto beat that line if we possibly can with our nuts, because just theminute the carloads of chestnuts come in on the East Coast the marketdrops right down. Without question we could use some of the preparations that we use onfilberts to put a gloss on the chestnut, run them through, I think it isa paraffin mixture, put a gloss on the shell and give us a betterchestnut in the market, make it look nicer and, of course, make it sellbetter. +"Stick-tight" Burs Preferred for Pacific Coast+ I disagree, I think, with two of the former speakers in regard to thechestnut that falls free from the bur. I would prefer a chestnut thatsticks tight to the bur. We have threshers out there that thresh themout. We can pick up those nuts in the bur with a shovel or fork, throwthem into the wagon, take them in the wagon, thresh them out. You have acleaner nut, you don't have to pick around on the ground with rubbergloves that we use, which is easy enough, but it certainly adds a greatdeal of work as compared to threshing them out easily after they areonce picked up. I thank you. * * * * * President Davidson: Thank you, Mr. Bush. We are glad to have thatwestern angle. It is going to be very useful to us. Next on the program is a paper on the Control of the Chestnut Weevil, the author of which is absent, but I believe Mr. Gravatt is going toread that. Chestnut Weevils and Their Control with DDT E. R. VAN LEEUWEN United States Department of Agriculture, Agricultural ResearchAdministration, Bureau of Entomology and Plant Quarantine, Division ofFruit Insect Investigations. Failure of the American chestnut to resist the chestnut blight hasresulted in the planting of a few blight-resistant species obtained fromforeign lands. These foreign chestnuts would now be planted moreextensively in certain districts, were it not for the fact that the nutsare injured by two species of weevils, for which heretofore there hasbeen no practical control. The 1947 season marks the fourth year of the experimental use of DDT forcontrol of the chestnut weevils. During these years our knowledge of thespray and how best to use it has been advanced by conducting laboratoryand field tests. Unfortunately, few chestnut orchards now exist in theEastern States, and the scattered plantings consist mostly of a largenumber of Asiatic seedlings, some of which had to be top-worked to otherAsiatic species and varieties. Many of these trees are grown forornamental, shade, or timber purposes rather than for nut production. Owing to these conditions and to a series of spring frosts since 1945, it has been impossible to conduct insecticide experiments on an adequatebasis of replicated plats. Although much is to be learned regarding time of application of thesprays and the proper dosage, the use of DDT can be recommended as astandard practice, because it has proved highly valuable in protectingchestnut trees from heavy losses due to the chestnut weevil. It is thepurpose of this paper to discuss some of the experiments that have beenmade with DDT and the observations made on the time of egg deposition. +Nature and Extent of Injury+ The worms attacking chestnuts are the larvae of two very similar speciesof weevils, one larger than the other. The adults are medium-sizedbeetles having extremely long, slender beaks. With these they drillthrough the husk of the nuts, making openings through which they inserttheir eggs into the nuts. From these eggs the familiar worms develop. Weevil injury varies greatly in different chestnut-growing localities. It is not unusual for 50 to 75 percent of the nuts to be wormy, andoften infestation reaches 90 to 100 per cent. The small weevil does themost damage, but there are indications that this may not always be true. Because the mouth parts of the adult are situated at the end of anextremely long and slender beak, it can obtain most of its food frombeneath the surface of the host plant. For this reason, stomach poisonsapplied to trees have not been eaten by these weevils, and hence havebeen of no practical value. As DDT kills by contact, it is necessaryonly for the body of the insect to come in contact with DDT. +Life Histories of the Weevils+ In the vicinity of Beltsville, Md. , the adults of the large chestnutweevil[8] leave the soil about August 15. The date will vary, of course, with season and locality. Both males and females soon begin to feed bypiercing the burs with their long beaks. Mating begins soon after theweevils collect on the trees, and egg laying follows shortly. The eggshatch within a few days and the worms develop within the nut. A few ofthe worms will complete their growth and leave before the nuts fall, butmost of them emerge from the nuts after they have fallen. The worms thenenter the soil, where they build cells and remain until they change topupae the following summer. This weevil has a one-year cycle, or onegeneration a year. The life history of the small chestnut weevil[9] is somewhat similar, except that in the vicinity of Beltsville the weevils leave the soillate in May or early in June, when the trees are in bloom. Several weekslater the females deposit eggs in the nuts. At Beltsville, egg layingbegins late in August and continues for several weeks. After the nutshave fallen from the tree, the full-grown larvae leave them and enterthe soil. Earthen cells are constructed at a depth of 4 to 12 inches, where some of the larvae remain for two winters. The small chestnut weevil completes its life cycle in two years, and asmall percentage requires three years, whereas the large chestnut weevilcompletes its transformation from egg to adult in one year. The largeweevils pass the winter as larvae, whereas the small weevils pass onewinter as larvae and the second winter as adults. With the fewindividuals of the small weevil which require three years fortransformation, the first two winters are passed in the ground as larvaeand the third in the same location as adults. This habit of the smallweevil complicates control measures, as one season's spraying with DDTdoes not reduce the entire infestation of weevils. [Footnote 8: +Curculio proboscideus+ Fab. ] +Proper Time for Spray Applications+ Application of DDT sprays at the proper time is very important. Anexamination in 1944 of many unopened chestnut burs disclosed the factthat eggs of the small chestnut weevil were being deposited many weeksbefore the burs would open. It was also noted that great numbers of thelarvae were leaving the nuts soon after the burs cracked open. Evidentlythese full-grown larvae had hatched from eggs deposited several weeksbefore the burs split. In 1945, 1946, and 1947, cloth bags were tied over developing burs atvarious intervals during the season to prevent further egg laying in thenuts. At harvest time, the bags were removed and the nuts examined. Occasionally adults were hidden among the spines of the burs and wereinadvertently enclosed in the bags; therefore, all nuts in bagscontaining female adults that might have continued ovipositing werediscarded. The data in Table 1 show the approximate time prior to whichthe nuts were infested. Because of difficulty in obtaining sufficient burs for bagging, andother orchard conditions, the results of these studies were far fromconclusive. They indicated, however, that many eggs had been depositedin the nuts before the burs had reached maturity. They also suggestedthat the seasonal histories of the two species are closely parallel. AtGlenn Dale, Md. , and Fairfax, Va. , the small weevils predominated, constituting about 69 to 90 per cent of the total numbers taken. AtElkton, Md. , only 42 per cent of the weevils were of the small species. [Footnote 9: Curculio auriger Casey. ] Table 1. Results of studies to determine the time of oviposition of the chestnut weevils. Nuts Infested with Date of Total Small Large Wormy Bagging Nuts Chestnut Chestnut Nuts Nuts Bagged Weevil Weevil Year and Orchard Number Number Number Percent 1945 July 9 52 2 5 13 Glenn Dale, Md. Aug. 1 46 4 2 13 Aug. 15 107 18 11 27 Fairfax, Va. Aug. 21 110 22 13 32 Sept. 12 123 63 11 60 1946 July 12 65 0 0 Glenn Dale, Md. July 18 40 0 0 July 26 67 0 0 Aug. 1 71 0 0 Aug. 9 29 1 0 3 Aug. 14 88 3 2 6 Aug. 23 53 18 2 38 Aug. 29 53 23 11 64 Fairfax, Va. July 26 98 0 0 0 Aug. 15 168 0 0 0 Sept. 4 164 139 16 95 1947 Aug. 15 54 5 1 11 Glenn Dale, Md. Aug. 25 38 8 0 21 Sept. 2 24 7 1 33 Sept. 9 42 18 4 52 Sept. 15 56 29 7 64 Sept. 22 90 27 11 64 Sept. 29 143 83 22 73 Fairfax, Va. Aug. 26 35 9 1 29 Sept. 10 58 25 4 50 Sept. 28 50 35 7 84 Oct. 7 217 177 22 92 Elkton, Md. Aug. 21 139 11 13 17 Sept. 4 83 22 25 57 Sept. 18 116 21 35 48 Oct. 1 108 31 44 69 +Spray Experiments in 1944+ Shortly after adults of the large chestnut weevil first appeared in theorchards in 1944, six trees isolated from other chestnuts were selectedfor treatment. Five trees were sprayed with from 1 to 5 pounds oftechnical DDT plus 1/2 pound of sodium lauryl sulfate to 100 gallons ofwater, and the sixth tree was left untreated as a check. A thoroughapplication of a coarse, drenching spray at a pressure of 400 pounds persquare inch was used in an attempt to force the DDT between the manyspines of the burs. The DDT used was very coarse, and difficulty wasexperienced in getting a proper suspension. This formula was used, however, in preference to one which contained other ingredients thatmight have formed a protective coating over the particles of DDT. Heavyrains prevented later spray applications. Adult weevils obtained by jarring untreated trees were then confined inscreen cages placed over the lower branches of the trees. At the end ofeach cage was a cloth sleeve which was tied to the limb to hold the cagein place. The treatments used and the results are given in Table 2. Table 2. Percentage mortality of chestnut weevils placed in field cageson trees at different intervals after they had been sprayed with withDDT, 1944. Strength of DDT (lb. Per Small Chestnut Weevil Large Chestnut Weevil 100 gal. ) 48 Hrs. 96 Hrs. 144 Hrs. 48 Hrs. 96 Hrs. 144 Hrs. 1 0 61 100 25 50 100 2 19 69 100 0 34 100 3 4 50 100 0 40 100 4 27 87 100 0 50 100 5 18 50 100 30 46 100 Check 0 0 0 0 7 7 Although the results obtained the first few days in the cages containingtreated foliage were somewhat irregular, because of the small numbers oftests made, all weevils were killed within 6 days. The results indicatedefinitely that DDT is toxic to the adults of both species of weevils. No consistent differences between species were noted. As the matured nuts dropped from the treated trees, daily collectionswere made, and one-third of each collection was used as a sample indetermining the percentage of wormy nuts. At the time the nuts drop, theholes in the shell through which the eggs were inserted are verydifficult to detect. The nuts were therefore held in wire baskets topermit most of the larvae to emerge before the final examination. Allnuts not showing exit holes were cut open to find out whether they werewormy. The marked increase in clean nuts after all treatments indicatesthat DDT is a promising insecticide for use against the weevils. Thetreatment and infestation records for the sprayed trees and the checktree are given in Table 3, which also includes the results obtained inlater years. +Spray Experiments 1945 to 1947+ Spring frosts in 1945 destroyed 95 per cent of the crop of chestnuts inthe Eastern States. Only six trees of different species and ages in theGovernment orchard at Glenn Dale, had sufficient nuts for experimentalpurposes. Applications of a 50 per cent DDT wettable powder in theproportions of 4 and 6 pounds plus 1/2 gallon of summer oil as a stickerto 100 gallons of water were made on August 20 and September 9. Spring frosts again damaged the orchards in 1946, destroying about 80per cent of the possible chestnut crop, and leaving only eight trees inthe Government orchard that were suitable for experimental purposes. Theremaining trees having a small scattered crop were disregarded. Amixture consisting of equal parts by weight of DDT and kaolin 41 wasused in the strength of 2 pounds of DDT to 100 gallons of water. Thetime and number of applications were varied. Table 3. Results of spray tests with DDT against chestnut weevils, 1944-1947. Larvae Emerging from Sample Reduction Nuts Small Large Wormy of DDT (per Application in Chestnut Chestnut Nuts Injured 100 gal. ) Sample Weevil Weevil Nuts Year Pounds Number Number Number Percent Percent Government Orchard, Glenn Dale, Md. 1944 1 Aug. 14 533 1896 21 44 42 2 646 402 45 25 67 3 712 421 5 18 76 4 951 814 5 22 71 5 1844 850 10 16 79 0 976 3238 100 76 1945 2 Aug. 20 & Sept. 9 660 434 38 30 57 3 305 285 58 22 69 0 297 1164 61 70 1946 2 Aug. 15 & 30, Sept. 11 621 131 12 9 90 2 Aug. 15 & 30 371 171 23 19 79 2 Aug. 30 & Sept. 11 292 87 21 26 71 2 Aug. 15 & Sept. 11 949 553 190 43 53 2 Aug. 30 1267 1407 98 43 53 2 Aug. 15 1212 3207 66 43 53 2 Sept. 11 368 1832 53 58 36 0 870 5364 134 91 1947 2 Aug. 13 & 29, Sept. 12 4084 3817 234 30 66 2 Aug. 13 & 29 2618 4255 151 52 40 2 Sept. 12 3029 9498 402 79 9 2 Aug. 13 2639 5049 198 51 41 0 974 4714 121 87 Van Reynolds Orchard, Elkton, Md. 1947 2 Aug. 21, Sept. 4 & 18 1153 264 64 14 84 2 Sept. 4 & 18 338 5 118 67 23 2 Aug. 21 & Sept. 18 149 18 59 34 61 2 Aug. 21 & Sept. 4 669 102 12 51 41 2 Sept. 18 324 63 129 77 11 2 Sept. 4 270 303 67 56 36 2 Aug. 21 500 192 127 57 34 0 338 152 118 87 Sprays containing DDT were applied in two orchards in 1947, theGovernment orchard at Glenn Dale, and the Van Reynolds orchard atElkton, Md. Spring frosts injured 50 per cent of the chestnut crop atGlenn Dale and 70 per cent at Elkton, and as a result only a few treessuitable for tests were available. The remaining trees were notsprayed. Four pounds of the standard mixture of equal parts of DDT andkaolin were used to 100 gallons of water in all applications. In Table 3 will be found information on the quantities of DDT used, theschedules followed, and the results obtained during the period 1944through 1947. These results indicate clearly the effectiveness of DDT in chestnutweevil control, in spite of numerous discrepancies brought about by thesmall number and variability of the trees available for the tests. Asmight be expected, programs of three applications were more effectivethan those of only one or two. Of the single applications, those put onduring the latter half of August were much more effective than thosemade during the first half of September, presumably because most of theeggs had been laid by the early part of September. These experiments gave fairly exact information on the relativeabundance of the two species of weevils. At Glenn Dale the smallchestnut weevil constituted 92 to 98 per cent of the population; atElkton, 61 per cent. The matured nuts that fell from count trees were collected daily, andone-third of each lot collected was used as a sample for determining thepercentage of wormy nuts. It was possible, therefore, to obtain a roughestimate of the numbers of larvae produced on each tree. In 1946, from1, 863 nuts on a tree sprayed three times, 429 larvae emerged; and from acomparable unsprayed tree having 2, 610 nuts 16, 494 larvae emerged. In1947, 1, 350 larvae were produced on 9 trees with an average crop of1, 361 nuts sprayed three times, compared with 14, 505 larvae from 2, 922nuts on an unsprayed tree. These figures indicate that DDT sprays bringabout large decreases in the numbers of weevils and that the proper useof DDT sprays on all host trees over a period of a few years woulddoubtless reduce the infestation to a point where fewer applicationswould be necessary for effective control of the chestnut weevils. +Tentative Recommendations+ For the benefit of those who wish to try DDT for chestnut weevilcontrol, the following tentative recommendation is made: Thoroughly apply +to all parts of the tree+ 2 pounds of DDT in 100 gallonsof water. For example, use 4 pounds of a wettable powder that contains50 per cent of DDT, or 8 pounds of one that contains 25 per cent of DDT. Make three applications, the first about 30 days before the first nut isdue to drop, and the second and third after intervals of 12 days. Unlessthe entire bur, especially that portion near the stem end where most ofthe feeding punctures are made, +is thoroughly covered+ with a film ofDDT, the weevils may feed without being affected by the insecticide. Inhandling DDT, one should use the same care as with such well-knownpoisons as lead arsenate, Paris green, calcium arsenate, and nicotine. * * * * * Mr. Gravatt: I might say that Mr. Van Leeuwen has used only a smallsection of our experimental orchard, and right near-by would be largesections not used. The weevils are not killed quickly by the DDT, theyare somewhat resistant, and so we think quite a number of weevils comeover and deposit eggs before they are killed by this DDT, because theydon't lose any time getting to work on the nuts. He hopes to have muchbetter results where the entire orchard is sprayed. This year wesprayed our entire orchard twice, and it is a real pleasure to go outthere now and gather up nuts and not be eating weevils when we do eatthem. President Davidson: Well, Mr. Gravatt will now give us a talk onDiseases Affecting the Success of Tree Crop Plantings, and I am sure weall are on our toes to hear about that. Mr. Gravatt. Mr. Gravatt: I only ask a few minutes to show a few slides. (Slides shown. ) Diseases Affecting the Success of Tree Crop Plantings G. F. GRAVATT and DONALD C. STOUT Division of Forest Pathology, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Maryland. Mass plantings of many trees of the same kind frequently result in anincrease in the severity of insect pests and diseases. Leaf diseases, for instance, spread quickly through such plantings when weatherconditions favor growth of the causal organisms. Plants on sitesunfavorable to a specific tree species also are responsible for diseaseincreases. Chinese chestnuts grown on a site where they are subject toearly-fall and late-spring frosts will fail. Not only will crops bereduced by the killing of buds or blooms, but the twigs, or even wholetrees, may be killed by freezing. The blight fungus develops rapidly onsuch injured trees and may mislead people into thinking that the blightfungus is the primary cause of the killing. Still another factor that determines the damage by diseases, and thusthe success or failure of nut tree plantings, is the ignoring of soiland fertilizer requirements. Trees weakened by drought, because they areon a site having a soil too shallow for good root growth, are much moresubject to attack even by weakly parasitic fungi than those growing on asite with deeper soil. Innumerable dying twigs and branches with fungigrowing on them are sent to the U. S. Department of Agriculture or Stateexperiment stations with requests that the disease be identified, whenthe real trouble is lack of water for the roots. Weak trees are muchmore subject to winter injury than vigorous ones. Trees require a good supply of plant food materials and water to produceprofitable crops. Tho heaviest bearing chestnut trees we have observedwere grown in an irrigated orchard in California and in a poultry yardin the East where chicken droppings actually formed a mulch under thetrees. However, if you wish to kill a young chestnut tree quickly, justapply a very heavy application of chicken manure; the point is thattrees must become adjusted to chicken manure by gradual applications. Another way to damage a tree is to keep it growing late in the fall bycultivation and fertilizers so that it does not harden off properly. Many plantings, representing heavy investments, fail because of lack oforganic matter in the soil. This is related to water-holding andwater-supplying capacity of the soil, and lack of proper fertilizer. Dr. Harley L. Crane and his assistants, in their work with tung and pecantrees, have shown the vital need for certain elements on some soils. Trees weakened by the lack of these elements are early prey for somediseases. The element most frequently deficient is nitrogen, butsometimes boron, copper, or iron is lacking; or the elements are not inbalance, because of the excess of some, or the lack of others. By adjusting the various soil, water, and site factors necessary for acontinuous, vigorous growth of trees, many so-called disease conditionsare eliminated. Many fungi and viruses, however, will attack trees inthe pink of condition; a few of the more important of these are treatedin the following sections. +Chestnut Blight+ The destruction by blight of the native stands of the American chestnut, and of the small eastern orchard industry based on European and Americanchestnuts and their hybrids is almost complete. Blight has been found inthe planted European chestnut orchards of the Pacific Coast from time totime, but it has been kept under control by eradication. Chestnut treesor nuts from the eastern States, where blight is common, should not beshipped into the Rocky Mountain or Pacific Coast States. Finding the Asiatic chestnuts resistant to the blight, the Division ofForest Pathology sent R. Kent Beattie to Asia to make selections ofchestnuts for introduction into this country. Later Peter Liu, a Chinesecollector who worked with Mr. Beattie, continued to select Chinesechestnuts for introduction. These introductions, together with theearlier ones made by the Division of Plant Exploration and Introduction, were grown at Chico, Calif. , Savannah, Ga. , and Bell, or Glenn Dale, Md. Altogether some 300, 000 chestnut trees, of pure species and hybrids, were distributed to cooperators for forest and orchard plantings. (Fig. 1. ) These constituted a fine lot of material from many parts of Asia asa basis for selecting the best ones for our use. Private nurseries andState game and forestry departments are now growing these chestnuts andthe Division of Forest Pathology has discontinued general distributionof trees to cooperators. Chinese chestnuts have proved to be the most valuable for forest, orchard and ornamental use. The Japanese chestnut is being discriminatedagainst because of the poor quality of its nuts. Orchardists havingmixed plantings containing Japanese chestnuts are advised to top workthe trees or remove them, if the seed is to be used for plantings. Infact, for orchard plantings, nuts should be used only from the bestindividual trees of the Chinese chestnut. The Chinese chestnut should be planted on sites with good air drainageas it is very susceptible to injury from early-fall or late-springfreezes. Many persons think their trees have been killed by the blightwhen the primary cause of the trouble was injury to the trunk byfreezing followed by growth of the blight organism over the injuredparts. This fungus may grow for many years in the outer layers of thebark without doing any material damage to the tree. An important factorin resistance of the Chinese chestnuts to the blight is to keep thetrees growing vigorously. Avoid late growth in the fall as this favorsfall freezing damage. [Illustration: Figure 1. --F1 hybrids between the Chinese chestnut andthe American chestnut. ] +Nut Spoilage+ In the Southern States one of the most serious problems with someselections of the Chinese chestnut is the spoilage of the nuts. MarvinE. Fowler made a study of this trouble at Savannah, Ga. , and found thatmost of the trouble in that restricted area was caused by aGleoesporium-like fungus that infects the nuts at the tip. [10] Becausespraying experiments did not give control, the more susceptible treeshave been removed. In most parts of the South, however, this fungus isnot the primary cause of nut spoilage and the limited work so farcarried out has not revealed the cause. Part of the trouble may be dueto physiological break-down. As individual trees vary greatly insusceptibility to this deterioration of the nuts, orchardists areadvised to top work or eliminate the more susceptible trees. Some peoplehave believed that exposure of the nuts to the hot sun while in the buror on the ground may cause damage. The market for Chinese chestnuts canbe ruined by shipping nuts that are partly spoiled by the time theyreach the consumer. [Footnote 10: Gravatt, G. F. , and Marvin E. Fowler. Diseases of chestnuttrees and nuts. Northern Nut Growers Assoc. Rept. (1940) 31: 110-113. 1941. ] +Phytophthora Root Disease of Chestnut+ Phytophthora root disease, caused by _Phytophthora cinnamomi_, istreated briefly here, and interested nut growers can consult thedetailed earlier article. [11] Briefly, this fungus is considered asintroduced into this country over a hundred years ago. It killed thechestnut and chinkapin growth over large areas in the southern States. Asiatic chestnuts are highly resistant to this disease, and when grownon well-drained soils have not been damaged. Our test plantings ofChinese chestnuts growing in the same soils where susceptible trees ofAmerican and European chestnuts were killed, continue to make a vigorousgrowth. The European and American chestnuts and their hybrids growing inthe western States are in danger from this fungus as it has now beenreported in the West. This same fungus sometimes kills thousands ofyoung nursery trees of the black walnut, but these epidemics are usuallybrought on by unusual weather conditions. Poor soil aeration, induced byexcessive rainfall and poor drainage, makes ideal conditions for damageto the walnut and other hosts by _Phytophthora_. Even the very resistantChinese chestnut roots are invaded by the fungus when the soil remainswaterlogged for extended periods. +Brooming Disease of Walnut+ A systemic brooming disease, observed on planted walnuts as early as1917, has been the subject of considerable discussion during recentyears, because it has now spread widely into the native black walnutgrowth. In 1932 Waite published that he had been observing the diseasefor some 15 years but that "it was unknown on the black walnut in thewild in this country or on planted trees away from the Japanese walnut. "The disease has continued to increase in prevalence in recent years andis now widely distributed in native black walnut growth in Tennessee, Virginia, District of Columbia, Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey. Thisextensive spread into the native growth during the last 15 or 20 yearsand the fact that reports indicate that all of the early cases of thedisease were found near nursery-grown trees offer some evidence that thedisease is an importation from another area or continent into theeastern black walnut zone. From the literature and oral reports, itseems that the disease is now present also in North Carolina, WestVirginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Ohio, and Michigan. Surveys probablywould uncover the disease among native wild and planted walnuts in otherStates. [Footnote 11: Crandall, B. S. , G. F. Gravatt, and M. M. Ryan. Rootdiseases of Castanea species and some coniferous and broadleaf nurserystocks, caused by Phytophthora cinnamomi. Phytopathology 35: 162-180. Illus. 1945. ] +Economic Importance and Hosts+ The black walnut is a valuable native forest tree, widely but notabundantly distributed in the eastern United States. It is extensivelyplanted as a forest tree. The numerous plantings and natural standsaround farm homes, along fences, and in pastures are also very valuable. More and more grafted ornamentals, and orchards of black walnut arebeing planted. For these the per-tree investment is high. [Illustration: Figure 2. --The brooming disease of walnut. Severebrooming on Japanese walnut. ] The ultimate effect of the brooming disease on the black walnut is notknown. Dr. Waite stated, "Trees even moderately attacked soon becomeworthless for nut production. " Some affected black walnut trees, however, continue to produce small crops of nuts. Visible symptoms havebeen known to disappear. In addition, some seedlings, and probably largetrees also, are infected without showing symptoms. Such observationsindicate the complex nature of the disease. Detailed studies are needed, but at present this Division is not in position to do more than limited, part-time work on the disease. The butternut, a widely distributed forest tree of minor importance, isseriously injured or killed by this disease. The disease severelydamages or kills the Japanese walnut, which has been planted to alimited extent but is of little importance. According to Dr. Waite'sreport, the Persian, or English, walnut is attacked, but very few treesof this species are planted in the eastern States. Precautions should betaken to prevent the introduction of this disease into areas where it isnot now present, particularly the western states. Symptoms expressed by infected trees are viruslike, and Hutchins andWester[12] were able to produce the brooming symptoms on a small numberof trees by means of bark patch grafts, indicating that the broomingdisease probably is caused by a virus. [Illustration: Figure 3. --Brooming disease on black walnut. Ascendingtype, upright, sucker growth is typical of this species. ] +Description of Symptoms+ The entire range of symptoms of the brooming disease has not beendetermined. Symptoms are recognizable during mid-July but they are mostpronounced during September and October. Curling and cupping ofleaflets, chlorosis, narrowing and basal tapering of leaflets appear tobe associated with early stages of the disease. On severely affectedtrees there are distinct broomlike growths at branch terminals, alongprimary or secondary branches, or on the main stem to the ground line(Fig. 2). The broomlike growths are formed by the continuing abnormaldevelopment of normally located buds into short, succulent branches. Upright, suckerlike branches appear on primary and secondary branchesand on the main stem of the affected tree. (Fig. 3). The broomed parts usually die back during the dormant period followingtheir appearance. The dead brooms on trees that appear to be healthyduring the early months of the growing-season indicate that the treesare infected. Usually the diseased trees, even those severely affected, exhibit normal growth during the early summer months. Evidence that walnut trees may be infected for a considerable time priorto appearance of recognizable symptoms was obtained when 37 per cent ofa total of 300 severely pruned trees exhibited brooming diseasesymptoms. These trees had looked healthy until they were pruned. Unpruned control trees showed a 4 per cent increase in disease duringthe same period. [Footnote 12: Hutchins, Lee M. , and Horace V. Wester. Graft-transmissible brooming disease of walnut. Phytopathology. 37 (1):11. (Abstract) 1947. ] +Summary+ There is strong evidence that a virus disease is active among certainspecies of walnut in central and eastern United States. The diseaseexhibits distinctive symptoms and appears to damage infected trees, sometimes severely, over several growing seasons. Present data indicatethat recognizable symptoms of the disease may not appear for some timeafter infection, unless the host is subjected to severe shock. Thus, nursery stock may be one means of spreading the disease into new areas. It is recommended, without experimental work to back up therecommendation, that walnut nurserymen remove infected trees in thevicinity of their nursery sites. Investigation of this disease to the present time has been limited. General observations indicate that severely broomed trees produce poornut crops. Mortality caused by the disease appears to be quite low amongblack walnut trees. Butternut and Japanese walnut trees are, in general, more severely affected by the disease than the black walnut and manyseem to be killed by it, although the killing process is slow. As aresult of experience with other virus diseases, orchardists who haveonly a few infected trees among their black walnuts are advised toremove them. Whether the disease can be kept under control by repeatedroguing is uncertain. If an owner has just a few trees of value asornamentals as well as nut producers, one hesitates to advise him toremove a lightly infected tree until more information is obtainedconcerning the disease. This Division will welcome information from persons having experiencewith the brooming disease of walnut, as it is in a position to do only alimited amount of work on the disease. +Persimmon Wilt+ Persimmon wilt is very destructive to the native persimmon (Fig. 4). Itis caused by the fungus _Cephalosporium diospyri_, which was describedin 1945 by Bowen S. Crandall[13]. The fungus grows in the wood of thetrees, producing discolored streaks. Most trees are rapidly killed, with yellow, wilted leaves making quite a contrast to the normal greentrees. This disease was found in spots from central Tennessee south to theGulf, east into Florida, and up the coast into North Carolina. TheAmerican persimmon seemed to be in danger, as this quickly killingdisease appeared to be spreading. The limited work on this disease wasdiscontinued because of the war and the transfer of Mr. Crandall toPeru. However, this summer Mr. Crandall and the senior writer spent twoweeks surveying some of the old infections and nearby territory, andwere pleased to note that the disease had made very little progress intonew territory. On several small areas where the disease was present somesix years ago practically all of the larger trees had been killed, butsome new small trees were coming up. At Chattanooga National Park, wherethe wilt was rampant about six years ago, it is continuing to killtrees, but many new ones are coming up. No northward extension of thedisease in Tennessee or North Carolina was noted in the limited timespent in inspection. [Illustration: Figure 4. --Small persimmon trees killed by the wilt. ] What does the disease mean to the grower of grafted persimmons, bothnative and Oriental? The Japanese or Chinese persimmons do not grow aswell on their own roots, although they are quite safe that way as thesetwo species are very resistant to the wilt. In the East, most of theOriental persimmons are grafted on American root stocks, and trees inone case were killed by the wilt fungus getting in on the susceptibleroot stock. No attempts to control the wilt have been made, and theserecommendations are based on procedure with other diseases and onknowledge of the spore production of this fungus. An owner of a valuableplanting of grafted trees in a region where the disease is presentshould watch his trees for the first indication of trouble. The plantingwill be safer, if there are no nearby native trees; and if native treesare growing nearby and cannot be removed, they should be given a generalinspection. Prompt removal and burning of any infected trees found isadvisable. The fact that usually fungus spore production does not takeplace until after the tree has been dead for a while makes the prospectfor control better than with most diseases. Care should be taken not tobring in scions or trees from infected areas. Most members of the Northern Nut Growers Association have only a fewgrafted persimmon trees, usually located outside of the infected zoneand therefore in little danger. Persimmon scions and trees should not beshipped from infected to healthy regions. The disease has not beenreported in nurseries, but it could occur there because it attacks smalltrees. [Footnote 13: Crandall, Bowen S. A new species of +Cephalosporium+ causingpersimmon wilt. Mycologia 37 (4): 495-498. 1945. ] +Thyronectria Disease of Honeylocust+ Honeylocust is widely distributed both in native stands and inplantations. Some farmers plant this species or leave native trees intheir pastures for the pods, which have a high sugar content, up to 38per cent. J. C. Moore, of the Alabama Agricultural Experiment Station, reported preliminary tests indicating a per-acre yield of livestock feedequal to that of oats. In many areas the growth of honeylocust is seriously affected by acanker and twig fungus, _Thyronectria austro-americana_. The diseaseoften kills many twigs and branches and sometimes results in death ofthe tree. In most areas it causes only slight injury. Bowen S. Crandalland Jesse D. Diller have made a few observations on the prevalence anddamage by this disease, which is present from New England south into theGulf States and west into the Great Plains States. The fungus causing this disease is morphologically somewhat similar tothe chestnut blight fungus, having two spore stages produced inreddish-brown pinhead-size fruiting bodies on the bark. Cankers areproduced on the smaller branches, but they usually are not noted untilsome of the affected ones wilt and die. In the exposed outer wood of abranch cut above or below the canker there are reddish-brown streaksseveral inches long, indicating that the fungus has grown in thevascular system. As no control experiments are known, recommendations are based ongeneral knowledge of sanitation. If an owner has only a few valuableplanted trees, he should cut off the diseased parts a foot or more backfrom the lower edge of the affected bark and burn or bury them in thesoil. If he has many trees scattered over extensive pasture areas, it isquestionable whether any action other than elimination of the moresusceptible trees is justified. We will be interested in the resultsobtained from control work. * * * * * President Davidson: Now I will turn over the chairmanship of the meetingto Mr. Chase, who will have charge of the Round Table Discussion. Round Table Discussion on Chestnut Problems SPENCER B. CHASE, Presiding _Panel of Experts_: Max E. Hardy, Carroll D. Bush, H. F. Stoke, G. F. Gravatt, J. C. McDaniel. Mr. Chase: Gentlemen, in the last hour and a half we have heard perhapsmore about chestnuts from qualified specialists than we will ever hearin any meeting of ours, and we requested each one to withhold questionsuntil this point. So now we will have some questions from the floor, please. Mr. Slate: What is the present status of breeding chestnut species fortimber purposes? Mr. Gravatt: The prospects are coming along. We have one cross between anone-too-promising Chinese chestnut and an American chestnut, with agood bunch of hybrids and they are different from other hybrids. Itlooks like they will stand up against blight. They will have blightcanker growth from 10 feet down to the ground but it doesn't go into thecambium region. It is too early to evaluate the hybrids, but they dohave the upright form and rapid growth of the American chestnut. Now when we take these first-generation hybrids, cross them back withthe Chinese and get more resistance, as we have done so many times inthe past, we lose that rapid and more upright growth habit of theAmerican chestnut. But we have a lot more work to do before we are readyto say anything final on this question. Dr. Arthur H. Graves, formerly at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden is nowconsulting pathologist at the New Haven, (Conn. ) Experiment Station. Wehave been working with him and partially supporting his chestnutbreeding for a good many years. He has a lot of hybrids up there. Weexpect to have something later, but have nothing to release yet. A Member: Do you have any sprays to control diseases and insect pests inthe tree that when they go into the soil won't destroy our groundfriends? Mr. Chase: Mr. Gravatt? Mr. Gravatt: I don't know what insects you are after, in the firstplace. We have a lot of trouble with Japanese beetles. AroundWashington, Dr. Crane's and my plantings there would be defoliated ifthey weren't sprayed for Japanese beetle control, and it is the same waywith filberts. A Member: The same sprays have a tendency to work against most of thepests, do they not? Of course, DDT will take one, the arsenate of leadtakes another, Black Leaf 40 another, but if we had a spray that we canuse around on--well, not limited to the chestnut--that would beneutralized in the earth. Now, we have a good deal of friendly bacteriaand insects in the soil that we want to keep. Mr. Gravatt: I would say that I am a pathologist, and insect work is outof my line. Mr. Chase: Does anyone else have a comment on that? Dr. Cross, did youhear the question? Dr. Cross: I didn't get his question. Mr. Chase: Would you stand and repeat your question? A Member: Is there a spray that we can use for combating the insectpests of our trees that when it is washed off and goes into the soildoesn't kill our soil friends. We have the friendly bacteria in thesoil, as well as insect and worm life. Do we have a spray that will beneutralized as it hits the soil so we can spray the tree and not killour lower friends? Dr. Cross: Sorry, Mr. Chase, that's beyond me. Mr. Gravatt: You are thinking of arsenate of lead poisoning the soilwhere you keep on spraying with it? A Member: Yes. Mr. Gravatt: I think DDT may build up a little in the soil, but it isbroken down, isn't it, Dr. Crane? Dr. Crane: Yes, DDT is broken down and it is not a fungicide and it isnot a bactericide. It is an insecticide that kills insects throughaffecting the nervous system, according to my understanding of it. I amnot an entomologist, but that's what the entomologists say. So far wehaven't any evidence to my knowledge of any build-up of DDT in soilsthat has been detrimental. I don't know what the situation would be ifDDT was used to the same extent as arsenate of lead. It was not uncommonfor some growers to put on anywhere from 6 to 15 lead sprays in a seasonin order to control codling moth, as they used to do in certain appleorchards, particularly in the West. I was talking to Dr. Van Leeuwen just a day or two before I had to leavefor the meeting, and he is not ready yet to say anything about it, buthe has already tested some very promising insecticides as far as thecontrol of weevil is concerned. This DDT and some of the other newinsecticides are very easily decomposed, and, of course, that's one ofthe disadvantages of them. Under certain climatic conditions they wouldneed to be less readily decomposed to give control over a longer period. I know that we have not had enough experience to know all about thosenew spray materials. Mr. McDaniel: There has been one instance reported where DDT _in thesoil_ was injurious to fruit plant growth. That was Goldsworthy's andDunegan's work on strawberries. Where they used large amounts oftechnical DDT in the soil, they found that it inhibited the growth ofthe strawberry plant. I believe that's the only instance I've heard of, where soil application of DDT hurt growth of fruit plants. Benzenehexachloride, and some other chlorinated hydrocarbons, and parathionactually appeared to have a stimulating effect on the berry plants. [14] Mr. Frye: Why would there be any more danger of affecting the soil in achestnut orchard than there would in the apple and peach orchard byspraying seven, eight and ten times? That's the only question thatarises with me. Mr. Chase: Let's get back to chestnuts specifically, now, gentlemen. Mr. Kays (Oklahoma A. & M. College): Since I don't come from a chestnutarea, my impression of the nut samples supplied by Mr. Moore of Auburn, was: "I'd like them if they had salted them. " I am wondering if itwouldn't have affected their rancidity if they had been treated--saltingmaterial added, prior to or in the process somewhere along the line. Mr. J. C. Moore: I'd just like to say I have tried putting salt in thewater, to boil the nuts with salt, and then I have tried shelling themand sprinkling salt, and I find that salt does not add anything to theflavor. Tasting the nuts raw, I, too, get the impression salt is what Iwant, but I haven't been able to add it satisfactorily. I don't say thatit cannot be done. Dr. MacDaniels: Mr. Chairman, in view of the whole situation of chestnutincompatibility of stock with scion, what would be the position that wein the Northern Nut Growers Association can take in advising people whatkind of chestnuts they should plant? Should they be encouraged to try toget grafted trees? What should be our position? Mr. Chase: Mr. Stoke, would you care to comment on that? Mr. Stoke: You are asking me to stick out my neck, and it seems as if Ihave always done that. The Chinese chestnut is in the Johnny Appleseedstage, in my opinion, and we are investigating to find out the bestvarieties, that is, the best specimen, best performance, best quality, best in blight resistance, growth, and other qualities and when wewinnow out all we have and arrive at the best, we are going tofind--now, this is just my personal opinion--I will say that for myselfI'd rather have one acre of the best selections we have budded orgrafted--asexually propagated, than five acres of seedling trees as afinancial good bet, because I say that one acre of our very best producevirtually as many nuts as five acres of seedlings. I have trees fromseed I imported through the Yokahama Nursery Company, and I think itcame from Korea. The nuts run very small, and compared with those I amsure the others will pay much better, and I think it would be profitableto pay three or four or five times as much for your trees if you getgood trees of good, known varieties and grafted or budded. Don't misunderstand me. We shouldn't ask the American public to waituntil those can be furnished, because they won't wait, and theyshouldn't. But I say as a commercial proposition, to plant treescommercially, I would exercise caution and I would encourage mycustomers to exercise caution unless they are willing to follow up anddo their own top working later on, and a Chinese chestnut doesn't topwork as readily as a black walnut. Mr. Chase: I don't believe that's quite the answer he wanted. Thecomment that I think Dr. MacDaniels is after is what position should theNorthern Nut Growers Association take in regard to planting seedlings orplanting grafted stock. Is that the point? Dr. MacDaniels: Yes, it seems to be seedlings against grafted stock. Mr. Stoke: May I answer? I don't think the Northern Nut GrowersAssociation should take _any_ position. They should present the factsand let the buyer decide. I don't think we need to go on record, and Idon't think we should. There is too much diversity of opinion. Dr. MacDaniels: Between ourselves--and this is not an academicquestion--we get continual inquiries regarding the Chinese chestnuts andwhat should they plant and where can they get the trees, and so forth. It isn't good enough in most of these cases to write several pagesexplaining what the whole situation is, the _if's_, _and's_, and_but's_. But I just wonder what the opinion is of the people who knowbest in this regard. Who has a good orchard of 20-year-old graftedChinese chestnuts? Where are they? I don't know: I am asking forinformation. Mr. Chase: Dr. Drain, are those trees you have grafted trees or seedlingtrees? Dr. Drain (University of Tennessee): They are seedling trees. They haveproduced a rather nice quality nut, and we have enjoyed propagatingseedlings from them. That's really all we know. We haven't grafted any. Mr. Chase: Mac, would you care to comment on this? Mr. McDaniel: I am ashamed to say that at present we have no graftedchestnut trees on my own north Alabama farms. We have about 50 treesthat are 8-year-old seedlings from imported (Chinese) nuts, growing nextto a commercial peach block, and find the production quite variable onthe different trees. I am aiming at top-working most of these with thenamed varieties, beginning this year. At present I can't answer thequestion of seedlings vs grafted trees. I have been advising people whoare interested in trying them in Tennessee that _for their firstplanting_ (to test the adaptability of their locations) they can get theseedlings generally quite a bit cheaper than the grafted trees. With theexperience we have had over the State and the high mortality of trees, both grafted and seedling--killing of the tops and in some cases thewhole tree--the seedling might be best economically _to begin their_experimenting with. I am _not recommending_ that anyone plant seedlingscommercially, but just in a small way for trial. They are well worth atrial anywhere peaches are doing well. When we find a _suitable site_, then is the time to think about using the more expensive grafted trees. Pres. Davidson: I just want to give a little bit of my experience alongthat line. Way back in 1934 I planted a few seeds that I got from AmeliaRiehl. They were nuts of the Riehl hybrids. [Ed. Note: MostlyAmerican--European crosses. ] She named one Dan Patch and anotherGibbons. They are now about 13 years old. Each of them is bearing bursthis year. They have borne burs, a few of them, in the past, but nonuts. So far in 1948, the burs that have fallen to the ground, ofcourse, have no nuts, but whether the burs that are still on the treeshave nuts I don't know. I want to know whether those trees arenormal---whether a hybrid of that kind is likely to be sterile or not. That's another matter that might be discussed. Anyhow, you are taking achance, no question about that, when you plant seedlings. Mr. Stoke: Mr. Chairman, if you will pardon me for saying one more word, here is a suggestion I will make. Now you can check for yourself. Thewhole thing hinges on whether we can get _permanent_ grafts on the treeand get the characteristics in the grafted tree that the parent has--inthe good selected tree. Now you take the reports sent us by Mr. Hemming;you take the reports of the station at Albany--of individual trees inthose plots. You take the worst trees and you will find they are nothingbut boarders. You take the best and you will find they are veryprofitable. You take the average and it will fall somewhere in between. Now, why keep a lot of boarders that don't pay--free boarders--or whyuse run-of-mine seedlings, _if_ we can graft successfully--and somepeople like to dispute that--and produce nothing but the best? And youcan check it on any of those tables. [Mr. Hardy's paper. ] We have a fewtables in our former Reports. You can check it and figure it out foryourself. Dr. Crane: To clear up this situation I wanted to ask Mr. Hardy aquestion, and then I wanted to make a statement. In this report from the1938 and 1940 planting at Albany, Georgia, in the Brown tract in 1947there were 188 trees that bore crops, but that planting consisted of274 trees planted in 1938 and 60 trees planted in 1940. Why weren'tthose 274 trees plus those 60 trees represented in the 100 with theyield records of 1947? Mr. Hardy: Dr. Crane knows the answer, so I will let him ask thequestion and answer it, too. Dr. Crane: In 1936 we planted 1, 000 trees of the same Peter Liuselections on the Station farm at Beltsville, Maryland. They were of thesame number and letter designations as others that were distributed tocooperators. Out of the thousand trees that we planted on the Stationfarm some of them came into bearing at four and five years afterplanting. But the nuts were small in size and were not much good. Withone or two exceptions, out of that planting there were none bearingsatisfactorily to suit us after ten years. In 1945 we applied the ax, because a Chinese chestnut tree, from an orchard standpoint, if it's notin bearing in ten years after planting is not worth keeping. We haven'tgot time to wait. So out they came. And in addition to that we have hadother trees that have done the same thing. Now, out of this 274 plus the 60 at Albany, Georgia, we have three treesthat we now figure are good enough to be raised to a variety status, plus possibly two or three more. Now, you can figure your percentage ofgood trees when you plant seeds. Dr. Overholser: Mr. Chairman, may I ask a question, whether these threeseedlings to which they propose to give variety status have beenpropagated in sufficient number that they are able to give distributionin other areas. Mr. Hardy: Dr. Overholser, they are not available yet in quantity. Thatsame answer is part of the answer I wanted to make to Dr. MacDaniels. The present situation in the chestnut industry is that there are veryfew nurserymen who know how to propagate nursery grafted treessuccessfully. There is going to have to be quite a bit of work done onthat. If some of you here know how to do it, I would like to know, myself. There are a lot of nurserymen who would like to know, accordingto the reports I have, how to graft or bud a nursery chestnut tree. As long as the situation is that way I would say to recommend seedlingtrees because of their low price, but--and every grower who has treescan fall in line with this--the seeds should be from properly culled-outorchards of the highest type, leaving nothing in there producing nuts orpollen but what is the highest type. I think all of you who have morethan one type of chestnut in your plantings should cull them all down tothe pure _Castanea mollissima_. I don't mean by cutting out the wholetree, but go ahead and top-work them. If they won't take the top, _then_cut them out. But if you can top-work them and the grafting is good, youcan increase your planting of good trees in that manner. The improved quality of the seed will improve the quality of seedlingsgoing to the buyer, and the chances of a higher percentage of goodseedlings showing up will be greater. I think it will improve theindustry through a period of years. Dr. MacDaniels: I think I agree with his position. In fact, that'sexactly what we are telling the inquiries that come in: At the presentstate of our knowledge, better try seedling trees. But I didn't hear anybody get up and say they had an orchard of20-year-old grafted chestnut trees. I have tried to get them, I havegrafted successfully, I suppose, 7 or 8 different varieties on manydifferent Chinese stocks that I have bought, or had given to me, andnumbers of grafted trees. I have nothing left. They grow fine, 7 or 8feet the first year, 3 or 4 feet the next year, then they go along for awhile and then they die. In other words, there is an unsolved problemthere, so that it seems to me at the present state of our knowledge wehad better admit it and say, "If you are an amateur, you better get thebest seedling trees that you can and wait awhile. " Mr. J. C. Moore: I just want to give some data on some of the class workat Auburn with Chinese chestnuts. We were studying Chinese seedlings, and we attempted to bud those Chinese chestnut seedlings, and on some ofthe larger seedlings we top-worked. We had some 3-year-old seedlings, and we top-worked the limbs. We put in patch buds, and we put in T-budsor shield buds, and in practically every case on some of the trees thebuds stuck beautifully. In June and again in August, with another class, we had the sameresults, either with T-bud or shield bud or patch bud. Some of theseedlings wouldn't take the buds at all. I can't think why one seedlingwould take 100 per cent of the buds and another seedling growing rightby it wouldn't take any buds. Mr. Weber: The oldsters here will remember Colonel C. K. Sober, one ofour former members who propagated what he later named the Sober'sParagon chestnut. It was a grafted tree and apparently it was graftedsuccessfully on native stocks, and it grew until the blight got it. Dr. MacDaniels: I am not talking about European or American, I amtalking about Chinese chestnuts. Mr. O'Rourke: It may affect the nursery industry. The nurserymen arelooking to the Northern Nut Growers Association, Federal bureaus andState experiment stations to guide them in the propagation of desirabletrees. We know now that the Chinese chestnut is becoming quiteprominent, is becoming quite popular in many sections of the country, and many nurserymen are now getting requests to supply the public intheir states with Chinese chestnuts. They, in turn, would like to knowwhat they should do. If they sell Chinese chestnut trees which have beenpropagated vegetatively and they only grow five, eight, 10 or 15 yearsand then die, it's going to come back on the nurserymen. They shouldlike to know whether they should do that or whether they should relyupon seedlings which they can develop into pure lines as best they may. Now, that really is a serious question. I am wondering from what Mr. Hardy has told us today if it may not be an understock problem, and ifit is an understock problem--if there are certain strains of understockwhich are compatible with certain scions, possibly we should ask forsome investigations, some more research to be done in this direction. Then possibly, on the other hand, we should also ask that certaininvestigations be carried out so that we will have some idea of theinheritable characters that may be "fixed" through seed selection. Ireally think that this seed selection should be very seriouslyconsidered, and that nurserymen in particular and the public in generalwould benefit greatly by such consideration. Mr. Hardy: Mr. Chase, may I make this suggestion: I think it issomething that a number of individuals could try, perhaps they should bebacked up by agricultural institutions, either Federal or State. We areall interested and concerned with stocks, and I think a large part ofour trouble with grafting chestnuts is a stock-scion relationship. We have some top-worked trees 13 years old that are just as healthy, just as normal as they can be. We have some top-worked trees of variousages below that. The graft-union is good; they are just as healthy andcontinue to be as productive and vigorous as the parent tree. Wherethere is incompatibility we run into difficulties very shortly. To alarge extent I think we are involved with two problems in the troublewith incompatibility, or perhaps I should say the dying, of graftedtrees. One is a stock-scion relationship, the other a mechanicalproblem. I think there are these two types of incompatibilities. Now, as to themechanical part--that can be improved through developing the art ofgrafting or budding, whichever works out best. The other will requirequite a lot of study, perhaps the development of certain strains of theroot stocks for certain scion varieties. I have made this suggestion to two or three. I have started the workmyself by putting out with friends two or three or four trees. Afterthey get up to a size where I can top-work them, I will top-work withtwo varieties. Perhaps I will put Nanking and Kuling on two trees at oneparticular place. Two or three miles away I will put Kuling and Meilingon two others. At another place I will put Nanking and Meiling. I willget reciprocal pollination, because the chestnut is necessarilycross-pollinating. [15] I can then plant seedlings from both parents, each pollinated by the other. Then by grafting those varieties ontothose seedlings stocks I can find out whether there is any reason to gointo the work of developing seed orchards of two varieties wherebyMeiling pollinated by Kuling may produce the best, most vigorous, mostuniform seedlings on which Kuling can be propagated. And by propagatingKuling on such seedlings--the seedlings of such inheritance--we may get100 per cent of good grafts. The industry needs a lot of help, and I think it is a matter of timeuntil those things are worked out, but it is going to take time andmoney and plenty of good effort to work out that problem. I think itprobably should be worked out. Mr. Bush: I don't like the word "incompatibility", and I hardly believein it, and I presume most of you know that. I have Chinese on Europeanstock, and it has been there for 20 years or more, _grafted high_. Ihave Chinese on Japanese grafted _under the ground_. I think a good dealof our damage is done from wind, from cold, and from sun on the graft_just above the ground_. I suspect that grafting at that point is whatis the matter with many trees in the TVA plantings and others that hadlow survival. Of late years when I did the grafting (in the last five orsix years) I cut the stock underneath the ground and stuck the graftunder the ground and seemingly I got far better results. Some of thosegraft failures showed up. I laid that largely to mechanical damage, andagain with the Japanese, particularly, I laid it on the time when thesap comes up. Call it what you will, but the timing of the growth of thetwo trees is different and we had trouble there. I have grafted somevery widely different kinds of chestnuts on the tops of other chestnuts, and am getting them to grow. When we see the break start, we take a twigfrom below and break and put it above, cut through the cambium and nailit on and they will heal over and the defect disappears. So, again, itseems to be mechanical. Mr. McDaniel: I believe from observations on a number of trees, particularly Dr. Richards' in West Tennessee, that a large part of ourso-called incompatibility in this State is due to winter injury _to thestock_. So what Dr. Richards meant, evidently, was that he was rathersuccessful in getting a "take" from last summer's propagation but thestock then failed below the union this spring. I saw his trees, and theyhad the typical discoloration of bark and the dying of various barkareas--these girdling the whole tree in a number of instances. [SeeRichards' paper in this report. ] I would agree in general with what Mr. Bush has just said, but there are certain other instances in which wethink the only word for what we see is "incompatibility. " Mr. Slate: What are the prospects of planting those low-grafted treesrather deep? Mr. Bush: I think that if the roots started to die the grafted treewould start a root above the graft. The sap is going up from the root. It will go down and the root will start above the graft and go out abovethe graft, thus getting the tree on its own root. Mr. Stoke: Since we got onto grafting, do you mind if I say a word? Hereis a four-branch, top-worked specimen that I chopped off and broughtwith me. This first tree limb was still alive and had nuts on it, thesecond was dying and a third dead. This fourth union was still alive, but it was badly damaged, too. That's Illinois 31 -4 on Japanese. Hereis another graft of Illinois 31 -4 on Japanese in a small tree, and ifthat's poor union, I am no grafter! Mr. Hardy: Mr. Stoke, may I ask you this: Is this [small graft] on thesame tree as this? [Indicating larger tree first referred to. ] Mr. Stoke: No. Those four grafts, you see, all went bad. This one is inperfect condition. But I am having a hard time keeping that Illinois 31-4 alive. I had a union on _mollissima_ three inches in diameter and asperfect as this, two years ago. Last year it began to bulge at the pointof union. The top wasn't feeding back to the root, and this year it isin bad condition, --foliage very small and it put on a very full crop ofburs which will never mature, and it's going to pass out. It is aboutfour inches in diameter now. Last year to try to beat this thing I cut out the crown of a small_mollissima_ at the below-ground level and put in several grafts of thissame Illinois 31 -4, and I got a nice growth, at least four feet high. When I dug it up to transplant it--it was right in my garden--I found Ihad a large callus more than an inch and a half in diameter at the unionbut no roots. I reset it, and I haven't ventured to see whether it wasall right or not. This spring I tried again. I have four little trees, one as high as my head, the others smaller. Igrafted each one on branch roots just as they lay in the ground. Didn'tdig them up and they grew nicely, and along in July I went around andspaded them deeply and thought perhaps that would produce roots. About aweek ago I examined one. I have a magnificent callus but no roots yetabove the union. What the ultimate results will be I don't know. With that particular hybrid I want to try one more thing. I want to growseedlings of the European chestnut, cut them below the ground, graftIllinois 31 -4 on the root and it may make a union that will not fail, because the European is a very robust grower, and by being grafted underthe ground the stock will be away from blight organisms. [Editor's Note: Mr. C. A. Reed is naming this variety (Ill. 31-4)"Colby" in honor of the originator, Dr. Arthur S. Colby. ] Mr. Hirschi: I would like to say I put on hybrids similar to thatIllinois 31 -4 and they grew the first year, and just made a bulky knotright at the point of union and died the second year. Mr. McDaniel: What was that combination? Mr. Hirschi: That was _mollissima_ stock. Now, speaking about the varieties--this is in Oklahoma--I have triedpractically all the older varieties and I have tried some Abundancegrafts this last year. I have some Abundance grafts that are two yearsold that are producing. They have the most vigorous growth of anything, and in our climate we have to have vigor. I grafted a lot of the Abundance scions on Hobson seedlings. I startedout to grow an orchard from Hobson seedlings, and I found out that outof 50 splice grafts of Abundance that I put in Hobson seedlings in 1948, forty-eight grew, and they were put on rather late, in April. That's alittle late for us. I have the idea--I don't know whether I am right ornot--that if the Abundance proves out as our best variety, we can growseed for stock of the Abundance and then graft the Abundance back on theseedling from Abundance. If there is so much to this incompatibility, Ishould overcome it by doing that very thing. Personally I think it is a crime that thousands of trees--almostmillions--are being put out by nurserymen as seedling trees, and if youwill note in their price lists they have "6 to 12 inches" and "12 to 18inches", "2 to 3 feet" and "3 to 4 feet. " I venture to say that thoseare probably all the same age. How would you like to plant some of those12-inch trees? Somebody is going to get hurt! Mr. Bush: I'd like to say that you can propagate the Chinese chestnut bylayering if you want to, and that will put it on its own. Put a wedge onit or girdle it and keep it damp through the summer. Pres. Davidson: I think Dr. MacDaniels' question is still not answered. I do think that if a nurseryman sells a seedling he ought to definitely_say that it is a seedling_ and not merely that it is a"blight-resistant chestnut, " or something of that sort. He shouldactually tell the public what he is selling. Now, then, there seem to be reasons why in some instances a man isjustified in planting seedlings when it comes to Chinese chestnuts, butwhen it comes to the black walnut or filbert or some of these otherthings, they are still selling seedlings without labelling them as such. I think we should be on record against that practice, because it takesus five or six years, or ten years sometimes, to find out that we havebeen gypped, and it is so easy to gyp the public when you can't find outabout it any sooner than that. Mr. O'Rourke: I quite agree with Mr. Davidson that the nurserymen shouldstate that a seedling is a seedling when it is a seedling. And I am sureMr. Hirschi will corroborate that the American Association of Nurserymenis exerting all the influence they can to that end. Is that right, Mr. Hirschi? Mr. Hirschi: Yes. Mr. Bregger: I would like to ask, if planters for some years yet willhave to rely on seedlings, is there a chance that from certain parentsor certain varieties we can get a larger percentage of good seedlingsthan from others? How much has it been studied and is there a knownresult from the parent trees in the percent of what their seedlings cando? Dr. Crane: I wish I could answer that one. It is a matter of time, tofind out the seedling characteristics reproduced by a certaindescendant. But we know that there is a difference in _uniformity_ oftrees in the way they grow, but as far as bearing is concerned, and thetype of nut produced, we haven't had enough time yet. It's just like this: We have made selections for rootstocks in which wehave selected trees that were good, strong and vigorous--the mostvigorously growing trees that we have known about, and yet at the sametime produced a small nut or medium-sized nut that we could use for theproduction of rootstocks. And we have made progress on that, and we havedemonstrated that there is a very marked difference between thegraftability or budability of seedlings from certain parent trees. Wehave demonstrated that some varieties are much easier to propagate thanare others. But as for the proper combinations of stock and scion, westill haven't got enough data to recommend any. We know that there aredifferences, but it is going to take quite a long while, at least fouror five years or more, before we know. Now, there is just one other thing that comes up on propagation. We havefound that if you bench-graft and make the graft into the transitionzone between root and top just like the old method that the applepropagator used when he piece-root grafted and then plant deep, you canget a hundred per cent of the grafts to grow. In such cases the scionmay root and the top will be on its own roots. Well, there are a lot of these tricks to learn as time goes on. I don'tthink that we should worry too much about this graft union problem. Weknow that this Carr variety is a bear-cat. It is the one that gave us somuch trouble. When we tried to propagate that one we had a real, nastycat by the tail. But on the other hand, in answer to Dr. MacDaniels'question if we go out to Dr. J. Russell Smith's plantings up at RoundHill (Virginia), we can see a lot of the oldest grafted trees that Iknow of anywhere in the country, and the unions are just as smooth andjust as slick as anyone would want to see. They are not 20 years old; Idon't think there was ever a _mollissima_ chestnut grafted 20 years ago. The first grafting that I know of was about 15 years ago, maybe 18. Mr. Stoke: In 1932. Mr. R. C. Moore: Thomas Jefferson grafted European chestnuts. Dr. Crane: No, I am talking about Chinese chestnuts. We didn't get inany Chinese chestnuts until 1906. We have this problem ofincompatibility or graft union trouble, in apples, but do you hearanybody hollering about it? We have it in peaches, plums and cherries. One of the most important diseases they have out in the PacificNorthwest and California on Persian walnuts, is what is called "blackline disease. " We mustn't get excited about graft union failure. Thathas been used, in my opinion, by a lot of people, to discourage thepropagating of grafted chestnuts. There are thousands of people in theUnited States who are spending good money for seedling trees, and someof them are going to get stung. We in the Northern Nut GrowersAssociation are going to have this thing backfire on us, just as true asI tell you. I know there are some nurserymen today that are plantingunknown chestnut seeds, and they are selling the trees as Chinesechestnut. They are planting seed out of mixed orchards, too, that have_C. Seguinii_ and _C. Henryi_ and _C. Crenata_ trees in them. The _C. Crenata_ Japanese has been introduced in the United States for over 70years and it has never made the grade. You know, there has been many a thing that has been promoted in theUnited States--big for a few days and then she backfired, and then ittook the industry 50 or a hundred years to recover. You can sell peoplegold bricks once, but you can't sell them gold bricks _all_ the time! Mr. McCollum: Last year after Mr. Hemming's speech--you know, he is thenurseryman who sells seedlings over on the Eastern Shore--I asked him ifhe had been selling those long enough to have heard from customers. "Yes, " he said he had, "all satisfied. " Now, I don't know anything aboutthat. Dr. Moss: I am not an expert. They say an expert is someone who, themore he studies, knows less about practically nothing at all. That's agood deal my shape. I planted before the war Chinese seed in Kentuckyand a good many of those put on burs in the nursery row. I gave themaway in the community. Out of the whole bunch, some of them 20 feettall, I know of one outstanding nut in that bunch and it's off byitself, apparently a self-pollinizer[16], and puts out a crop of goodnuts. Dr. Cross: I should like to ask Dr. Crane if it would not be possible toinvestigate the situation in China rather than wait to work this out. Certainly, the Chinese have sufficient knowledge of grafting andpropagation to have been working on this long ago, and since these camefrom there, let's look into that phase of it. Dr. Crane: I did investigate the situation in China when I was there. Unfortunately in China, although it is one of our oldest countries andlongest civilizations, they don't do much grafting. They grow theirtrees from seed, but they have certain seed trees that they select theirseed from, and within a community, within a valley, you will have acertain type of chestnut. They call them varieties. They are notvarieties. That's the situation. Most all of them are different, butthey have accomplished the fixing of certain characteristics. Now, in South China the nuts are larger in size, they are strongergrowing trees than they are in the North. I think that we will find thatthat's the situation in this country. The Chinese chestnut is one thatdoes have a high heat requirement, just like pecan, and grown underconditions where they have high heat they are bigger in size and makemore growth and probably they come into bearing sooner. But I didn't see anything grafted in China, and I was all over thecountry from the most northern parts to the most southern parts wherechestnuts are produced. I could make a lot of observations myself, but Ihad to talk through interpreters, and sometimes you couldn't tell whatthe interpreter meant. But as near as I could tell, they were allseedlings. When he would tell me there was such-and-such a variety, Iwould ask him what it meant in English. He didn't know. When I foundhow they were propagated I found they planted the seed. When I foundwhere they got the seed it was from a certain seed tree. So we have within the valleys what they call varieties, but they are notvarieties, only seedlings grown from certain seed trees. Now, with the Japanese, on the other hand, the situation is different, because they propagated by budding and by grafting. I got a number ofthe Japanese publications of propagation methods and their stocks, andso forth, translated into English, and their problems are just the sameas we are going through right here now. They propagate true varieties byasexual methods, but the Chinese do not to any extent at all. Dr. Cross: Have the Russians got any? A Member: That's the question I ask. Do we have any seed trees in thiscountry that are better than other seed trees? Mr. Porter: Could the gentleman tell us whether the Chinese graft _any_chestnuts. Dr. Crane: Yes, they do so, I was told. Mr. Porter: Well, the industry spends a lot of money, so do otherpeople, and so on, in a proper way to investigate that. Why don't youfind out where in that country they have been doing it? Dr. Crane: I didn't see any grafted chestnut trees over there. A Member: You said they grafted, and then you say, "I didn't see any. " Dr. Crane: That's quite right, and I talked to their best horticulturalauthorities that they have. Practically all of it is produced by seedand not by budding or grafting. It is just exactly as I said with thePersian walnut. China has no varieties of Persian walnuts, althoughsometimes you will find some farmer that will bud or graft his trees. Mr. Porter: They graft up on the limb? Dr. Crane: Yes, sir. Once in a while you will find one. They have a fewreal horticulturists. I met one man over there that would compare veryfavorably with Liberty Hyde Bailey. Mr. Stoke: Dr. MacDaniels asked for concrete evidence. He wanted to knowwhere there was an orchard with 20-year-old grafted Chinese chestnuttrees. They haven't been planted that long, but I would like to give himconcrete evidence in my own experience. In 1932 I got scions from the Department, got what ultimately becameknown as the Hobson, from Jasper, Georgia. I grafted a tree in my frontyard which is still bearing nicely, and in fact I have got two grafts onthat tree about four feet from the ground, and it is very nice withperfect union. At the same time I grafted a Carr right at the side of myhouse that also has a perfect union about the same height from theground. I grafted a scion sent me by Dr. Morris as Morris' best (whichwas pretty poor), and it is still living. At the present time I haveperhaps five Carr trees that will average six inches or more indiameter. The oldest is the one by the side, of the house. The rest ofthem were grafted about 1935. One out of those five, when it got to beabout six inches in diameter, in fact, about three years ago, it wentbad. It is girdled and dead. It was grafted about as high as this tablefrom the ground. The others are sound, and you'd find it very difficultto find where they were grafted. I have Hobson, perhaps a dozen trees anywhere from six to 16 years old, and I have not had a failure on a Hobson that really was once healedover properly and got to bearing, not one. That's concrete evidence, Doctor, and that's all I wish to say. Rev. Taylor (Alpine, Tenn. ): Mr. Gravatt was about to answer a questionabout our seed trees, wasn't he? Mr. Gravatt: Would you repeat that question? Rev. Taylor: Are some seed trees better than others in the high per centof good seedlings they produce? Mr. Gravatt: Well, McKay has done some work and published it to showthat on seedlings of certain trees you get higher percentage of budtakes than on others. Mr. Chase: I think the question is a little confused. I think what youare after is, are there parent seed trees from which seed can be plantedthat would produce a good quality of seedlings. Rev. Taylor: Yes, of good productive seedlings. No grafting to it. Mr. Chase: I think that was answered. Apparently there are. Rev. Taylor: Apparently there are in China, as Dr. Crane brought up. Mr. Chase: He further brought up that those things are in the process ofbeing tested here now, and he hopes for some information in--what wasthat? Mr. Gravatt: We had Professor Beattie over in Japan, China, and Koreafor two or three years, and he found in Japan that there were certainselections there, certain grafted varieties that they used for seedstock. We imported those into this country. We were getting ready to goahead with the Japs. We also brought in a hundred varieties of Japanesechestnuts. But the Japanese varieties didn't do well here. What wouldproduce well over in Japan didn't produce well here. But a number ofthose scions that we grafted in 1932 and 1933 are still living. We havehad very good success with top-working chestnuts in our orchards. Wehave some grafts there of pure Chinese chestnuts top-worked on someworthless Japanese. Some of those have been there for 12 and 14 years, with perfect unions. But we do receive a number of reports of treesdying from blight and various other and sundry other causes and when weexamine them quite frequently these have died back to where the treeshad been grafted. Rev. Taylor: I could enlarge on that question just a little bit to tiein with what Mr. O'Rourke said. If the nurserymen are going to propagateseedling trees for the trade for some time yet, where should they beadvised to obtain their seed to get the best possible seedling trees? Mr. Gravatt: In a lot of our regional distributions we sent outmixtures. In other places we would send out related seedlings, as "MY, ""MZ, " or "MAX, " to different individuals. We have advised allnurseryman, all of our cooperators, to eliminate the Japanese; eliminatethe hybrids. It gets down to pure Chinese. We have also advised againand again to take out the more worthless trees and propagate seed fromthe beat. But there are a lot of hybrid seeds with mixed parentage goinginto nursery trees. Mr. McDaniel: How many people are going to take out trees now when theycan sell the seeds for at least 50 cents or maybe even $2. 00 a pound? Mr. Gravatt: That's it. However, you take any of those Chinese treesover there at the Eastern Shore Nurseries, for example--nuts from all 19of them have been sent over here, and they are all good eating. I havebeen over a lot of the seedlings of Hemming's trees. Mr. Hemming hasseveral hundred at his own place. I have been over other orchardplantings. There is lot of variability among those seedlings. They arenot as uniform as the parent tree, for some reason. Why, I don't know. Mr. Chase: Mr. Howell, as a nurseryman, has propagated the Chinesechestnut tree. Would you care to make a few comments? Mr. Howell hasHowell's Nursery in Knoxville and at Sweetwater, Tennessee, and Ibelieve has some of Mr. Gravatt's early seedling trees and has produceda great quantity of seedlings. Mr. Bruce Howell: A good many years ago we got from the Department fivetrees, and they grew and have all borne good nuts, and all chestnuts wehave propagated since have been grown from seed from those five trees, and most of them are pretty good. One is a small nut, and among morerecent seedlings we have got two of them that don't bear at all, orhaven't so far. Now, we have got a bunch of them where they were setseveral years ago in nursery rows. At each end of each row the treesthere bear very nice nuts, and when you get out through that row, thecrowded trees don't bear at all. I think those seedlings and those trees practically all make fairly goodnuts and some of them excellent. I have got some samples. About sixyears ago I got a pound of imported Japanese I planted. The third yearthey bore and they have done very well, and all of them are about thesame size chestnuts. They are as good as any _after_ they are roasted orboiled. That's about all. A good many years ago, I guess 30 years ago, Igrafted Paragon chestnuts, and they did well until the blight. Rev. Taylor: Does anybody else have this trouble? In North CentralTennessee we usually have a warm spell about the Middle of February, plowing time. We expect it every year. And then these Chinese chestnutsare the quickest trees to let the buds swell, and the bark softens upall the way to the ground on the young ones. Then we nearly always havea pretty hard freeze, afterward. So, for several years after ourexperimental planting was set out there they would get killed clear tothe ground next year. Is that something others have the same experiencewith? How do you go at correcting that? After our trees got to be three or four or five inches in diameter theydidn't kill back that way. The bark seemed to be tougher. Mr. McDaniel: That's very common experience in Tennessee and, I mightsay, in north Alabama. Rev. Taylor: Nothing you can do about it? Mr. McDaniel: On some sites it is not nearly so bad as it is in otherlocations. A northern or eastern slope with good elevation seems to bebest. Mr. Frye: I have had some trouble and maybe, had a good education aboutfrost pockets. If you get them in high elevations you escape that. I hadthat trouble two years ago. I got some Chinese trees from Dr. Smith, setthem out. They were his best seedlings, three of them, and they startedbeautifully. I transplanted them. Just about that time they got nippedoff. Did that three times and failed to come out the third time. Pres. Davidson: One other remedy for that that I remember reading about, I am not quite sure in which of our Reports--maybe Mr. Becker was theauthor, and that is this: He said that he cultivates until August afterwhich he plants cover crops, and he sows cover crops that grow and theyhold back this vegetative growth in the late part of the year, and it isreally the late vegetative growth that causes the destruction. After headopted that plan he had very much less winter killing in hisplantation. That might be one way of helping the situation. Mr. Hardy: We have had some killing. Usually in the second year or thefirst year after we get killing down to the ground, if we will keep thestock pruned back to one shoot that one will make sufficient growth, become hardy enough to withstand any cold, or perhaps sun scald. Alsowrapping the trunks of the trees with newspaper helps to prevent thevariations in temperature, which in our section is what causes the coldinjury. We don't have sufficient cold to cause absolute low-temperatureinjury, but we do have sudden drops just as you do in Tennessee, apparently, and wrapping with paper does help iron out those changes. Mr. McDaniel: Wouldn't you suggest the paper wrap in the summer as wellas the winter and spring? Mr. Hardy: Yes. Mr. Stoke: It is not only the planter of the trees that has sorrowsalong that line, but the nurseryman does also. I had some nurseryseedlings growing on flat land, and they looked all right, passed thewinter. When I went out to graft them I found that on these small stocksanywhere from the size of a lead pencil to the size of a finger, thecambium was discolored. It wasn't black nut brown. Any attempts I madeto graft those failed, and yet many of those same trees grew on. Theywere stunted somewhat for a year or two, and they left a brown ring atthat annual growth. I would say that the best guarantee against that kind of thing is toplant your chestnut orchards--and the nurseries--to plant on land thatis well air drained. _Select the same site as you would for peaches. _ Mr. Chase: I will say that we should have allowed more time fordiscussion. However, we have used up our alloted time for this period. Supper is at six o'clock, and we are due back here at 7:30. I don't knowhow you folks feel about this little session, but I certainly did enjoyit. [Footnote 14: --Goldsworthy and his associates published several itemsalong this line in 1948 issues of +Plant Disease Reporter+. His October15, 1948 item reported a similar result of 25% technical DDT (with 75%clay) inhibiting growth of seedling peach roots on 1-year budded Elbertatrees. As low as 25 pound per acre application affected growth in quartzsand cultures, whereas with certain soils, no significant difference wasnoted until an 800 lb. Per acre level of the DDT was reached. It wassurmised that possibly some unknown constituent in the technical DDT wasresponsible for the suppression of new root growth, and consequentslowing down of top growth. In the case of Blakemore strawberries, andalso with peaches, this effect has persisted for at least two cropyears. Goldsworthy and Dunegan say, "How many other economic crop plantsmay be injured is unknown, but it appears certain that some caution isnecessary in the promiscuous use of the chemical on . .. Plants, eitheras . .. Sprays or as soil additions. .. . " In these experiments, of course, the DDT-containing material was in direct contact with all the roots. Spray residues ordinarily would be present only in the surface layer ofthe soil, and should have much less effect on tree roots in thatcase. --J. C. McDaniel. ] [Footnote 15: --Dr. McKay of the U. S. D. A. Found one tree only about2. 5% fruitful to its own pollen. --Ed. ] [Footnote 16: --There is a possibility of pollination from Americanchestnut sprouts in his vicinity. --Ed. ] Let's adjourn. (Whereupon, at 5:30 p. M. The meeting was adjourned, to reconvene at7:30 o'clock p. M. Of the same day. ) +Evening Session+ President Davidson: The meeting will come to order, please. We firsthave the pleasure of hearing from Dr. C. A. Moss of Williamsburg, Kentucky, on Greetings from a Kentucky Nut. Dr. Moss. Greetings from a Kentucky Nut DR. C. A. MOSS, Williamsburg, Kentucky I am glad to see all of these beautiful ladies here this evening. Wejust had dinner, and I presume I should make an after-dinner speech. Ihave always wanted to attend a Northern Nut Growers Associationconvention. I am more or less of what you might call a convention addictand speak on any occasion on slight provocation. I attended a conventionat Quebec earlier this year, and after that I went on to Rio de Janieroin South America and attended another convention, but this privilege ofbeing able to attend the Northern Nut Growers Association tops all therest. I am reminded of the tale of the man who rushed into the sheriff'soffice in Texas, and his gun was smoking, and he says, "I have killed aman. " The sheriff said, "Who did you kill?" "Oh, " he says, "I don't knowhis name. He is one of these after-dinner speakers. " "You are in thewrong room, " the sheriff said. "Go back in the hallway three doors tothe right to the bounty room. They pay $5 a head for those. " My family fortunes, if there be any, were founded on nuts. My fatherwhen he was 16 years old was raised on Straight Creek near Pineville, Kentucky, some hundred miles away from Lexington, and they gathered up awagonload of the old chestnuts, he and a hired man on my grandfather'splace, and they took an ox team and took them to Lexington to peddlethem out. It took them three weeks to make the return trip. I come from Whitney County, Kentucky. It was named after old ColonelWhitney, the man who built the first brick house in Kentucky. It was inthe fall of the year, and the mortar was freezing, and they mixedwhiskey with their mortar to keep it from freezing. When I get away from home they ask me if I am a Kentucky Colonel. That'sone of the first things I hear, and I tell them that I am. And they wantto know why they put that honor upon a small fellow like me, and I tellthem it was on account of scientific research that I had done, that Ihad developed a new way of making egg-nog. I feed the chickens thewhiskey mash and they lay bourbon-flavored eggs, and all you have to dois drop one in a glass of milk. They always ask about the Kentucky Derby, and I tell them that the lastI heard Mint Julep was coming in on the home stretch strong. I am not qualified with all of these experts to get up here and talkabout nuts. They say an expert is a fellow that learns more and moreabout less and less until he knows practically everything about nothingat all; and that's kind of my shape, sir. Now, seriously, I have had this hobby of trying to grow nuts for anumber of years. I grafted a golf club on a croquet post, and I got somewonderful golf balls. Before the war I ordered some Chinese chestnuts. Igot in touch with Sakata and Company in Yokahama, and they finally camein. I didn't have any experience, and about all I had was someimagination, and I planted them out in the fall of the year like Iplanted any other nuts. I went out in the spring and investigated. Therewasn't a darn one come up. The rats had beat me to them and eaten themall up. I was a persistent cuss and ordered some the next year, and I put themup in fruit jars and figured I would plant them in the spring, and whenthe spring came they all had the dry rot. So I ordered them the third year, and I made sacks out of fly screenwire and put those nuts outside, and in the spring they came up and Ihad a lot of nice sprouts about this high and put them in a seed bedwith a board all the way around. My father is blind in one eye, couldn'ttell a chestnut from a weed, and he pulled up the weeds and he pulledall the chestnuts up except one. The fourth year I had better success, and I raised that year400-and-some-odd chestnut seedlings, and I did more or less the JohnnyAppleseed stuff with those. I gave those away in the community. I am, among other things, a banker, and I figured those would be as good ascalendars, and I have not been able to follow the history of them. However, there is one of them I think is exceptional. It's aself-pollinator and is bearing heavy crops, and I intend to follow thatparticular tree up. A genius, he is no better than any of the rest of us. All a genius is isa fellow that's got good digestion so he can eat enough to work longhours and good eyesight so he don't get tired. So I was reading in a magazine about the Crath English walnut. They sentthe Reverend Mr. Crath over to Poland before the war, and I got fourpounds of those nuts he collected, and planted them. And every spring acold spell would come along and get them before I could cut any graftsoff of them. And I planted a Nebraska pecan and got some grafts from it, and my wife said that tree never did have a chance because I keptcutting the prunes off so they couldn't grow. I got several to growing, and then they didn't fill out the nuts. I was talking to a good doctor here from Baltimore last night. We atedinner, at the same table here, and I told him I didn't see but onething wrong with this Northern Nut Growers Association: It needed a lotof young people in it, because if it didn't they were going to have tohold a reunion over at the cemetery. I have done a lot of grafting, and I am not going into the details ofthat. I am going to say that I am glad to be here, I give you greetingsfrom Kentucky, and I hope that I will meet you all again. * * * * * President Davidson: That certainly was refreshing, Dr. Moss. We enjoyedit. Next on the program is Dr. Aubrey Richards, Whiteville, Tennessee, whois not here. Nuts for West Tennessee is the subject of that paper, andSecretary MacDaniel will read it for us. Nut Trees for West Tennessee AUBREY RICHARDS, M. D. , Whiteville, Tennessee At the present time I am attempting to grow 14 grafted varieties ofChinese and Japanese chestnuts, plus numerous hybrids and seedlings, eight varieties of black walnut, 5 named Persian and 18 unnamedCarpathians, 5 heartnuts, 5 hickory and hickory hybrids, 12 pecans, and7 hazels and filberts. The total number of trees, including allvarieties, is well over three hundred. A few of the trees have beenunder my observation for 11 years on down to some that I have justacquired. I shall not bore you with a list of unsatisfactory varieties nor withthe ones that have not had sufficient observation in this section, butshall confine my remarks to less than two dozen varieties. Pecans I shall touch only lightly, as they are a highly specialized croponly a little farther south. Stuart and Success are favorites here. Schley and Mahan are good if scab can be controlled. Sun scald on newlyplanted trees is our greatest problem, which I control by a paper wrapmade by cutting two inch sections from a 36 inch roll of cheap felt-basewall paper. It gradually weathers away during the second summer. I wrapfrom the top down in a spiral, and when I reach the bottom, I place ahand full of earth on the end of the paper. No tying is required. Inthis way I have reduced the mortality rate of young nut trees greatly. I am also a strong believer in cover crops and mulching, for Tennesseeweather is very temperamental. Although we get ample rainfall per annum, it is often not welldistributed, especially during mid-summer. During the winter we haveseveral days of balmy spring weather with a drop to possibly below zerooccuring overnight. Thomas black walnut grows well here, but tends to over-bear, with manypoorly filled nuts on alternate years. I counted an average of 8 nutsper lineal foot of bearing wood on one tree this season. Snyder and Stambaugh are excellent nuts, setting about all they canmature. Elmer Myers is a beautiful thin shelled nut, but so far a little shy inbearing. I believe this can be corrected if I can find another walnutthat will shed pollen late enough to catch the Myers pistils. Homelandmay be the one to do it. I have set some grafts of it with the Myers tosee. Carpathian D, and a variety of unknown origin from Haywood County arethe only Persian walnuts I have fruited. This tree of unknown origingrows alone, is at least 50 years old, is three feet in diameter, has aspread of 40 feet, and is about the same in height. Some years itproduces a heavy crop, others, nothing. To my knowledge, it has receivedno care in the past 20 years. My 18 Carpathians are all growing with varying vigor and resistance toleaf spot. None has shown winter injury. Of all the heartnuts, Rhodes is my favorite. The nut does not appear tobe as large as some, but the kernel is just as heavy, due to its compactshape which causes it to fall out when the nut is cracked. It isself-pollenizing and also a good pollenizer for all my other varieties, shedding pollen over a long period of time, although it is the latest ofall in producing its pistils. It grows vigorously on black walnut stock. Rush seems to be the best filbert for this section. Its catkins areusually hardy here. Chestnut trees, like gray ghosts, still reach their naked arms high onmany West Tennessee hillsides, and occasionally one finds a farmersplitting posts from their remains, for chestnut is an enduring wood. Afew of these tenacious individuals are still sending up sprouts that mayreach considerable size before they are again struck down. I have had no serious trouble with blight in any of the named chestnutvarieties, either Chinese or Japanese. I have lost some trees by itsentrance into the seedling stock, but not many. My greatest headache hasbeen sun-scald and winter killing, or to be more exact, "early spring"killing. One of the juvenile characteristics of oriental chestnuts is theretention of their leaves all winter. They also grow in a rathersprangling way. This is a protective mechanism, and when we prune themto an upright form, or graft, this wood having lost its juvenilecharacteristics, we are inviting trouble unless we protect the trunk insome other way. I prefer to use a paper wrap as described under Pecans, as it is quickly done and is inexpensive. This also gives protection toimmature callus cells at bud or graft union. Of the older Chinese chestnut varieties in my hands, Hobson hasexcelled, with large chestnuts (34 to the pound in 1948. ) Zimmerman alsoproduces a good nut. Colossal (Hybrid) is very productive and producesthe largest nuts of any chestnut that I have seen grown in Tennessee, but the quality of the raw nut is not equal to Hobson. It refuses togrow on Chinese stock, but thrives on Japanese. It is pollen sterile. Ihave several newer varieties under observation and although they aregrowing vigorously I have not had time to form an opinion on them. * * * * * President Davidson: The Reverend Bernard Taylor of Alpine, Tennessee, will next read a paper on The Marketing of Black Walnuts as a CommunityProject. Mr. Taylor. Marketing Black Walnuts as a Community Project THE REV. BERNARD TAYLOR, Alpine, Tennessee The Rev. Mr. Taylor: I suppose that every community where black walnutsgrow wild has a marketing of some kind, some kind of a plan ofmarketing, maybe just what every boy or every man who has some sparetime or some of the womenfolks may do to make something out of thewalnuts that are lying around. In the community of Alpine, which is in Overton County, people used togo out on the ridge with wagons and bring home wagonloads of walnuts, and they would sell them either in the shell or they would crack themand sell them in pretty poor condition, however they could sell them. When we first began selling walnut kernels in Alpine we got 19 cents apound for the kernels, and that was more than they were worth, Ibelieve, because they were dirty, greasy, and they had mildew gobs inthe bunches of kernels. So I don't know how the rolling stores that camearound that way could make anything out of them trading them in at thatprice. Then we began to study the Government bulletins on how to produce goodwalnut kernels, and there is a good bulletin on that; all of you areacquainted with it, probably. When we began to harvest those nuts andhull them as quickly as we could and wash them and dry them outthoroughly and then crack them before they got too dry, we organizedwhat was called the Walnut Club. This Walnut Club mostly was composed ofsome of the women of the community who lived up in one little cove wherethe limestone outcroppings seem to favor the walnut and the air drainageor whatever it was seemed to favor the crop yields rather regularly. Wedon't have an every-year good walnut crop. Well, these women got finally so that they could get 35 cents a poundfor their walnut kernels, then 45 cents a pound. Then we found a goodfriend in Pennsylvania who would take those kernels, all we could sendher, and put them up in little pound packages and sell them for whatevershe could get and send us all the money. That's altogether contrary toHoyle I guess. You merchants, if there are some of you here, who are dealers in walnutkernels know that our people were just getting spoiled. Anytime now thata merchant says, "I will give you such-and-such a price for the walnutsand then I will sell them for such-and-such a price, " he looks to themlike a robber. They want to sell them for what the people pay who eatthem. That isn't quite fair, maybe, but we got $1. 39 a pound last yearfor all the kernels we could produce, and the year before it was $1. 40, I believe, and it stays about that price. That is about the story of the community project. It is a direct contactby way of a benevolent friend between people in the mountains inTennessee and people in Pennsylvania who say that these kernels tastebetter than black walnut kernels in Pennsylvania taste. I don't knowwhether any Pennsylvanians here agree with that or not. I think they arewonderfully mild-flavored, a good many of them very light-coloredkernels. Though Mr. Chase has made some beautiful exhibits of how thecolor changes depending on how long a time you leave them in the hull, we still have some that stay lighter than others. Some of them haverather gray-colored kernels. There is one of those trees that Mrs. Ledbetter has, on her husband'sfarm. He was about to sell that tree for a log and a stump. They comealong and grub the stumps out and sell the stumps and all forveneerwood. But she wouldn't let him sell it, and over the course of thelast few years they sold enough kernels more than to pay for that walnuttree and it is still going to yield a good many years, probably betterand better as time goes on. I think that possibly the community angle of this is a little bitmisrepresenting. It's not the entire community, but it is a little groupof the community who are interested in the wild black walnut. Last spring we were very fortunate in having some help in grafting someof the seedlings. This Mrs. Ledbetter's husband got interested inwalnuts, and he planted a whole pasture with walnuts spaced every sooften, and this spring we went there with the help of God and were ableto graft those to Thomas black walnuts. They were just little seedlings, so we hope to go into the named black walnuts as time goes on. * * * * * President Davidson: May I ask, Mr. Taylor, the people, of course, nowcomply with the Government regulations on pasteurization and so on? Mr. Taylor: Never heard of it. You will have to tell me about that aftera while, if you will, please. President Davidson: Mr. Shadow, the County Agent of Decatur, MeigsCounty, Tennessee, will tell his experiences with tree crops in thatcounty. Experiences with Tree Crops in Meigs County, Tennessee W. A. SHADOW, Meigs County Agent, Decatur, Tennessee Mr. Shadow: Mr. Chairman and members of the Nut Growers Association: AsPresident Davidson announced, I am an agricultural agent. About twelveyears ago I thought it would be good to have a hobby, and since I wasborn and reared in the nursery world propagating fruit trees andornamentals, and due to the fact that John Hershey came by one day andtalked to me about the tree crops in the Tennessee Valley, it struck mejust right, and I have made that my hobby. You know, every man who has a job gets fed up on his job and needs toget out and play with himself, or something else, to forget histroubles. So I find in propagating nut trees, top-working them, if youwill, top-working trees where I find them to named varieties, is veryinteresting to me. John Hershey taught me the technique of grafting nut trees. I hadgrafted and budded in all kinds of ornamentals and fruits, but I neededtraining in nut trees. So in the spring of 1935, I guess, I graftedabout a hundred Thomas black walnut on trees where I found them in thewoodland. At the same time I grafted maybe a hundred Japanese persimmonof possibly a dozen varieties on the common native persimmon. Ipurchased three, four, maybe five Japanese persimmons and planted thesetrees in the spring of 1935. All these persimmons, maybe 60 or 70 ofthem, grew nicely. The Thomas grew very well, and the winter of 1939 or1940, I don't recall just which, was rather severe. We had below-zeroweather, and all of my persimmons were killed--I thought. The next yearI found a persimmon tree up in the woods with maybe a peck of great bignice persimmons and later I found that that was a Fuyugaki persimmon. All the rest of mine were winter killed. Those that I purchased werewinter killed the first year. I don't know why. I grafted the persimmonabout 5 feet high. Those that were grafted at the ground I noticedwinter killed the first year, and these that are grafted up aboutshoulder high seemed to live three or four years before they winterkilled, and the one variety that survived as Mr. Kline and Mr. Chase, orsomeone, has told, is Fuyugaki, I believe. I have a Tamopan persimmon, agreat big, nice persimmon about so big, but bitter as the dickens, andabout the only thing I think it is good for is to look at. It is pretty. But the Fuyugaki is never bitter. It is very tasty even partially green, and as it ripens my lady thinks it is very good, and I think it is good, myself. I have about two or three varieties of mulberries. I got them from GlenSt. Mary Nurseries in Florida. They make awfully good pig feed and birdfeed, and I don't mind eating them myself. There are some honeylocust, Millwood and Calhoun. I purchased severalseedlings of thornless honeylocust from some northwestern nursery andgrafted them to Millwood and Calhoun. I also have four trees that areten years old and they have never borne. Last year there was one tree ofthat hundred that bore heavily, and the rest of them are barren. It mustbe lack of pollenization, or something. I am not getting fruit from myhoneylocust. Someone asked me what I am going to do with all this stuff, and I said, "Well, the squirrels and I will have lots of fun anyhow, and the cowswill eat the honeylocust if they ever bear. " I have two pecan trees that are bearing nicely. One is a Posey and theother is a Greenriver, bearing very nicely. They are about ten yearsold. I have some Schley and Delmas and Mahan, and they are not bearing. I don't know why. We are out of the realm of the southern pecan and toofar south for the northern pecan, I am afraid. My Persian walnut, heartnut and Japanese walnut think it is spring tooquick, and every year they burst out and grow about so long, and thenthey fall down and die from freezing, and then they grow out, and thistime of the year you look at them and you say, "That's a beautifultree, " But they freeze just enough to get the fruit each year. Mr. McDaniel came by last spring a year ago and left with me a littlescion of a Carpathian walnut, the Bayer selection. I wasn't present, but he left it with my lady and suggested to my lady that I would knowwhat to do with it. I put it on a common black walnut grafted about sohigh, and it is ten feet high now growing nicely, but this spring Inoticed that it, too, thought the spring was here before it was here. Idon't know how it is going to bear. I may have to take it out on top ofthe hill and re-graft it on a high place where it has more air drainage. Of the Chinese chestnut, I planted about a hundred, but I planted themin a cut-over woodland that was full of native chestnut sprouts. Youknow how the chestnut sprouts will do. They grow up and blight out anddie down, and another sprout comes from the stump. They have been doingthat for 30 years over in my part of the country. I planted thesechestnuts purposely in that grove where there was lots of blight. Out ofthat hundred I have eight trees that are alive. The rest of them havedied from blight. They are bearing very nicely, but I haven't learnedhow to care for those fruits so that they are good a long period oftime. Someone just told me that you had someone on the program thismorning who would tell us that. It is a very interesting subject for me. And the Thomas walnut is a nice black walnut. The trees are a little bitpeculiar about their bearing; sometimes they bear heavily and again theyforget to bear. The Stabler doesn't bear at all for me. I just know theyare Stablers because someone told me so. I have them labeled. I haveCreitz black walnut. I got five from TVA four or five years ago, andthey just literally bear themselves to death. They're about so high andbear every year, very nice nuts. I will have to pull the walnuts offlong enough to make them grow up and make real trees. I think they aregoing to be all right. Mr. Chairman, I am not an expert. I use my hobby to keep from botheringabout the troubles that I have with other things, and when I get mad ata neighbor I go to playing on my trees, and it gets me well. I recommendit as a very soothing hobby. Now, some day we will make a business out of tree crops when we inTennessee get the bugs out of it and get them so we will have the rightvarieties to produce. I am not satisfied with the Thomas. Someonesuggested it was a wonderful nut. I am not satisfied with it. We need abetter walnut than the Thomas. But it's the best I have. There is a native walnut I found in the valley near Watts Bar Dam. Inamed it Pineland. It is just a seedling. It is a most wonderful nut ifit wasn't for its hard shell. It's hard as the dickens. It is awonderful bearer, has borne every year for nine years. It happens to bein unusually good soil. But I have grafted a few up away from the river, and the grafted trees are bearing nicely. The trouble is it is hard, butit is a wonderful good kernel and it is a big nut. Groups like this working with tree crops and nuts over a period of timewill develop the right varieties, and if we can get some youngstersinterested--and I am in my county getting some youngsters interested ingrafting--and tell them not to expect too much but get a whole lot ofsatisfaction out of the fun of producing something, I think this will bethe beginning. Or rather, you have been going a long time. This is ameans of progress in tree crops that I am well pleased to take a partin. Mr. Chairman, I think that's about all that I have. * * * * * President Davidson: I know we all wish we had more county agents likethat, interested in trees and interested in young folks. Those twothings should go together. I wish you would just sort of propagate thatidea when you meet other county agents, won't you, Mr. Shadow? Now, then, Mr. Frye of Pleasant Dale, West Virginia, will tell ussomething about Nut Hobbying in Eastern West Virginia. Nut Hobbying in Eastern West Virginia WILBERT M. FRYE, Pleasant Dale, West Virginia Mr. Frye: After hearing such wonderful speeches as we have had, withyour reading, Mr. McDaniel, I wish I could be all of us, but as it is, Iam just myself. I don't know how many know where Pleasant Dale is, butanyhow, you know where Washington, D. C. Is; I live just along U. S. 50and my section is 103 miles west of Washington, D. C. That will locatewhere we are. This section of the country is composed of a lot of long ridges withsteep hills, narrow valleys, some of them very fertile. These valleysform bases where you will get the draft off these hills down into thevalleys. You must keep all the fruit and most of the nut trees out ofthose places, or you have these frost spots that I have been tellingsome of you about. As far back as people can remember that country has been covered withall kinds of nuts except the European (Persian or "English") walnuts, and the early people coming in there used these nuts for food, and thechestnut was their main one. Whenever a person clearing the land found anice tree he would save it. Then he would show much pride in having agood tree, and it kept on going until there became a rivalry as to whohad the best chestnut tree. Some had an orchard of them. When the blight hit the country I had an orchard of chestnut trees. WhenI saw the first blight in the top of a tree I didn't like the looks. Ikept noticing that. It kept on coming down the tree, and it killed thebase. The total result was everybody lost their hobby trees, and thensoon they changed to something else. Now, when the blight took the chestnut out of the country the peoplebegan to pride themselves on the walnut, who had the best walnut, whohad the best shagbark in the country. Some distance from where I am is a two-acre grove, a wonderful grove ofour larger nuts. Some places it is called kingnut and some places theycall it under the name of this big one in the show room, shellbark. Anyhow, there were two acres there and real moist meadows, and everyonce in a while the frost would kill those nuts, and the next year theywould have a wonderful crop. So the climate determines whether we havean annual crop or an intermittent crop on these trees. Then I always liked to mess around with hobbies with nature. I becameinterested, got to wondering who did have the best of the best. Then Ibegan to go out and visit all of these farms and ask them for a certainnumber of the best, and I began to send them around to Mr. Reed and Mr. Zarger and other people to take their word on it. And, of course, I havelocated some that cracked very well. But every once in a while somebodytells me they have got a better one yet, and the other day I ran acrossa fellow a hundred miles away--he happened to hear about me, and I havea neighbor who knows him--who has a black walnut that looks like aPersian walnut. So you see, I have a trip of a hundred miles to make tosee what he's got. I wrote to him just before I left. I wrote to him tosend me at least 20 of those nuts, and just as soon as this fellow sendsme the nuts I would come up and see him and later on would try to getsome grafting wood and send down to Mr. Zarger of the TVA group. My job is not to keep them to myself but to put out the best. So we havethose different nuts, and now it is time to consolidate the best in whatwe have and get them in the hands of the nut growers groups and thosewho will put them out and really make use of them. But first we want tosee these best trees all over the country. Some of them are not as goodfor timber as the others, but I like to incorporate the timber with thenut production. We talked about the black walnut earlier today. The speaker was notsaying much about flavor. That's one thing we want to do in all of ournut work, get as good a flavor as we can. So why not get the best and goputting it out to give it to everybody. Why keep anything withinourselves? That's the main thing we can do. A brother was talking a while ago about this nut job, a community nutjob. Now, two years ago--I will have to use my dad, who is 82 years old, as a little reference--my dad cracked 83 pounds of black walnuts fromjust the best of them, you might say. Sold them at a price of $1. 49 apound. So that wasn't bad, was it? I thought that was right good. Last year we didn't have a nut in there because we had a freeze on the31st of May of around 26° to 28°, depending on where you were and thelocation. But then in the fall on the 23rd of September we had anotherdrop just when everything was in full growth, due to a dry spell andthen a rain. But in the fall on the 23rd of September we had a drop downto 20, so that was what happened to all the remaining nuts in thatcountry. They were just frozen like black mummies. I had what they call the Texas Thinshell black walnut. I have one treethat is about eight or nine feet high, maybe ten feet high, had 45 nutson it, nice big ones, and they just looked like mummies, and it made meheartsick, of course. I went out there and looked at the things, andthey fell off the tree. I thought, "Well, I might just as wellexperiment. I will dig me a little trench here along the garden, I willput these in and see what happens. " To my surprise 20 of them came upafter being frozen. So that might be a question: Will things sprout orgerminate without reaching maturity?[17] I don't know how much maturitythey had. They certainly weren't in full growth when they were frozen. That's one thing we want to see. My main aim is just to grow things, for hobby purposes and see just whatwill grow. Last year we had such a hectic year from that late springfreeze and early fall freeze it discouraged me here where I am, in thisfrost pocket at an elevation of 1, 050 feet. And I said, "Now, on thehill about 4 miles away and 300 feet higher they have a wonderful placefor peaches. " I have a friend who lives up there, and he has so manypeach trees missing in his old orchard. I said, "How about setting outsome nut trees in your peach orchard?" Ho said, "Go to it. " I set out anut tree wherever there is a peach tree out. So that gave me a chance tosee what they would do. Last spring I started that too late, but I setout 45 or 50 trees, filberts, Persian walnuts, pecans, chestnuts andpersimmons, and I will just see what they will do. And today my kind friend who gave a talk on the nut trees from down inAlabama gave me seed to plant. I expect to put a row of those out andsee what they will do. The land I am planting them on at one time wasjust a great mass of chestnuts, and this friend there on one of thosesections, of about three acres, had cut 35, 000 feet of this dead timberafter the chestnut blight killed them. That blight was a terrible shock to us. One thing I did note when itcame on, prior to the chestnut blight in that country there were theselittle chipmunks, which, everybody knows, eat chestnuts. You couldn'thear yourself think for the little chipmunks chipping all over thecountry. You know, they carried off all the nuts. You had to be smart tobeat them to them. When the chestnuts disappeared, the chipmunksdisappeared, and there were eight or ten years when you were lucky ifyou got to hear one. In the meantime those little fellows have changed. They died, a lot of them, but now they have learned to eat somethingelse, and now they are coming back. That little chipmunk always amused me, because I loved to go out andplay with the squirrels and things like that. Anyhow, it's just purehobby work, and as Mr. Shadow says you can get over a mad spell and getout close to nature, because in this nut work you can't get any closerto God's work than to get out and get something better. I think that'sall I have to say. [Footnote 17: Some other members have reported similar behavior offrost-bitten and poorly filled black walnuts. --Ed. ] * * * * * President Davidson: Those of you who know Mr. Frye know that he works aswell as he talks, and that's pretty good. Is Mr. Tatum here? (No response. ) In that case I am told that Dr. Rohrbacher will read a paper by Mr. Tatum of Lebanon, Kentucky on "ALook, Backward and Forward, Into Nut Growing in Kentucky. " DrRohrbacher. A Look "Backward and Forward" into Nut Growing in Kentucky W. G. TATUM, Route 4, Lebanon, Kentucky The lumberman's ax, the chestnut blight, forest fires, and the "newground" hill farmer, together, have destroyed many thousands of ourbeautiful Kentucky forest acres. Much of this one time "nature lover'sparadise" is now ugly, barren, and eroded, and too poor to give a livingto either man or beast. Wanton destruction of God-given treasure andbeauty is a sin and a shame. Thanks to the men of vision and foresightof the U. S. D. A. , state agricultural colleges, and our own fraternity ofnut tree lovers, this slaughter is coming to a halt at last. Our fellowcitizens are being awakened to the real value of their woodlands. Muchreforestation of these steep barren wastes is already under way. We, of THE NORTHERN NUT GROWERS ASSOCIATION, INC. , can look back to manymistakes we have made in the selection of varieties for our respectiveclimates and soils. Our dates and methods of grafting, budding, andtransplanting have not always been right. We have gotten hold ofscionwood that we were most sure would not grow when we used it, but wedid use it, hoping, and most of it did fail, as we expected. In our Association, we have a large group of wise experimenters onvarieties and methods, well placed all over the U. S. And I have everyconfidence that, in time, many commercially profitable varieties, andbetter methods will reward their research. But in the meantime, weshould all keep ever on the alert for a new and better idea, or variety. Here in Central Kentucky, of the many black walnuts I have under test, only Thomas, Victoria, and Eureka have the tendency toward young andheavy bearing. These three do show great promise in my section as youngand heavy croppers. And they are all top-bracket nuts, according totests made by expert testers. There may be newer ones better than these, and we hope there will be yet better ones turn up continually in thefuture. There are at least a few Persian walnuts that show promise in mylocation. Of varieties I have of bearing age, only four are worthy ofmention. These are Broadview, Elmore, "Crath-Dunstan No. I" and"Crath-Edmunds No. 3. " All of the above have borne well on two year oldgrafts on large black walnut stocks. Their nuts are in my opinionexcellent. Wright and Walters heartnuts seem well adapted here, and are doingequally well for me on Japanese, butternut, and black rootstocks. Theseare the only two I have old enough to bear, and they are bearing theirfirst few nuts each this season. I would like to add here, that the wildnut crop in general in my section, is very light, and these nut treesthat I mention as bearing this season, are the more to be noticed fortheir crops in this year of bad nut crops. I am trying "buartnuts" andbutternuts, which are growing satisfactorily, but not large enough for acrop. This is wonderful natural chestnut territory. All of the many Chineseseedlings I have, and the few grafted ones, are growing nicely, andquite a number have burs on them when only about belt high to an averageman. I am anxious to get graftwood of superior individuals as they comeout, for propagation here in my own planting. I believe this to be agood home for any good chestnut. No blight is showing to date in eithermy seedlings or grafted ones. I live on rather deep, fertile upland, and am quite hopeful of goodresults from many of the Northern pecan varieties that I am trying. Theoldest trees I have are only five years old, on small seedling stocksand hardly old enough to yield a crop for at least another five years. Major, Greenriver, Busseron, and Fisher are my oldest, and are makingrapid growth. Stuart, of the Southern group, is bearing quite well formy friend, Lewis Edmunds, a few miles southwest of me, and he says itmatures its nuts well before frost, but insects cause a goodly part ofthe crop to fall prematurely. I have quite a collection of the better known grafted shagbarks on mywoodland. These are mostly on wild shagbark stocks. They are all growingwell, but I have had no nuts from them as yet. Grainger is the fastestgrower of the lot. To make my nut tree project complete, I have quite a long row offilberts and hazels, set hedge row fashion, which include quite a listof varieties. Those that bear quite regular and heavy crops include four"Jones Hybrids, " Winkler hazel, two un-named hazels, and Barcelonafilbert. I have persimmons, too, both American and Chinese named varieties. MyChinese are young and not bearing yet, but doing well. Kansas andJosephine are my choice of the natives. I am trying Millwood and Shessler honeylocusts for the first time thisyear. They are beautiful grafts, and I am looking forward to thepleasure and profit of adding them to my hill cow pasture in a year ortwo. * * * * * President Davidson: Thank you, very much, Dr. Rohrbacher. We have 15minutes before the next order comes on the program. Suppose you take arecess right now. (A recess was taken. ) (Mr. William J. Wilson from Georgia showed moving pictures of his pecanorchard. ) President Davidson: The next order of business, we will now hear areport of the Committee on Black Walnut Standards and Judging by Dr. L. H. MacDaniels. Round Table Discussion on Judging Schedule for Black Walnuts DR. L. H. MacDANIELS, Chairman Dr. MacDaniels: During the year your committee has worked on the problemof setting up a judging schedule for black walnuts, mainly throughcorrespondence. Unfortunately, it has not been possible to get togetherfor discussion. Had we done so, I'm sure we could have achieved closeagreement upon essentials. As it is, there are several phases of theproblem upon which we would like the judgment of the associationmembers. As far as this group here is concerned, I am quite sure that wecan't profitably go into a discussion of the various details andramifications of a judging schedule. I do think, however, that we mightdiscuss the problem of whether our point of view in developing such aschedule should be that of the value of a variety for the commercialbuyer or for home use. As far as the committee is concerned, Mr. Chasefavors the home use angle. Clarence Reed and Mr. Stoke have notexpressed themselves definitely one way or the other. Mr. Stoke is here, and I expect that he will say something about it. I would like to open discussion on this question at this time, unlessyou want to go back to the consideration of whether it is desirable orpossible, to have any such schedule, at all. May we assume that this isdesirable? Mr. Weber: Could we have a double standard, one for the commercialgrower and one for the home grower? Dr. MacDaniels: In my judgment it would be better to try one at a time. Another schedule can be developed later. Mr. Weber: Have you any particular preference, Dr. MacDaniels? Dr. MacDaniels: I personally feel that the new and improved varietieswill find their best use as a home proposition rather than in thecommercial orchard, because apparently with a modern cracker the commonwild nuts can be cracked in pieces that are satisfactory for thecommercial trade, and crackability is of little moment. Have you any comments as to which point of view the committee shouldtake? Dr. Crane: I would like to inquire as to the purpose for which thisnumerical score or method of evaluating these nuts is to be used. Is itto be used for show purposes, or is it for determining the value of avariety of nut to grow? Dr. MacDaniels: The purpose of setting up a schedule is to provide astandard by which we can determine differences between samples incontests, and to give a basis for comparison in determining the value ofa variety for growing in various climatic zones and of differentvarieties grown in the same place. For instance, the variety, Thomas, inone zone would be a very good nut and have a score of, say, 89. Inanother it might have a score of only 45, and in another a score of 55. The score would be directly related to the adaptability of this varietyto a climatic zone or to a system of cultivation or to variation in anyother environmental condition. Mr. Weber: How do the other members of the committee feel about it? Whatis their preference? It seems to me that if you are unanimous, all wehave to do is approve your report and leave out the discussion. Dr. MacDaniels: We are not unanimous. Mr. Reed, who I regret is nothere, rather doubts that any kind of schedule is either possible ordesirable. Would you think that is a fair statement, Mr. Stoke? Mr. Stoke: Yes. Dr. MacDaniels: Mr. Chase believes that a schedule is both possible anddesirable and that we should work along the general ideas advanced inthe paper on judging schedules published in the last volume of thereport. As I understand Mr. Stoke's position, he would go along withthat in general with possibly the addition of the factors of taste andcolor. Is that right? Mr. Stoke: Yes, taste and color for domestic use. Dr. MacDaniels: I have already stated my position. I feel that unless weconfine the schedule to characteristics that can be weighed or measuredsuccessfully its value and usefulness will be little. A Member: Dr. MacDaniels, if a man has a $20, 000 machine for crackingwalnuts and he has a choice between the Thomas walnut and a good wildone, he will pay a little bit more for Thomas walnuts, will he not? Dr. MacDaniels: The question raised is that if a cracking plant whichcracks thousands of pounds can get more kernels out of a hundred poundsof Thomas nuts or any other grafted variety, would the operators paysomething more for them? I think undoubtedly they would, but would theypay enough of a differential over the wild nuts to make it worthwhile tothe grower? I don't know. Dr. Crane: If you take pecans which are our best example, 95 per cent ofall nuts produced in the United States are marketed as shelled kernels, and there is a very substantial price differential between seedlings andbudded pecans, and the crackers will pay the difference based on theyield of kernels. That is their only interest. The thickness of shell, how well it cracks, or any other factor is of no importance. If thekernels are there, they will get them out. Dr. MacDaniels: That is the crux of this whole matter. Are we interestedin developing varieties for cracking in which we care little about thesize of the pieces recovered or about the ease of extraction, or do wewant nuts for home use that will give a high yield of large pieces?These machines, as I understand it, will crack the walnuts and get thekernels out in small pieces regardless of how they crack in a Hersheycracker. Mr. Weber: As I understood Mr. Mullins, he favored having a lot ofThomas if he could get them. Dr. MacDaniels: Would he pay the difference? I don't know. Dr. Cranesays he would. President Davidson: When I talked to him--we passed through there andsaw the plant--he said he thinks well enough of the better nuts to comehere for the purpose of learning where and how to manage a plantation ofhis own of Thomas and the other budded varieties for his own crackingplant. In his own cracking plant the yield for the amount of laborexpended is so much better on the improved varieties that he wants tomake a planting of his own. He will pay more, but just how much more, Idon't know. That brings up another matter. As I have said before, our stateauthorities should be urged again and again and again to buy _good_ seednuts for distribution to the public so that we can get these betterquality nuts into the woods. Some of them are agreeing to that. Some ofthem are doing it. But so far not very much has been done. Dr. MacDaniels: I think that before your committee goes ahead we mustget a decision on this point, for the approaches are quite different. Ifyou are developing a schedule for home use, the size of the nuts is ofimportance. In general, the bigger the nut the easier it is to handle, the easier it is to shuck and crack. The percentage of kernel isrelatively less important than it is in the commercial cracking. Thesize of the particles recovered is more important for home use. If theycome out easily and in large pieces, they are much more desirable. On the other hand, in commercial cracking the percentage of kernel isimportant. The commercial buyer wants to know how many pounds of kernelscan be expected from a hundred pounds of nuts. He is not much interestedin the size of the nuts or the size of pieces that are recovered. Thisis an entirely different approach to the problem. We have got to decidebetween the two before the committee goes further. Dr. Crane: There is another angle to the problem. A lot of the blackwalnuts today are used in the bakery trade and in the ice cream trade. But I visualize a market for black walnut kernels to be eaten out ofhand. There are many people in the United States that like the flavor ofblack walnut kernels to eat in this way. I know I am one of them, and Idon't want to eat crumbs. I don't want to eat small pieces. I like tohave at least quarters. I think that if we were to gather from the status of our other nativenut industry that there is going to be a premium paid for the largerpieces, then cracking quality _would_ enter into the matter. Our pecansare sold on count of whole kernels per pound or per ounce. Almonds aresold the same way. Walnuts the same way--that is, Persian or Englishwalnuts. The number of kernels or pieces per pound is an importantmatter, notwithstanding the situation as it exists in the black walnutstoday. So I do think that we can't take the present status of theindustry as one which will prevail generally and in the future. Mr. Weber: Would the majority report favor the side of the home consumerrather than the commercial buyer? Dr. MacDaniels: I think it depends on what Mr. Stoke would think aboutthe majority. We didn't get a chance to get together, because Mr. Stokewas so busy with exhibits. Mr. Weber: We might end by moving the adoption of the majority reportand let it get at that. Mr. Stoke: I know I brought up that matter of whether we should judge bystandards acceptable to the commercial buyer or to the ultimateconsumer. The confectioner doesn't care about the size or color at all. When they are put up in candy or in chocolate cookies, color doesn'tmean anything. It's a black walnut, and it doesn't have to depend onanything else. So I think those two points of view are pertinent. I never expressed any preference, and I don't know that I have any. Ithink it might be just as well to leave that up to this body. But theproducer, or those anticipating producing must be considered. Mr. Hirschi can give us the word on marketing kernels. Mr. Hirschi: I do not market kernels. I just crack the nuts and sellthem by the pound cracked. Dr. MacDaniels: Shell and all? Mr. Hirschi: Shells and all. I sold about a ton and a half each winterfor the last four or five winters. They are Thomas walnuts. I get 35cents a pound with the horse shoe nail in the package. Mr. Stoke: That man wants good color, good flavor, kernels easy to pickout, and of good size. That goes with the retail buyer. If thecommercial buyer gets 30 per cent kernels from good nuts compared with15 per cent from run-of-mine nuts, he doubtless will be willing to pay aconsiderable premium for the better nuts if he can get them. But unlessthe good nuts are in considerable quantity they go right in with theothers and no more will be paid for them. That's my point of view. Idon't want to express my particular opinion, because I have noparticular opinion. But you might consider both, the commercial nut, andthe home nut. I think we might vote and determine what action, to take tonight as tosetting up a standard, or if you want to set up a double standard. Mr. Weber: Mr. Mullins does get a better price for a larger kernel. Heseparates them and treats them differently than the general run of smallpieces. It's been my observation that the cracking machines do aremarkably good job with the ordinary run of seedling nuts. Kenneth Dickgets the kernels out in rather large pieces, and from what we saw up atMullins' place he gets the same thing. He sifts out the larger piecesand gets a better price for them. So the preference is for the largerpieces. It's like buying hamburger; you prefer your hamburger ground upout of larger pieces rather than odds and ends that the butcher hasaround the shop and grinds it up and hands it to you. Mr. Stoke: But isn't it true that he sells the kernels in two separateclasses? Mr. Weber: But the preference still seems to be, after we see them, forthe larger pieces. They have better kernels; otherwise, they would breakup in small pieces. Mr. Korn: I believe that as long as there are very few commercialorchards, we should approach it from the angle of the people who havejust a few pet nut trees around their yards, because I don't think thecommercial orchards of the improved grafted black walnuts are going tobe large enough to color the picture very much for a few years to come. As long as they haven't been too profitable, I think it is going to besome time before we have to worry much about commercial orchards. Therefore, we are interested in getting a superior product in kernel; ithas to be large, has to be of good color and good flavor. It seems to methat would be one of the first things to consider. Then, if orchards getmore plentiful and profitable, we can take up the other angle. Mr. Chase: Mr. Chairman, I'd like to make a few remarks on this businessof commercial cracking and large pieces that I hear mentioned by my goodfriend, Mr. Weber. I had hoped to have the two largest shellers in thecountry present at these meetings, but was unable to get them here. Inthis area the commercial walnut cracking industry is related directly tothe type of machinery necessary to recover the kernels. For example, thetwo or three cracking plants in Nashville handle an estimated tenmillion pounds of nuts each year and turn out roughly 1. 2 million poundsof kernels. These kernels go directly to confectionary syrup and icecream plants. Therefore, they are not interested in size of pieces. Infact, if they are too large, the commercial users have to chop them up. So what we are doing here, ladies and gentlemen, is confusing what wewant to do in the way of judging nuts, it appears to me. There is littlereason to assume that the Thomas, if they could get 10 million pounds ofThomas, would be more valuable to the commercial crackers. But thatdoesn't necessarily interfere with our judging system that we are tryingto design to tell which nut is the best to grow. I specifically asked these buyers of millions of pounds of nuts: "If Icame in with some Thomas nuts would I get some more money for them?"Their reply was, "No, sir. We pay a flat rate per hundred pounds ofnuts. We know that some of them are going to be excellent; we know someof them are going to be poor, but we intend to get from 12 to 15 percent kernel recovery out of them. " In 1940 we brought quantities of improved varieties to the crackingplant in Knoxville and ran them through Mr. Smalley's machine. He wasamazed. He didn't believe it; didn't believe his eyes. They came out inlarge pieces. But under present conditions they'd be chopped up. None ofthese kernels moving out of Nashville vicinity go to retail trade, except a few that go to confectionary stores in 25-pound boxes and aresold a pound at a time for cooking purposes, not for eating out of thehand. People like Mr. Korn and Mr. Hirschi, who are interested in sellingkernels at a much higher price than the commercial crackers, have tohave large pieces, attractive kernels, properly cared for, properlycolored, and of mild flavor. Is it this group we are trying to assist bythis judging system or the commercial cracker? The number of acres planted with Thomas sufficient to yield enough nutsto operate one of these machines would be tremendous. There are severalexamples of where the machine has been purchased to be used on Thomasbut hasn't been used. It has been stored away. They prefer to crack theThomas nuts by hand. So my point is this: It appears to me that we are interested in thegrower of several trees around the farmstead. At least, in this sectionwe are. Everyone here gathers and cracks walnuts. Our idea ofacquainting them with the Thomas variety is to make their job easier incracking and picking them out. It seems to me that's also the problemthat we have as a group elsewhere, and I believe that in order for us tomake headway on this judging schedule, which I think is necessary anddesirable, we must view it from the home viewpoint at this time. Thatdoes not shut out the commercial viewpoint for later years. But now weare primarily interested in the home raising of nuts, unless I am in thewrong group. Thank you. Mr. Weber: Mr. Chairman, I agree heartily with what Mr. Chase has tosay, or otherwise we might as well quit now and raise seedling nuts tothe best of our ability and sell them to the commercial crackers and letit go at that. But, if we do that, what's the use of searching outbetter varieties? Dr. Cross: Mr. Chairman: I believe that if a nut acceptable to the homeconsumer, one which extracts easily and is attractive and palatable andis productive--if that type of nut is scored and comes to the attentionof a sufficient number of growers, then I think the commercial people_will_ utilize it. So I don't believe there is anything to thisargument. I believe if you go ahead on the basis of the home consumerand develop a nut that will be desirable for his purpose, and if inaddition to these factors that have been discussed it is adaptable andproductive, then it is going to be eventually the nut that thecommercial man will utilize, because, after all, what we are growingnuts for is the kernel. Mr. Weber: To bring it to a head, I move that we adopt that part of thereport that favors the home consumer as against the commercial consumer, or we will be here all night talking about it. Dr. Rohrbacher: I second the motion. Dr. MacDaniels: You have heard the motion, which was seconded. Anyremarks? (Vote taken on the motion, carried unanimously. ) Dr. MacDaniels: That will be the basis on which the committee will work. There are several other points to be considered. I would suggest thecommittee be asked to make further tests with the schedule as proposedin order to get additional data to determine if it is a usable scheduleand can be used by different people with reasonably similar results, andif it does differentiate the things that we want to have a scheduledifferentiate in a test. This last year we had hoped to do this, but there weren't enough samplesof nuts available to be worth testing. I spent about $10 personallybuying nuts from this source and that, and there wasn't a good sample inthe lot, except one, which Sterling Smith gave me. I think that if we have another season to work the schedule that hasbeen proposed, we at least can demonstrate whether or not it isdifferentiating between varieties in a manner which is satisfactory. I believe a motion is in order to bring this matter to a decision andend this discussion. Have you any further comment, Mr. Chase? Mr. Chase: If it is not out of order, I move that we adopt for furthertrial, the scoring schedule proposed in the paper by Dr. Atwood and Dr. MacDaniels in the 1947 Report of the Northern Nut Growers Association. President Davidson: I second the motion. Mr. Stoke: May I make one remark? Does not that schedule ignore thefactors of color and taste? Dr. MacDaniels: It does, as not being objective characters. Mr. Stoke: In other words, this motion approves something from thecommercial slant rather than from the personal use slant. Dr. MacDaniels: I wouldn't say that; it simply limits the judgingschedule to those characteristics which can be objectively handled andare not a matter of opinion or judgment. That's the point here, I think. Mr. Chase: Mr. Stoke and I don't quite agree--I don't think we are theonly two--on flavor and color. However, in our exchange ofcorrespondence we fully appreciate the advantage of light-colored, mild-flavored kernels. But I don't see any method by which we can placea numerical value on the color and flavor. Can we not describe the colorand flavor along with the rating that describes the kernel and stillhave you on our side? Mr. Stoke: Personally, I think we are splitting hairs. When we can'tagree as to which color class a sample belongs, it must be somewherenear the border-line. Ordinarily the average human being will agreepretty well as to a blonde or a brunette or one that's neutral. And Ithink in the judging of walnuts, there can be no exact value based onthe color. If you consider color and make a scientific test, your testwouldn't be the same as my test. But if it is a dark kernel, you canrecognize it, and so can I, if we have any common sense. Also in the matter of flavor, you and I can tell what we like and whatwe don't like. And I think there are those two limitations. We can't dothis scientifically, because the human factor is here. But after all, it's humans that eat them and produce them for eating! And I rather, inthe schedules last year, brought up objections to it. I didn't say Iobjected, and, of course, I don't now. Mr. Chase: I'd like to just say this, and I am going to call on my goodfriend, J. C. McDaniel here, for agreement. A long time ago we prepared, did we not, various judging systems? Mr. McDaniel: Yes. Mr. Chase: We found that--you can correct me if this is wrong--bymanipulating five points for flavor and five points given for color wecould change the position of a variety of a list a great deal, and wealso found that the points given for color were not related toinherently bad color but simply the result of poor handling, which alsoaffects flavor. This is my reason for eliminating color and flavor fromthe schedule: it is _not_ to get away from the mild-flavored, pretty-colored kernels. President Davidson: Mr. Chairman, I must say that I am inclined to agreewith Mr. Stoke, for this reason: Even though color and flavor are veryfrequently the result of poor handling, we all know that we will saythat the Stabler has the characteristic that is distinctive of quicklycoloring up and quickly becoming rancid as distinguished from theThomas, which does not. Now, those things are inherent in the twovarieties, I think, and I don't think this committee should ignorealtogether the matter of color and flavor, although I do think, perhaps, not so much weight might be given to those two qualities as had beengiven to them in the past. But they certainly decidedly influence themarketability for kernels from the point of view of home consumption. Ithink there is no question about that. I should be inclined to agreewith Mr. Stoke, that those two qualities should not be ignored by thecommittee. Dr. MacDaniels: I think the point would be to ignore them in theirsimply not being objective; you can't weigh or measure them. There is amotion properly seconded before the house. Are there further remarks? Mr. Weber: Wouldn't there be just a certain amount of trial and errorconnected with it, and as you go along you will either add to or takeoff, and then you will get a correct system of judging? You have tostart out with one system and if it is wrong, change it. Dr. MacDaniels: I think it's a matter of doing something rather thannothing, for a schedule is always subject to improvement. Mr. Stoke: I wish to point out we have made some tests together, andyour personal tests and my personal tests ran very close together. Dr. MacDaniels: That is right. Mr. Stoke: And one member of the committee is always very conservativeand his tests never run as high on any series as the others. I make atest and he makes a test, and his are always lower. Maybe, he doesn'trecover as much; perhaps he isn't as expert a cracker. (Vote taken onthe motion; carried. ) President Davidson: Let us adjourn until 8:30 tomorrow morning. * * * * * +A Picture from Our Most "Northern" Member+ John Davidson wrote in our 1943 report: "If any man deserves a brightNNGA medal, it is A. L. Young, of Brooks, Alberta. " By planting histrees near enough to irrigation ditches in his "desert, cactus country, "and protecting them from livestock, Mr. Young is able to get nuts on thehardier trees, but he reported that the nuts, "while of fair size, donot have fleshy kernels . .. Butternuts are very sweet with fair sizekernels . .. Giant hickory from Ontario seems hardy but particular aboutthe kind of soil . .. Carpathian walnuts killed back quite a lot, so didmost of my hybrid walnuts . .. Some Manchurian walnuts . .. Got a setbackwith spring frosts . .. Heartnuts got a rough deal last winter[1942-43. ]" Mr. Young wrote to Dr. J. Russell Smith in 1948: "I havebeen using pollen of Broadview and Carpathian [Persian walnuts] on myblacks and while there are a lot of hybrid seedlings, none have fruitedyet. On Peace River hazel [far Northern] I have been using Barcelona, DuChilly and Gellatly pollen. Some of these hybrids look good, hardy, andproduce good nuts . .. A few varieties of oak are promising andfruiting. " At his location, Mr. Young expects winter temperature of -45°, and thelowest known [before 1940] was -62°F. Summer temperatures go above100°F. [Illustration: Fruiting black walnut grown at Brooks, Alberta, Canada, by member A. L. Young. The seed came from Ontario. ] +Tuesday Morning Session+ President Davidson: The only way to get started is to start. We aregoing to be given a look at the honeylocust situation in the South byProfessor Moore of the Department of Horticulture of the AlabamaPolytechnic Institute of Auburn. Mr. Moore. The Present Outlook for Honeylocust in the South J. C. MOORE, Department of Horticulture, Alabama Polytechnic Institute, Auburn, Alabama Mr. Moore: Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen: Before I start thisdiscussion, just in case some of you are not familiar with honeylocust, its habit of growth, the size of the pods and the possibility of itsyield, I'd like to take time out just to show a few slides, then I willgo ahead with the discussion and give you some data on that honeylocustproduction. I believe if you would look at these slides before we startthe discussion it would give you a good idea what the tree looks like, how it grows, the age at which it starts bearing and something about itsgeneral habits; it will help you a lot to understand what I have to sayabout it. (Slides shown. ) This is the Millwood honeylocust. The pods will vary in size from about12 inches to 14 inches in length, from one and a half to one andthree-quarters inches in width, and the back part of the pod, somethingthat I can't show on this particular type of picture, is very thick, andthis back part of the pod, the thick part of it, is very rich incarbohydrates. We have the Calhoun and Millwood selections that have runas high, the Millwood a little over 36 per cent sugar and the Calhoun alittle over 38 per cent sugar. The Millwood is a much higher yieldingtree than the Calhoun. I will bring that out in a few minutes' time. This is a borrowed slide and I don't know the history of these trees, but I judge that the tree is about three years old. We have had goodyields on three-year-old trees at Auburn. Here is a group of trees growing with a ground cover, and again I am notfamiliar with the ground cover, but just judging from the generalappearance it looks like a picture that came from our files. If that istrue then I know the story. The tree in the background is a Calhoun treeand the tree in the foreground is a Millwood growing in _Lespedezasericea_ and I will bring out some points in a few minutes in thegeneral discussion on the value of these two plants growing together asa combination. I believe this is another tree that grew on my farm, and the year thispicture was made this particular tree, eight years of age, bore 250pounds of those luscious pods. A close-up again, giving you the general size of the pod, how they areproduced in masses, and you get quite a bit of weight in some of thosethick-backed pods that you don't get from the thin pods that grownormally on seedling trees. The TVA has done quite a bit of work inselecting and developing the honeylocust, and I believe we give thatparticular organization credit for the development of both the Millwoodand the Calhoun. I thought it would be very valuable to give you just a glimpse of thehabit of growth of those trees before I start with my general discussionso that you would understand something about what I am talking about. Mr. Weber: Are these thornless? Mr. Moore: These are thornless honeylocusts. The original parent treesof the Millwood and Calhoun had thorns. By vegetative propagation--theywent out and cut scionwood on the limbs above the thorns and propagatedthe thornless twigs on thornless root stock--we now have a thornlesshoneylocust. There has been quite a bit of disturbance in Alabama, especially in thenorthern part of the state, caused by native honeylocust. We have two orthree characteristics that I think ought to be brought out abouthoneylocust. Some of out trees in the northern part of the state ofAlabama have triple thorns. It is known as _G. Triacanthos_ and the"tri-" part of that particular word, of course, gives us an idea ofthree thorns, and I have seen thorns at least 12 inches long that youcould catch in your hand and use for a dagger, and it would be verydangerous. Now, some of those trees growing in the northern part of thestate are very serious pests in pastures. Cows and horses and hogs arevery fond of those lucious pods, and they will go around the trees andpick up every pod that falls, and occasionally a horse or cow will getclose enough to the trunk of the tree and get speared with those thorns, and when the thorn pierces the skin there is a little tip on the endthat breaks off and is left inside. When the usual infection that itcarries get started from the part of the thorn that is left in theflesh, you get pus and, of course, later on the amputation of the leg, if it happens to be in the leg, of the horse. With the thornless typethat is completely eliminated. Then this other thing that I think ought to be brought out, thethornless or near-thornless type as a general rule has a better qualityof pods than the ones with the long thorns. Now, it is true that theparent seedling trees of the Calhoun and the Millwood both had a smallquantity of thorns when they were growing wild. After they werepropagated vegetatively the thorns, of course, were eliminated by takingscion wood from above the thorns. But in general in our state, thethornless trees--and we do have a lot of thornless trees growingwild--have a higher sugar content in the pods than do the trees withthorns. I just wanted to give you a general idea of what we have done withhoneylocust in Alabama. In 1938 the TVA sent down some Millwood andCalhoun for test planting. We put those trees in two different types ofplanting. We had an integrated planting where we were trying to selectat that time some good pasture plants, and, of course, we had somethinglike a hundred different species in the one planting. The trees wereplanted relatively thick, but the larger trees were planted longerdistances apart, and the intermediate trees intermediate distancesapart, and then we had shrubs coming in under those. It was supposed tohave been a three-story type of planting, black walnut in the upperstory, honeylocust as an intermediate and shrubs for the ground. We wereusing different types of plums for the understory; then on the ground wehad _Lespedeza sericea_. But from that we did get several differentplant materials that did look promising, and we put the Calhounhoneylocust and the Millwood honeylocust in with that planting fortrial, and they did so well that we expanded the honeylocust intoanother planting. I am very sorry that this latter planting had to betaken out. Hillculture research went under in June of 1947, and the HorticultureDepartment took this work over, and they thought they could not supportthe honeylocust pasture program in Horticulture, and the plot, ofcourse, was pulled out and planted in peaches. Anyway, we do have some information I'd like to give you. The DairyDepartment of the Alabama Experiment Station carried out quite anextensive feeding test over a two-year period to find out the value ofthese pods in the dairy ration. They substituted the honeylocust podsground. Professor Eaton of the Dairy Department assures me that none ofthe seeds in those pods were cracked. They ground the pods with corn inorder to take up some of the excess honey that is in the back of thesepods so that they'd grind well, and they ground them in a hammermill, and the burrs were running far enough apart so that he assures me thatvery few of the seeds, if any, were ever cracked. That has been somewhat of a discussion, among feed producers especially, recently, as to whether or not it would be profitable to grind thoseseeds in order to get the protein and fats that the seed has. Thereisn't a very high percentage of food in the seed itself, but you do geta little more protein and a little more fat if you grind the seeditself. We have found in storage that weevils get in these seeds, but the weevildoesn't destroy the carbohydrates, and the weevil will only pierce theseed and make a hole in it. Then the intestinal juices of a cow will goin through this hole and they can digest the seed. That is somethingthat comes along with storage. I'd like to give you just something briefly on what the Dairy Departmentof Alabama Polytechnic found out about the general value of these pods. They found that honeylocust pods could be substituted in a dairy rationfor oats, pound for pound. Now, that means that if you can get a highyield of honeylocust pods and substitute it in a dairy ration for oatsthat you just about have half of the grain problem solved. I'd like then to follow that up to give you the average yields. Before Igive you these average yields I'd also like to bring out this fact aboutthe Calhoun and the Millwood honeylocust. Those trees are very peculiarin their habits of bearing. One year they will bear a heavy crop. Thenext year they will bear scarcely anything. They are definitelyalternate bearing, and I think that alternate bearing has aphysiological background behind it. How We can eliminate thatphysiological reaction is something else. But the years that the treesare heavily loaded with the fruit the amount of carbohydrates that itdraws from the tree is so great that the tree doesn't have enoughcarbohydrates left to produce fruit the next year. I think it is thecarbon-nitrogen ratio from the physiological standpoint, and, of course, if that is the case, then there is a possibility that you couldeliminate or correct that carbon-nitrogen ratio by thinning during theblooming period. But when you see these results I think that you willagree that honeylocust has a place, even if they do bear only everyother year. In our planting we have some trees that will bear this year. Next yearthey won't bear, but their sister trees will bear. So we have pods everyyear from some of the trees. Over a period of five years, during whichthese trees were planted (the oldest trees that we have in 1938, and in1942) the average production of the Millwood was 58. 3 pounds per tree. In 1943 there were no pods produced on the Millwood variety. We had acold spell in the spring that completely eradicated all of the fruit inthat year. In 1944 the average yield--and that is taking the averageyield of 10 trees of the oldest ones that were put in--the average yieldwas 146 pounds of pods per tree. Mr. McDaniel: That's for both varieties? Mr. Moore: That's just for Millwood. I will give you the Calhoun in aminute. Then in 1945 the average yield was 39. 5 pounds per tree. In 1946 we hadan average of 180 pounds per tree. In 1947 we had an average of 12pounds. Now, note the break there in averages from year to year: 58, none, 146, 39, 180, 12. You get from that that we have almost definitelyalternate bearing in those trees. Now, this other thing is interesting. If you take the five-year averagefrom 1942 through 1946 inclusive, and convert that to 35 trees--this is10 trees--but when you convert that to an average of 35 trees per acreyou get the equivalent of 92 bushels of oats per acre. Now, understand, with this yield of pods we were cutting two and a half tons of hay fromthe _Lespedeza sericea_ each year. So we were getting our hay crop andour grain crop from the same source. Now, to give you just briefly what the Calhoun variety did during thoseyears, in 1942 the Calhoun trees--the same age planted under the sameconditions on the same soil--averaged 26. 4 pounds of pods per tree. In1943 the Calhoun followed closely with the Millwood; on account of afreeze they didn't produce anything. In 1944 they produced 32. 4 poundsof pods per tree. In 1945 they produced 63. 8 pounds of pods per tree. In1946 they produced 22 pounds of pods per tree, and in 1947 they produced46 pounds of pods per tree. Now, if you will take the average of those, contrast it with the averagefor the Millwood, you will find that the Millwood tree over a period offive years produced almost three times as many pods as the Calhoun. TheCalhoun variety has a little more carbohydrates, and it always averagesa little more sugar per pound than the Millwood, but the additionalyield of the Millwood variety makes it very worthwhile. I have done quite a bit of work on the blooming habits or the fruitinghabits of the honeylocust over a number of years, and I find that thereis quite a variation there in the individual trees. Some trees aretypically males. They never bear anything, but they have staminatecatkins. Others are typically females, never bearing anything but thepistillate flowers. Then we have an integration there of perfect trees. I know of one tree in Blount County, Alabama that for nine years nevermissed a crop. It had perfect flowers, or rather, both pistillate andstaminate flowers on the same tree. However, the flowers were borne onseparate catkins, the pistillate flowers, catkins, coming out on thesame node with the male and producing the pod. So you do have a largevariation in the fruiting habits, and we have found those variations onMillwood selections and on Calhoun selections, even though they werevegetatively propagated. The reason why we can take a bud off a female Millwood and put it onto aroot stock and get a male tree I can't figure out, but they seem to actthat way in that respect. I have had a Millwood tree that never boreanything but male flowers. [18] That is something for someone else tofigure out. I can't explain it. Just briefly I'd like to give you the observational work that we havedone with honeylocust. For mules in a feeding test we fed a team ofmules for 30 days nothing but honeylocust and hay, and these mules werein fine shape when they came out at the end of the feeding test. You saythat's an awfully short feeding test. It is, but we had very few pods. Then for cows I have gone into it more extensively. I have a cow myself, and I have fed that cow honeylocust pods and that was all the grain shehad through the winter months, and got excellent milk production. Youget excellent milk flavor from these pods and an increase in milkproduction. A very interesting thing happened. I went out in the community to gatherpods from the wild trees for a feeding test, and there was a lady whoowned a farm pretty close to our project. I went over and talked withher about getting the pods from her trees to feed to my cows for feedingtests, and it was O. K. But when I left she got to thinking the thingover, and she decided that if honeylocust pods were good for my cow theywould be good for her cow! So I went back in a few days' time--the podsweren't mature when I went the first time. I went back in a few days andI didn't ask the lady if I could get the pods, I just stopped on theside of the road and we put a darky up in the tree to shake the podsoff. And we saw a little darky coming across the field, just a streak. He said, "Missus says come over to the house. " I went over there, andshe was just a little bit embarrassed, but she said, "Mr. Moore, I havedecided if honeylocust was good for the goose it was good for thegander, so I have been feeding honeylocust to my cows. " And she went onwith that story and said that she had been selling milk to a fraternityover in town, and the boys at the fraternity, after she had fed the cowshoneylocust for a week or two, asked her what had happened to her milk, and she told them--she said honestly she was afraid she was going tolose the trade, she thought something bad was wrong with it. She toldthem, that so far as she knew there wasn't anything. They said, "Haveyou done anything to it?" "No, we haven't. " They said, "Well, it's thebest milk we have ever had, and we can tell the difference in thetaste. " And then she told them what she had done. She wouldn't tell thembefore. Now, we have had story after story coming to us to corroborate that. Now, I have never seen with my cow any difference in milk flavor, eithergood or bad, but my wife can definitely tell, and she is very particularabout her butter, because she likes to sell that. I can quit feedinghoneylocust a few days, and my wife will say, "How come you quit feedinghoneylocust to the cow?" It is that definite. There are two things I want to mention: The value of a combination of aperennial ground cover with your honeylocust tree, and then I want tomention the fact that honeylocust _planted_ in a pasture will give nobenefit whatsoever. You are going to have to grow your honeylocust onthe outside, harvest the pods and feed them just like you would corn, oryou are going to have to plant your honeylocust on a barren hillsidesomeplace that doesn't grow anything else--and I think honeylocust willgrow with a little fertilizer on about the poorest soil you have, themost eroded soil you have, with a little care--then pasture it afteryour trees are large enough so that the cow won't eat the limbs. Thereis something about the tree itself that a cow loves. They will chew thebark and chew the limbs right down to the main trunk. We have tried planting those trees at four years of age, even, inpastures, and we just can't get them to survive. In fact, the cows andthe mules in our pasture ate the trees down to the stumps in thewintertime before they ever started putting out leaves in the spring. Soit has been a problem. (See Dr. Diller's pasture tree-guard paper inthis report. --Ed. ) This value that you can get from growing honeylocust and _Lespedezasericea_ on the same soil is the same as with honeylocust and alfalfa ifyou are in the alfalfa belt, or something like that with other perenniallegumes. These are the benefits that I think you can get from acombination: In the first place, the soil is completely protected. Inthe second place, a concentrate and hay can be grown on the sameacreage. Third, a good grazing and feeding out program can bemaintained. If you plant your honeylocust on a hillside someplace andlet the trees get large enough so that the cows won't eat them up, haveyour ground cover established, by the time that you are ready to pastureit you can put your cattle in. We had this combination, and I think itwould have worked out very well if it had not been destroyed. We had our_Lespedeza sericea_ for our summer grazing crop; then we had winterannuals planted in the _Lespedeza sericea_ for our winter grazing, andthe honeylocust was the fattening crop or finishing-off crop. What we had planned to do was turn the cattle in on this last plot aboutJanuary 1st, let them graze crimson clover, or bur clover, or any otherwinter ground cover that grows in your section until the _Lespedezasericea_ came on in the early summer. Then they'd graze the _Lespedezasericea_ till the honeylocust pods started falling in the fall, andthey'd fatten off on the honeylocust, and you'd put them on the marketjust before the Christmas holidays. Then fourth, the management cost is very low. Fifth, the weed problemsin your pasture are controlled. Sixth, you get maximum production fromthe soil. You get your grain and your hay from the same piece of land. Now, that's all that I plan to give on this subject. There may be somequestions come up that we can discuss later. A Member: What is the sugar content? Mr. Moore: The sugar content of the Calhoun pods is around 38 per cent, in the Millwood about 36 per cent. A Member: Is it different in the two varieties? Mr. Moore: Not very much, only about 2 per cent different. A Member: What spacing do you use in planting? Mr. Moore: 35 by 35 feet is about the correct spacing. Mr. Fisher: What is your labor problem? You say this is equal to oats. Can you run a combine over the field and harvest in one operation? Mr. Moore: This one you don't harvest at all. The cow picks them up offthe ground. A Member: If you had a few hundred trees, would these pods all come onat one time, or you mentioned having somebody shake them off. Can youpick them all up at one time? Mr. Moore: Yes, you can shake them all off at one time, rake them all upwith the rake, take a pitchfork rake, carry them to the barn and throwthem in storage in a dry place. You don't have to worry about weevils. A Member: Store them like hay? Mr. Moore: Hay or corn. I have some that have been stored for threeyears, and the weevil gets into the seed, but it doesn't seem to affectit. My cattle like three-year-old pods as well as the new ones--well, they like them better. Mr. Weber: Do the pods heat up? Mr. Moore: They won't heat up, if they aren't green. A Member: What about the protein content? Mr. Moore: I will give you the analysis for that, the complete analysisof ground honeylocust pods. That might be interesting. Moisture content, 12. 47. Ash, 3. 14. Crude protein, 8. 58. Now, the crude protein has run ashigh as 14 per cent. I want to bring that out. This was pods collectedin the wild, and this was a sample that the State Chemist ran for us onthat. Fats 2. 12. Fiber, 17. 73. Carbohydrates total 55. 96. President Davidson: I am afraid we will have to close this if we are toget on at all. That's the most authoritative information we have everhad, I think, in this Association about honeylocust. I am sure we havebeen enjoying it and have been benefited by it immensely. On the possibilities of filbert growing in Virginia, Dr. Overholser willnow give you a talk. [Footnote 18: According to botanical authorities, the honey locust ispolygamo-dioecious; that is, it generally has most of its male flowerson one tree and most of the female flowers on another tree, but thetrees are not 100 per cent pure in this sex division. In my personalobservations of flowers on grafted trees, including Millwood and Calhounand scores of seedlings, both "male" and "female, " I never found anypollen produced in flowers of the "female" trees, but nearly all "male"trees in the Tennessee Valley will have occasional catkins with one ormore perfect flowers near their terminal ends (the basal flowers beingstaminate on the same catkin. ) The functionally perfect flowers on such"male" trees have been observed to set from one to many pods in certainyears, but such pods are generally small as compared with those borne on"female" trees in the same locality, and I have never observed a heavypod crop on any "male" tree. Grafted trees of Millwood and Calhounselections in Tennessee were observed to set pistillate flowers, but nopods (or very few) matured on them unless there was a "male" tree inflower within insect-flight distance from them. (At Auburn, Alabama, there were wild honeylocusts, including "male" trees, within a half-mileof the Hillculture planting of grafted honeylocusts when I saw it in1943. ) I do not argue that no pollen is ever produced by Millwood or Calhounflowers some probably is (though its demonstration might require almostmicroscopic examination, in contrast with the easy finding of pods on"male" trees. ) But, in the practical culture of fruiting honeylocusts, and in our present scope of knowledge of their pollination requirements, our plantings should include a handful of seedling (thornless) trees orelse some grafted trees of a thornless "male" selection such as theSmith, in a ratio of about 1 Smith to 10, say, of Millwood. It is unfortunate that the presumed male mutants of the fruitingvarieties, reported above by Mr. Moore, were destroyed when theHillculture plots at Auburn were discontinued. Perhaps similar ones willshow up elsewhere, and they will be worth looking for. Meanwhile, theSmith variety (originally propagated through a mixup in scionwoodcollection), has been demonstrated to be a satisfactory pollinator forMillwood and Calhoun, and it, as grafted, is also a thornless tree. Perhaps any thornless male seedling honeylocust tree, if its floweringperiod coincides with that of the fruiting variety, might serve equallywell. --Note by J. C. McDaniel. ] Possibilities of Filbert Growing in Virginia E. L. OVERHOLSER, Head, Department of Horticulture, V. P. I. , Blacksburg, Virginia More than four-fifths of the United States filberts are grown in Oregonand nearly all the rest are produced in the State of Washington. Priorto 1933, total filbert production in these two states did not exceed 500tons, but production has since increased steadily and in 1945 itamounted to 5, 320 tons. The value of filbert production in the U. S. In1945 was about 3 million dollars. [1] As a wild hazel is native of Virginia and as filberts have beenprofitably grown, especially in Oregon and Washington the question isoften raised as to whether hazelnuts or filberts could not be growncommercially in Virginia. It has been suggested that if varieties nowavailable are not successfull in Virginia, perhaps new varieties may beoriginated by crossing, including inter-specific crosses. +American Species+ AMERICAN HAZEL. As mentioned, one species, _Corylus americana_ Walt. , isnative to much of Virginia. Its distribution is from the northeasternstates and Canada to Saskatchewan and the Dakotas and south to Floridaand the Gulf of Mexico. Its adaptation is much wider than that of thebeaked hazels (_C. Cornuta_ Marsh or _C. Roxtrata_ Ait. And the farwestern _C. Californica_) the two other Corylus species native to theUnited States and Canada. This native _americana_, species appears atleast to have value from the point of view of soil conservation, as foodfor wild life, and for breeding purposes. The American hazel is a large thicket-forming shrub, which sprouts veryfreely after cutting, and the foliage is generally dense. It is foundgrowing on dry, well-drained sites, in both sun and shade. It, however, seldom bears fruit in the shade. The shrub is relatively hardy, withstanding mid-winter temperatures of -40° to -30°F. And is easilytransplanted. The nuts are available in the wild from July through September andoccasionally persistent on the plant until December or even February. The nuts average about 250 per pound, with a germination of about 80percent, producing about 60 usable plants per pound of seed. Three of the best known varieties of _C. Americana_ are the Rush fromPennsylvania, the Littlepage from Indiana, and the Winkler (most hardy)from Iowa. [See footnote following. --Ed. ][19] Incidentally, Thomas Jefferson in his list of plants native to Virginia, as published in his _Notes on the State of Virginia_, which was writtenin 1781, and published in 1782, in 1784-1785, and in 1787, lists amongother plants the "Hazelnut (_Corylus Avellana_)", which apparentlyshould have been called _Corylus americana_ Walters. _Breeding Filberts in the East. _ This brings up the question of filbertbreeding in the East. Crane and Wood (1937) have fully reviewed thebreeding program with filberts, and the breeding of filberts, for theEast may be briefly referred to here. Tho pollen from _C. Californica_and _C. Americana_ apparently does not function on the pistillateflowers of European varieties, (_Corylus avellana_ L. And _C. Maxima_). Since however, _C. Americana_ is useful as a pistillate parent, it ispossible that _C. Californica_ may be similarly used. The workers of the United States Bureau of Plant Industry are primarilytesting first-generation hybrids resulting from crosses with thepistillate parents Rush, [20] Littlepage, and Winkler of _C. Americana_and pollen from varieties of _C. Avellana_ native of Europe, northernAfrica, and western Asia, and of _C. Maxima_, the filbert ofsoutheastern Europe and western Asia. Other pollen parents were _C. Colurna_, (Turkish hazel, native of southeastern Europe and westernAsia) and _C. Heterophylla_ Fisch. , (various leaved hazel from easternAsia. ) Crane and Wood (1937) suggest that varieties of high merit should bedeveloped for home plantings over much of the region from lower NewEngland and Great Lakes on the north, and to the Potomac and ArkansasRivers on the south, and that much of Wisconsin, southern Minnesota, South Dakota, and Nebraska might also be included. Dr. Crane writes, by letter dated July 27, 1948, that he has as a resultof breeding work, which was started many years ago, two new varietiesthat have been placed in the hands of nurserymen for multiplication. These varieties are at the present time carried under the numbers of1667 and 2336, These are hybrids between the European filbert (_Corylusavellana_ L. ) and the native American hazelnut (_C. Americana. _) At thePlant Industry Station at Beltsville, Maryland, these two varieties havebeen outstanding in their yielding ability, hardiness, and quality ofnuts produced. Dr. Crane does not think, however, that these varietiesmay very materially change the situation as regards commercial filbertgrowing in the East and in the South. Because of the conditions prevailing during the last war, nurserymenhave not made as much progress, in propagating these new varieties ashad been originally hoped. Dr. Crane plans to release these varietiesfor extensive plantings just as soon as there are sufficient plants inthe hands of the nurserymen to warrant their being called to theattention of the general public. HILLCULTURE PROJECT. The Department of Horticulture of V. P. I, has whatis called a Hillculture project, with Professor R. C. Moore in charge. Among the materials planted in connection with these studies are filbertvarieties to determine their possible value on hill farms in themountainous regions of Southwest Virginia as a source of additional foodand supplemental income for such families. The Forestry Division of TVAhas co-operated in supplying not only propagated plants of filberts, butalso of walnuts and seedlings of chestnuts. Among the filberts now being grown are six German-named varieties fromthe Hillculture Division of the Soil Conservation Service, Glenn Dale, Maryland, planted as rooted cuttings in 1941. The German varieties, areas follows: (1) Barr's Spanische; (2) Neue Riesennuss; (3) Fruhe vonFruendorff; (4) Schliesserin; (5) Eckige Barelloner; and (6) Vollkugel. In addition five varieties, including two of the Jones numberedseedlings from crosses between the American hazel and the Europeanfilbert, purchased from the J. F. Jones Nursery[21] of Lancaster, Pa. , were planted in 1947. These are the following: (1) Jones 185; (2) Bixby(a Jones hybrid), (3) Cosford, (4) Italian Red; (5) Large Globe and (6)Medium Long. Seedlings of the American hazel have also been planted. Dr. Crane may beable to send the V. P. I. Department of Horticulture a few plants of hisseedlings 1667 and 2336 to include among the variety plantings. +Some Limitations of Filbert Growing in Virginia+ DISEASES. Possibly the present most serious limitation to commercialproduction of filberts in Virginia is the Filbert Blight or Black Knot(_Cryptosporella anomala. _ (PK) Sacc. ). While this fungus results inlittle damage to native species (_C. Americana_) it does spread rapidlyand with serious results to European varieties in the State. Possiblythe seriousness of the disease has been lessened by the eradication ofnative hazel plants on roadsides, fence rows, and in the wild nearby, which serve as hosts for the disease. It is present on the American hazel, but does little damage to theplant. The disease, however, as mentioned, is a serious menace to eitherEuropean varieties or to the present hybrids resulting from _C. Americana_ x _C. Avellana_. The control to date is to prune off and burnaffected parts. Mr. George Slate has mentioned that Mr. S. H. Graham ofIthaca, New York, has a number of hybrids between _C. Americana_ and _C. Avellana_ that have been subjected to severe attacks of Filbert Blightand a few of these have to date escaped, although the others have beendestroyed by blight. The bacterial blight present on the Pacific Coast apparently does notoccur in the East. INSECTS. A second limitation is the problem of the attacks of insects. Dodge and Rickett (1948) report that _Corylus_ may be affected by aleaf-damage from the feeding of leaf-hoppers (_Phepsins ishida_; _P. Tinctorius_), which may involve less than half the leaf or may extend tothe entire leaf. The first leaves to be infested are those next to theground, which are affected early in July. Most of the damage ceases bythe first week of August. Control is by spraying with nicotine sulphateand soap on the undersides of the leaves in late June or early July, repeating at the end of a week. Certain nut weevils (_Balaninus spp. _) attack the native hazels, butSlate (1930) reports they do not attack the European filbert (_C. Avellana_). Mr. Slate reports that in Geneva where nuts are carefullypicked up they do not have much of a problem with weevils. Dr. Crane reports that the Japanese beetle severely damages the filbert. While the Japanese beetle has not yet become widely established inVirginia, it undoubtedly will eventually become a problem throughoutthis state. The Japanese beetle can be destroyed by using four pounds of50% wettable DDT or two pounds of actual DDT per 100 gallons. Suchsprays should be applied as the Japanese beetles begin to cause injury, and usually two applications may be sufficient. Mr. G. F. Gravatt has reported that his filbert plantings, surrounded onthree sides by woods, are badly attacked by stink bugs that sting thenuts. DDT as suggested for Japanese beetles may also be used for stinkbugs. Another serious insect pest on hazelnut is the curculio. Cleancultivation has been reported as a supplementary measure for curculiocontrol, as they depend, upon unbroken soil in the fall for theirmetamorphosis. Some hybrids are reported as being relatively immune tothe attacks of curculio (Weschcke, 1946). Benezene hexachloride hasshown promise with other plants in curculio control and may havepossibilities on the filbert. LACK OF HARDINESS. A third limitation has been lack of hardiness in thecase of European varieties. With the European varieties the staminate orthe pistillate flowers or both are likely to be killed by wintertemperatures. In fact, occasional unduly low winter temperatures maykill the tree tops or even the tree trunks to the ground. The Winklervariety (_C. Americana_) has been reported as more hardy in New YorkState than the Barcelona (_C. Avellana_) or the Jones hybrids (_C. Americana_ x. _C. Avellana_) (Ross Pier Wright, 1944). Under western New York conditions, Slate (1930) reported that theblooming period starts about March 20 to 25 at Geneva, and lasts about amonth. In central Virginia this may well be several weeks earlier. Slate(1930) also reports that the flowers in bloom will withstandconsiderable frost, and that even with temperatures of 16°F. During theblooming season, neither female nor male flowers, may be injured. Nevertheless, with filberts coming into bloom in late February to earlyMarch, they would be subjected to temperatures that might result ininjury especially to the catkins. Some of the more hardy varieties as reported by Slate (1930) include thefollowing: (a) White Lambert (not of value) (_C. Maxima_); (b) RedLambert (_C. Maxima_); (c) Cosford; (d) Purple Aveline (_C. Avellana_);and (e) Early Globe (of little value). Some of the varieties upon which both the staminate and pistillateflowers tend to bloom relatively late are (a) Althaldensleber, (b)Kentish Cob, (c) Red Aveline, (d) Purple Aveline, and (e) Bolwiller. Late blooming, however, does not necessarily insure escaping injury fromlow spring temperatures. The Cosford, Italian Red, and Medium Long areconsidered by Slate as good for New York. The Bixby and Buchanan are theresult of crossing _C. Americana_ x _C. Avellana_, and appear to be ofpromise for home plantings in the East. Mr. H. F. Stoke is growing theItalian Red and Du Chilly (Kentish Cob) with Daviana for pollinationpurposes in the Roanoke area. CROSS-POLLINATION. A fourth limitation is the fact that varieties arenearly entirely if not fully dependent upon cross-pollinization by otherinter-fertile varieties that bloom at about the same time in order toinsure a set of nuts. This limitation may be overcome by the properplanning of hardy varieties are inter-fertile. Colby (1944) has reportedthat the Winkler variety is self-fertile. SUCKERS. A sixth limitation is the tendency of the _C. Avellana_ or _C. Maxima_ to sprout about the base and the labor and expense of keepingthese sprouts pruned out. It is possible that this factor may beovercome by using Turkish hazel (_C. Colurna_ L. ) as an understock andgrafting or budding thereon the varieties that sprout when on their ownroots. The Turkish hazel does not sprout as badly as the two otherspecies. Note by Editor: An Oregon nursery, which formerly propagated Europeanfilberts on the Turkish understock, now has abandoned its use. Thegrafted filbert tops did not seem to survive and bear as consistently asthose on their own roots, after a period of several years in orchards. PLANTING IN VIRGINIA. In a letter dated May 17, 1948, addressed to R. C. Moore, Assistant Horticulturist, V. P. I. , H. J. Pettit, AssistantSecretary of the Planters Peanut Company, Suffolk, Virginia, reportedthat some years ago they planted several thousand trees of filberts, which they obtained from the states of New York and Oregon. From theirexperience it appears that late spring frosts destroyed the flowerparts, which developed early, with the result that the yields were toolow to be profitable. Hence, the filberts were removed and the landotherwise utilized. Mr. H. F. Stoke, however, in the Roanoke area hasnot found lack of hardiness as serious as the problems of diseases andinsects of filberts. An important nursery in Maryland has provided information to the effectthat during this past 1947-48 season it sold for planting in Virginia atotal of 34 filbert plants in lots of from one to ten. Its 1947-48catalogue lists varieties of filberts for sale as follows: Barcelona, Daviana, Du Chilly, and American hazel. Dr. H. L. Crane, Principal Horticulturist of the USDA, writes in aletter dated July 27, 1948, that he knows of no substantial plantingsbeing made anywhere in Virginia. He has observed a few bushes or treesscattered about the homesteads, particularly in the northern or moremountainous part of the state. In most cases the performance of thesefilberts has not been entirely satisfactory because of leaf scorchduring the summer, due apparently to high temperatures or unfavorablemoisture conditions or to the winter killing of the catkins, or in somecases winter injury of the shoots. The largest plantings in Virginiathat have yet come to the attention of the V. P. I. Department ofHorticulture are those of Mr. Stoke in the Roanoke area. Dr. Crane has observed the planting of a few bushes of the Americanhazelnut in Virginia. Their performance has been somewhat better thanhas been that of the European filbert, especially as to hardiness, andthese American hazelnuts have borne more satisfactory crops of nuts thanhave the European filberts. The nuts produced by the native varieties, however, are small in size, thick shelled, and the kernels are small andlack quality. Observations by Dr. Crane, which have been made in theState of Virginia, lead him to believe that with the material that is atpresent available from nurserymen, there is not much hope of successfulcommercial filbert culture in the State of Virginia. When, however, seedlings 1667 and 2336 may become available, two varieties that arehardy and productive of fairly high quality nuts may provide materialfor home plantings or for local markets. _Ornamental Value. _ The filbert, however, also has possible value forornamental plantings with its attractive foliage, or as a hedge, as wellas for nut production, providing the home owner will control insects anddiseases and maintain favorable growing conditions for our best knownvarieties. _Future Outlook in Virginia. _ With a further breeding program to combinethe hardiness of the American hazel and its tolerance to Filbert Blightwith some of the better qualities of the European and other species toobtain self-fertile varieties better adapted to Virginia conditions andwith the better insecticides and fungicides now becoming available forinsect and disease control, it may be that filbert growing in Virginiahas a brighter future outlook than now appears to be true. [Footnote 19: Tree Nuts, Acreage, Production, Farm Disposition, Value, and Utilization of Sales, 1909-45. USDA Bureau of Agr. Eco. Crop Rept. Brd. : 1-25 Oct. 1947. ] [Footnote 20: Rush, itself, is now considered a natural hybrid ofAmerican and European filberts. Many of the European varieties arederived from hybrids between +C. Avellana+, +C. Maxima+, and possibly otherEurasian species. --Ed. ] [Footnote 21: Now located at Erie, Ill. --Ed. ] * * * * * President Davidson: Thank you, Dr. Overholser. We have a paper from Mr. Elliott. Mr. Elliott is not here, but we are already behind our program, so I am afraid you are going to have to have that in printed form lateron. Filberts for Food and Looks in Kentucky N. R. ELLIOTT, Extension Landscape Specialist, Department of Horticulture, University of Kentucky Those of us interested in the landscape phase are always thinking of asmany different kinds of plants as possible that may be used to createpleasing effects. Perhaps we might be criticized for overlooking severalplants that would not only assist in creating pleasing effects but atthe same time produce edible fruits of good quality. In my ownexperience I have often recommended the use of grape vines on a trellisto create a screen and at the same time produce fruit. Also in borderplantings, like the shrub border, the gooseberries and currants makeattractive shrubs and in addition supply fruits. In making thesesuggestions for plantings one needs to depart somewhat from the usualrun of plants and in most instances the homeowner has never thought ofusing plants for effects as well as fruits. +Filberts Good Dual Purpose Plants+ Filberts are certainly outstanding dual purpose plants, and I feel thatthey have not been used nearly as much as they should be. If we think oflandscape from the broad point of view, we realize that screen or borderplantings make up one of the most important parts of the set-up, especially in rural parts. Practically every farm home has someunattractive view near by that needs to be screened out, eitherpartially or entirely. This view may be caused by a lot where farmanimals are kept, an old, unattractive barn, or even a gullied field. Lots where animals are kept and the barn are necessary parts of the farmoperations, and the gullied field may result from neglect, butregardless of the cause for the undesirable view it can and should bescreened from view from the home. In making a screen planting, two plans are possible--one, the shrubborder, and the other the hedge row, and filberts are excellent to usein either planting. Where space is at a premium, the hedge offers thebest form of screen. Filberts planted two and a half feet apart andpruned in such a way as to make them have a shrub appearance will makean ideal hedge and produce lots of nuts of good quality. This hedge canbe counted on to be effective up to twelve feet in height. In the shrub border filberts are allowed to produce many stems and togrow into small trees. This is done by pruning and by using groups oftwo or three plants in a place, planted some five or six feet apart. Different varieties may be used for different groups, thereby producinga variation of foliage. The filberts will take their places with thewell known small trees like the dogwood and the redbud, when used inthis way. Still another use for filberts in landscape work is to use them forsmall trees as lawn specimen plants. They have a size, shape, andfoliage that makes them attractive when used in this way. +Cross Pollination Necessary+ Our experience has been that there is need for cross pollination to getmaximum yields of fruit; therefore, we suggest that different varietiesbe used in a planting. Barcelona, DuChilly, and the Jones Hybrids seemto us well suited for this. Of course, there are others, but ourexperience with varieties is limited. When it comes to the soil for filberts, we find that a fairly rich soilthat has plenty of moisture is the best. Of course, the soil must drainwell because the roots of filberts seem to be very susceptible to poorlydrained soil conditions. If there is a lot of sand in the soil, give thefilberts more moisture and food because they are rapid growers. So far, we have not had many complaints about filberts suffering fromwinter injury. This may be due to the fact that so far Kentucky is notusing great quantities of these plants, or it may be due to the factthat the varieties used have been reasonably hardy. The little winterinjury seen so far has been in the terminal twig growth, and removal ofthese twigs in the spring has not meant altering the normal shape of theplant. I do not know whether there is any significance to it but the filbertsthat have been fed by using well rotted manure applied in the fall andspaded into the top four inches of soil next spring have made the bestgrowth and produced the most fruit. So far the filberts that we have had experience with have been free frominsects and diseases. One never knows how long that condition will last. Now, when it comes to discussing filberts as a food, all that I want tosay is that at Christmas time when you buy mixed nuts you usually get afew of the filberts in the mixture. These nuts are good eating, and whenthe plants are grown on the home grounds everyone who has them says theyare much enjoyed by all members of the family. Our experience has beenthat filberts yield annually and, if given reasonable care, in goodamounts. In conclusion we would like to say we feel there is not only a place forfilberts in landscape work, but there is an absolute need for greateruse of these plants especially in rural plantings. At present, theprofessional landscape artists are not inclined to recommend them asoften as they could, simply because they have not been trained to thinkof dual purpose plants. Greater publicity as to the value of theseplants would undoubtedly mean greater use of them. * * * * * President Davidson: We also have a paper from Mr. Reed, which is ofquite a good deal of importance historically on the work of Mr. Jones. Iwish you could have that. Probably you will have to read that, too. J. F. Jones, Introducer of Many Nut Varieties CLARENCE A. REED, Collaborator[22] The name of J. F. Jones was once one of the best known and most highlyrespected in eastern nut culture. It was from Mountain Grove, WrightCounty, Mo. , that he was first heard from in 1900, when he discoveredand introduced the Rockville hican, which he named after the nearesttown. It never proved of value, but that fact did not detract from theimportance of being first, a habit which remained with him till hisdeath. In 1902 he moved to Monticello, Jefferson County, Florida; fiveyears later he moved to Jeanerette, Iberia Parish, Louisiana; and in1912, he moved to Lancaster, Pennsylvania, where he died in January, 1928. [Illustration] In 1903, while at Monticello, he successfully graft-propagated the RushPersian (English) walnut and the Weiker hickory, an intermediate formbetween shagbark and shellbark. Both were from Lancaster County, and heused scions sent him by J. G. Rush, of West Willow, south of Lancaster. Mr. Rush is credited with introducing the walnut bearing his name, whilecredit went to Mr. Jones for the Weiker hickory. Some years later, ontwo occasions, Mr. Jones took a visitor to the Weiker parent tree whenthe branches were laden with nuts so that they hung down in a mannersuggestive of plums. For some reason, never explained, no other tree ofthe variety, so far as is known, ever bore as much as a quart of nuts, although the trees frequently flowered profusely. The variety was, however, markedly dichogamous. The parent tree, which stood in the yardof Mr. Christ LeFever of Lampeter, about two miles east of the Joneshome, was blown over in a heavy gale many years ago. Mr. Jones graft-propagated a considerable number of Hales shagbark whileat Monticello, with scions that came from the original tree nearRidgewood, New Jersey. However, this variety was first propagated byHenry Hales of Ridgewood, in 1879. He also had Kirtland from Yalesville, Connecticut, but like many others since that time, both it and Halesproved to be light bearers. Other hickories may have been propagated byMr. Jones while at Monticello but these are the only ones of which thereis record. The Kirtland was first propagated in 1897. [Footnote 22: U. S. D. A. Bureau of Plant Industry, Soils and AgriculturalEngineering, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Md. ] +First Carload of Grafted Pecan Trees+ When he went to Florida, there were few pecan trees of bearing age ineither that State or Georgia and none to speak of in the Carolinas. The"fast" trains went no more than 30 or 35 miles an hour, and a minimum ofthree days was required to see even an occasional planting or a singletree. Within the next few years, nurserymen everywhere propagated theirown varieties and listed them in their catalogs. Mr. Jones wasdiscriminating and propagated only varieties that then had the bestreputation, such as Schley and Stuart, and some others that have notstood the test of time. In one way, he was distinctively first; heshipped the first carload of pecan trees ever to go to one address. Thiswas in January of 1906, when 10, 000 trees were shipped to Professor H. E. Van Deman who was then establishing a 900-acre orchard near Ferriday, La. A picture of the car appeared in the American Nut Journal, publishedby W. N. Roper, Petersburg, Va. , Vol. III, No. 50, March 1906, (VanDeman had been the first Pomologist in the Department of Agriculture, 1886 to 1892). Mr. Ray Simpson of Vincennes, Ind. , went to Mr. Jones to learn how tograft pecan trees. He offered to work without pay if Mr. Jones wouldteach him the art. He had graduated at Cornell in 1905, and had beeninspired by John Craig, Professor of Horticulture there. Craig himselflater invested somewhat heavily in pecan orchards both near Monticelloand at Albany, Georgia. Mr. Simpson was taken on and proved as good apropagator as the best hand and received the same pay. While at Monticello Mr. Jones began to feel that the region might not bethe best place for pecans. Perhaps he had made a mistake. It was 300miles to middle western Alabama, where there were the nearest nativetrees. A disease was appearing among many of the trees planted in theEast, which was then poorly understood (rosette). Pecan wood for buddingand grafting was scarce and Mr. Jones would trust no one to cut it forhim. He went to the trees himself. One man who then had an abundance of wood and who could be relied uponwas B. M. Young of Morgan City, La. , and Mr. Jones went to him for woodseveral times. Once he became confused as to the trees from which he hadcut a couple of bundles, so both were thrown in the river and he wentback for more. Mr. Young was greatly impressed, so much so that heremembered the incident, as we shall see. +The Move to Louisiana+ Back in Florida Ray Simpson wished to buy and Mr. Jones wished to sell, so a deal was soon made. Mr. Jones went to Louisiana where the pecan isnative and there were many large trees, probably as many as could befound in any one place in the entire South. Mr. Young knew of a groupfrom St. Paul, Minnesota, who were about to buy and plant a thousandacres near Jeanerette and who were looking for an experienced man totake charge. Mr. Jones was recommended and was soon at work. For anotherfive years, he worked harder than almost any other white man in theState. Great odds were against him. Being from the North, he did notassociate exclusively with whites, and presently the southern whitepeople left him severely alone. That was not all; he could not raise asgood nursery trees as he had in Florida. The trees grew slowly in thecold, heavy soil of Louisiana, and the fibrous root system failed tomaterialize. The excellent reputation he and his trees had enjoyed inMonticello began to deteriorate. He worked harder than ever and waitedfor a break. When it came, he did not hesitate. +Jones Shifts to Pennsylvania+ The St. Paul crowd fell into a squabble and divided into two factions, each wishing control. A man went south to see if Mr. Jones would sellhis stock. Would he? He knew when to keep his mouth shut and he meeklymade a deal. He was probably never more glad over anything in his life. He came north, lock, stock, and barrel. But he was far from beingwithout a place to land. Since his Monticello days, he and Mr. Rush hadbeen good friends. Mr. Rush knew a farm of 20 acres with buildings, which could be had for $8, 000. It was four miles south of Lancaster, andat a point where two main highways leading into the city came together. It sloped eastward enough so that it did not get the full force of westwinds. It was two miles from Mr. Rush's home, with the town of WillowStreet between. Mr. Jones then began eight or 10 years of lean hard work. He modernizedbuildings, planted an orchard of nut varieties most of which werepurchased from W. C. Reed of Vincennes, Ind. , and W. N. Roper ofPetersburg, Va. From Roper he bought both seedling and grafted trees. Some of the "seedlings" had been budded and then not cut back to forcethe buds. The latter were still dormant and when the trees were properlycut back, the buds pushed forth. T. P. Littlepage, of Washington, andProf. W. N. Hutt, of Raleigh, N. C. , had a good laugh at Roper, but asthe trees bore no labels, they were no more valuable than seedlings andwere treated as such. All three men are now deceased. Thomas black walnut trees came from E. A. Riehl, Godfrey, Illinois. Thevariety had originated in eastern Pennsylvania and was first grafted in1881 by J. W. Thomas and Son, at King of Prussia, Pa. The parent treehad been destroyed some time before by the Pennsylvania Railroad, inextending its lines. The Thomas is today the most widely plantedvariety, although it has rarely borne well. Mr. Jones selected andgrafted the Ohio walnut, but the owner of the seed-parent tree was givencredit for its introduction, although she probably knows nothing of theincident, to this day. She was a Miss Clark, McCutcheonville, Ohio, andit was felt that it would help more to give her name as originator ifone were ever to locate the tree. [See Ohio black walnut original tree photos, NNGA Rept. , 1946. --Ed. ] The Stabler eastern black walnut, introduced in 1916 by Mr. T. P. Littlepage by means of a paragraph inserted in the _Country Gentleman_, was also propagated by Mr. Jones, but he early found it disappointing inits habits of bearing. He also found that about 80 percent of the nutsfrom the parent tree had single kernels, while with young trees 80percent had double kernels. Most planters have long since discontinuedusing this variety. However, Mrs. Jane Baum, Douglassville, Pa. , reportsthat her customers like the Stabler best. Others she has are Thomas, Ohio, and Ten Eyck. Other varieties were tested by Mr. Jones, but he pushed none of them, rightly thinking that 4 leaders were as many as a nursery could affordto carry. He insisted that a new variety would have to prove itssuperiority before he would insert it in his catalog. Among othervarieties was the Peanut from southern Ohio, the nut of which had singlelobes; but apparently there was some mistake along the line, as nutsfrom grafted trees were indifferent and had 2 half kernels. He also hadCreitz from Indiana, which Mr. H. F. Stoke, 1436 Watts Avenue, Roanoke, Va. , thinks well of at this time. It was a prize winner in the 1926contest of the NNGA. Neither Creitz nor Peanut was a Jones introduction. +His Work with Hickories+ Among the hickories, there was the Stanley from Indiana in 1916, whichwas quite a favorite with Mr. Jones for some time. But did any one eversee a shellbark that bore well and filled the nuts? Shellbark trees arebeautiful to look at, have enormous leaves, seven to nine leaflets, butthey leaf out early in spring and the flowers are frequently killed backby spring frosts. Part of its flowers are killed outright with too greatfrequency for it to be worth growing for the nuts. These are very large, the hulls split entirely to the base, and what kernel there is, is ofsugar-like sweetness. The shells are mostly thick and the kernels seldomwell-filled. The Glover shagbark hickory, from Connecticut, which was introduced byMr. Jones in 1918, is undoubtedly one of the best shagbarks yetpropagated. The nuts are of medium size and shell thickness. The flavoris very good. Most shagbarks have five leaflets; this one has sevenquite as often, and the leaf is about a foot long. There were other hybrids, or what are supposed to be hybrids. The Pleashickory, introduced in 1916, was perhaps first successfully grafted byMr. Jones, but credit for introduction went to the owner of the parenttree, Dr. E. Pleas, Collinsville, Oklahoma. It was a beautiful tree, shapely, with an air of considerable refinement, making it a gracefullawn tree. It bore fairly well, although not heavily. The nuts werethin-shelled and also had thin hulls that split entirely to the base. Sofar as most laymen are concerned, the Pleas may be but an edible, orsemi-edible bitternut. On the grounds of the Plant Industry Station, atBeltsville, Md. , there were once two trees of Pleas, but they were givento the Wild Life Service for planting 10 miles away, although there aremany native bitternut trees just over the line fence in neighboringwoods. We fancied that we could detect bitternut flavor in goodshagbarks about the plantings, due to xenia influence, as in the case ofchestnuts. Burlington was another hican first propagated by Mr. Jones, in 1915. Itcame from eastern Iowa, and for a time was confused with Marquardt, which never was propagated, or apparently not. Burlington makes a fineappearing tree and serves well for ornamental purposes. It bears fairlywell while young, but soon develops faulty nuts, few being well-filledand the majority weevil infested. It is also subject to shuck-worm andtwig girdler injury. Mr. Jones once wrote that he had given up with the hickories "indisgust. " So far as is known, he never used any stock for hickoriesother than pecan, which grew well, made good unions and generallyoutgrew the scions. John Hershey, however, says this is not a goodcombination, but there are too many trees of Jones' propagation aboutthe country, to accept Hershey's verdict altogether. Carl Weschcke[23], of St. Paul, uses bitternut largely or entirely; if it is a mistake, itwill be expensive. Hickories are slow to grow and one gets too few nutsat best. It takes a lifetime to get even small crops, and for our part, we want no bitternuts on the place. Too often shagbarks fail to unitewith bitternut and frequently they are short-lived. In 1916 Mr. Jones propagated and introduced the Beaver hickory, fromcentral Pennsylvania, a supposed bitternut-shagbark cross. It proved oflittle value and soon disappeared. The Fairbanks from northeast Iowa, asimilar cross, was introduced the same year. It was one of the prettiestof all hybrids and stood up about the longest, but it had too muchbitterness in the pellicle encasing the kernel and was much subject toweevil injury. +Efforts with Persian Walnuts+ Many varieties of Persian (English) walnut were propagated and broughtinto bearing. Mr. Jones included a majority of the varieties broughtinto the country from France by Felix Gillet, of Nevada City, Calif. , asearly as 1870. There were Franquette, Mayette, Meylan, Parisienne, and acutleaf variety which appears to have had no other name. A Californiavariety of which he thought well for a number of years was Eureka, awestern introduction of 1908. He propagated a number of easternvarieties such as Lancaster (Alpine) in 1913, although credit went toMr. Rush; Boston, from Massachusetts, also in 1913; Ontario, fromCanada, in 1914; and probably others. He obtained Chinese walnuts, fromP. Wang, Kinsan Arboretum, Shanghai, and sold seedlings at wholesale. These were an Asiatic form of _Juglans regia_. He limed the soil, andthought the effects were beneficial. In this he was warmly supported byT. P. Littlepage and more recently by growers in Northern Ohio; butlately liming has not been found beneficial in Italy. All in all, however, the Persian walnut was not particularly dependable, and duringthe last few years the nursery which he left discontinued sellingPersian walnut trees. In the East, the trees of older varieties usuallywere little more than interesting novelties. +He Tried the Chinese Chestnut+ The Chinese chestnut was tried for a few years; but as so often happenswith this species, nursery trees died badly in winter and Mr. Jonesthought it due to blight, a disease which was then sweeping his part ofthe country, taking its mortal toll of both American and Europeanspecies. However, blight does not seriously attack young trees and it ismore likely that death was caused by a combination of summer drouth andwinter cold; but no matter, the trees perished and the result was thesame. +First Heartnut Grafts+ Mr. Jones tried the butternut and there is still one tree in theexperimental planting east of the residence. It is Aiken, from NewEngland, and was first propagated by him in 1918. It proveddisappointing. He grafted the first heartnut ever grafted of any kindinsofar as is known, the Lancaster, in 1918. The only other heartnut forwhich he received full credit for first propagation was Faust, obtainedfrom a dentist, Dr. 0. D. Faust, Bamberg, S. C. , in 1918. Others that hewas doubtless first to propagate, but for which credit went to theowners of the parent trees, were Bates and Stranger in 1919, both fromR. Bates, Jackson, Aiken County, S. C. , and Ritchie, a Virginia varietyfound by John W. Ritchie of Flemington, N. J. , in 1918. However, heartnuts are seldom heavy bearers and the trees do not growlarge or live long. In Japan the wood is sometimes used for gunstocksbut only because better material is unavailable. Heartnuts havepractically no market where other kinds of nuts can be had and the treesare much subject to "bunch" disease. To an enormous extent the treeshave been sold to unsuspecting people of the South and East as "English"walnuts. [Footnote 23: See Weschcke's paper, elsewhere in this report. --Ed. ] +The Filbert+ Mr. Jones had a tree or two of the Turkish filbert, a species sometimesreaching a height of 60 feet and attaining a trunk diameter of threefeet or more. Bixby found the species hardy in central New Hampshire. Mr. Jones obtained his seed from three trees in Highland Park, Rochester, New York, which are believed to be the oldest in the country. In some years, the Rochester trees bear freely, while in others there isnot a nut. This is a valuable ornamental species, as it is green fromearly spring till the last thing in fall; specimens must be selected forsuch use, as often the trees are unshapely. Like all filberts, they aresubject to Japanese beetle attack and must be sprayed or otherwiseprotected in beetle infested zones. Filbert foliage may be destroyed bythese insects as many as three times in a summer and the trees die downto the ground. The nuts are too small to be of value; but the wood iswhite, very hard, and makes good turned articles. +His Greatest Contribution+ It was with the filbert that Mr. Jones made his greatest contribution tonut culture. In 1917 he tried crossing European varieties with pollen ofthe native Rush. There were no results, and he tried again in 1918 withno better luck. In 1919 he reversed the order of crossing and nearlyevery nut set. He had discovered that native pollen was not effective onEuropean stigmas, but that the reciprocal cross worked. By 1924 he had afine lot of fruiting plants. The great majority were of no value, buthis No. 200 apparently was well worth while. It was named Bixby in 1937, four years after another seedling, No. 91, had been named Buchanan. Theexplanation of this belated selection is that the soil about the Bixbytree had so eroded that the tree was starved for a time; but with acouple of years of heavy application of stable manure, it came back, somuch so that it is now considered the better of the two. Both are rathersmall as compared with the large filberts of the Pacific Northwest; butwhen fully mature, they are sweet and agreeable. After Mr. Jones was gone, the place was managed by his daughter, MissMildred Jones. She kept plants of her father's filbert varieties and thebest of the crosses. The latter are now called the Mildred filberts, aname applied in _Standardized Plant Names_ to the entire group ofcrosses between Rush American and any European filbert. Mr. Jones hopedto have these called after himself but there was an old variety of Jones"hazel" and so his own name could not be used. He once sent specimens toDr. C. S. Sargent of Arnold Arboretum and somehow gained the impressionthat the name Jones was given to the cross. Later, however, Sargent'ssuccessor, Mr. Alfred Rehder wrote that Sargent had not used the name ineither correspondence or on specimens placed in the herbarium. The example of Mr. Jones in breeding filberts has since been followed byothers, as the Department of Agriculture, the New York StateAgricultural Experiment Station at Geneva, and. Mr. Carl Weschcke of St. Paul, Minnesota. The last has copyrighted his crosses under thedesignation "hazilbert, " which is a good name; but with the issue of_Standardized Plant Names_ in 1942, the name "hazel" was dropped for allmembers of the family. For a time, an effort was made to distinguishbetween the two by calling small-fruited ones "hazels" and those withlarge fruits "filberts, " but there is not exact dividing line and so nowall are called filberts. Buchanan and Bixby are the only varieties of Mildred filberts thus farfully released by anyone and although neither variety is entirely hardyin the northernmost parts of the country, they do well as far south aseastern Tennessee. The nuts of both are too small to compete in themarket with the large filberts of Oregon and Washington, but that is notthe purpose for which they have been bred. It is for home planting, ause for which they are admirably adapted. Neither variety should bejudged until after they have cured fully, at least a month or more. Thenthe flavor is excellent. Of the various introductions made by Mr. Jones, the ones most likely toendure are the Ohio black walnut, the Glover shagbark hickory, and theMildred filberts. The first has already lasted 32 years; the second 30years; and the Mildred filberts are only nicely started. [24] [Footnote 24: Except for the last two paragraphs, this paper was readand approved by Miss Mildred Jones in Pavilion, N. Y. , on September 2, 1948. The following day, or September 3, she became Mrs. Wesley Langdoc, of P. O. Box 126, Erie, Illinois. ] +Mr. Reed Comments on Seedling Trees+ +Editor's Note:+ The next two paragraphs should be read in connection withthe "Round Table" on chestnut problems, elsewhere in this volume. In a broad sense, it must be remembered that every variety of seedlingtree, of any species and every hybrid form that has ever been planted, or grafted on another tree, has been worth something. This is still afree country and every man has the inalienable right to plant whateverhe pleases. Even the hybrids of various forms, hickory, walnut, andchestnut, are all worth something. All are trees and it is better toplant a poor kind of tree than not to plant anything, particularly if itis a nut tree. Whatever prompts a man to plant a tree is worth while. Hybrid chestnuts bred by crossing Chinese chestnuts of unknownperformance record as to habit of bearing, size or flavor of nut, shapeof tree, resistance to blight, or spring freezes, and othercharacteristics which combine to make good nuts, with the inferior andlargely inedible Japanese chestnuts, are unlikely to do the damage tothe industry that is sometimes predicted. They are now so mixed up thatfew will be planted by themselves, and there is considerable evidencethat the xenia influence of good Chinese chestnuts with which the treesare being planted will render nuts from these hybrid trees fit to marketand eat. [Illustration: MILDRED AND WESLEY LANGDOC] President Davidson: The value of nut trees in Tennessee, then, will bediscussed by Mr. F. S. Chance of the Tennessee Agricultural ExperimentStation in Knoxville. The Value of Nut Trees in Tennessee F. S. CHANCE, Vice-Director, Tennessee Agricultural Experiment Station, Knoxville, Tennessee. Mr. Chance: Mr. President, ladies and gentlemen: As a representative ofthe Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Tennessee Iwant to say it is a great honor to have this distinguished group meethere in Tennessee, especially on the banks of beautiful Norris Lake, which is one of the tributaries to the dammedest river in the country. We are something like 600 miles from the Gilbertsville Dam, or KentuckyDam near Paducah, Kentucky, and this area here is the beginning of achain of lakes that run just about that far. For those of you who are from a distance, you may know that in making achain of lakes out of this great Tennessee Valley that we covered uplots of good land. We have developed lots of good power. Now, I am notjust sure why I was put on this program, because, really I am not a nuttree specialist, as I see most of you people are. I will admit that Ihave been associating with experimentation for the last eight or tenyears and have become slightly nutty, but really my big interest istimber. I am still a blockhead. So in discussing and talking with youthis morning for a few minutes about the value of nut trees in TennesseeI want you to just keep in the back of your minds that the thing in thetimber world that I think is the prettiest when it comes to furniture isblack walnut. So in some plantings that we made several years ago with the help ofSpencer Chase at our various substations and at the parent station atKnoxville, when we began to prune those trees I wanted to go to pruningfor timber and he wanted to go to pruning for nuts. He won. So as wedeveloped these plantings we are sure that we are going to have somevery excellent nut trees. Tennessee ranging in altitude from something over a mile high down tosome 300 or 350 feet at Memphis on the Mississippi gives us a very, verywide range of climate. This wide range of climate gives us thepossibility of growing a very wide range of timber trees. A great partof that area is soil from a limestone formation. Nearly all parts ofTennessee are well adapted to the production of the black walnut. Thetree as a nut tree has not in the past been looked at with such greatinterest. However, there are farms in Tennessee that have been purchasedwith walnut kernels. Over the period of years, why, thrifty families, especially in Eastern Tennessee sections, have gathered up the walnutsin the neighborhood round about, cracked them and sold the kernels andfrom year to year made certain accumulations of that kind, funds, andsaved them with enough in the bank or in the sock to buy a farm. I knewone particular person who bought a nice farm in just that way. Now, a great many of the people in the same neighborhood did not savetheir walnuts. These walnuts were gathered from everybody's treeswithout any objection on the part of anyone. But it was a means of thosepeople getting ahead with their savings from their other farmingoperations, and this wintertime work that they could put in, why, thatkind of thrift is the kind that gets people ahead who want to get aheadand have vision. I might say a few words about pecans in Tennessee. We have throughoutthe state quite a few scattered native pecans that are used, especiallyin all except the more western sections of the state. As a whole theyare for home use. Now, in the extreme western section of the state wehave a certain amount of seedling pecans, mostly, that produce aconsiderable income to a limited number of people. In the 1945 censussomething over 4, 000 farms reported some income from pecans--this wasmostly in the western section of the state--the value of which wassomething over $32, 000, which at the present time would be aconsiderable under-valuation. This tree is found, I might say, throughout the state. I recall a fewyears ago coming off of the Cumberland Plateau down in Warren Countyinto the cove there around Viola and seeing a beautiful grove of pecansalong a stream. I hadn't been through that country before, but I hadknown a family that lived there, and I stopped at a house to see justwhat those pecans meant. And there was an old lady on the porch whoowned the property, and I asked her some questions about it, and shetold me how they got there and knew when they were not there. She hadbeen raised on that place but she said, "I want to show you something. "So I went with her around the side yard into the back yard, and she hada couple of pecan trees there that were loaded with pecans until thelimbs were hanging over just like pear tree limbs, heavily loaded peartree limbs. I said, "My, what a crop of pecans you have here. That'sreally wonderful. " Those were the budded pecans, the type that is grownfarther south of us. She said, "Just wait a minute, now. I don't knowwhether I have any pecans or not. " I said, "What do you mean?" She said, "If the frost is two weeks later than usual we will have a wonderfulpecan crop, if we have a late frost. If we have an early frost we don'thave any pecans. " It was quite interesting to me to see that wonderful crop hanging on thetree and yet she wasn't at all assured that anything of value would comefrom it. We have on some of our holdings at the University experimental Stationssome wonderful Chinese chestnut trees. I can't get overly excited overthem, remembering the chestnut as we had it once in Tennessee with thelong, slender body, wonderful telephone poles and wonderful timber ofother kinds, and to see that a tremendous economic loss has come to thiscountry through disease that was and probably is not controllable. Butfrom the nut standpoint we have at the present time some trees that lookas though they are going to be the equal of our own native chestnut thatcovered Tennessee from the mountain top to the river bank. So we arevery much in hope that again Tennessee will have a supply of chestnutswhich will be equivalent, probably, to the harvest of chestnuts we oncehad. However, that's going to be many, many years off. From the experimental standpoint I have been very much interested in thetimber type of tree, hoping that our native chestnut trees, at least oneout of the billions, maybe would prove to be resistant. However, watching these growths come up from time to time and attain an agesufficient to produce nuts and then have my hopes blighted by going backthe next year and finding that the tree was blighted has become ratherdiscouraging. I hope that some of you people will find just such a tree, one that will bear an excellent nut and at the same time produceexcellent timber. Now I am coming to our big asset in the way of nut trees in Tennessee, as I see it. I was rather interested here in Professor Moore'sdiscussion of the honeylocust, that detestable tree which was such athorn in my flesh as a child, and having heard someone championing itwith such a story as he had, I have heard everything now. Everybody, though, has a champion. Even my mother loved me, regardless. Black walnut is, as I said in the beginning, native to all sections ofthe state, and I think that through the collection of the betteryielding or better cracking nuts by the Tennessee Valley Authority weare going to find in this crop a very potent asset to the state ofTennessee through the income from sale of nuts. We have in the stateabout four cracking plants. One of them is located in Morristown. Downin the basin part of the state where walnuts do particularly well, threeothers are in the city of Nashville. There were something like 10million pounds of walnuts in the shell delivered in Nashville this lastyear, yielding about 1, 200, 000 pounds of kernels. Now, this is no meanreturn from a crop which was really just gathered up with very, verylittle attention given to the planting. It is just one of these freecrops, so to speak. If we were to add to that income the great income which we have beenreceiving through the years from the sale of timber trees, we would runthe value of the black walnut into considerable proportions, with incomefrom the sale of black walnuts in the kernel and in timber. I see no particular reason why that crop cannot be increased ten, twentyor a hundred fold by just a stimulation of interest in the black walnut. I recall back just previous to World War I, or about that time, therewas a tremendous demand, as usual, for black walnut for gun stocks. Ihappened to be free for a month or so at that time so I could give someattention to the purchasing and delivery of both veneer stock and walnutfor gun stocks. It was quite interesting to me as I went over a coupleof counties in which I made some purchases, to see that someone in the40, 50 or 60 years back had had a vision of what the walnut tree wouldbe worth to them on their tracts of land and how we were at that timereaping the harvest of the person who had a vision of the value of thewalnut tree. A great many of those trees were trees that had been set orwalnuts that had been planted years before by some far-seeing person, and it had gone on without any interruption, probably without theslightest bit of protection, until the time that it was needed anddesperately needed for economic purposes. We have some work going on also in connection with the planting ofwalnuts in pasture fields. The returns _from the pasture_ in theplanting of walnut trees have been just practically the same, maybe alittle bit better in favor of the walnuts than where we did not havewalnuts in the pasture. This work is being conducted down at the MiddleTennessee Agricultural Experiment Station of the University of Tennesseeat Columbia. We are using the walnut tree and also the black locust inthis experiment. We don't know what the future of it is going to be, butthose walnut trees have grown large enough so that they have had to bethinned to keep them from putting too much shade over the ground. I made a statement several years ago in the presence of quite adistinguished agronomist or horticulturist that I had never seen awalnut tree growing in the open, whether it was in the blue grass regionor outside of a blue grass region that did not have blue grass growingunder it. He looked at me askance, and I said, "Do you believe it?""Well, I don't know, " he answered. So we happened to be coming out of Quincy, Florida, up through southernGeorgia outside of the blue grass region, and we were both sitting inthe back seat of the car. Our driver drove up to a filling station, andI saw this fellow looked up at a walnut tree over in the yard not veryfar away, in fact, the next yard to the filling station. I somehow orother sensed what he was thinking. He pushed his door open, got out. Ipushed my door open, went around the car and followed him. He walked upto that walnut tree, turned around and said, "Well, it's there. " Heturned around and walked back. Now, of course, a condition may prevail in dense shade, where that doesnot happen in young walnut trees, but I just happened to be right. Thereis a symbiotic relationship between plants--I don't want to get intothat subject--but this one thing I am thinking, and that is that thereason why they were able to get this good grazing from under thesewalnut trees is that there is a relationship there between those twoplants that makes it ideal for the production of pasture grass, and bluegrass over a great many of our states is our leading grass. I might say to the gentleman from Virginia that I had a letter from upthere a few days ago. I don't know why they wanted to write to me, wanting to know if the walnut tree was _a legume_. So I presume thatthat was the reason, that the grass grew very nicely under those trees. I have taken too much of your valuable time. It certainly has been apleasure and an honor to be here and talk to you these few minutes. Thank you. * * * * * President Davidson: Thank you, Mr. Chance. We will take a short recess. (Recess taken. ) President Davidson: The meeting will now come to order, please. Theembryo development of the black walnut will be illustrated and discussedby Dr. L. H. MacDaniels of Cornell University. (Paper to appear in next volume. ) Dr. Crane: I was very glad Dr. MacDaniels' paper preceded mine, becauseit does give you a very much better picture of the development of all ofour oily nuts, excepting the filbert and, of course, the almond to someextent. But we take in pecans and the hickories and for the walnuts thesituation is quite general. Now, this paper that I am going to read is one that our staff in nutinvestigations has been working on for the past twenty or more years, and we feel we know a lot about the growing and the development andfilling of nuts. And there is a lot in this paper that I think will beof value to all nut growers regardless of the kind of nuts that we aretrying to grow. The Development and Filling of Nuts H. L. CRANE, Principal Horticulturist, United States Department ofAgriculture, Agricultural Research Administration, Bureau of PlantIndustry, Soils, and Agricultural Engineering, Division of Fruit andVegetable Crops and Diseases. All nut growers are confronted with the problems involved in theproduction of nuts of large size with well filled kernels that are"bright" or light colored. Unsatisfactory development and filling of thekernels is more often a cause of complaint by growers than any othersingle factor affecting nut production. This is because all of ourcommercial nuts now sold in the shell are priced on a basis of size andthe degree to which they are filled. The size and degree of filling ofthe nuts varies not only from year to year, but from district todistrict, orchard to orchard, and even in the same orchard, because nutsof one variety may fill well and those of another poorly. This is trueeven though the kind and variety of nut being produced is grown in alocality usually having suitable climatic conditions for normal nutproduction. +Climatic Conditions+ Prevailing climatic conditions in any locality determine how well aparticular kind of nut will fill. For example, the pecan is native tothe southern part of the United States and a small area in northernMexico. In its native habitat the summers are long and the day and nighttemperatures are uniformly high, with little difference between maximumand minimum daily temperatures. When the pecan is grown under conditionsof shorter summers, or where there is a marked difference between nightand day temperatures, the nuts do not grow to proper size and thekernels fill poorly, if at all. Although pecan trees are quite hardy andmay be grown successfully well north of their native limits, the normaldevelopment of the nuts and the filling of them cannot be expectedthere. Good examples of the climactic effects can be cited. At Davis, California, the pecan tree grows, flowers, and sets fruitsatisfactorily, but the nuts fail to grow to proper size, fill poorly, and may not mature before frost. At Davis there is an average length ofgrowing season of 242 days; the day temperatures are high, but the nighttemperatures are comparatively low. Pecan trees are hardy even inConnecticut, but the trees fail to bear because of the short growingseason and the great difference between day and night temperatures. Thepecan is truly a hot weather crop and is not suited for culture undermountainous conditions. On the other hand it cannot be grown undersubtropical conditions because of insufficient cold during the winter tomeet the chilling requirement of the trees. Under such conditions, treegrowth starts very late in the spring, and, although the trees mayflower, few nuts may set and those that stick may be very poorly filledat harvest if they mature. The pecan is probably more exacting in regard to its climacticrequirements than are our other kinds of nuts, but the filbert orhazlenut is probably a close second in this respect. The filbert, however, represents the opposite extreme in that it does best underconditions of mild winter and moderate summer temperatures. Thesedifferences are pointed out for the reason that many amateur nutgrowers want to grow certain nuts outside of their native range inplaces where unsuitable climatic conditions prevail, and they cannotunderstand why success is not possible. +Growth and Fruiting Habit of Nut Trees+ Since the growth and fruiting habits of our different kinds of nut treesare closely related, it is desirable to point out some of theserelationships. All of our different species of walnuts, the pecan andall hickory nuts, as well as hazelnuts and filberts, are borneterminally on shoots of the current season. In other words all walnutspecies, pecan, and all hickory species bear the pistillate flowers thatdevelop into nuts at the terminal end of the shoots produced the sameyear that the nuts mature. The staminate or pollen-producing flowers ofall these species arise from lateral buds on shoots that grew theprevious year. In the case of hazelnut and filbert the pistillateflowers are borne in lateral buds on shoots of the previous season, asare also the staminate flowers or catkins. In this case, however, thepistillate flowers are formed and pollinated before the current year'sshoot growth is made. Almonds are borne laterally on shoots produced theprevious season. All chestnuts are borne laterally on shoots producedthe same season as the nuts. The chestnut bears most of the staminate flowers separately in staminatecatkins whereas the pistillate flowers are in mixed catkins, but all areformed laterally on shoots of the current season. The almond, which hasperfect flowers, produces these in lateral buds on shoots of theprevious year. Both the hazelnut and the almond flower before anycurrent-season growth is made, whereas all of the other kinds of nuttrees mentioned produce almost all normal shoot growth before floweringoccurs. These differences in growth, flowering, and fruiting habitsprovide a basis for the explanation of why growth of almond trees, forexample, is harder to maintain than is that of walnut or pecan. Flowering and early development of the fruit before shoot growth is madetend to check such growth, so that flowering and fruiting trees will notmake as much new growth as they would have made had flowering andfruiting been prevented. In general, it can be stated that, in the case of bearing trees, thelonger the shoot growth and the greater its diameter in proportion tolength, the greater is the number of pistillate flowers that may beformed at its terminal. Furthermore, the set of nuts and the size thatthey attain are in proportion to the length and diameter of the shootsbearing them. In other words, the number of flowers formed, the nutsset, and the size that they attain are directly correlated with thevigor and growth of the trees. As trees attain age, fewer long, strongshoots and more short, weak shoots are formed. Hence the average size ofthe nuts produced decreases because of the reduction in average shootgrowth. Furthermore, under normal conditions, the degree to which thenuts are filled is related to the vigor as it is measured by the lengthand diameter of the shoots bearing them. Strong, vigorous shoots usuallyproduce the best filled and earliest maturing nuts. +What Is a Nut and of What Does It Consist?+ Webster gives a general definition of a nut as "a fruit consisting of akernel or seed enclosed in a hard woody or leathery shell that does notopen when ripe, as in the hazel, beech, oak, chestnut. " Technicallyspeaking, it is a hard, indehiscent, one-seeded dry fruit resulting froma compound ovary. In horticultural language the fruit consists of thehard or leathery nut containing a kernel, together with the husk, hull, or bur that surrounds the nut shell. This kernel consists of the embryoplus the endosperm or its remains. In all of our important nuts, such aswalnuts, pecans, hickory nuts, almonds, and filberts, the kernel isessentially the embryo with its thickened cotyledons or seed leaves, asthe endosperm has been absorbed except for a thin membrane. At the beginning of its development, growth of the embryo is slow, andin very early stages it is merely a rounded mass of cells. Later, themeristems of the epicotyl (stem or top) and root axis develop, but thewhole embryo is still microscopic in size. Still later the cotyledons(seed leaves) start development from the apical meristem and theirgrowth in length is rapid, but they are very thin and follow thecontours of the seed coat. Growth in length of the cotyledons may bearrested by unfavorable nutritional conditions during the time ofelongation. In such case, the lobes of the cotyledons may not attain thefull length of the seed coat, or pellicle, which surrounds them. Afterthe cotyledons have attained full length, growth in thickness begins inthe area nearest the epicotyl and proceeds toward the margins. Thisgrowth in thickness results from cambium-like meristem with theformation of new cells. The formation of well developed or solid kernelsthat completely fill the cavity within the shell is dependent uponmeristematic activity continuing almost to maturity. The weatherconditions, the nutrition of the tree, or other factors that affect thesynthesis and translocation of elaborated food materials from the leavesand shoots to the kernels at this time determine the degree to which thecotyledons are thickened, or in other words how well the nuts arefilled. +Periods of Development+ In the development of the nuts there are three periods or stages: (1)The period of growth in size; (2) the period of nut filling ordevelopment of the kernel; (3) the period of maturing. What takes place during these periods of development determines the sizethe nuts attain, the degree to which they are filled, and finally thequality at harvest. These three developmental stages are interdependent, because the size of the nuts may affect the degree of filling, and that, in turn, the time and nature of their maturity. They are not entirelyseparate and distinct but overlap in that there is more or lessdevelopment of the kernel, varying with the species, while the nuts aregrowing in size. In general, however, there is not appreciable kerneldevelopment until after the nuts have attained approximately full size, except in the chestnut. The outstanding example of this situation is the pecan. There ispractically no growth of the kernel until after the shell of the nut hasstarted to become hard. At that time growth of the embryo, whichconstitutes the kernel, become rapid. The major portion of the kernel isformed during a period of approximately one month, starting atBeltsville, Maryland about the middle of September. The final stages offilling occur just before the nuts mature, and the first nuts to fallusually have the best filled kernels. Later maturing nuts are generallypoorly filled; their shells and kernels are often discolored, and theshucks fail to open properly, if at all. The development of walnuts, hickory nuts, and filberts, so far as isknown, is in all essentials the same as that described for the pecan nutexcept that the kernel or embryo begins to grow somewhat earlier in theseason. However, the major portion of the filling, which consists in thethickening of the cotyledons, takes place late in the season, and only amonth or a little more before the nuts mature. The period of the maturing of the nuts generally closely follows thecompletion of the filling of the kernels. During this period in thepecan, certain other species of hickory, the Persian walnut, chestnut, and others, food reserves are transferred from shucks, hulls, or burs tothe nuts. Abscission layers are formed and shucks, hulls, or burs splitopen on drying out, thus partially or wholly releasing the nuts. Thereis a very direct relationship between the degree to which the nuts arefilled and their time of and normality of maturing; well filled nutsmature early and normally, whereas poorly filled nuts mature late, if atall, and shucks, hulls, or burs fail to open properly. +Growth in Size+ The size of the nuts produced by a tree is determined by a number offactors, one or all of which may operate during the course of theseason. These are: (1) Age of tree; (2) position of the nuts on thetree; (3) fertility of the soil and moisture supply, or the nutritionalstatus of the tree; (4) size of the crop borne. In general, old trees bear smaller nuts than do younger trees. Hencesize of nut for a particular variety is only relative. The first fewcrops produced by a tree usually consist of nuts large in size for thevariety; and then, as the tree attains age, nuts become smaller in size. Young trees make longer and thicker shoot growth than do older trees. There is, then, under normal conditions, a direct relationship betweenthe growth made by a tree and the size that the nuts attain. The morevigorous trees not only produce larger nuts than those produced by lessvigorous trees, but the hulls and shells of such nuts are thicker andconstitute a higher total percentage of the total weight of the fruit. The position of the nuts on a tree has an important effect on the sizethat they ultimately attain. In general, the nuts in the top are largerthan those nearer the ground; and those on the strongest and mostvigorous shoots of the top or lateral branches will attain a larger sizeunder normal conditions than those located on weaker and shorter shootsor on the inside of the tree. Here again there is a direct relationshipbetween growth of the tree and growth in size of nuts. All normal treesmake longer and stronger shoot growth in the top than they do on theterminals of lateral branches, and the shortest and weaker shoots aswell as the smallest nuts are generally on the lateral branches insideof the tree top. Fertility of soil and moisture supply determine in large measure boththe growth made by the tree and the size of nuts. The nuts borne ontrees growing on fertile soils adequately supplied with moisture aregenerally much larger in size than those borne by trees on infertilesoil or soil poorly supplied with soil moisture. Deficiency of eithernitrogen, or moisture, or both is particularly effective in limiting thesize of nuts produced. Pecans grown under soil conditions in which bothnitrogen and moisture were deficient have been known to attain onlyabout one-fourth the size of nuts of the same varieties grown in thesame orchard but under conditions of clean cultivation and supplementarynitrogen applications. A prolonged drought during the time that the nutsare increasing in size very frequently causes them to be much smallerthan they would have been had the moisture supply been adequate. The size of the crop borne by a tree determines in a very large measurethe size that the nuts attain at maturity. There is generally an inverserelationship also between the number of nuts borne in a cluster on ashoot and the size they attain. In this respect nut crops are littledifferent from apples and peaches, which, too, are sold on the basis ofsize. In order to produce fruits of large size having a high marketvalue, the crops are thinned in years of a heavy set of fruit. In thecase of pecans, for example, thinning the crop at the time the nuts aregrowing in size on heavily producing trees is a very effective method ofincreasing the average size of the nuts allowed to remain on the trees. The earlier the thinning is done the more effective it is; however, itwill increase the size of the nuts even when done as late as when theshells have started to become hard. No practical and economical methodof thinning the crop of nuts has as yet been found; nevertheless it iswell to bear in mind that a large crop borne by a tree generally meansreduced average size of the nuts at harvest. +Filling or Development of the Kernels+ In general, the fruits (nuts) of a nut-bearing tree are what might betermed storage organs. In them are stored mineral elements and suchelaborated food materials as carbohydrates (sugars and starch), oil, amino acids, and proteins that have been removed from the leaves andwood of the tree. These materials are stored for future use of theembryo in the nut to sustain respiration, to permit germination, and tomaintain the seedling until it has produced enough leaf area to becomeself-sufficient. The question may be asked, why is it so important that nuts be wellfilled? The answer is very simple, because the quality of the oily nutsis determined by how well the kernels are filled. All but one of ourmost important nuts--almonds, filberts, hickory nuts, pecans, andwalnuts--are oily nuts; and well filled kernels contain from 50 to 75percent or more of oil, depending upon the species. Chestnuts arestarchy nuts and contain less than one percent of oil. The relationshipbetween the degree of filling and the composition of the kernel in oilynuts is outstanding, in that the better filled nuts have a highercontent of oil and a lower content of protein, carbohydrates, water, andundetermined constituents than do poorly filled nuts. Highest quality ofthe kernels is directly associated with highest oil content and highestdegree of filling. Nut kernels that are poorly filled are often hollow, shrunken, shriveled, and chaffy. When eaten they may taste sweet, butare lacking in the oily flavor characteristic of the particular speciesof nut eaten. It is only in the best filled nuts that highest quality, flavor, and oil content are found. The degree to which nuts are filled or how well the kernels aredeveloped at harvest is determined by a rather large number ofinterrelated factors: (1) Size of crop, or ratio of number of leaves pernut; (2) average size of nuts; (3) condition of leaves; (4) amount ofsecond growth of the trees; (5) size of preceding crop and how well thenuts produced were filled; (6) disease and insect injury to the nuts;(7) weather conditions; (8) heterosis or effect of cross-pollination onembryo size. +Size of crop:+ Nut growers want their trees to bear large annual crops ofnuts. It is very seldom that one hears a nut grower express the opinionthat a certain tree is carrying too many nuts for the crop to attainproper size and fill well, yet this is very often the case. Furthermore, the production of a large crop of poorly filled nuts one year is almostcertain to result in a light crop or none at all the following year. There is a very close inverse relation between the size of the cropproduced and the degree to which the nuts are filled at harvest, namely, the larger the crop the less the nuts will be filled. It has beenpointed out above that nuts are storage organs, and the food materialsrequired to grow and fill them must be made in the leaves. When too manynuts are set and carried through to the filling period, in proportion tothe number of leaves or the leaf area of the tree, it is not possiblefor the leaves to synthesize the large amount of food materials requiredto fill the nuts. In pecans, for example, it has been shown that six toeight leaves are required normally to fill a nut properly and 10 or moreleaves per nut if the tree is to flower and set a crop the followingyear. Other ratios for number of leaves or leaf area exist with otherkinds of nuts. It is general experience that large crops of nuts removesuch large amounts of food materials and minerals from the trees that alight crop or no crop at all is produced the following year. This isespecially true if the nuts are not especially well filled in the "oncrop year. " +Size of nuts:+ Almost everyone prefers large nuts to small ones, and thatis one reason, why the larger sizes command a higher price on themarkets. Many remember how popular the McCallister hican was a number ofyears ago because of its extremely large size. Such varieties of thepecan as Nelson and Mahan were very popular because the nuts producedwere generally much larger than those of other varieties. Thesevarieties remained popular until experience in growing them showed thatthey were very often poorly filled at harvest. As a general rule, largenuts are more difficult to fill properly than small nuts. This isobvious, because much more food material must be made by the leaves andtransported to fill the kernels of large nuts than is required to fillan equal number of nuts of smaller size. In seasons with conditionsfavorable for both tree growth and growth in size of the nuts, it isoften the experience that the nuts are poorly filled at harvest. On theother hand, if the weather is dry during the period in which the nutsare growing in size, they are much more likely to be well filled atmaturity. In fact, the writer has seen several instances in which, because of severe drought in the spring, pecans were undersized, yet thekernels developed and filled so well that the shells of the nuts crackedat maturity. +Condition of leaves:+ To produce well filled nuts, nut trees must bear alarge leaf area and the leaves must be in good health and vigor. If theyare to produce annual crops, the trees must carry their leaves untilcold weather in the late fall, undamaged by insects or diseases. Theimportance of a large leaf area free from injury or abnormal conditionis so great that it can hardly be overemphasized in connection with nutproduction. It can be definitely stated that under normal conditions thesize of the crop produced and the degree to which the nuts are filled isdirectly related to the leaf area and the length of time it is carriedby the tree. If the leaf area is to be large, the trees must make good, strong, vigorous shoot growth, and this means that proper attention must begiven to fertilization to insure that the trees have adequate amountsof nitrogen, potassium, magnesium, zinc, and boron, as well as all otheressential elements. The elements mentioned have been found most likelyto be deficient in the soils of eastern and southern United States. Inthose regions their lack may be expected most frequently to limit treegrowth or the filling of the nuts because of their effects on the leavesand the consequent inability of the leaves to make food materials. Deficiency of one or more of these elements results in leaves that arenot able to make food materials in anywhere near such amounts as donormal leaves well supplied with all essential elements. In severecases, deficiency of one or more of these elements results in chlorosisof the leaves, still later in leaf scorch, and finally in premature leaffall. Trees having leaves in such condition cannot be expected to fillthe nuts borne by them. Most nut trees grown about home or farmstead are deficient in nitrogen, as the trees must compete with grass, weeds, shrubbery, or other trees. Frequently there is not enough plant food for all. A deficiency ofnitrogen limits the growth and the leaf area carried by a tree. Adeficiency of potassium or magnesium very greatly limits the amount offood material made by the leaves and hence greatly decreases the fillingand the oil content of the kernels. Zinc or boron deficiency has asimilar effect. Hence, to insure the production of well filled nuts, one must be certainthat the trees are well fertilized and that the fertilizer elementsapplied are in proper balance one with the others. Injury to the leaves resulting from attacks by diseases and insects isone of the most common and important causes of poorly filled nuts. Everyspecies and variety of tree nut suffers from at least one disease orinsect pest that damages the leaves and hence limits or curtails theamount of elaborated food materials they can make. In most cases thefungi or bacteria causing foliage diseases infect the leaves in earlyspring at the time they are unfolding and growing in size, although theinfection may not be noticeable until later. These infected areas, eventhough they are small and not numerous enough to cause the leaf to fall, seriously impair the functioning of the leaf out of all proportion tothe area directly affected. Should the infection be so severe as tocause premature defoliation, the damage will be great even though only asmall percentage of the leaves falls. The disease of eastern Mack walnutknown as leaf spot, or anthracnose, is one of these defoliating diseasesthat causes untold damage from poorly filled nuts in the current cropyear, and results in a small crop or none at all the following year. Thedevelopment and spread of these diseases is gradual, and unsuspectinggrowers do not realize the damage they cause. On other hand, the injuries caused by such insects as the webworm, thewalnut caterpillar, the pecan leaf case-bearer, the Japanese beetle, andothers are somewhat spectacular in that the leaves may be partly orcompletely consumed on portions of the trees. The injury caused by thewalnut aphis, the walnut lace bug, the pecan black aphis, and others, onthe other hand, is less conspicuous; but the end result is far moreserious than it usually is with the leaf eating insects, because thedamage caused is more widespread, almost all of the leaves on a treebeing affected. These sucking insects are small in size and may beoverlooked until premature defoliation takes place. If nut trees are tobear satisfactory crops of well filled nuts, the diseases and insectsthat attack and cause injury to the leaves must be controlled. Undernormal conditions the size of the crop produced, the regularity ofbearing, and the quality of the nuts harvested is proportional to theleaf area of normal leaves carried by the tree from early spring untilfreezing-weather in the fall. +Second growth of the trees:+ Certain of our nut trees, such as pecan andwalnuts, under some conditions have two or perhaps more periods of shootgrowth during the same growing season. The first, or main period ofgrowth, starts at the time of foliation in the spring and ends soonafter the shoots flower. The second period of growth, if it occurs, maybegin any time after the nuts are set, and may end any time later. Thissecond growth seriously affects the filling of the nuts, in that foodmaterials are consumed in producing this second growth rather than inthe growth and filling of the nuts. Generally this second growth is notmade until late in the season, and it usually follows a period of dryweather, when conditions again become favorable for growth. Usually thisis at the time the kernels should be developing, and hence the degree offilling is affected. The seriousness of the effect on the filling of thenuts is largely proportional to the amount and duration of this secondgrowth. A third period of growth may occur later if weather conditionsare suitable. +Preceding crop:+ It has already been pointed out that nuts are storageorgans and in their growth and development large amounts of foodmaterials and minerals are removed from the tree. Under conditions ofheavy crop production, the reserves of these materials left in the treeat the time of harvest are likely to be very low; and unless the treesare growing on a fertile soil and carry their leaves until frost, thesereserves of minerals and elaborated food materials are not likely to berestored. Under such conditions, in the following spring the reservesare low and although there may be enough to initiate flowering and theset of nuts, they are not sufficiently high to produce well filled nuts. It is for this reason that the nuts produced in an "off crop year, " eventhough the crop may be much lighter, may be less well filled than thoseproduced in an "on crop year. " Such nuts as pecans, hickory nuts, and walnuts transfer large amounts ofpotassium from the tree itself into the shucks or hulls. The kernels ofsuch nuts are high in nitrogen, phosphorus, and magnesium as well as inoil, which is one of the most concentrated food materials and has thehighest calorie value. Nitrogen reserves in the trees are readily andrather quickly replaced if adequate amounts are applied, as this elementis not fixed by the soil. This is not true of phosphorus and potassium, as they are apparently taken up by the trees much more slowly than isnitrogen. Furthermore, certain soils have a high fixing power for theseelements and hence they are slowly, if at all, available. +Insect and disease damage to the nuts:+ Certain insects and diseasesattack the nuts, causing them to be poorly filled at harvest. Althoughthese pests may destroy, or cause a certain percentage of the crop todrop before harvest, and hence serve as a thinning measure, the affectednuts remaining on the tree may not be well filled at maturity. Examplesof such insects are the pecan or hickory shuck worm, the walnut huskmaggot, and the codling moth. Infestations by these insects occurringbefore the shells of the nuts have become hard cause the nuts to drop. However, infestations taking place after the nut shells have become harddo not cause the nuts to drop. These late-infested nuts may be poorlyfilled because the insect larvae mine the hulls or shucks, severing theconducting tissues that transport food materials from the fruit stem orpeduncle through the shuck to the kernel. The damage caused not onlyresults in poorly filled nuts but also interferes with the naturalseparation of the shucks or hulls from the shells. Examples of diseases that attack the nuts and cause them to be poorlyfilled at harvest are pecan scab and walnut bacteriosis. Pecan scab mayalso attack other species of hickory. It is the most destructive pecandisease, causing a high percentage of the nuts on highly susceptiblevarieties to drop prematurely and those that stick to the tree to bepoorly filled at harvest. Walnut bacteriosis or blight is the mostimportant walnut disease in the West and unless controlled causes severelosses from premature drop or from nuts both poorly filled and havingdiscolored kernels at harvest. It is obvious that if large crops of wellfilled nuts are to be produced, these insects and diseases must becontrolled. +Weather conditions:+ Many growers are inclined to blame the weather forall small crops and poor nut quality because they realize it can havesuch important effects. In reality its direct effects are generally muchless than they are thought to be, and its indirect effects are usuallymuch greater than is usually realized. Weather conditions have a verygreat effect on the development of insects and diseases and on thedamage caused by them, so that most often these are of major importance. It has already been pointed out that a prolonged drought may adverselyaffect the size of nuts when it occurs while they are growing in size. Similarly, the degree to which nuts are filled at harvest is affected bythe moisture supply during the filling period. A moisture deficiencywithin the tree probably affects the translocation of food materials tothe nuts to a greater extent than it affects leaf functioning, for undersuch conditions the leaves will withdraw so much water from thedeveloping nuts that the shucks and hulls become wilted. Underconditions of prolonged drought the kernels do not fill properly, maturity of the nuts is delayed, and the shucks or hulls do not opennormally. Under drought conditions the temperatures of the air and of surfacesexposed to the sun are often very high, and this sometimes results insun-scald or burning of the hulls or shucks. In severe cases the injuryextends through the hull or shuck to the shell and kernels. Thepellicle, or skin of the kernel, turns brown or amber color, as does theportion of the kernel that has developed at the time of injury. Furtherdevelopment of the affected portion of the kernel is arrested; and ondrying it becomes shriveled because of lack of filling. The greatestamount of damage from sunburn occurs on the south and southwest sides ofthe trees. Little can be done to prevent this type of injury other thanto grow good, strong, vigorous trees that bear a heavy dense foliagethat shades the nuts. +Heterosis or hybrid vigor:+ The pistillate flowers of certain nutspecies, such as the almond, chestnuts, and filberts, must becross-pollinated with pollen from another variety if satisfactorilycrops of well filled nuts are to be produced. These species areself-sterile or self-unfruitful. On the other hand all walnut, pecan, and hickory species are self-fertile and cross-fertile, but may beself-unfruitful because of dichogamy, because they may shed their polleneither before or after the stigmas of the pistillate flowers arereceptive to it. In all nut species cross-pollination is generallyrecommended so as to assure a set of nuts. With cross-pollination abetter set of nuts is to be expected than with self-pollination, as wellas better filling of the kernels. It has recently been found that whenthe pistillate flowers of a certain variety are cross-pollinated with apollen from another definite variety the embryo or nut kernel is largerand better filled. This is a manifestation of hybrid vigor, orheterosis. Heterosis has been found in the chestnut and in the pecan. Itlikely will be found in other nut species. Some day the principles ofselected and controlled parentage underlying hybrid vigor may beutilized in producing superior nuts, as these principals are now sowidely used in producing hybrid seed corn. * * * * * President Davidson: That paper was so extremely important that Ihesitated very much to stop it, but we are already at the point where weshould have adjourned. Now, unfortunately, we have some very importantthings, I think, yet before us, but if the speakers can give their talksfrom now on in the form of, shall we say, syntheses of the whole thingand give us the conclusions rather than the details, it will beappreciated by us all. Mr. Wilkinson is going to give us a veryimportant talk on what he has done with the propagation of the Lambcurly walnut. Mr. Wilkinson. The Grafted Curly Walnut as a Timber Tree J. FORD WILKINSON, Rockport, Indiana Our native trees are and have always been one of the most valuableresources of this country, and one of the greatest heritages ever tofall to a nation. Wood has been used by our people since the landing of the Pilgrims, foralmost every comfort and purpose in life, from the making of cradles tocaskets. Wood is still one of the principal materials in building homes andfurniture, and is used for railroad ties, for paper, and in so manyother ways that we could scarcely get along without wood. The United States is the native home of many species of trees, of whicha number are superior in some certain ways for some special purposes. The hickory has no equal for ax handles. As a building-timber wherestrength and durability are needed the oak ranks among the first. Otherspecies are equally as important for some other uses. Not to be overlooked are nut trees. They serve the twofold purpose ofproducing both food for man and wild life, and valuable timber. +Black Walnut Has Great Value+ Of the nut tree group, the black walnut is one of the most important. Itranks among the first for lumber, furniture, cabinets, and finishingmaterial. It has no rival in use for gun stocks and airplane propellers;as walnut wood is light, strong, will not get rough, but wears smootherwith use. Neither will it splinter when pierced by a bullet. Walnut woodhas been largely responsible, at times, for keeping us a nation of freepeople. The black walnut tree is an aristocrat of forest and field. It canjustly be proud, for no other tree can fill its place. As the lateauthor A. H. Marks said, "Who has not noticed the look of contendedusefulness which a nut-bearing tree wears? It is of use to the world andknows it. " Walnuts, like other species of trees, are not all alike, either as tonut production or in the grain of the wood. +The Lamb Black Walnut+ Several years ago an unusually highly figured, and very valuable, black walnut tree was discovered by Mr. George N. Lamb, thenSecretary-Treasurer of the American Walnut Manufacturers Association ofChicago, Illinois. When the logs from this tree came into the mill, and their value wasrealized, Mr. Lamb went to the place where the tree had grown. Hesecured some twigs from the branches of this top and sent these, as Ihave been informed, to Dr. Robert T. Morris and Mr. Willard G. Bixby, knowing of their interest in propagating better varieties of nut trees. This wood had been taken from the top many days after the tree wasfelled, and so was dry and nearly dead. I believe Dr. Morris succeededin getting only one graft to grow, and Mr. Bixby two. This variety wasthen named in honor of Mr. Lamb. Several years later Mr. Bixby sent me a very small stick of graft woodfrom one of his trees, from which I made two grafts. One of them grew, giving me a start of this variety. I have annually propagated a fewtrees of it ever since, though with little encouragement, and even muchdiscouragement from others, including State and U. S. Governmentauthorities. On one occasion I thought I practically had an order for a quantity ofthese Lamb walnut trees for a reforestation project. However, theprospective purchaser, before placing his final order, wrote togovernment authorities, then wrote me as follows: * * * * * " . .. Sept. 30, 1940 . .. "Following some investigation in connection with the so-called curlywalnut varieties, we have been advised by government authorities thatthese trees do not form, or grow into, a curly walnut tree at any timeduring the growing stage. "We took it for granted that the wood formation would be of a curlynature, and for that reason we were interested in that particularvariety. "In view of this information which we have concerning these trees, wewould not be interested in growing them as we have plenty of nativeblack walnut here. .. . " * * * * * This and other discouragements, from both government authorities andindividuals, had about as much effect on me as King George's advice tothe American people not to use tobacco; they smoked calmly on, and Icontinued to propagate Lamb curly black walnut trees. I have been propagating nut trees since 1910, and have never yet knownone of my propagated nut trees to fail to carry the characteristics ofthe parent tree, as to habits of growth, bark, bud formation, foliage, texture of wood, or quality of nuts. The Deming Purple walnut tree, whenasexually propagated, reproduces the purple wood, so I reasoned the Lambvariety would reproduce figured wood. Nature seldom blunders. +Value of Original Lamb Walnut Tree+ When I was in Grand Rapids, Michigan, a few years ago, doing some treework for the late William J. Wallace, he took me a few miles to thelocation of the original Lamb tree. It was near a small river in agravel loam soil near Ada, Kent County, Michigan. The following is an extract of a letter received from Mr. Lamb as to theoriginal tree: "November 27, 1929 Lamb Figured Walnut-- Cut into veneers @ 6 to 18c per sq. Ft. (1/28") Use: Furniture Amount of veneers 60627' [Value: $8, 637. 62 to $10, 918. 86 (Prewar!)--Ed. ] Logs produced: 8' x 21"--144 Log Ft. 6' x 18"-- 73 " " 10' x 36"--640 " " 14' x 30"--591 " " 10' x 32"--490 " " Stump --500 " " _____ 2438 Location of tree--Ada, Kent County, Michigan. Location--River flat 20 rods from river. Soil-Gravel loam. Type of tree--Open grown. Shape---Double stump. Height--40 ft. Figure--Throughout the tree. " Mr. Lamb further states in his letter: "Unquestionably it was one of themost thoroughly figured trees ever discovered, and if figured wood willpropagate itself this stock should, certainly should, do so. " He further states, "The figure in this tree was quite apparent, even inthe small branches, while the Forest Products Laboratory found evidenceof a developing figure in the twigs not over five years old. " The wood specimens I now have on exhibit here were taken from one of my12-year-old grafted trees that I cut, and in them you will find figurevisible to the naked eye, or easily noticeable by touching with afinger, in wood from branches not over 7 years old. Comparing age at which figure shows in the wood of the two trees, thisyoung tree seems to be developing figure at an early age, as in theparent tree. My confidence in this outcome had never been shaken by the doubts ofothers. Few seemed to share this belief with me, and for this reason Ihave never pushed the sale of Lamb trees. Now I do not hesitate to statethat curly figure will reproduce in any propagated Lamb trees, as theevidence before you here is stronger than any argument. One purpose of the Northern Nut Growers Association is to encourage theperpetuation by propagation of the better varieties of nut trees. Iconsider the Lamb variety one of the best walnut trees known from atimber point of view, and until a better variety is found I shallcontinue to propagate Lamb black walnut trees. +Ed. Note:+ The nuts on Lamb trees, as seen at Norris, Tennessee, duringthis meeting, appear to be of at least average size and have betterthan average shell structure. They probably would be well adapted tomachine-cracking. Thus the Lamb would not be a bad variety to grow forits nuts. Or we could double-work the trees, to have each tree with agood trunk of the Lamb wood growing beneath a fruiting top of anydesired walnut variety. One or two of our members already have made astart on this latter scheme of propagation. +Author's Note:+ The Lamb variety is a rapid and upright grower and shouldbe well adapted as a stock for the purpose suggested. * * * * * President Davidson: I don't think one can minimize the importance ofwhat Mr. Wilkinson has done with the Lamb curly walnut. There arepossibilities here that are of immense value to those who are interestedin timber. Now, I am very, very sorry to put off the rest of thisprogram until this afternoon. Possibly we can work a part of it then. Meantime, we had better adjourn. Mr. Chase says that he has arranged for a group picture to be taken atthe Community Building at one o'clock. Let's everyone be there at oneo'clock. That means, of course, that you are going to cut the sandwichand coffee pretty short. All right, let's adjourn. (Luncheon recess was taken. ) +Tuesday Afternoon Session+ President Davidson: Come to order, please. The first speaker on theafternoon program is Mr. Shivery. I think I will get Mr. Chase to say aword. Mr. Chase: Our next speaker is Mr. George Shivery, Extension Foresterfor the University of Tennessee, and I know that the interest of thisAssociation is in the planting of improved black walnuts, and I simplycan say this man arranged for the planting of more Thomas walnut treesthan any other man in the world. George Shivery. The Black Walnut Situation in Tennessee GEORGE B. SHIVERY, Extension Forester, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, Tennessee. Mr. Shivery: Mr. Chairman and members of the Association: I certainlyappreciate that compliment made by Mr. Chase, and I want to assure allof you that we certainly are interested in the black walnut inTennessee. In the past we have had to depend pretty much on the wildblack walnut, and we will for years in the future. But we have doneeverything possible to get distribution on this Thomas improved blackwalnut which has been propagated here through the efforts of Mr. Chase, Mr. Zarger and other members in his division. It seems to me that this black walnut kernel industry is sort of atradition, particularly in East Tennessee. If you have lived in thisstate as long as I have, you have become curious about its history. Well, in the early days there were no railroads in this state, andcommerce moved pretty much by means of wagon team, and the supply centerseemed to be Baltimore, Maryland. Now, I can visualize very well thaton outbound trips they doubtless carried black walnut kernels, and onthe way in, of course, they'd bring clothing and other materials thatwere not produced here at home. In the early days they produced tremendous amounts of maple sugar andmaple syrup. Doubtless this was consumed at home and nowadays we don'thave any evidence of that, because the climatic conditions in New YorkState and other northern states and New England are much better suitedto the flow of the sap. The weather, I believe, is not so changeable upthere. Our weather is changeable. We may have a very severe cold week, and then in ten days it will be balmy and pretty weather. We haven'tmade any effort to bring back the sugar maple industry. We don'tconsider it economic in this state, because cane sugar in the past hasbeen cheap in price, and then we have another product that some of youmay not be familiar with, sorghum molasses. That serves as dessert lotsof times in many meals, hot biscuits and sorghum to finish up the meal. Now, I might mention something about the size of the black walnutindustry in this state. We estimate that there are eight million poundsof uncracked whole walnuts produced on the average in a normal crop yearin Tennessee, and there is another five million pounds that is nevergathered, never hulled, never enters the market, never used, and thevalue of this crop in a normal year would be around $750, 000. That isfor the nuts, the fruit, the kernels. If you speak of timber it willamount to $960, 000. That is in the form of lumber and veneers, and ifyou figure that in the form of a log at the shipping point, we'd reducethat figure and say it would be $480, 000. I think to understand this state you have to give some consideration tophysiographic regions, and if you will bear with me I'd like to sketchthrough these regions of the state, because they have a bearing onproduction of black walnut. Here in the east we have the East TennesseeMountains, and proceeding westward we have the Great Valley of EastTennessee. It goes all the way down to Chattanooga, up through Bristol, on up through Virginia to Hagerstown, Maryland, all the way up toHarrisburg, Pennsylvania. We have fine soil, and we also have different kinds of shale in thatvalley. Then we proceed westward. We come to the Cumberland Plateau, andthe elevation of this plateau is around 2, 000 feet. It is higher thanthis valley. Then we cross that and we reach this area (indicating onmap). That is what we call the Highland Rim. That is made up oflimestone soil of a different character, usually, than that in this EastTennessee valley. That is what we term the Eastern Highland Rim, andthis around here (indicating) we term the Western Highland Rim. And thisred portion would be the Central Basin in which Nashville is situated. Then you would travel through this central elevation, come up on theWestern Highland Rim, and then you come up here and you cross theTennessee River flowing north. Then you get into West Tennessee. Now, that is coastal plain soil, and as you approach the MississippiRiver here you have a covering of what the Germans call loess, fine, wind-blown material, silt loam. So that very sketchily gives you someidea of the physiographic regions in this state. Now you want to know where these black walnuts are grown. Well, up abouthere (indicating the northeast) we have the towns of Greeneville andRogersville and Morristown and Jonesboro, the counties of WashingtonCounty, Greene County, Hawkins County, say, ten counties; radiatingaround those ten counties you have in the past had great quantities ofwalnut kernels produced and sold. Now, go on down this valley pastKnoxville, and McMinn County (southeast) has some years produced heavycrops of walnuts. So you have heavy production all through the valley. There's another center, we might term it, of about six counties in thiscentral basin. But I don't want you to get the wrong impression, becausewalnuts grow in almost any county in this state, but I am mentioningthese greater producing areas. And this County of Williamson south ofNashville in years past has sent plenty of walnuts to market. So that'sa walnut producing area. And up here in this Highland Rim we have somecounties by the name of Pickett and Overton and Clay County. Well, theyproduce walnuts, and the people up there have in the past cracked out alot of walnuts. And in Montgomery County they produce walnuts. So thenormal trade centers where these walnuts move is really to a greatdegree here at this town of Morristown in East Tennessee, and Nashvillein Middle Tennessee, and this Middle Tennessee center draws fromKentucky. In fact, these four or five large shelling concerns know aboutthe walnuts pretty much all over the entire walnut producing territory. Through the years the Agricultural Extension Service, University ofTennessee, with which I am connected, has been keenly interested inassisting in any way we can to get additional income out of walnutkernels, and in recent years the whole uncracked walnut. And even thoughI am a forester I can see the possibilities of this, and we like tocarry it along. In fact, I consider walnut as kind of a dual-purposetree, fine for timber production, also for production of nuts, walnutmeats or kernels. You might term it a triple-purpose tree. I don't thinkthere is any better tree than that for a shade tree in pastures, in thefield, and around the home, because for one reason it makes what we termin this state a "cold shade, " and it is not a hot shade like you getunder a sugar maple. The maple has a dense foliage. And as Mr. Chanceindicated this morning, walnut is usually associated with blue grass. Blue grass will grow under it. I guess some of you here remember the years of the depression, and Iremember in 1932, for example, we had a heavy crop of black walnuts inthe state. Then I believe the price for kernels of 15 cents a poundwould have been a good price during that year, and some of them probablysold for less. So if we had the time we would follow through all theyears, beginning with 1927, but just to make it as brief as possible, Iwill leave those out, but I would like to mention the year 1941. It sortof disrupted things in the kernel industry, because at that time thePure Food and Drug people came in here and set up regulations, and itinterfered with the merchandising of these kernels, because the producerhad to satisfy certain sanitary regulations, and it really sounded worsethan it was. Anyway, it confused our people, and probably that is aboutthe year in which we had this big shift from the production of walnutkernels cracked out at home to a sale of uncracked walnuts to theseshelling plants. Then another year that I think of (we always think of these as walnutcrop years) was 1945, and that year we got better prices, probably, thanever before or since, and a lot of our country people were able to sellhulled uncracked walnuts as high as $6 per hundred pounds. We will continue to be interested in this industry, but, of course, nowadays the wage scale is higher and money is not worth as much as itwas in the past, so it really seems to me that in order to get out thiscrop we just have to try to make the price a little more attractive. * * * * * President Davidson: "We are now going to hear from Mr. Shessler of Ohio, on his method of grafting, and I wish to assure you that he knows whathe is talking about. He has done a lot of it. Grafting Walnuts in Ohio SYLVESTER SHESSLER, Genoa, Ohio In 1934 the Ohio Nut Growers Association conducted a black walnut nutcontest. I read about it in the _Ohio Farmer_. As soon as the names ofthe winners appeared in that publication, each owner was contacted forsome nuts from the prize winning trees. Answers were received from nineof the 10 winners. I did not receive nuts from the Hoover tree. TheBrown nuts I planted came up in 1935 and the trees are now 22 feet high, with spread of 22 feet, and are 27 Inches in circumference. The Trittenprize nuts were planted in a fence row. These did not come up the firstyear. The next year I plowed and disked the patch of ground and plantedpotatoes. To my surprise the Tritten seedlings came up with thepotatoes. I let them grow and I now have five trees from these nuts. Allof these trees produce nuts which resemble the original Tritten nut andhave good cracking quality. One in particular fills out nicely, has avery thin hull, and is a little larger than the original Tritten. I havenamed it the Shessler. The Brown seedling trees also produce good nuts. The seedling trees from the Cowle nuts produce nuts with rough shells. Following my nut planting project I began to collect scions from all ofthe original trees. Mr. Homer Jacobs, of Kent, Ohio, supplied me withscions from the Tritten tree. The next year Mr. Jacobs asked me to sendhim scions from the Brown tree as he intended to bench-graft some. Ihave planted nuts along a road 80 rods long, so that I could have manystocks to top-work. I began to graft in 1935, using the seedling treesas stock. I now have 200 seedling black walnut trees, 100 grafted blackwalnut trees, 25 grafted Persian walnuts, 20 chestnut trees, two"buartnuts, " 15 heartnuts, six pecans, one butternut, 20 grafted hickorytrees and five persimmons. Some of these trees are planted in orchardform, others are scattered along fence rows. For grafting, I cut scions so that there is about four inches oftwo-year-old wood at the base and some one-year-old wood with smallmatured buds. These small buds will grow, as a rule. The scions are keptin damp sawdust until used. I like the stock to be a half to one inch indiameter. I wait until the trees are in full leaf before I graft. Afterleafing out the stock does not bleed. If I find that the stock isbleeding hard when I cut back, I wait a few days before grafting. It isa waste of time to graft when the stock is bleeding. I have grafted veryearly when the bark would not bleed at all. I just dug down into thecambium layer and put in the scion. I tried one Persian and three blackwalnuts like this and all grew. I use the slot bark method of grafting, as described in Mr. Reed's bulletin [U. S. D. A. Farmers Bull. 1501]. Thestock is cut straight across and I put the lower bud just above thebark on the outside. I roughen the bark of the scion that fits justbehind the bark of the stock. A small nail is pushed through the barkand scion with the handle of my knife. I generally tie with cord butsometimes when the bark is heavy I do not use cord. A two-pound papersack with a hole on the earth side is placed over the graft and the sackis tied at the bottom. This serves as a "hot house" and protects thescion from rain. As soon as leaves appear on the scion, the sack isremoved and all the new sprouts are broken off below the graft. I putonly one scion on each graft. I use Beck's cold wax. It is easy to thinwith water and I just flatten a stick for my brush. I never wax the budbut wax scion well on top. I cannot give an accurate count of my grafting success but estimate that75 percent of my grafts live. Rather than keep records I use that timeto graft more trees. I am not an experimenter--I simply like to havegrafted nut trees. My own trees are scattered over a two-mile area. Ihave grafted trees in Toledo and Grand Rapids. Every Sunday I attendchurch, then in the afternoon I graft trees. My aim is to try all thepromising trees and select the best and weed out the poor ones. I amsaving only the trees that bear nuts every year. In 1947, I grafted the Ohio 1946 prize winning black walnuts. I achievedsurvival on all except Nos. 5 and 8. The scionwood of these two was inpoor condition and I did not think they would live. I also have No. 54which looks promising to me. I am looking forward to other contests inOhio and elsewhere so that we can uncover some more superior blackwalnuts. * * * * * President Davidson: Thank you, Mr. Shessler. Mr. Slate, will you say a word to us on grafting? That's right along thesame line. Grafting Walnuts in the Greenhouse GEORGE L. SLATE, State Experiment Station, Geneva, N. Y. Walnuts have been grafted in pots in the greenhouse at the ExperimentStation at Geneva, N. Y. For a dozen years or more and the practice issuccessful and very useful. This method was adopted for two reasons. First: Under field conditions results are often uncertain, owing to thevagaries of the weather or neglect at a critical time. The inexpertnessof the operator made it desirable that the work be done under asfavorable conditions as possible, with the hope that a favorableenvironment might overcome in part the lack of skill. Second: The workcan be done in March before the field work begins, whereas fieldgrafting in May would often not get done owing to the pressure of otherwork at that time. This method is not original with the writer, but issimilar to the method used at the East Malling Research Station inEngland and described by Witt in 1928 [1]. The rootstocks, two year old black walnut seedlings raised from nutsplanted in the nursery, are dug in the fall, stored in the nurserycellar until late February or early March, at which time they are pottedin six or eight inch pots, depending upon the size of the rootstocks. The roots are cut back so that the plant will fit in the pot. At thistime the tops are cut off, leaving the stem about 8 inches high. Thepots are placed in a warm house, watered as needed, and in about 10 daysthe buds begin to break. The Jones modified cleft graft is used. The stub is cut off at graftingtime and the cleft is made by cutting, not splitting, the stock with alarge grafting knife. The scion is tied in place with nursery tape, half-inch size, with a short wick leading out of the cleft. The scion ispainted with grafting wax. +Care of the Grafted Plant+ The pot is set in a propagating frame about 18 inches deep, with bottomheat, and covered with glass, plus lath or cloth shade. An inch of peatin the bottom of the frame is desirable, to hold moisture and maintainhigh humidity. The temperature of the frame is kept in the eighties, butis not allowed to go above 90°F. Under these conditions of warmth andhigh humidity, growth activity is rapid and in about two weeks the budsbreak, although, some may not start for a month. This springadventitious buds developed on several scions. Many suckers arise frombelow the graft, and these are rubbed off two or three times a week. Assoon as the shoots from the scion are two or three inches long theplants may be removed to a cooler house, where there is less danger ofoverheating on hot spring days. Later, they go to the cold frame forhardening off, and when danger of frost is over after May 21st, they areset in the nursery for two years. First year growth is not over eight orten inches, but the second year the plants grow to three or four feet oreven more in a favorable season. The percentage of grafts starting depends largely on the scion wood. Wood cut from vigorous young trees which is grafted the same day willgive a 90 percent stand or better, but wood from other sources variesaccording, to the age and vigor of the tree from which it is cut and thepercentage of success may be much less. This method is useful for small scale operations where a greenhouse isavailable and it is desirable to do the grafting before outside workinterferes with it. For one not skilled in nut tree grafting success isprobably more certain than with nursery grafting. +Literature Cited+ 1 Witt, A. W. The vegetative propagation of walnuts. Ann. Rpt. Of theEast Malling Research Station 14th and 15th Yrs. 1926-1927 II Supplementpp. 60-64. * * * * * President Davidson: There are plenty of us who don't know much aboutgrafting, and I did want you to hear Mr. Slate's method. It is certainlyworth trying and would come at a pleasant time of the year, would beeasy to do, and any of us could try it out. We now should like to hear from Mr. Clarke on Nut Investigations atPennsylvania State College. Nut Investigations at the Pennsylvania State College WILLIAM S. CLARKE, JR. , State College, Pennsylvania Our present work in nut growing at the Pennsylvania State College wasbegun in 1946. Some work had been started many years ago, and a smallnumber of trees were planted, mostly black walnut; but a site wasselected which proved to be very cold and frosty, and most of the treessoon died. Further work had been planned at a later date, but thedepression and lack of labor and land prevented us from getting underway then. When the present project in nut growing was approved, the country wasjust beginning to recover from the recent war, and materials of mostkinds, including nut trees, were very difficult to obtain. Therefore, inorder to learn as much as possible about nut trees, we started at thebeginning, with the seed. About two bushels of hulled black walnuts werecollected from fence-row trees; some were planted out in the ground thatautumn, and some were placed in soil in a box and kept over winter onthe outdoor porch of the packing house. Some hickory and pecan nuts werebought and also stored in a similar box. The only nuts which grew werethose planted out in the ground. They gave us a good germination, whilenot a single nut stored in the boxes grew. At the present time we have about 200 black walnut seedlings in thenursery. When they are a year or two older, they will be grafted toseveral of the named varieties of black walnuts, and those that takewill be planted out in a nut orchard. These seedling trees weretransplanted after one year's growth. About four or five times as muchof the walnut plant was underground in the root as grew above groundwhere we could see it. Since the first year's work we have made a few purchases, and planted afew more nut seeds. At the present time we have planted five pairs ofnamed varieties of filberts, four Chinese chestnuts, of which threesurvive, four Persian walnuts, three of which survive, and two Japanesewalnuts. We also have a few seedlings of Turkish tree hazel obtainedfrom nuts sent to us by one of our friends in the state of Washingtonand a few butternut seedlings grown from nuts of a tree on the collegecampus. Future plans include an orchard with many of the named varieties ofblack walnuts and also, we hope, some of the new hardy strains andselections of the Persian walnut being introduced by the United StatesDepartment of Agriculture. Representative specimens of a wide range ofnut species will be collected. Some further work on chestnuts andfilberts may be attempted if they prove to be hardy here. Plans for themore distant future include studies in soil fertilization and inspraying for disease and insect control. +Cold Injury in 1947-48+ This past winter has been very hard on nut trees, and on some othertrees as well. In the first place, the cold weather of the autumn beganvery suddenly after six weeks of uninterrupted warm weather without anycool nights to harden the wood. In late September a few days of coolweather came, and then three nights in five with temperatures near 20°. The walnut foliage and some of the youngest wood turned black. Next camea winter with extremely low temperatures, with the minima ranging from18 to 23 degrees below zero over our orchard land. Our four Persianwalnut trees were killed back to the ground; three of them have sproutedthis summer from the roots. Considerable leaf bud killing occurred onChinese chestnut. One Japanese walnut died back to the ground and hassprouted from the roots. The other tree lost most of its younger wood, but some buds near the base of last season's growth have sprouted out tomake a new top. Several specimens of the golden chinkapin(_Castanopsis_) of the Pacific Coast, which had made one year's growthhere, were killed outright. Most of the terminal buds and youngest wood of our nursery trees ofblack walnut were killed, but the trees have grown well this year fromthe lateral buds. In the woods some black walnuts which had been cutdown about four or five years ago, and which had made sprout growth nowabout fifteen feet high, were killed back from two to four feet by thewinter. A twenty-year-old Stabler black walnut on our lawn lost many ofits top limbs, though the lower limbs survived the winter all right. Some other types of trees were also badly damaged: some locust treeswere killed to the ground, and many others were killed to very old wood. A ginkgo tree on our lawn was killed back to the main trunk. This wasone of the few times that I have ever seen injury on this species. One of the five named varieties of filberts, Pal, escaped winter injury. DuChilly and Italian Red each have one good tree and one that was killedback to the ground, but is now sprouting from the roots. Of Medium Long, both trees have been killed way back. One tree of Cosford was killedcompletely, and the other tree has been badly damaged. * * * * * President Davidson: Thank you, Mr. Clarke. Our family stopped on the wayat a shelling plant where they were handling nuts by the ton, not thebushel, just the ton. I am not exaggerating. You have all heard thehill-billy program from Renfro Valley, no doubt, and we have with ustoday the man who is running that cracking plant and also thishill-billy chorus, Tom Mullins, who will tell us about what he is doingdown at Renfro Valley. Black Walnuts: A New Specialty at Renfro Valley TOM MULLINS, Renfro Valley, Kentucky Mr. Mullins: As Mr. Davidson said, I come from a little hill-billysection up in Kentucky known as Renfro Valley. Up until about a year agothe main commodity there was hill-billy music and a lot of noise onSaturday night. About last August our boss there kind of got interestedin black walnuts. There were a lot of them going to waste all over thecounty due to the fact that most of our locals up there are kind oflazy. They don't like to get up there and stomp them out. His original idea was to set up a hulling plant and hull the nuts andthen buy the walnuts from the locals after they were dried. One thingled to another, and we talked to Mr. McCauley there, and Dad bought abig walnut plant to process black walnuts all the way through. He wasnew to it and so was I. He said, "Let's buy a million pounds of blackwalnuts. " I didn't any more know what a million pounds of black walnutswas than I know how many grains of sand is in three or four buckets. Itdidn't take me very long, I think it was 31 days, and I bought 1, 030, 000pounds. That's a whole lot of walnuts in anybody's language. One of the local boys on our radio program came up with the bright ideathat before in Renfro Valley we used to be just half nuts; now we arewalnuts. We started cracking these things along about the 15th of October, andlast Saturday we cracked our last 10, 000 pounds. Our machine is capableof cracking approximately 10, 000 pounds in an 8-hour shift, and we carrythe walnut all the way through to remove any of the field litter that itmay have when it is picked up, and through cleaning air blasts and intoa cracking machine that does darn near all the work. The only thing wehaven't been able to figure out yet is how to get this machine to tell abad kernel from a good one. We have to leave that to some of the girlswho do the work on the picking belts. Our future plan for this fall is to buy a million and a half pounds thisyear and process them. I believe one of these gentlemen a while agomentioned something about the pure food laws. They are pretty rough onus. We have to pasteurize our walnuts. The state law of Kentuckyrequires 190 degrees of heat for an hour and a half. That's a lot ofheat. We package our nuts in two-ounce packages and in 35 and 50-pound cartonsfor the wholesale trade. That has created quite a little industry there in our county. We haveone county there, Clark County--Winchester, Kentucky, is the county seatof it--and out of that one county last year alone I bought 800, 000pounds of walnuts. That was, walnuts in the hull that the farmer hadpicked up and brought to us in trucks. Our success was not too great in this method of hulling green walnuts toget our supply. We weren't adequately fixed up to dry the walnuts andtake care of them in storage. We lost a few of them that way, but Ithink this year we have a little better sense and will let the farmerstomp them out. We are working now on an educational program, both newspaper and radio, to persuade the farmers in our locality to let their walnut trees grow. We tell them nearly all the walnut trees will produce enough kernels orshelled walnuts to bring in as much money as they would if cut down andtaken to the mill and used for saw logs. That is our main problem now, to try to keep the black walnut industry working there in our community. And our future plans call for plantings of black walnut seedlings andconvincing the farmer and the 4-H Club members and all the boys in theFuture Farmers of America and organizations like that to protect andcultivate their black walnut trees. I am kind of on the fence this year. I stuck my neck away out the otherday and bought a farm. After checking the farm I found I had about 600walnut trees. Now, then, I am hollering on one hand for an increase inprices of raw material, and as a sheller I am hollering on the otherhand to get the prices down. But I believe as a producer for next year Iam going to try to forget about the shelling and let the prices go tothe devil. Mr. McDaniel: Would you mind telling us what you had to pay for thewalnuts in the shell? Mr. Mullins: Our average last year was $4. 33. We went as high as $4. 80. Some of those we bought hurriedly-- President Davidson: In the hull? Mr. Mullins: No, that's dry shell. Our walnuts in the hull we paid adollar and a quarter a hundred for, and if we had had good success we'dhave made some money on it at that angle. There is one question I'd like to put before you gentlemen. Maybe someof you know a little something about it. I was reading an article notlong ago in Popular Mechanics Magazine about some plant on the WestCoast that is developing the Vitamin C content of the walnut hullitself. It is very high, the Vitamin C content in the walnut hull. Another thing we did last year. After we hulled all of these walnuts wehad a mess of hulls on hand, and our farmers were a little reluctant tocome and get them. We tried to talk them into using them for fertilizer. They are kind of like some of the boys, they have got to be shown. Theyhave to see somebody else do it before they tackle it. Out of curiosity I laid my garden off and divided it in half, and on onehalf I put a top dressing of these dried-out, pulverized walnut hulls, and I firmly believe that the side that had the walnut hulls on itproduced twice as much. And some of the boys in the neighborhood kind ofnoticed what kind of garden I had, and we don't have any hull problemanymore. They carried them all off. Same way with the shells. We tried to get them to haul the shells off touse them on the fields for tobacco land and to grow blue grass, and theyfound out that was pretty good, so they are bothering us now about ourshells. We have another by-product. It is too small a granule kernel to gothrough, and we can't remove the shell from it. We have tried that outon chickens and hogs and some other farm animals, turkeys, ducks andgeese. One boy that works for me there in the cracking plant had 28hens. He had them in a pen, and he was getting six and eight eggs a day. So I talked him into taking some of these granules home and feeding themto his chickens, and in two weeks his 28 hens were producing 20 to 24eggs a day. That kind of settled that problem, too. Some of the boyskind of got an idea they'd like to have some of that. A lot of you folks are here from the North, and you possibly would begoing back along Highway 25 going home, and I'd like to extend aninvitation now to stop off tomorrow or the next day and look over ourplant. It's quite interesting, quite a complicated piece of machinery. Mr. McCauley at Chicago is the gentleman who designed the machine, andhe will have something to say about it. One of the local farmers came in to see that machine one day, and it wasoperating, just batting the kernels out right and left. He looked up atit, gandered it all over, and I asked him what he thought it was. Hesaid, "It's a damn lie. That thing can't do it. " So come see us. * * * * * President Davidson: Thank you, Mr. Mullins. Next, Marketing Black WalnutKernels. This fits in with what Mr. Mullins has said. Mr. McCauley fromChicago will tell us about it. Mr. McCauley. Marketing Black Walnut Kernels F. J. McCAULEY, McCauley Company, Chicago, Illinois Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen: Tom has got me on the spot here. Icame here to speak to you about the marketing of black walnuts. Machinery is a hobby of mine, and that thing there was just one of thoseoff-shoots of an infertile brain. But Tom is having a lot of trouble, and a lot of fun with it, so if you people would like to see thatmachine, that particular machine, I am glad that he invited you upthere. It may give you a little different idea of what the sheller is upagainst in the salvaging of black walnut kernels. You are interested in growing the black walnuts and other nuts in theshell, but they do have to be prepared for the public, and Tom's job, and other people's that are in the shelling business, is getting themout. The machines are made at Knoxville, Tennessee, and you can get afairly decent idea about the shelling of black walnuts from the machineSmalley has. Tom's is a much larger size. Now we will get down to this thing I came here to talk to you about, themarketing of black walnuts. My speech is divided into three parts; thefirst is about nuts, the second is about nuts and the third is aboutnuts, and I am nuts. Yes, that's more true than you think. My nicknamethroughout the United States is "Nuts" McCauley, and I am proud of it. It is a good nickname to have for a man that's in the nut business. AndI most certainly am in the nut business, machinery on one hand and theselling of various types of nut kernels on the other. You people probably don't know it, but you have the best advertised nutin the United States that you are working with, black walnuts. There arevery few people in the United States that don't know what a black walnutkernel is, or a black walnut. In fact, I would say that 75 per cent ofthem at some time or other have gathered black walnuts, have hulledthem. You know those pretty stained hands you have, and I can rememberback in those days when I was a kid when I used to get those hands ofmine just so brown and black from the hulling of black walnuts that mymother would almost want to turn me over her knee and spank me. But whenwintertime came I always had a bunch of black walnuts that we could sitdown and crack and put in those cookies or in that fudge. I have talked to a good many of you people here, and I have a preparedspeech, but I am going to ramble a little bit and I am going to ask youto ask me questions, because I found out that I don't know so manythings, or the speech that I was going to make to you might not be asinteresting as your asking me questions. I do want to say a few things, and I will go through quickly. The first is the marketing of black walnuts in the shell. We find in themarketing of any product that there is a tremendous amount of waste dueto poor sacking, due to a little dishonesty on the part of the peoplewho are selling merchandise. You know, if there is a brick in a bag, thebrick weighs a pound, that costs the man who buys the black walnutsmoney. In other words, out of that pound of brick he intended to get asmall quantity of meats to sell, so his cost immediately goes up. You'dbe surprised at how many bricks and how much iron there is in blackwalnuts and pecans! It's universal throughout the United States. Thereis a lot of chiseling that goes on. Your bags should be good. Blackwalnuts must be held for some time before they are processed, and oneblack walnut bag used one year can't be used another. If you can get bywith one year's use of a bag to hold a hundred pounds, or whatever isput in it, of black walnuts, you are very fortunate. Usually they breakout before the year is over, and that causes waste. So start out with adecent bag. I made a little note here to talk to you about California black walnuts. The standard throughout the United States to people who actually buyblack walnut kernels is what we call in the brokerage field Easternblack walnuts. That means Kentucky and Tennessee. Those are Easternblacks, they are the blacks with the flavor, the blacks that stand up. From my home state they have Missouri blacks, but the quality isn'tthere. The flavor doesn't hold up. But you people down here grow thefinest blacks in the world. California, yes, California grows and shellsa lot of black walnuts, but they don't have a black walnut flavor. Theflavor is gone. Where it went, I don't know. But there isn't any blackwalnut flavor in California blacks. [A different species, _Juglanshindsi_--Ed. ] So some unscrupulous people buy California blacks and mix them withEastern black walnuts. Then they can't call them Eastern blacks. Theyare just black walnut kernels. But black walnut kernels that are 100 percent Eastern black walnut kernels should be the standard of blackwalnuts through the country. Now, Tom has told you something about the process of shelling. I am justgoing on to say that the average sheller gets about 10 to 11. 7 pounds ofblack walnut kernels to the hundred pounds. So you can realize thereagain what a problem he has. Well, the marketing of black walnuts is the selling of black walnuts inthe shell or shelled. We have very little demand in the Chicago marketsfor in-the-shell black walnuts. I probably sell, oh, maybe 5, 000 poundsa year on South Water Market, and they go out to the various stores, andthey, in turn, sell them to the homes that like to crack black walnutsinstead of buying the kernels. The American public buy with their eyes. Consequently, the packaging ofblack walnut kernels or the packaging of any merchandise is veryimportant. I made a statement this morning that has always beeninteresting to me. You know, Chicago is the biggest candy center in theworld, and we do a lot of experimenting with candy. Now, your industryis tied very closely to candy, because a lot of the black walnuts, hickory nuts, and the like, go into the making of candy. But to prove mypoint, a number of times friends of mine who are interested in the saleof merchandise have taken quality candy and packed it in a common box, and they have taken an inferior quality of candy and packed it in afancy box and set it on the floor and put the same price on bothproducts. The American public, remember, buys with their eyes. So theybuy something that is well dressed and they buy that inferior product, twice or three times as fast as they would that quality product in thecommon box. I am bringing this out to illustrate a point. _Well packagedmerchandise, sightly merchandise, always pays. _ Quality to you peoplewho actually crack black walnuts in your homes is something that willpay dividends. Separate your big kernels. Offer them to the public andthey will pay for them. I was talking to Dr. Jones of Pennsylvania about the sale of blackwalnut halves. He says that he gets a good many of them. Well, thereare throughout these United States of ours a good many very fancystores that will buy merchandise of this type. But the quantity thatanyone gets is very small, so the suggestion that I made to Dr. Jones isthat he take his quarters and mix them with his halves. That's notcheating or anything like it. It is making a product that is superior. And you know they say if a man makes a better mousetrap the world willcome to his door. And that is generally true. Sometimes it takes a longtime to bring it to the American public or to your buyers, to make themrealize that you have a superior product, but that's the thing that ittakes. Now, there are a number of ways they sell blacks in this country. Theysell them in two-ounce cellophane bags, they sell them in six-ouncecellophane, they sell them in eight-ounce cellophane, but the greaterquantity of the blacks are sold in bulk, as Tom told you, in 35- and50-pound cases, and they go to the candy manufacturer, they go to theice cream manufacturer, and chiefly throughout the southern part of theUnited States for ice cream, believe it or not. The Southern States buymore black walnut ice cream than any other division of the UnitedStates. In the Central West, too, black walnuts are quite popular foruse in ice cream. Now, if there is anyone that has any questions, I'd like for you to askthem, and I will try to answer them, I won't promise that I can, aboutthe marketing of black walnuts. * * * * * A Member: What's the retail sale on those cellophane bags? Mr. McCauley: What would be the retail sale price? A Member: Yes. Mr. McCauley: Well, the cellophaning of walnuts is quite an expensiveproposition. We will say right now the kernels are worth 70 cents apound. The cellophaner has to add a dime a pound to that price, so hefigures his cost at 80 cents and the cost of cellophane, and he sellsthat merchandise so that he makes a 15 per cent profit. Let me see if Ican tell you, a two-ounce bag-- Mr. Mullins: It sells for from 18 cents to 25 cents. Mr. McCauley: Yes, 18 cents in the chain stores. An 8-ounce package at A& P in Chicago will sell for 59 or 69 cents. I have forgotten now justwhat it is. I can't keep these prices in my mind, although I will tellyou this now. If any of you ever come to Chicago, I have an experimentalplant in Chicago. If you could remember McCauley, it's "McCauleyCompany, " or "McCauley Machinery Company, " and in that plant I also havea new machine for bagging nuts, cellophane bagging. It makes the bag, fills it and seals it in one operation, and we have operated thatmachine at the rate of 100 bags per minute, 2-ounce or 6-ounce, itdoesn't make any difference. The only trouble is the people couldn'thandle the bags that fast, so we had to cut it down to 58 a minute. It'squite an operation, and at this time it is an experimental operation. But I would be more than pleased to have any of you drop in on me inChicago. If I am not there someone in my organization will be glad toshow you, if you tell them what you came for. I have a "California" walnut, or Persian, as you call it. I was muchsurprised to see all these samples of walnuts down here. I have a walnutshelling plant in Chicago, I do at this time. Maybe when you get thereit will be a pecan shelling plant, or maybe it will be a _Macadamia_ nutplant. How many of you people have ever heard of _Macadamia_ nuts?(Several hands raised. ) More than I thought for. Well, we are working ona plant to shell _Macadamias_ now. Of course, that is a tropical nut, grown chiefly in Hawaii and Australia. The Australian nut is not nearlyas good as the Hawaiian nut. But to those of you who are not familiarwith the nut, I have given it to any number of people and asked fortheir reaction, and some said it tasted like a filbert, others said ittasted like cocoanut, and the third one named was Brazil nut. So it's avery pleasant nut to eat, but very, very expensive. Dr. Moss: I live in Williamsburg in Whitley County not far from you, andwe have no market there for black walnuts at all and got quite a lot ofthem there. I wonder if it would be practical to have a collectioncenter. Mr. Mullins: It certainly would. In the southeastern part of Texas wehave one. Dr. MacDaniels: A question, Mr. McCauley. You said that you are able torecover about 11 per cent in the cracking plant on the average, I thinkyou said 10 to 11. 7 for ordinary run quality. Now, if you had walnutsthat would run 25 to 28 per cent kernel, how much would your processingplants recover out of that, I am just-wondering? Mr. McCauley: Well, I would like to say two per cent less than thehand-cracked weight. In other words, if you had a total, hand-crackingtotal kernel content of 25 per cent, I would like to say 23, but I thinkthat is just a little bit strong. In Tom's early processing of blackwalnut kernels at Renfro Valley his first average was 16 per cent onwild nuts. I don't know where he got those nuts. They must have beenThomas variety. But as he told me today, he is down to 10. 7. Mr. Mullins: Those nuts I talked about, Mac, that ran up that highpercentage were from over in Clark County around Winchester. And I havequite a few of them that I pick-up that are even larger in size thansome of these Thomas nuts that are lying in here, out of that particularlocality. They are very big. Mr. McCauley: You will find that that is true. Your percentage variesover the country. I like to think that the wild seedling black walnuthas a possibility of about 18 pounds in a hundred. I may be wrong. Dr. MacDaniels: Is that loss in the cracking procedure; I mean, that thethings don't crack out? Mr. McCauley:. The loss is in the cracking, but on an 18 poundspossibility we would probably get between 14 and 15 per cent with thisnew method of cracking and processing. Dr. MacDaniels: Now, if you had a nut that would run hand-cracked 24 percent, you lose 2 in your cracking procedure, and you recover 22. Wouldyou pay twice as much for nuts of that quality as you would for commongrade? Mr. McCauley: Yes, I think that I would. If I had assurance that I wasgoing to get 22 per cent kernels I would be very pleased to pay double. It would pay me, if I were shelling, to pay twice as much for thatvariety for the simple reason that I only have one cost of picking. Now, the average cost of picking black walnuts kernels is about 11-1/2 centsa pound. At least, that's the best I have ever been able to do withthem. And if you sold me a walnut that would give me twice as manykernels with one cracking and one picking, I'd make money and I couldpay you twice as much money for that nut. Dr. MacDaniels: What volume would a cracker have to have to make itinteresting? What quantity would have to be produced and offered to acracker to make it interesting? That is, say I have 50 bushels ofThomas. That isn't any good to you, because your cracking plant-- Mr. McCauley: Why wouldn't it? If I had 50 bushels, that is 2500 pounds, right? All right, Tom could run his plant for two hours and a half, wewill say, on 2500 pounds, and in that two hours and a half he would begetting as much kernels as he would otherwise in five hours. That's goodbusiness. Mr. Chase: I'd just like to comment on that 18 per cent kernel youmentioned as the average you'd like to think of. Mr. Zarger has run astudy on the sample trees in the Tennessee Valley to measure the kernelcontent in some 130 trees for about seven years running, and it pans outto about 18 per cent. I thought you'd just like to know. Mr. McCauley: I didn't want to make a definite statement and then havesomebody throw something back in my face. That's why I said I'd like tothink. Mr. Fisher: Since this question has come up and a cracker is here, andthat is the question, whether the commercial cracker would be willing topay a premium price for premium nuts, I wonder if Tom will answer thequestion, would he pay twice as much? Mr. Mullins: Certainly. Mr. Chase: Mr. Acker is another sheller who operates in Morristown, Tennessee, and Broadway, Virginia, who just dropped in on us. I'd liketo ask him that same question. Mr. Acker: What is the question again? Mr. Chase: Would a considerable quantity of walnuts such as Thomas beworth more to you? Mr. Acker: We'd be inclined to buy them according to the value we getout of them. Dr. MacDaniels: What would you do, run sort of a pilot test on them? Mr. Acker: If I can buy something for a dollar and make money on it, Iam willing to try. Mr. Chase: I made a little unscheduled talk last night in which I saidfrom my information from shellers in Nashville, particularly, that theyat this time would not be able to pay any premium price for higherquality nuts simply because they do not have time to examine eachbushel, each hundred pounds that comes in and see whether they would paya special price for better walnuts. Is that the general situation? Mr. McCauley: Yes, I think generally that is. They take everything atthe price of seedling variety. However, you gentlemen who are growingcultivated nuts shouldn't be too disturbed, because of the fact thatthere is going to be a time in the not-too-distant future where you candispose of those nuts according to the kernel content within the nut. President Davidson: I think that's the answer. Eventually it will come. Mr. McCauley: It's good business. Stop and consider. We go right back tothat point where we are going to get twice the amount of merchandise outof a hull which must be broken, which must be picked, which must becleaned, which is one operation. In a two and a half hour period, whichis what it would take, we will say, to run 2500 pounds, you would getthe net content on a Thomas variety that you would ordinarily receive infive hours of actual operation. You are saving two and a half hourslabor, you are saving two and a half hours machine time, and you aregetting just twice as much. Mr. McDaniel: You'd have twice as many girls on the sorting belt, wouldn't you, to examine that volume? Mr. McCauley: No, not necessarily. When it gets to that point it isn'tnecessary. Sometimes the machine gets too far ahead of them, but themachinery is fast getting to a point where it is going to be more orless mechanical. It's an inspection proposition. Mr. Taylor: May I ask you this question? In other branches of farmingyou have what you call seed certification, as with certified potatoes, and people who certify those potatoes. Wouldn't it be possible for thesame Government agency to certify growers of walnuts so that when youbought from certain members of this association they would be certifiedso you would know what you were getting? Would that be possible? Mr. McDaniel: Certification has to do with planting stock. Mr. Taylor: I mean a different type of certification. Mr. McDaniel: What you have in mind probably is U. S. Grades on fruit. For instance, if it is stamped "U. S. 1" it should be considerably betterthan orchard run, and I don't know why it shouldn't be possible for nutsin the shell. It is used in California. Mr. McCauley: It is in peanuts. All peanuts are Government graded, andthat's in the shell. But this black walnut situation is going to take alittle longer than that. But I am sure that there are people in theshelling business who would buy Thomas variety or the other varieties ifyou just go ahead and tell them that's what you have. People are alwayslooking for something better, and I am sure that your cultivatedvarieties are going to be better, but you are going to have to keeptalking them up all the time and getting them to the people who will buythem. President Davidson: Right. We'd all like to go on with this, but we mustreally go on with the program, too. We will next hear something aboutpasteurization. The Production of Bacteria-Free Walnut Kernels will bediscussed by Mr. Pease of West Virginia University. Mr. Pease. Production of Bacteria-Free Walnut Kernels ROGER W. PEASE, Assistant Hillculturist, West Virginia University, Morgantown, West Virginia Mr. Pease: Before I go into any detail about the construction of thepasteurizer, I am going to review the bacillus that causes the troublevery briefly. Most of you will know more about it than I do, but some ofyou may know less. When the farmer takes the hulls from the black walnuts he generallyspreads his hulled crop to dry almost anywhere. Rats will go over them, and these rats or mice infect the hulled walnuts with an organism called_Bacillus coli_ that is on the outside of the shell. They go from thereto the cracking plant, go through the cracker which thoroughly mixes upthe infected nuts with the clean ones. They go from there to theseparator, which does a better job at spreading the bacteria. Then theygo on the market. If they are shipped from one state to another they aresubject to inspection by Federal authorities. If they find thisorganism in the kernels, they may at their discretion heave the wholeshipment into the river. They don't always do it. They haven't workedout yet a definite scheme to follow. In other words, they will not tellus, "If your kernels have a certain number of these _B. Coli_ in them wewill let them by. " As it reads, there should be not one organism there, and I can assure you that's almost impossible to get if a rat hascrawled over those things. Now, to get rid of poison ivy the best way is not to get it, and it'sjust the same with this organism. The place to get rid of it would befor the farmer to store the nuts to dry where the rats and mice cannotget to them and for the cracking plants to do the same. Unfortunately, this isn't done and sometimes isn't practicable. The next place to hitthem would be before they are tumbled, that is, before the black powderon the outside of the shells is shaken off in a tumbler, or immediatelyafter that to disinfect the shell without hurting the kernel. That is where we should have started at West Virginia, but we didn't. Webegan at the other end after the thing was through and began studyingpasteurization. The Government had recommended, I believe, temperaturesof up to 300°F. For pasteurization. We found out right away--that is, Ididn't, Dr. Colmer and Harvey Erickson, who are now--one of them--inBaton Rouge and the other one in Seattle, and they would know about it. They found out that after temperatures of over 300° the nuts tastedtoasted and they would not keep nearly so well or so long as anunpasteurized nut. After inspecting what pasteurizers they could get access to theyconcluded some work was necessary, so they spent 12 months and foundthat at a temperature of 160 and humidity of 80 per cent a moreefficient job of pasteurization was done, and at the same time thekernel was not hurt at all. The taste was identical with anunpasteurized nut, and it would keep just as long. At that point one ofthem, as I say, went to Louisiana and the other went to Washington, andthe research fell on my shoulders, that didn't know much about it. We started to construct the machine. Meanwhile, Mr. Erickson told me hehad developed a new strain of bacteria which was much more hardy and 160degrees at 80% humidity would not kill the thing. So we constructed ourmachine to run a temperature of 180 at 70% humidity for 30 minutes, andthat will kill them. Now, in 15 minutes I can't give you anywhere near all the details ofconstruction of that machine. I can give you a few of the principles. Onthe outside, of course, is a well insulated box. The nuts are fedthrough the top with a revolving drum with fins on it. They comes downto a belt that travels this way for six feet, drops to another, travelsback, a series of five belts. It takes them just half an hour to gothrough. The layer of nuts is perhaps three-eighths of an inch thick. The temperature is kept up with electric coils. It is regulated with athermostat. We had some difficulty with the humidity. Try it and see. As we raisedour temperature it was hard to keep our humidity up. Finally we wentback to the simplest thing, which usually works. We just took a pan ofwater, with a solenoid valve and float such as you have in the modernhot air furnaces and put a magnetic switch on it. As the water boiled ithelped raise the temperature, and it gave off vapors. The automaticswitch and the wet and dry bulb from the thermometer and thermostat willshut the water off and shut the heat off automatically when you get therequired temperature and the required humidity. In that machine ournuts start at the top, take 30 minutes to travel through. From the timethey start at the top until the time they get to the bottom they have astandard temperature of 180° plus the 70% humidity. Then the second problem, if you want to make one, is to get thattemperature standard in all places. I know one man who made one of thesemachines and put four fans in at different places, and when he closed itup and got it to working, the center of his machine was still cold, because your hot air acts differently from free air. We put at thebottom a shelf with a tube in it and a big fan in the middle. The air isdrawn down from the top here, driven through there, hits some bafflesand comes across each belt. In that way it works. Now, if you want, any of you, to get the details of the pasteurizer youcould write to Mr. Erickson, College of Forestry, University ofWashington, Seattle 5, and he who designed it would be very glad, Ibelieve, to help with your problems, or you could write up to ourAgricultural Engineering department, and they would do the same. I will tell you this, that after we drew up the plans, I took the plansto several manufacturers, and the cheapest bid I got was $5, 000 to makeit. We made it ourselves for a little less than $1, 200 not countinglabor. Not that they would have made that much profit, but I tell youthat to show you it's a rather inexpensive machine. On the other hand, you can save considerable money by getting it made up yourselves. I am going to stop with the thing there. If there are a few questionsthat you wish to ask, I will try to answer. * * * * * A Member: What is the name of the bacteria you are killing? Mr. Pease: _Bacillus coli_, that's the chief bacteria, and the othersthat cause the damage are similar to that, and they are always spread bythe rats or the mice. A Member: Do the kernels properly pasteurized show any brownness ofkernel? Mr. Pease: No, they are identical with an unpasteurized kernel at thattemperature. Mr. Korn: I buy kernels at the plant in Nashville, and some of them havebeen toasted. Mr. Pease: They have 350 degrees. Mr. Kays: You mentioned you should have started on the other end a whileago. Could you treat those nuts before they are cracked and do the samething for less money? Mr. Pease: I believe you could. Mr. Kays: The other question I have is how about using ultra-violetlight? Mr. Pease: I have written to a good many authorities, and some of themsay yes and some say no. Mr. Kays: In pecans that is one of the practices. Mr. Pease: I believe you could use it in our present machine. Mr. Stoke: Isn't this heat to remove contamination? After the nuts arecracked is there any examination of the nuts? Mr. Pease: No, there is not. Mr. Stoke: Could there be any possible value in sterilizing the nutbefore it is cracked? Mr. Pease: Yes. You see, the bacteria is on the shell, on the outside. Then when you crack it, it gets on the nut. * * * * * President Davidson: Thank you very much, Mr. Pease. I do hate to cutthese discussions short. You get as much out of them or more, sometimes, than we do otherwise. There is just one thing I'd like to say before wetake a five-minute recess. Mr. Acker is here. He is another man that youmight talk to in addition to talking to Mr. Mullins during the recess. (Recess taken. ) President Davidson: The meeting will come to order. The first thing onthe program is a talk by Dr. Cross, Head of the Department ofHorticulture, Oklahoma A. & M. , Stillwater, Oklahoma, on Pecan Selectionin Oklahoma. Dr. Cross. Pecan Selection in Oklahoma DR. FRANK B. CROSS, Head, Department of Horticulture, Oklahoma A & MCollege, Stillwater, Oklahoma Dr. Cross: Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen: The present status of thepecan industry in Oklahoma is the result of close cooperation betweenthe growers and the experiment station combined with a resource which wehave in that state consisting of thousands of native pecan trees whichmay be quickly and economically changed into producing trees instead ofjust wild forest trees. I am going to utilize my time this afternoon to discuss, first, brieflythe present situation as we find it with reference to pecans inOklahoma, because there is the important phase of nut growing which wefollow in that state. We do grow some walnuts and we have a great manymen interested in walnuts, but far and away our major interest is inpecans. We might divide the work and interest in the state into two phases. First, but of least importance, is that connected with the planting andproduction of varieties. We have a great many men in the state who wishto plant land to pecans, and, of course, in cases like that thevarieties which are available are always selected for planting, andnursery trees, of course, are utilized. The latest phase of that type ofdevelopment is the planting of apple trees for filler trees with theexpectation that the apple trees will be removed after 15 or 20 years, thus leaving the pecan trees at a large size to fully occupy the ground, and in the meantime the apple trees, of course, have produced aprofitable crop. Our growers, however, and the industry in the state are far moreconcerned with the utilization of the native trees. To talk about thesenative trees is almost--well, we might borrow a Texas expression--thesetrees grow both in Oklahoma and Texas--and the Texans say whenever aTexan tries to tell the truth everybody knows he is lying. That's theway everybody knows about some of these native trees. When we think of ahuge, tall tree 20 or so feet in circumference over a hundred years ofage and realize that the white man has occupied that particularterritory for only a little over 50 years, we wonder about the historyof that tree for the first 50 years of its life when wild Indians wereroaming the territory and buffalo were grazing under these trees whichwere getting started. These trees occur along the streams, very seldom out away from thestreams for any considerable distance, as one of the native forest treesand in sufficient number so that when all other trees are removed thestand of pecan trees remaining is in many cases more than adequate tomake a complete stand of pecans for commercial production. So that afterhaving removed the oaks and elms and cottonwoods and willows and theother native trees, we have the opportunity of making a considerableselection of desirable native or seedling trees by observing the type ofnut which each tree produces. We are not, in making this selection, concerned so much with the size ofthe nut produced as we are with the kernel percentage which will beyielded by the nut upon cracking and extracting the kernels and by theease of separation. Within comparatively recent years many cracking andshelling plants have been established throughout the state, and thehistory of the industry I think will record that the establishment ofthese cracking plants in the territory where the pecans are producedwill be a great stimulus to the production of that kind of nuts. I don't know whether I have made the picture clear or not. Throughoutthe eastern part of the state, that part which you in your oldgeographies knew under the name of Indian Territory, and particularlyconcentrated in the middle of the state there are native trees which ifproperly handled, that is, cultivated and sprayed and thinned so thateach tree stands out individually by itself, will produce in payingquantities. On the experiment station we have a half mile of such territory lyingbetween cultivated fields on both sides of a creek which had eroded aconsiderable basin. The area was unsatisfactory for cultivation, and soit was fenced out. Back some years ago the area was cleared of grapevines and other trees, and we have since that time pastured sheep inthis tract of land. It Is narrow, not over three or four hundred feetwide at any place and, of course, varying in width from one end to theother, and the creek meanders along. There really is more than a halfmile of total length. The potential production of that half mile is now, in terms of dollarsand cents, about $2, 500 to $3, 000, and before wheat and cattle attainedtheir present prices that was no mean income for a quarter section ofland. Naturally, with that opportunity prevalent over a great part ofthe state, we in Oklahoma are interested in the production of native orseedling pecans to be sold to the cracker. We feel that the future ofthe pecan industry is undoubtedly headed toward the utilization ofpecans as kernels and not nuts in the shell. Such being the case, we arenot interested particularly in large size. We are interested in kernelyield and in the potential production of each individual tree. There are a great many problems connected with the industry, and we havemore or less taken those into consideration and classified them underinsects and diseases and marketing and harvesting and varieties. I willnot have time to touch upon very many of these. Our harvesting situationis completely chaotic. Within the last two ot three years shakingmachines have been developed, and we are indebted to the West Coastgrowers for these inventions, which are very helpful. Previous to thata, long bamboo pole was used to knock the pecans from the trees, andthen they were picked up off the ground. There are two machines nowwaiting for the present crop to be harvested which are supposed to pickup the nuts by vacuum picking. If the industry can be mechanized in that manner, getting away fromharvesting pecans as we have been harvesting them, it is just likecradling wheat as compared to the present-day 12-foot, self-propelledcombine that cuts the wheat so rapidly. If this mechanization can be putinto effect, then the native seedling territory in Texas and Oklahomawill be able to produce pecans at a price which the market will accept. I don't know whether you know it or not, but the pecan market situationhas apparently reached a condition of saturation. It was very difficultto sell pecans last fall, not because there is over-production, no, butbecause there is under-consumption. There are two things which will remedy the situation. The pecan isunquestionably the finest nut that is produced in the United States. Ifthe people of the North can be acquainted with the pecan, there is noquestion in my mind but that it will be possible to vastly increaseconsumption. The Oklahoma growers and buyers hope to put before thelegislature a proposition to assess a tax of a quarter of a cent orsomething like that per pound, which will be used in an advertisingcampaign to advertise pecans outside of the state, so maybe you folks inNew York and elsewhere, if the campaign is successful, will hear moreabout Oklahoma pecans in the future. Well, these seedling trees--I must get on with my story--are cultivatedand sprayed. We are sometimes accused of producing wild nuts at no cost. This is not the situation distinctly. It costs just as much to producethese native seedling nuts as it does to produce the varieties, theadvantage being that we start with a large tree which is capable ofproducing from 50 to 200 or 300 or even 400 pounds of nuts within fouror five years after the operation is started instead of waiting 20 or 25years to get good commercial production. As I said, a selection is made of the trees at the beginning. Theselection is continued with each succeeding year as the trees growlarger and additional trees are thinned out so that they standeventually a hundred or 150 feet apart, giving to each tree adequateroom. Throughout the state we have a great deal of interest in propagation bytopworking of varieties of pecans. The experiment station made theserious error for 15 or 20 years in the early development of theinterest in the work in centering on the idea of changing these nativesover to varieties. We now are swinging back to a proper evaluation ofthe native nuts, and nobody is satisfied with the present varieties, ourinterest of developing and the exploration and discovery of newvarieties being such that the Northeast Oklahoma Pecan GrowersAssociation arranged two years ago to finance a contest for thediscovery of seedling nuts which could be utilized in that territory andbe more profitable than any variety that we now have. We don't like the Stuart because of its low quality. We don't like theStuart because it doesn't come into production until it reaches aconsiderable age. We just simply will not have the Mahan, because itdoesn't fill. We do not like the Success because it has a tendency toover-bear every other year and does not fill. We cannot use theSquirrel's Delight which for ten years or so we had at the top of ourlist, because a special strain of scab fungus came in and completelywiped them out, and so on throughout the list of varieties that we have. Well, these growers decided to take the matter into their hands and incooperation with the experiment station have been, during the past twoyears, attempting to find some nuts which would be more desirable, and Ithought those of you who are in the walnut exploration work would beinterested in learning how this is worked out. I don't suppose you can see this. It Is an entry blank for the grower. Annual prizes of $50, $25, $15 and $10 are awarded. Ten awards are madeeach year, and the ten winning growers this year will have theirparticular nut automatically entered in a grand prize contest hopingthat some of those nuts will be worth naming, and if any should be worthnaming, after further study, naming and introducing, the grower will beawarded a prize of $1, 000. Four of the Tulsa, Oklahoma, crackers are financing this work by puttingin $75 each annually. The college is cooperating in this respect, andwhen I say the college, I also mean the Extension Division. TheExtension Director is pushing the matter and tells the county agents topay attention to these entry blanks when they come, and get as manygrowers in each county to send in samples as possible. The contest closes on November 25th. Those samples are sent to thecollege, and in three or four days--and those of you in colleges willrecognize the Thanksgiving holiday--in three or four days' time thosenuts are cracked and evaluated and placed. Last year, the second year ofthe contest, there were over 200 entries, and it was no small job tofinish in time to get them on display at the annual meeting and show ofthe Oklahoma Pecan Growers Association in early December. We are not content with the evaluation of the nut. It is just one phaseof successful production to have a nut which is satisfactory forcracking and consumption; unless those trees are free from disease andproductive and otherwise satisfactory we could never think ofintroducing a variety. And so the staff at the college, as soon, as theshow is over, goes out and locates each of these trees individually andputs a tag on it. We visit each of those trees a sufficient number oftimes during the year to properly evaluate the tree. The things that we are looking for, of course, are productiveness, freedom from disease and other characteristics of that type. If, afterfive years of observation, the tree characteristics are satisfactory, then the nut will be certified as worthy of propagation. We are getting some place with this program, as evidenced by the data onlast year's cracking contest. Normal seedling pecans yield about 33 percent kernel to the packing plant. In last year's contest, as I say, there were over 200 entries, and I was just looking to see what the lowwas. I really haven't paid enough attention. The lowest entry apparentlywas about 33 per cent, and the highest entry was 59 per cent kernel. Over 30 of these seedling nuts yielded better than 50 per cent kernel, and that is better than most popular varieties. These nuts are relatively small. The cracker doesn't care how small theyare, he wants a nut that handles well in the cracker, a nut that is theshape of a football. A miniature football is an ideal cracking type ofnut. The cracking docks come together from the ends. We cannot use around nut. About two-thirds of these good nuts which yielded over 50 percent kernel were so round that the machinery in cracking would not placethe docks on the ends, but they were apt to hit anyplace. So they had tobe discounted. It is quite a job to evaluate these nuts. We have been arbitrary aboutit. We haven't developed any scoring system, because there are so manyvariable factors that it seems to be almost impossible to do so. In ourgeneral plan of operation in the state we expect this native groveimprovement program that I described to continue, and as the trees getlarger the growers will topwork sprouts which develop from the treeswhich have been removed so that the thing goes on and on with a constantimprovement in the quality of the nut. We also have many, many acres of nuts being propagated by topworking tovarieties rather than by letting the seedling continue to produce. Thatis the reason why we are so much interested in getting a better type ofpecan. One man who makes it a commercial practice puts on thousands of scionsevery year. We in Oklahoma can't understand why you all seem to have somuch trouble propagating nut trees. It is just as easy to propagatepecans and walnuts--not quite as easy--as apples, but then it isn't toodifficult. I think it is the attitude and frame of mind in which you goabout it. Thank you very much, I appreciate the time. * * * * * President Davidson: Thank you. Now, then, Mr. Magill of the Universityof Kentucky, will give us "A Planned Program for Improving the PecanIndustry in Southwestern Kentucky. " A Pecan Improvement Program for Southwestern Kentucky W. W. MAGILL, Extension Horticulturist, University of Kentucky The production and marketing of seedling pecans in extreme southwesternKentucky has been of major importance for many years. This industry naturally extends into northwestern Tennessee and parts ofMissouri directly across the state line in the Mississippi River bottom. It might be said that this industry was developed by nature, because inthe Mississippi River bottoms we find seedling pecan trees whichundoubtedly are more than 100 years old. Some native seedling pecantrees in this area are five feet or more in diameter; some have a spreadof branches covering a radius of 60 feet, and are more than 100 feet inheight. This industry took on considerable momentum about seven years ago when agroup of local business men at Hickman, the county seat of FultonCounty, developed a cracking plant known as the Roper Pecan Company. They now have thirty modern cracking machines, with sorting belts, grading machines, and other complete equipment, so that they are in aposition to receive and process a large tonnage of native seedlingpecans, merchandise the kernels and other by-products and, therefore, are able to purchase a large quantity of seedling nuts and operate theirplant for eight months each year. Not having sufficient local nuts("Kentucky Kernels") to take care of their business, they also buy notonly Kentucky nuts but also from Tennessee, Missouri, Illinois, andArkansas. +Young Native Trees Top-Grafted+ Realizing that this industry is here to stay and that many farmers ofthat district have many young seedling pecans growing on their farms, the Kentucky Agricultural Extension Service, cooperating with some ofthe leading farmers of the district, has launched a program oftop-working these native seedling pecans with some of the known, improved varieties that have a reputation for producing good yields ofhigh quality nuts. The beginning of this top-grafting program was inlate April of 1948, when some 200 trees were top-worked mostly on thefarm of the late Roscoe Stone, a farmer in this area who hadconsiderable land holdings. It is highly pleasing to our Extensionworkers to observe what we think is an outstanding success in this firstyear of development, for we find that over 90% of the five to ten yearold trees that were top-grafted have developed a new growth from thespring grafting, to the extent of from two to eight feet of new growth. John Watts, County Farm Agent of Fulton County, who pioneered this pecanimprovement development, tells me that we already have requests fortop-working over 500 other trees in this area for the spring of 1949. +Northern Varieties Preferred+ The best information available was sought from such pecan authorities asFord Wilkinson of Rockport, Indiana, Dr. A. S. Colby, chief in nutculture, Horticulture Department of the University of Illinois, BobEndicott of Villa Ridge, Illinois, and others. They are of the opinionthat this southwestern Kentucky area approaches the northern limit ofsuccessful production of known southern varieties of pecans, and thatour success in our pecan grafting program can best be assured bytop-working to the hardy northern varieties of pecans such as the Major, Greenriver, Niblack, Giles, Goforth, and others. Thanks to our pioneers of this generation who located some outstandingseedling pecans in the Ohio Valley, such trees as the original Major, Greenriver, and others have proved their worth as hardy northern pecansand they have been used for propagating purposes rather than beingdestroyed by farm hands who burned piles of debris left by high wateraround many of these early trees. +Some Superior Local Nuts+ We are of the opinion that other seedling varieties are now growing inthis Reelfoot Lake area, maybe in Kentucky, maybe in Tennessee, oracross the line in Missouri, that are equally as good pecans, and, wehope, better, than the already named seedlings which have been mentionedabove. During early August it was my pleasure to spend a day in the Hickmanbottoms with County Agent Watts and Mr. Ernest Fields, manager of thelocal nut cracking factory, together with Mr. C. B. Toombs, of Hickman, at which time we inspected a number of recognized successful nativepecan groves. Mr. Toombs knows that whole area and is familiar with thepecan trees of outstanding quality and yield history, just as you and Iknew where every tree stood in the old home apple orchard or that ofgrandfather, where as boys we made frequent trips to get a pocketful ofthose outstanding local variety apples. Mr. Toombs pointed out to me a tree on his own farm that he said bears acrop every year of from 300 to 400 pounds of nuts. In his own languagehe described the tree in detail but the thing which impressed me was thefact that he had developed standing orders for private sales toindividuals from the crops of this one tree each year because they areof outstanding value. He showed us another tree on a neighbor's farm, one which produced 700 pounds of nuts one year; another tree on whichthe nuts were ready to harvest a month ahead of the nuts from otherpecan trees in that region. (Mr. Wilkinson, it strikes me thatpropagation from this early maturing tree might well find a placeseveral miles north of the Mason-Dixon Line where normal fall frostsoften injure the crops. ) We are of the opinion that with organized effort we can locate theseoutstanding individual trees, get enough scion wood from them and put itin the hands of a good pecan grower, and in a few years developsufficient grafting wood so that we can top-work thousands of theseyoung native trees in the district, thereby increasing not only thenumber of pounds produced per tree, but have a volume of production ofthe very best quality of nuts. They tell me that one of the trees Iobserved has a cracking percentage of above 60 as compared to many ofthe native seedlings which have a cracking percentage of only 20-30 ofnut kernels. +First Annual Nut Show in 1948+ In an effort to locate these outstanding seedling trees in an organizedway, our Kentucky Extension Service, cooperating with the Fulton CountyFarm Bureau, local civic organizations, the local nut cracking plant, and the Northern Nut Growers Association, through its secretary, Mr. J. C. McDaniel, has made plans for a nut show to be held at the countycourt house in Hickman, Kentucky, in early December of 1948. The featureof the show with be the cash prizes offered for the best seedlingpecans. We request that the owners give us a history of the trees, theage, regularity in bearing, etc. , with the nut show management reservingthe right to cut a few sticks of grafting wood from the winning trees. Prizes will also be offered for hickory and walnut seedling trees. Aneducational program is also planned in connection with the day's show, and it will include a visit to the farm of the late Roscoe Stone, wherea top-working program was started last spring, as well as a visit to thelocal nut cracking firm. This nut show is set up to become an annualaffair, and we feel that the sky is the limit for the good that can comeout of such an organized program as it affects the pecan industry inthat area. There are thousands of acres of excellent pecan land in thissouthwestern Kentucky area, that can be profitably developed into pecangroves. The land is deep, very fertile, and is already well suppliedwith moisture. We cannot question its being a natural home for pecanproduction, for nature proved this point to the public two generationsago. * * * * * PRESIDENT DAVIDSON: Pecan Culture in South Carolina by Mr. A. M. Musser, Head of the Department of Horticulture at Clemson Agricultural Collegeis next. Mr. Senn will read the paper because Mr. Musser is not able tobe here. Pecan Production in South Carolina T. L. SENN, Assistant Professor of Horticulture, Clemson, South Carolina In the southern colonies on the Atlantic coast, the pecan was firstdescribed by Thomas Walter in his publication "_Flora Caroliniana_" in1787. He was an Englishman who had a plantation in St. John's Parish onthe Santee River, South Carolina, where he made an extensive collectionof southern plants. After describing the tree, evidently a nurseryspecimen, he ended with the words, "The fruit I have never seen. " It isknown now that the native range of pecan did not extend to the presentstate of South Carolina. One of the first large pecan plantings in thestate dates back to 1890; This was a seedling planting of 1000 treesmade by John S. Horlbock at Charleston. Some of these trees are stillproducing. The planting never proved profitable and has changedownership several times. There are several small plantings of black walnuts, Chinese chestnuts, and Persian walnuts in various parts of the state. Persian walnuts dowell in the Piedmont soil region and in 1947 the trees there had a goodcrop. +Commercial Pecan Plantings+ The pecan, is one of the most popular tree nuts and is the only onegrown on a commercial scale in South Carolina. Pecans are grown in everycounty, although there is a comparatively small number of trees in mostof the Piedmont and Mountain counties, and several counties in the lowerCoastal Plain. Orangeburg County, with the largest number, had 27, 528. Pickens County, with the fewest trees, had 801. The total for the statewas reported as 227, 027 trees. Pecans are an important money crop of the state. During the last fiveyears the production of pecans has averaged three million pounds, whichbrought farmers a yearly average of $500, 000. The average yield per treeof bearing age in 1947 was only about 7 pounds, or 100 pounds per acre. Eighteen cents was the average price received for improved varieties, and twelve cents for seedlings, during the ten-year period 1935-1944. With these prices and yields per bearing tree, it is easily seen thatthere is plenty of room for improvement, for the production of pecans inSouth Carolina by the average grower has not been very profitable duringthe past nine or ten years. South Carolina has ranked fifth or sixth inthe production of pecans of improved varieties during the past severalyears. While production from year to year has been up and down, thegeneral trend is up. There are two general classes of pecan trees grown in South Carolina:seedlings and named or improved varieties. The average crop figures overthe ten-year period 1933 to 1942, show that six times as many nuts ofimproved varieties were produced as of seedlings. South Carolinaproduces about 6% of the pecan nuts of improved varieties in the UnitedStates and less than 1% of the seedlings. The seedling trees are for themost part given very little attention, receiving neither fertilizers norsprays. They produce nuts of miscellaneous size, shape, and quality, andare usually smaller than the improved varieties. The cost of productionof seedling pecans is small for they are usually grown in back yards, inchicken ranges, and in pastures. There are a number of pecan varieties that are adapted to and grown inSouth Carolina. The most popular varieties are Schley, Stuart, Successand Moneymaker. A number of other varieties, including Teche, Frotscher, Mahan, Pabst, Delmas, Van Deman, and Moore are grown in some sections. Schley is very susceptible to scab and should not be planted if a sprayprogram is not carried out. Moneymaker, Stuart, and Success are not sovery susceptible to scab and are satisfactory where a complete sprayprogram is not used. Some years ago several growers in one countyordered Stuart trees and these trees, now bearing, turned out to beTeche, so there is some uncertainty as to the variety names in somesections. The planting distance varies considerably, depending somewhat uponfertility of soil and length of growing season. Most of the plantingsare too close, having as many as 20 or more trees per acre. Because ofthe longer growing season in the lower half of the state, trees grownthere will be larger at a given age than those grown in the Piedmontsection. +Cultivation Methods+ Intercrops or cover crops are usually grown to increase the income ofthe farm. Cultivation programs vary according to the intercrop grown. Pecan trees are grown on various types of soil, which also vary greatlyin their fertility. Different fertilizers are recommended for thesevarying conditions. Fertilizer is usually applied late in February orearly in March, several weeks prior to the swelling of the buds. Theexact time of application varies according to the area in the state inwhich the trees are grown. Many of the soils of the state are probablytoo acid for best growth of pecans and the necessary winter cover cropsthat should be grown in the plantings. In some soils that have beenlimed, or where the soil pH is 7. 0 or approximately so, the applicationof zinc, to the soil has not eliminated rosette. Few such conditionsexist in South Carolina, but where these conditions do prevail, zinctreatment is being tried in the form of sprays, using commercial spraymaterials. Unfavorable weather at blooming time often prevents pollination. Instances of cross-incompatability occurring between the varieties grownin this state are practically unknown. Late spring frosts sometimes killthe male or female flowers or both. The pecan in South Carolina is subject to attack by numerous insects anddiseases, just as it is in other places. Scab is the worst offender. Several species of borers are found attacking the trunks, the twiggirdler severing the tips of twigs, the shuck worm and case-beareraffecting the husk, and the pecan weevil affecting the nuts. Many of thetrees growing in South Carolina are not planted in sufficiently largegroves to justify the expenditure necessary for spray equipment. Contract spraying has been done to some extent and has possibilities inSouth Carolina. Where the number of trees is small this will be the onlyway in which growers can afford to obtain the use of high pressureequipment. +Marketing Conditions+ South Carolina Circular 301 gives the following account of the pecanmarketing situation in South Carolina. "Most of the pecans in this stateare sold in small lots. The assembling at a number of locations ofthese small lots into lots large enough to make handling economical hasbeen a great problem. It is believed that three auction markets properlylocated in the state would be the most satisfactory marketingarrangement. If each of these markets would have one sales day per weekso that buyers could attend sales at each place, the cost of marketingcould be greatly reduced. " There are nine companies in five countiesthat handle pecans. This is a rather brief discussion relating facts about the pecanindustry in South Carolina, and most of the figures given are averagefigures. Those plantings receiving good cultural practices give moresatisfactory returns. The pecans enterprise can be made a profitable oneif the grower will carry out a complete program to overcome the problemsof fertilization and control of diseases and insects and not just leavethe trees to fight the battle alone. +References+ Rawl, E. H. And Nettles, W. C. --Pecan Production, S. C. Circ. 183, 1940. Musser, A. M. , et al--Pecan Production and Marketing in S. C. , S. C. Circ. 301, 1947. * * * * * President Davidson: Thank you, Mr. Senn. I think this program is justtops. I don't know how you feel, but I think it is a wonderful program. The Storage of Shelled Pecans will be told to us by Professor Harris ofthe Department of Horticulture of Alabama Polytechnic Institute ofAuburn, Alabama. Professor Harris. Preservation of Shelled Pecans by Drying and Hermetically Sealing HUBERT HARRIS, Associate Horticulturist, Alabama AgriculturalExperiment, Station. Without some special treatment, storage life of pecans at ordinarytemperatures is rather short. Nuts held in common storage from fallharvest show noticeable flavor losses by spring. Staleness and rancidityare likely to follow as summer weather approaches. These facts emphasize the need of a better method that might be usedboth commercially and in the home for preserving the pecan over a longperiod at common storage temperatures. A satisfactory method might beused not only for preserving nuts for year-round use, but for carryingthem over from heavy crop years to light crop years. This report presents the results of experiments conducted at the AlabamaAgricultural Experiment Station on methods of preserving pecans. +Storage Troubles+ Some of the common pecan storage troubles are staleness, rancidity, color changes, molding, and insect injury. Molding occurs only when theproduct is stored in a moist atmosphere at ordinary temperatures. Insectinfestation usually results when the shelled kernels are held inunsealed containers under ordinary storage conditions. Ranciditydevelops during the summer months when the product is stored by common, methods at ordinary temperatures. Rancidity is probably the most common of pecan storage troubles; it hasbeen considered the most difficult to control. Rancidity is usuallypreceded by general loss of flavor followed by staleness of kernels. Color gradually becomes darker as the typical rancid condition develops. These changes are associated with and caused by certain chemicalreactions that progress at a slow rate. The oils and fats are slowlyoxidized to aldehydes, ketones, and other chemical compounds (10), whichcause the undesirable aromas and flavors characteristic of the rancidcondition. +Review of Previous Work+ The period during which pecans will remain free of rancidity and otherforms of spoilage varies considerably with storage conditions and otherfactors. Common storage periods ranging from 3 to 12 months have beenreported. Wright (10) placed the common storage life at 3 to 5 months. Blackmon (1) suggested 6 months as the maximum period. Medlock (11) wasable to keep them in edible condition for periods up to 12 months. Thewide ranges of time as observed by the different investigators are due, no doubt, to storage conditions, variety, quality of the nuts, andseasonal variations. Cold storage was effective in preserving pecans for periods up to 2-1/2years. Wright (10) reported effective periods of 13 to 30 months, andMedlock (11) was able to keep them for more than 2 years. Shelled pecansdid not keep as long either in common or cold storage as the unshellednuts. +Methods and Procedures+ Results of preliminary tests made at the Alabama Station in 1937indicated that pecans kernels might be kept at common temperatures bydrying them in an oven and storing in sealed containers, which preventsabsorption of moisture from the air. Since storage tests reported byother workers did not include studies of the relationship of moisturecontent of kernels to their storage life, it was felt that this phase ofthe problem should be investigated. Preliminary tests were made to determine suitable temperatures andperiods for the drying process. Temperatures of 200 to 225°F proved tobe most satisfactory. These temperatures dried the kernels quite rapidlywithout appreciable scorching or discoloration. The drying period wasvaried to give desired moisture contents for the various treatments. Four methods of sealing the jars were used in the experiments. They werethe "cold seal, " "steam seal, " "hot seal, " and "vacuum seal. " The cold seal was accomplished by placing cool kernels in cool jars andsealing without special treatment. By the steam seal, air was exhausted from the jars with a small blast ofsteam and the jars sealed immediately. Condensation of the steamresulted in a partial vacuum in the jars and a slight increase inmoisture content of the kernels. By the hot seal, hot kernels were transferred directly from the ovenpans to clean, dry, hot jars, and sealed immediately. Contraction of theair as the jars cooled resulted in a partial vacuum. The vacuum seals were made in clamp-top fruit jars by means of a homepressure cooker. Filled jars, with covers partially clamped, were placedin the cooker. The cooker cover was lubricated at the sealing surfaceand screwed down tightly. The pressure gauge in the top of the cookerwas replaced with a vacuum gauge. The needle valve was removed. Anaspirator was attached to the water faucet and connected to the needlevalve opening by means of a vacuum hose. After the desired vacuum hadbeen pulled on the cooker, the vacuum hose was removed from the needlevalve fitting thus permitting air to rush back into the cooker. Thesudden change in pressure automatically sealed the jars. +Presentation of Data+ Preliminary studies were made to determine the effect of temperature andtime of drying on moisture content, color, and toasting of kernels. Results of these studies are given in Table I. TABLE I. --Effect of Temperature and Time of Drying on Moisture Content, Color, and Toasting of Pecan Kernels. ================================================= Oven Time in Moisture Change temperature oven in in Degree of kernels color[25] toasting Minutes Per cent 0 3. 7 0. 0 0 20 2. 6 0. 5 0 30 1. 4 1 1 37 1. 2 2 2 225°F 44 1. 0 3 4 51 0. 5 6 8 58 0. 3 8 10 65 0. 2 8 10 72 0. 1 9 10 ------------------------------------------------- 10 3. 2 20 3. 1 203°F 30 2. 9 41 2. 4 50 2. 2 60 1. 9 ================================================= [Footnote 25: The numbers 0 to 10 indicate varying amounts of change incolor or degree of toasting: 0 represents normal color and/or notoasting. 10 represents considerable intensification of color and/ordevelopment of typical flavor of toasted kernels. ] The first series of the processing and storage tests was started inDecember, 1939. The treatments together with results are given in TableII. The different samples were dried in an electric oven at 225°F tomoisture contents ranging from 0. 1 to 3. 4 per cent. They were sealed inglass jars, both with and without vacuum, and stored in a dark room atordinary temperatures. Those dried to 2. 9 per cent moisture or less werestill good after 2 years in storage, whereas those with higher moisturecontent were rancid after one year in storage. Samples dried toapproximately 2 per cent moisture were still good September 1, 1948, which was almost 9 years after processing and storing. The color waspreserved somewhat better by vacuum sealing. However, the quality ofair-sealed samples was practically as good as those that were vacuumsealed. These tests did not show how long kernels might have been keptby drying and storing in unsealed containers. Table II. --The Effect of Different Amounts of Drying and DifferentMethods of Sealing on the Storage Qualities of Pecan Kernels (Tests madeat Auburn, beginning December, 1939. ) ========================================= Per cent No. Min. Moisture Methods of Sample in oven in dry sealing [28] No. 225°F kernels Cold-seal (a) 1 0 8. 4 Hot seal (b) 2 20 2. 9 3 30 1. 6 4 44 1. 0 5 51 0. 7 Steam-seal (c) 6 0 3. 4 7 50 0. 2 8 60 0. 16 9 65 0. 10 Vacuum-seal (d) 10 0 3. 4 11 20 2. 7 12 30 1. 0 ========================================= ===================================================================== When canned After 12 mo. After 24 mo. ______________ _______________ _____________ Methods of Sample sealing [28] No. Color Flavor Color Flavor Color Flavor [26] [27] [26] [27] [26] [27] Cold-seal (a) 1 1 Excellent 2 Medium 3 Medium Hot seal (b) 2 1 Excellent 2 good 3 Very good 3 2 Very good, 2 Very Good, 3 Good, slightly dry slightly dry slightly dry 4 2 Excellent, 3 Very good, 3 Very good, slightly slightly slightly toasted toasted toasted 5 2 Excellent, 2 Very good 2 Very good toasted toasted toasted Steam-seal (c) 6 1 Excellent 2 Fair 2 Fair 7 3 Excellent, 3 Very good, 3 Very good, toasted toasted toasted 8 3 Excellent, 3 Good, 3 Good, toasted toasted toasted 9 4 Excellent 4 Good, 5 Good, toasted toasted toasted Vacuum-seal (d) 10 1 Excellent 1 Very good 1 Good, slightly flat 11 1 Excellent 1 Very good 1 Good, slightly flat 12 2 Very good, 2 Very good, 2 Medium, slightly dry slightly dry slightly flat ======================================================================= [Footnote 26: Color ratings: Nos. 1 to 5 represent different amounts of discoloration. 1 = Normal bright yellow color of fresh kernels. 5 = Normal brown color of aged kernels. ] [Footnote 27: Flavor ratings: fair means scarcely edible. ] [Footnote 28: Methods of sealing: (a) sealed without heating; (b) hot kernels immediately transferred from oven pans to dry, hot jars and sealed; (c) air exhausted from jars with steam and sealed immediately; (d) sealed under vacuum by method described under "Procedures. "] Table III. --Effect of Moisture Content, Container, and Sealing on Storage Quality of Schley Pecan Kernels--1940. ================================================================ Moisture content Flavor ________________ ________________________________ When[29] After 6 After 8 After 12 After 18 stored months months months months Covered 6. 00 7. 00 Not edible Not edible Not edible unsealed 4. 43 6. 85 Not edible Not edible Not edible ice cream 3. 50 6. 75 Not edible Not edible Not edible cartons 1. 71 6. 80 Not edible Not edible Not edible ________________________________________________________________ Covered 6. 00 10. 45[30] Not edible Not edible Not edible unsealed 4. 43 6. 70 Rancid Not edible Not edible glass 3. 50 5. 00 Fair Not edible Not edible jars 1. 71 4. 50 Good Fair Not edible ________________________________________________________________ 6. 00 6. 15 Rancid Not edible Not edible Sealed 4. 43 4. 70 Fair Not edible Not edible glass 3. 50 3. 30 Good Good Rancid jars 1. 71 1. 85 Very good Very good Very good ================================================================ [Footnote 29: The cured pecan kernels had a moisture content of 4. 43 at the time the tests were made. Samples with moisture contents below 4. 43 per cent were oven dried at 200°F for periods necessary to reach the respective moisture levels. Samples with moisture contents above 4. 43 were treated in steam to obtain the desired amount of moisture. ] [Footnote 30: Excessive increase in moisture content resulted in heavy molding of product. ] A second series of processing and storage tests was started in December, 1940. These studies included tests of effect of moisture content, type of container, and sealing on storage qualities of Schley pecan kernels. Table III shows a portion of these tests together with the results obtained. It is pointed out that unsealed samples regained moisture and became rancid within 8 months in storage. +Summary+ Results from the foregoing experiments show that pecan kernels can bekept for nine years by drying them to about 2 per cent moisture andstoring them in sealed containers. The best results were obtained bydrying the kernels in an oven for about 50 minutes at 200°F. The exactlength of the drying period may vary somewhat with the moisture contentof the undried kernels and the quantity of kernels dried at one time. The temperature of the oven could probably be reduced without affectingthe drying time by using a fan for circulating the air in the oven. This method will preserve the fresh qualities of pecans for a muchlonger time and equally as well as such common methods as freezing andcanning preserve fresh qualities of other foods. It is felt that theprocess offers a practical and effective method that might well be usedin the home as well as in commercial plants for preserving shelledpecans for year-round use and/or for carrying over surpluses from aheavy crop year to supplement the light crops that usually follow. +Literature Cited+ 1. Blackmon, G. H. , 1927, Pecan Growing in Florida. Florida AgriculturalExperiment Station, Bulletin 191: 86. 2. Kirkpatrick, S. M. , 1924. The Pecan. Alabama Pecan Growers'Association, Proceedings, May, 1924, P. 10. 3. The Encyclopedia Americana. Volume XXI: 461. 4. Bailey, I. H. , and Bailey, E. Z. , Hortus. Second Edition: 542. 5. The Encyclopedia Britannica, Volume XVI: 647. 6. Skinner, J. J. ; Fowler, E. D. ; and Alben, A. O. : 1928, Pecan Soils ofthe Gulf and Southeastern States and Maintenance of their Fertility, USDA Circular 492: 1. 7. United States Agricultural Statistics for 1941: 279. 8. Davis, P. O. , 1924, Some Facts About the Pecan. Alabama PecanGrowers' Association Proceedings, May, 1924: 9. 9. Salmon, W. D. , 1924, Nutritive Value of the Pecan. Alabama PecanGrowers' Association Proceedings, May, 1924: 38-40 10. Wright, R. C. , 1941, Investigations on the Storage of Nuts, USDATechnical Bulletin No. 770: 1-35. 11. Medlock, O. C. 1931, Pecan Storage, Alabama Agricultural ExperimentStation Annual Report, Volume XLII: 50-51. 12. Blackmon, G. H. , 1932. Cold Storage of Pecans. Florida AgriculturalExperiment Station Annual Report, 1932: 102-105. 13. Smith, C. L. ; Thor, C. J. B. ; and Romberg, L. D. ; 1933, Effect ofStorage Conditions on the Germination of Seed Pecans. Texas PecanGrowers' Association Proceedings 13: 68-71. 14. Harris, Hubert, 1937, Preservation of Pecan Kernels. DepartmentAnnual Report of the Department of Horticulture and Forestry, AlabamaExperiment Station, 1937. (Unpublished). * * * * * President Davidson: I wonder, Professor Harris, whether those methodscould be applied to other nuts in addition to pecans. Would your methodswith the pecan be adaptable to other nuts or kernels? Prof. Harris: I have not tried other nuts, but I have thought quite abit about the black walnut, and I would like to run some experiments. Itseems to me that it would be adaptable to other nuts which haveconstituents similar to the pecan such as black walnut, and perhapspeanuts. We intend to work some on the peanuts down there. Now, ofcourse, in the case of the chestnut we more or less checked it out onthat, because when you dry the chestnut down to low moisture content youhave a hard product that is not palatable and is quite undesirable. President Davidson: Now comes the follow-up studies on the 1946 Ohioblack walnut prize winners. Mr. L. Walter Sherman has prepared somethingon that matter but Mr. Sterling Smith, I believe, is going to read thatto us. Follow-Up Studies on the 1946 Ohio Black Walnut Prize Winners L. WALTER SHERMAN, Mahoning County Experiment Farm, Canfield, Ohio In 1946 a black walnut contest was conducted in Ohio that brought outroughly 800 samples of nuts from all sections of the state. Judging onthe characters of the nuts only, there were ten selected as prizewinners. Notice that I say on nut characters only. In 1950 a grand prize is to begiven to the tree selected from these ten trees that has been theoutstanding performer for the five year period. We want to know moreabout these trees. Do they produce regularly? Do the nuts fill well eachyear? Are the trees young or old? On what kind of soil are they located?Just what are the factors that cause them to produce such superior nuts? In order to try to answer some of this type of questions each of the tentrees was visited in 1947 and a careful survey of each was made. Thiswas done in August, at which time the crop prospects for 1947 could benoted. Mimeographed blanks such as the following were used to record thedesired data. Tree Name Latitude ____________ Name of Owner ______________________ Address _____________ County _______________ State __________ State Route ______ Telephone ___________________ TREE Isolated [] ; moderately crowded [] ; dense woods [] LOCATION Types of trees in vicinity _____________________ Air drainage ___________________________________ Level [] ; Slope [] ; Direction of slope ______ TREE SIZE Circumference 4-1/2 feet from ground ___________ AND SHAPE Probable age ____ ; limb spread [] ; tall [] ; short [] ; open-branched [] ; symmetrical [] ; irregular [] ; SOIL Sod [] ; plowland [] ; bottom [] ; upland [] ; hillside [] ; CONDITIONS clay [] ; alluvial [] ; loam [] ; sandy [] ; pH [] ; Distance to subsoil ______ ; kind of subsoil ________ Humus [] ; lack of humus [] . DRAINAGE Nearness to spring [] ; tile drain [] ; well [] ; lake [] ; stream [] . FERTILITY Fertilized [] ; manure [] ; commercial fertilizer [] ; lime [] ; not fertilized [] . PERFORMANCE CHART Resistance to disease and insects: Blight______; Witches' Broom______; Caterpillars______; 1947 1948 1949 1950 1947 1948 1949 1950 Bearing: G F S F Good; Fair; Scattering; Failure. 1947 1948 1949 1950 Season: Date of leafing out Male: Date of blossoming Female: Date of blossoming Date of ripening Date of killing frost Last in spring; first in fall Rate of growth Moisture; Rainy, dry, average Clusters: Size 1947 1948 1949 1950 Range in number of nuts per cluster Production: Size of crop in proportion to size of tree 1947 1948 1949 1950 Percentage of unfilled nuts: 1947 1948 1949 1950 R*H --------------------crop pounds * R = 1/2 limb spread. * H = height; lowest branch to top. In addition to these data, photographs, both in black and white, and incolor, were taken of the trees and often of the surroundings, and a mapmade so that the trees can be located in the future by any one wishingto do so. For examination by any one wishing to do so, there are on thesecretary's desk copies of the case histories, as written up, of thefirst and second prize winners, the Duke and the Burson. A careful study of these ten trees has not revealed any single factorthat can be pointed to as essential to the production of a superiorwalnut variety. They were found on good and on poor soils, on good andpoor sites, in soils of a wide range of pH values from very acid toalkaline in reaction. Most of the trees were located in the southernpart of the state at 39° to 40° North Latitude, but it is hard toimagine that the latitude has any specific effect on the superiorqualities of the nuts. In all cases where the trees were now standing in impoverished soils, low in humus, fertility, and in pH value, it was quite evident that thesoil was probably in far better condition when the trees got their startfifty to a hundred or more years ago. +Winter Killing 1947-1948+ In 1947 scions of six of these prize winning trees were successfullygrafted into established ten year old black walnut seedling trees at theMahoning County Experiment Farm at Canfield, Ohio, location 41° northlatitude. The scions grew nicely in 1947 but all were winter killedduring the winter of 1947-1948 with the exception of one scion of Kuhnand one of Davidson. Two scions of Duke, two of Kuhn, one of Athens, oneof Orth, seven of Jackson perished during the first winter aftergrafting. This severe killing of 1947-48 apparently indicates thatwinter injury to these varieties may be expected some years when theyare planted under conditions similar to those at the Mahoning CountyExperiment Farm. The one scion of the Davidson variety came through infine shape, so this would be the exception. The winter of 1947-48 was unusual in the severity of the winter injuryto the black walnut trees at the Mahoning County Experiment Farm. Twoten year old Stabler trees and a ten year old Jansen tree killed back tothe ground level, and one year old growth of Cowle, Havice, Jansen, Murphy, Mohican, Ohio, Stambaugh, Twin Lakes, and Lisbon was badlydamaged although not always completely killed. +Winter Killing of Bench Grafts+ Bench grafts that were still in the hot bed and were not transplanted tonursery rows until spring of 1948 fared much better than the graftsgrowing in the established trees. As they had no winter protection butthe side walls of the hot bed it is a little hard to see why they faredso much better. One bench graft of the Duke, two of Burson, four of Kuhn, two ofDavidson, three of Orth, two of Williamson, two of Penn, and six ofJackson all came through in good shape. Indications certainly point to the conclusion that the prize winningvarieties of the Ohio 1946 contest are adapted to the southern part ofthe state rather than to the northern part. The Davidson is a possibleexception to this. Mr. Smith: I asked Mr. Silvis why Mr. Sherman wasn't here, and he saidhe wasn't able to come because he was doing the same type of work thisyear, and it is very evidently the reason why he wasn't at the lastmeeting because he was preparing this work. Instead of coming andenjoying the convention, he stays home and does work that helps theAssociation, so I think the Association is very much indebted to him. President Davidson: I think that is true. That makes it possible for us to close in good time. I think thisprogram is tops. I think it is by far the best program I remember. Mr. McDaniel: Let's give Mr. Chase, the Program Chairman, a big hand. (Applause. ) President Davidson: We will now adjourn. (Whereupon, at 4:30 o'clock, p. M. The meeting was adjourned toreconvene for business session after the banquet. ) * * * * * +Tuesday Evening Business Session+ President Davidson: There is a little business that remains to be done. In order to let Mr. Slate get away, we'd like to have a report of theCommittee on Place of Meeting. Mr. Slate: The committee consisting of Royal Oakes, myself and twoothers, conferred with each other. We have considered the matter of ameeting place for next year, and we think, and those we have talked withthink, that perhaps Beltsville would be the best place. It does not seemfeasible to have a meeting in the Middle West. The New York City regionwill probably be better for us a year later. The other good places wehave visited rather recently. So we are recommending that the place ofmeeting be Beltsville. Do you wish to consider the time of meeting now, or will we vote on theplace? President Davidson: Let's act on that now. First, may I have a motion? A Member: I will move we hold our next convention at Beltsville, Maryland. (The motion was seconded, vote taken and motion carried unanimously. ) President Davidson: Now, time of meeting. Mr. Slate: It has been customary for us to have our meeting early inSeptember, about Labor Day. Next Labor Day is the 5th of September. Now, we are not making any recommendations as to time, but if we follow ourpast custom we will probably meet about the 6th, 7th and 8th. Some ofyou might like to come later to avoid the Labor Day traffic, but thatinterferes with some of those who have teaching duties, registration, and so forth, at that time of the year. Personally, I do not think thatthe Labor Day traffic is insurmountable. It is rather unpleasant incertain areas, but we can make it all right, and we have made it. Perhaps I should recommend the dates the 6th, 7th and 8th, which areTuesday, Wednesday and Thursday. President Davidson: You have heard the report. What shall you do withit? Dr. MacDaniels: I move its adoption. (The motion was seconded, vote taken and motion carried unanimously. ) President Davidson: Next, I should say, we would like to have a reportof the nominating committee. Mr. Weber: The Nominating Committee reports for the consideration of themembers the following list of candidates: For president, H. F. Stoke from Virginia. Vice-president, L. H. MacDaniels from New York. For secretary, J. C. McDaniel from Tennessee, and treasurer, Sterling A. Smith from Ohio. President Davidson: You have heard the report of this committee. Ishould say that in this case nominations from the floor would be inorder. A Member: Mr. President, I move that nominations be closed. (The motion was seconded, vote taken, and motion carried unanimously. ) President Davidson: That was on the motion that nominations be closed. What is your pleasure, shall we vote by ballot or shall we vote by-- A Member: Mr. President, I move that the secretary be instructed to casta unanimous ballot for those nominated by the Nominating Committee. Mr. Fisher: Second. (A vote was taken on the motion, and it was carried unanimously. ) President Davidson: This gavel I should have called to your attentionbefore. It is called to your attention at the end of our program, and soyou know its story. The other one that has been used in our pastmeetings was sent to me by Mr. Reed. It is "An Historical Gavel, Northern Nut Growers Association. " I understand from Mr. Reed that thiswas a piece of wood sent to Mr. Littlepage and turned by him and madeinto a gavel, and this little metallic name plate sunk in by Mr. Littlepage, who is one of the very early members of our association. Sowe have two historic gavels. Rather interesting, I think. One other matter. The question has come up in view of the fact that thenext annual report will be larger than normal and also in view of thefact that the membership dues have been raised to $3. 00, whether itshould not be wise and fitting to charge $3. 00 for the coming 1948report instead of the old price of $2. Mr. McDaniel: $2. 00 is the current price for the last two issues of thereport to non-members. If that is allowed to continue the man whopurchases a report without becoming a member will get it for one-thirdless than the members do. President Davidson: What is your wish? Mr. Weber: Mr. President, I say that they should not be given any morepreference than the members, so let them pay $3. 00 like the rest of us. I make it in the form of a motion. A Member: Second. President Davidson: Moved and seconded that the charge for theforth-coming report of this Association be made $3. 00 to non-members. Ofcourse, that report goes to all members, as you know. Are there anyremarks on this motion? Mr. Slate: Mr. President, what about the matter of supplying reports tolibraries? In the past we supplied libraries at $1. 00 a copy. I don'tknow whether Mr. McDaniel has had any special requests. Mr. McDaniel: I haven't had any orders from libraries during the pastyear. President Davidson: Shall we make a difference for libraries? What isyour feeling? Dr. MacDaniels: Mr. Chairman, if we have had a differential before Ithink that might be continued. I will propose a motion that libraries beallowed to purchase the proceedings for $2. 00. President Davidson: Do you make that in the form of an amendment? Dr. MacDaniels: Yes. Mr. Weber: I accept that amendment. A Member: It meets the second's approval. President Davidson: The motion is then that a charge for theforth-coming report shall be $3. 00 to non-members, except that thecharge shall be $2. 00 to libraries and similar organizations, if that issatisfactory. (A vote was taken on the motion, and it was carried unanimously. ) Mr. McDaniel: I have a report to read, as follows: +Report of the Auditing Committee+ The Auditing Committee has examined the records of our treasurer, D. C. Snyder, for the fiscal year just closed and has found them correct asreported and commends him for his excellent service to our Association. [Signed] R. P. Allaman, Royal Oakes, _Auditing Committee_. President Davidson: You have heard the report. What will you do with it? A Member: I move that the report be accepted. A Member: Second. (A vote on the motion was taken, and it was carried unanimously. ) Dr. Crane: Mr. President, members of the Association: Most of thethunder that the Resolutions Committee had has been taken care of eithertonight or at various meetings that we have had. These resolutions havebeen rather spontaneous at these meetings. However, the ResolutionsCommittee, for a matter of record, does make the following report: +Report of the Resolutions Committee+ The Northern Nut Growers Association in its annual meeting assembled atNorris, Tennessee, September 13th to 15th, 1948, adopts the followingresolutions: That, our sincere thanks be extended to Mr. George F. Gant, GeneralManager of Tennessee Valley Authority, the members of his staff, especially to Mr. Willis G. Baker, Director of the Division of ForestRelations, Mr. Spencer Chase, Mr. Thomas G. Zarger, and others, for thecourtesies extended and for making-the necessary arrangements forholding the meetings and caring for the needs of those in attendance. That we extend thanks and appreciation to Mrs. Willis G. Baker and theother ladies of her committee who provided and served the refreshmentson Sunday evening and assisted in arrangements for the banquet. That we extend thanks to Mr. Spencer Chase and the other members of thecommittee for the very interesting and instructive program. May we extend our thanks to those who presented papers and otherwisetook part in the program. We greatly appreciate the very fine work being done by our Secretary, J. C. McDaniel. _Resolutions Committee_, Stoke, Silvis, Sterling Smith, andCrane. President Davidson: You have heard this report, and I think it is wellthat we have had it in the form so that it could be a part of ourrecord. What will you do with it? Dr. MacDaniels: Move the acceptance of the report. Mr. McDaniel: Second. (Vote taken on motion, carried unanimously. ) President Davidson: I have here a telegram that I should like to read toyou, and this is the way it is worded: "Your generously worded telegramis greatly appreciated. I am grateful beyond all words. My greetings toeveryone present tonight. C. A. Reed. " We are glad to have the word fromMr. Reed. Our business meeting is now adjourned. (Whereupon, the program and business sessions of the Thirty-ninth AnnualMeeting of the Northern Nut Growers Association were closed. ) [Illustration] (On September 15, the members were conducted on a tour of the nursery, arboretum, and experimental nut plantings of the Tennessee ValleyAuthority near Norris. ) Odds and Ends DR. W. C. DEMING, West Hartford, Connecticut I would like to suggest, especially to the younger members of theassociation, three horticultural projects that I believe promise to beof importance, and on which nobody that I know of is doing any work. Only one of these projects has to do with a nut. 1. Utterly neglected and wasted, the fruit of the horsechestnut orbuckeye, "said, to have been formerly used as food or medicine forhorses, " still might become an abundant food for animals, and perhapsfor man, if a way could be found to deprive it of its disagreeablebitter taste and reputed, probably exaggerated, poisonous quality. [31] There is one late flowering horsechestnut, _Aesculus parviflora_, adwarf species from the Southeast, and commonly seen in Connecticut as anornamental on lawns, which bears a nut entirely free from bitterness, and is sometimes known as the edible horsechestnut. The possibilities incrossing this with the bitter horsechestnut tree species are evident andfascinating. [Several hybrid horsechestnuts are cultivated, but none ofthese apparently involves any _A. Parviflora_ parentage. --Ed. ] 2. In temperate zones there are, so far as I have learned, no_perennial_ legumes the seeds of which are used as food. All ourimmensely valuable edible leguminous seed crops are annually planted. The only exception I think of is the honeylocust, the pods of which, under favorable conditions, are sometimes used as fodder for horses andcattle. But there are thousands of leguminous plants and trees, many ofthem hardy. I mention the herbaceous _Baptisia australis_, several hardyperennial peas, such as _Lathyrus sylvestria_, _L. Maritimus_ etc. , _Caragrana_ the pea tree, and species of _Robinia_, _Cercis_;_Cymocladus_ and _Wistaria_. A collection of these, with as many more asone might wish, would be a fascinating group in which to spend hourswith brush and forceps. 3. All over America thousands of "tired business men, " and school boyswho ought to be tending to their baseball, have to spend weekends andholidays pushing lawn-mowers. If an acceptable ground cover could befound that would have to be mowed only half as often, or one quarter asoften, or maybe only once a year, or even (glory be) not at all, what asaving of time it would be for good healthy sport and non-depressingexercise. There are many promising plants. _Pachysandra_ and _Vinca_, don't quitefill the bill but have their good points, such as growing in the shade. There is a little round-leafed plant common in Florida and, apparently, found in the north. There are many plants that could be grownexperimentally in patches a yard square. Why have we so tamely limitedourselves to grasses and clover? What a chance for a man to immortalizehimself by discovering variants for grasses and clover for lawns andthus become a benefactor to millions of lawn-mower slaves! [Footnote 31: (_See letter from the American Medical Association on nextpage. --Ed. _)] COUNCIL ON PHARMACY AND CHEMISTRY of the AMERICAN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION Office of the Secretary, 535 N. Dearborn Street, Chicago 10, Illinois January 5, 1949 Doctor W. C. Deming 31 South Highland Street West Hartford, Connecticut Dear Doctor Deming: This is in reply to your inquiry of December 28, 1948, regarding thetoxicity of horse chestnuts. All six of the species of Aesculus which are native to the United Stateshave been reported as poisonous, but specific references in theliterature are infrequent. The species Aesculus hippocastanum has beenstudied and has been found to contain saponin, tannin, and theglycoside, esculin. Esculin is used in patent remedies in the form ofointments and pastes to protect the skin from sunburn. The saponin seemsto be the toxic component. Fruit of the horse chestnut is rich in starch and oil and is a _valuablefood for livestock_. The bitter taste of the nut is removed by alcoholextraction which removes the saponin, thus rendering the nut harmless. Certain domestic animals, however, seem to be able to eat the untreatednut without suffering ill effects. [_Italics are by Dr. Deming. --Ed. _] Most of the saponins are markedly irritant to the mucous membranes. Theyhave an acrid taste and provoke a flow of saliva, nausea, vomiting anddiarrhea. If injected directly into the circulation they producehemolysis, diuresis and direct actions on the central nervous systemwhich may be rapidly fatal. Absorption after oral administration is sopoor that saponins produce only local effects. The toxicity of varioussaponins is ten to a thousand times higher by vein than by mouth and isgenerally proportional to the hemolytic action. Some saponins have adifferent toxicity for different species. In experiments with rats Hindemith found that the saponin from Aesculushippocastanum is not toxic in daily oral doses of 87. 5 mg. Per kg. Nonhemolytic doses injected intravenously in cats have no effect onrespiration or blood pressure; hemolytic doses produce a sudden drop inpressure owing to liberation of potassium from the _erythrocytes_. Thesaponin increases the activity of the isolated frog heart, then stops itin systole. In frog nerve muscle preparations of this saponin reversiblyinterrupt stimulus transmission; recovery occurs upon washing. For a general review of the literature you are referred to Bull. Sc. Pharmacol. 47:290 (November-December) 1940, which is available at theNew York Academy of Medicine Library, 2 East 103rd Street, New YorkCity. Sincerely yours, [Signed] BERNARD E. CONLEY, R. Ph. Administrative Assistant. BEC:nr The Birth of a New Walnut Cracker B. H. THOMPSON The home of the Thompson walnut cracker is the home of the maker, on thefarm, five and a half miles northwest of Harrisonburg, in the ShenandoahValley of Virginia. I live in the upland area, 1, 500 to 1, 700 feet up inthe hills. A man once said he killed two birds with one stone. I went him onebetter in one instance. I went to the back end of the farm and picked upall the walnuts and placed them on a pile, not too far from the house. Then the squirrels came to help themselves. I got all the squirrels Iwanted to eat and those that got away retreated so fast they droppedtheir walnut. Then I cracked what walnuts were left for cakes and candy, which we all enjoy so much. It was while cracking these nuts with a hammer that the thought came tome: Why should there not be a faster and better way to crack nuts? LaterI happened to see a walnut cracker made by a blacksmith which did a verygood job of cracking, but was entirely too slow for me. Being mechanically inclined, I have always entertained a desire toinvent something worth while. I set out to perfect a cracker that wouldbe fool-proof, easy to work, fast, simple, and strong enough to last alifetime. This I accomplished in the Model 6. Before reaching thispoint, I had designed and tested five different models, made fivedifferent ways, to see which would be best. They all worked, some good, some I did not like so well. It was discouraging at times but somethingseemed to tell me I had the right principle. This No. 6 walnut cracker is a success, now in its 11th season and goingstronger all the time. You will find it in 37 states, from Florida toWashington State, from New Hampshire to California, from Minnesota toTexas. Most of the crackers are sent by mail, and some of the customers mentionthe fact that they are members of the N. N. G. A. Others do not have treeson their premises, but collect walnuts by the roadside. One I know ofhas 2, 000 walnut trees on his 1, 200 acre farm. Marketing of Black Walnuts in Arkansas T. A. WINKLEMAN, Rogers, Arkansas The Benton County Produce Company has been in the walnut business for 38years. For the first few years we dealt only in hulled nuts, shippingcarloads of them to Omaha, Chicago, several points in Nebraska, and theWest Coast. About twenty years ago, as I recall, there was a largecracking plant at Kansas City and we shipped several carloads there. Eventually we began to receive small orders for kernels. We filled themand the number of orders increased. This led us finally to the decisionthat we should get out of the hulled nut business and sell only kernels, and with few exceptions, that's what we have been doing for the past 25years. During this time the production of kernels throughout the walnutregion has gone up tremendously. As you know, many plants usingmechanical cracking machines have become established. We have stuck tohand-operated crackers; but even so, we were able one year to turn out13, 000 pounds of kernels. At present we ship kernels to practicallyevery state in the Union. Millions of pounds of walnuts are available from Arkansas, Missouri andTennessee. Here the walnut tree seems to make its best growth. It hasbeen our experience that the better nuts come from upland trees. Thoseproduced in the bottomlands along the larger streams lack the richflavor typical of those coming from higher elevations. This means we getour best nuts from the Ozarks in northern Arkansas and southernMissouri. So far, few walnut trees are grown commercially. Practicallyall of the nuts come from wild trees. But recently there seems to be atrend toward planting grafted walnut trees and grafting native seedlingsto improved varieties. The nurseries in this area now have walnutseedlings for sale and some landowners are setting out considerableacreages. It seems like a good investment. The trees grow fast, bearnuts at an early age, and eventually yield additional income in the formof logs. We believe walnut offers better prospects for commercialproduction than pecan, owing mainly to the value of the walnut wood forcabinet uses. Not much has been done here with improved varieties. There are someThomas trees in the region and they yield very well. You get about 20pounds of kernels from 100 pounds of hulled Thomas nuts as against anaverage of 12 pounds from our wild native nuts. We anticipate thatwithin three or four years the Thomas will attain commercial importancehere. In my opinion, however, _Thomas kernels do not have the flavorthat the wild nuts have_; the percentage of oil seems to be less. I havealso been told that wood from the Thomas trees has little value in thefurniture trade. Why this should be true, or whether it is true, I don'tknow. Shells are a problem with us as they are with most concerns in thewalnut cracking business. We sent some samples to Iowa State College fortesting and got a pretty favorable report. If available in sufficientquantity, the shells apparently can be used for gas production, oils andfor other purposes. Walnut in this region has few enemies; but one, the walnut _Datana_caterpillar, does considerable damage. We need federal or state aid incontrolling this dangerous pest. Further Notes on Nut Tree Guards for Pasture Plantings OLIVER D. DILLER, project Supervisor, Hillculture Research, SoilConservation Service, Wooster, Ohio In an article entitled, "Nut Trees for Ohio Pastures, " which appeared inthe 37th annual report of the Northern Nut Growers Association[32], thewriter called attention to the advantages of nut trees planted in fencerows and in the interior of permanent pastures and the need for a moresatisfactory cattle guard to protect the trees during their period ofestablishment. [Illustration: Nut Easy Tree to Guard Install] The writer has for several years studied various types of cattle guardsand in 1946 suggested the possible use of an electric guard alongpermanent fence lines. This set-up worked fairly well during the firstgrowing season, but it was found that a considerable amount ofmaintenance is necessary and therefore electric guards may not bepracticable over a period of years. During the summer of 1947 a prominent wire fence manufacturing companywas contacted concerning the availability of a welded wire fabric whichmight be used as a substantial yet economical tree guard. The companymade available for test purposes two 150-foot rolls 72 inches high. Oneroll was galvanized, 11 gauge wire, with 2 x 4 inch staves, while theother was ungalvanized 10 gauge, with 4 x 4 inch spacing between thestaves. These rolls were cut into lengths of 13. 7 feet, resulting in acircular guard 4. 36 feet in diameter (shown in picture). The guards wereinstalled along a permanent fence on the pasture research farm of theOhio Agricultural Experiment Station at Wooster during the summer of1947. Observations made during July, 1948, indicate that these guardshave not been damaged in any way by the dairy cattle on this farm duringthe current season, and that the trees are being adequately protected. No guards have as yet been installed in the interior of the pasture, butit would seem that only one standard fence post would be required tosupport such a guard. The wire company was not able to give the exact cost of this material tothe farmer, but suggested a quotation of $3. 90 per hundred square feetfor the galvanized wire, 2 x 4 inch spacing, 11 gauge, as compared to$3. 00 per hundred square feet for the ungalvanized wire, 4 x 4 inchspacing, 10 gauge. Assuming that the ungalvanized wire would serve the purpose for aperiod of ten years, the cost would be approximately $2. 50 per guard ifit were attached to a line fence; If placed in the interior of a field, the cost of a standard fence post would have to be added. While thiscost may appear to be rather high, it is believed that it will comparefavorably with another type guard which will provide equal service. Thechief advantages of this guard seem to be its apparent sturdiness andease of installation. [Footnote 32: Diller, O. D. "Nut Trees for Ohio Pastures, " Northern NutGrowers Association, Inc. , 37th Annual Report. 1946, pp. 62-64. ] A Pecan Orchard in Gloucester County, Virginia MRS. SELINA L. HOPKINS, River's Edge Flower Farm, Nuttall, Virginia Mr. Reed has asked me to tell you of our experience with pecans inGloucester County, very near Chesapeake Bay, on North River, a tidewaterestuary of Mobjack Bay. Our house is about 20 feet from the shore, so wecall it "River's Edge, " which describes it very well. The pecan treesare on the lawn, in the barnyard, and in an adjoining field. The orchard was planted by my late husband about 1915. The trees camefrom at least two nurseries as there are two distinct sets of varieties. There are eight varieties from the North and eight from the South. Ofthe northern sorts there are Busseron, Butterick, Indiana, Kentucky, Major, Niblack, Posey, and Warrick. These came from the nursery of R. L. McCoy, Lake, Spencer County, Indiana. The southern varieties are Delmas, Frotscher, Georgia (Georgia Giant), Hale, Schley, Stuart, Teche, and Van Deman. Hale trees have been theslowest to come into bearing, and there are several which appear to beHale which are not yet in fruit. +Nut Crops Scanty+ The trees near the house, both on the lawn and in the barnyard are setirregularly but those in the orchard are in rows, 65 feet each way. Theyare beautiful in appearance, being from 40 to 55 feet tall, and are veryhealthy. However, they do not bear well. We had a pretty good crop in 1943, about500 pounds, which we sold for 30 and 35 cents per pound. Since then wehave had very few nuts, as the flowers have evidently been killed eachyear by frost. Most of the nuts we have had have come from trees near the river, wherethe air is tempered by salt air coming in at high tide. At this writing, early August, there seems to be more nuts than at any time since 1943. There was no frost that I could detect after the trees flowered, butthere are few nuts on the trees farthest from the river. The fruit trees back in the county, on what we call "the highlands, "have no fruit this year. Apparently our northern varieties of pecan donot stand the cold any better than the southern sorts. In the last fewyears, there have been more nuts of the southern varieties. I supposethe flowers of the northern varieties came out at a time when they weremore easily frozen. We have several trees that are evidently seedlings, as they grew up fromthe ground after the tops died, They usually bear well, producing sweetnuts, well-flavored but small. We have six Persian walnuts that have had only about ten nuts in allthese years. One tree has a black walnut coming up from the root onwhich it was grafted. It is of the same size as the Persian top. Twoyears ago, this tree had about 30 nuts on the Persian side and 50 on theblack. It is not easily accessible and I have not been to it this year. +Behavior of Pecans+ The Posey trees are in an east-west row about one-third the distancefrom the north end of the orchard. Most of the Major and Busseron treesare farther south, some as much as 200 yards. A few trees of bothvarieties are directly south, within 100 yards, while others are thesame distance away off and some farther southwest. It is stated in arecent bulletin of the Virginia Agricultural Extension Service thatPosey is needed to pollinate Busseron and Major. Since reading the bulletin, I have been thinking of our crops in thepast. I remember that trees of these two varieties farthest from thePosey, do not bear as well. Until now, I have attributed this to thefact that the soil was less fertile and the trees are smaller and lessvigorous. Also the trees are farther from the frost-tempering river. Iam not sure yet that this is not the reason. We are not alone in our experience of an uncertain crop, as other pecangrowers in the county tell the same tale. There are a number of largeold trees in this general section of Virginia, as well as a good manyseedlings. In addition, there are native, bitter, large-growing waterhickory (_Carya aquatica_), which is not uncommon in lowlands. (Thesehybridize freely with true pecans, producing beautiful trees butastringent nuts. Ed. ) One of the largest orchards was set out a few years before ours, by thelate Dr. Wm. C. Stubbs, on a farm that had been in his family for manygenerations. It is on York River, about 15 miles from our place. It washe who encouraged my husband to set out our orchard. Dr. Stubbs was formany years Director of the Louisiana Experiment Station near NewOrleans. He spent his summers at his old home. His trees were probablythe best started and cared for during his life, as he knew how to do it. I drove to see the farm recently, and talked with the present owner, whobought it in 1942. The next year, when I also had my good crop, henearly paid for the place with proceeds from the nuts. However, like ourselves, he has had practically no nuts since, and is somuch discouraged that he plans to take out some of the trees. Thevarieties there are mostly Moneymaker, Schley and Success. The samevarieties are also in a small orchard of another neighbor, who reportsthat Success does best. The trees owned at one time by Dr. Stubbs seemnot to be cultivated at all, but are grazed and mowed, and the orchardis now rather a tangle of briers and weeds. +We Grow Bulbs with Pecans+ As this is primarily a daffodil farm, and the trees have the best land, it is also used for bulb growing. The daffodils are a much surer cropwith us than pecans. We sell both flowers and bulbs. The season fordaffodils is in March and April which is well ahead of the pecans. Thepecans do not leaf out early enough to shade the daffodils, and I can'tsee that they injure them in any way except in very dry years. Bulbsnear the trees do just as well as those in the open field and sometimesbloom earlier. All cultivation and fertilization that the trees get is what is accordedthe bulbs. As soon as the season is ended for bulbs, we begincultivating. We go over the bulbs about three times before the tops dieback to the ground, in late May. In late July, we mow the weeds, whichare high by that time. We frequently mow again later in the fall. Wetake up the bulbs every two or three years in June, cure them in traysin airy buildings, grade them, sell some, and replant what we need tokeep up our supply. When a plot is dug, we plant it with soybeans, turnthem under in late summer and replant with a winter cover crop, rye orclover usually. That crop is turned under the following late April whenthe rye is usually waist high. We replant again with beans which areturned under in July. If we think the soil needs more humus, we repeat the process anotheryear. During this rotation we apply 0-14-7 at least twice, usually withthe first two plantings. The land is limed only at long intervals, asdaffodils like a soil rather on the acid side. Of course, during thiscultivation and planting, we plow rather close to the trees, withinabout four feet, and sometimes cut the roots. You may well think thatthis accounts for their not bearing well, but in this neighborhood thereis the same story with trees that are not plowed around. I have wonderedat times if they are not too near salt water, and maybe the roots godown to water, yet the trees nearest the river bear best. We have aTeche tree only about 20 feet from high tide line, and it is our surestbearer, having never missed a crop. Our only varieties that scab to any extent are the one Georgia and thetwo trees of Delmas, but the man on Dr. Stubbs' place says that bothvarieties scab although I forgot to ask which variety was worst. (Delmasis one of worst scabbing varieties in the South. --Ed. ) Indiana Nut Shows Have Educational Value W. B. WARD, Extension Horticulturist, Purdue University, Lafayette, Ind. A few days ago I had a letter from Professor George L. Slate, of theGeneva station, requesting that I send you some information concerningour recent nut shows and a couple of pictures to be used in the currentreport. I am enclosing two pictures--one showing a display of hicans, shellbark, shagbark, bitternut, mockernut hickories and in the background a few ofthe miscellaneous sorts, while the other picture shows mostly the blackwalnuts. (Latter picture printed on next page. --Ed. ) If you will note in the pictures, we have used a saw and cut the nuts intwo for display purposes. This has been one means of classifying theseedlings to find out whether or not they were worthy of furtherpropagation, although this alone was not the final classification. Itwas rather surprising to the number of visitors we have had at our showsto see the difference in the interior of the nut and believe me it hasdone a lot toward the education of the people when it comes to locatingsome of the better seedlings. [Illustration] The purpose of the nut program in the state of Indiana was for thebetterment of native nuts and we were in hopes that we could find somevery promising seedlings that would be worthy of further work. With thecooperation of the Indiana Horticultural Society and the StudentHorticultural Show here at the University, we have had this nut show forthe past six or eight years. Sometimes it has been in competition, othertimes it has been mostly for display. The show served the purpose whichwe had in mind for thus we have located some very nice walnuts, hickorynuts and a few good seedling pecans. After the show had been visited bysome six to eight thousand annually for the past several years, we havefurther made displays at the annual meeting of the Indiana HorticulturalSociety in Indianapolis, at the A. P. S. Meeting at St. Louis last winterand at the Indiana State Fair in 1948, with a display going to some ofthe other institutions--particularly to Oklahoma and Texas--for displayat their state shows. A new collection was gathered by the students andthe writer this year which, in part, will be displayed at the IndianaHorticultural Society meeting on January 19, 20 and 21 and anothercollection is being shown at Oklahoma A. & M. At this time. The nutswill be returned and placed in cold storage to be exhibited at the StateFair next fall and we have sufficient quantities on hand for individualdisplays as well as for collections. Each plate contains from 35 to 40 nuts of seedlings or named varietiesand at our recent show we had 66 plates of hickory nuts and alliedspecies. We had 41 plates of walnuts including some very fine Persianwalnuts, 16 samples of filbert seedlings, 20 plates of miscellaneous andall told 141 different plates at our show which was held on November 5, 6 and 7, 1948. Some of our best contributors have been such as Ferd Bolten, Linton, Indiana, who sent five good Persian walnuts and one excellent blackwalnut. Edward Smith, of Rochester, Indiana, and Henry Buit, ofLafayette, also have found some wonderful walnut seedlings. Donald Sly, Rockport, Indiana, has produced the best seedling filberts, about eightin number, and contributed a wonderful display of the McCallister hican. Mr. J. F. Wilkinson, Proprietor of the Indiana Nut Nursery, hascontributed largely to the collection of seedling and named varieties ofhardy northern pecan while W. A. Owen, Poseyville, and Clem Seib, Owensville, have been consistent winners in the large shellbarkhickories. O. W. Thompson, Owensville, and William Seng, of Jasper, contributed some large size thin-shelled shagbark hickories to our show. James Stall, of Brownstown, is a consistent winner in butternuts. Each year more interest is being shown in the planting of native nutsand some of our Persian walnuts are rather outstanding. Nolan Fateley, Franklin, Indiana, has a very fine seedling Persian walnut of large sizewhich we are hoping to propagate. (A large Carpathian tree. --Ed. ) The Importance of Stock and Scion Relationship in Hickory and Walnut CARL WESCHCKE, St. Paul, Minnesota Twenty-five years of practical study and living with the hickories oughtto suffice to make a success in growing these trees for their deliciousproduct. However, it is only in the twenty-eighth year of such work thatI have made an important discovery about the particular hickory withwhich I have had the most success; I refer to the variety known as theWeschcke shagbark hickory. I began to graft such varieties as Beaver and Fairbanks(bitternut--shagbark hybrid) hickory on Wisconsin native bitternuthickory (_Carya cordiformis_) in 1920, and some grafts are doing verywell at this time, 1948, but they are practically barren of fruit. Since then I have accumulated more varieties to test from many differentsources, to continue the work down to the present day. During that timeI noticed, but did not appreciate, the significance of the relationshipof growth between scion and root system. True, I have been verycognizant of the so-called compatibility between stock and scion in thehickory family, and have written about this matter for publicationseveral times, but I was then more concerned with the stock and scionliving together in a harmonious state of existence and health withoutrealizing that there was something else necessary to this relationshipin order to promote heavy bearing. +Experiments in Grafting Black Walnuts+ Parallel to these early experiments, I was grafting in the same familyas the hickories, known as the walnut, or _Juglandaceae_ family, usingwild native butternut (_Juglans cinerea_) as a stock for grafting tosuch varieties as the Thomas, Ohio, Stabler and Ten Eyck black walnut(_J. Nigra_). Some of these trees, so grafted, exist today, being morethan 25 years old, and they have never borne more than a hatful ofwalnuts to a tree, even when they became large trees. Most of them areentirely barren year after year. I often remarked to persons who wereinterested in this phase of my work, that the black walnut wasnon-productive on the butternut root system, but it was very evidentthat there was not completecompatibility because the walnut sciongreatly outgrew the butternut stock causing a marked difference in theirtrunk diameters just below and above the union. This great difference, the butternut being so much smaller, was no doubt the cause of ashortage of food supply elaborated through the bark circumference whichlimited the top to a mere growth of leaves, not leaving sufficientadditional supply for the growth of fruit. My observation among the hickories, with which I did far moreexperimental work than with the walnuts, was beclouded by the fact thatmany successful, apparently compatible varieties, grew and throve on thenative bitternut stock without bearing fruit, except for just a few nutsoccasionally; and yet there was no apparent difference between the sciondiameter and the trunk diameter, nothing like the overgrowth of theblack walnut when grafted on butternut. So it took many years and adifferent growth phenomenon to open my eyes as to what was the troublein getting hickories to bear on foreign root systems. The final solution of the problem was determined by my observation thisyear of grafted hickories of several sizes and ages were Weschckeshagbark (_C. Ovata_)[33] scions and other hickory scions, such asSiers, Bridgewater, Deveaux, Beaver, and Fairbanks have been grafted onthe same tree to act as pollinators for the Weschcke, which is devoid ofpollen. [33] This year particularly, the difference in rate of growthbetween two varieties grafted on the same stock was very apparent; inevery case all other varieties greatly exceeded the growth of theWeschcke hickory, but in many cases, only the Weschcke hickory had anynuts growing on the graft, and if there were any nuts on another graft, there were but a few. In practically all cases, the diameters of thescions of varieties of hickory other than the Weschcke were at leasttwice the diameters of the Weschcke grafts, and the growth of allvarieties so grafted was healthy and vigorous and thoroughly compatiblewith the native bitternut hickory root system. Several years ago I had to trim some of these other varieties back inorder to allow the Weschcke graft to get more growth because it was sobackward in development that it looked as though it might be crowded outof existence. It never occurred to me in those years that it was thedifference in rate of growth between the two varieties which was reallyresponsible for the difference in the diameter of the scion growth, andnot some accident of propagation. Now it is very apparent, from the manyexamples that I have about me, that the Weschcke hickory is aboutone-half as fast a grower as such varieties as Bridgewater, Deveaux, Laney, Siers, and many others. This, then, accounts for the heavybearing of the Weschcke when it starts to bear on the bitternut roots, and it also explains the lack of bearing in such varieties as Beaver, Fairbanks, Laney, Siers, Pleas, Deveaux, Rockville, Green Bay, Hopepecan, Stanley shellbark, Platman, Kirtland, Glover, Barnes, and manyothers which are hardy and get along well with the native bitternut rootsystem, some of them having lived more than fifteen years grafted insuch combination. The Bridgewater is the only variety which bears a faircrop of nuts as compared to the prolific Weschcke, and is the pollinatorfor the Weschcke when used in orchard planting. [Footnote 33: See author's added remarks following. --Ed. ] +Are Pecan Stocks Desirable for Hickory Scions?+ It would appear, therefore, that it is necessary for stocks to be atleast as vigorous as the variety to which they are grafted, and toinsure this it would seem to me that the northern pecan seeds, such asgrow around Des Moines, Iowa, would be the proper seedling stock foralmost any variety of hickory, as they outgrow bitternuts and shagbarksby quite a margin. I have only one Weschcke grafted on a pecan of thissort, and it makes much greater growth each year than does this varietygrafted on the native bitternut stocks. However, it has not started tobear yet and the reason is that it is still very young, and isover-topped by plum brush and apple trees. Since it requires about ten years here for a native bitternut to acquirethe proper size of one-half inch to three-quarter inch diameter, whichis about the size necessary for grafting, you have some idea of howslowly this native species grows. The forest trees, of which there seemto be thousands on my property, very seldom exceed a diameter of sixinches, yet they appear to be very old trees. Occasionally we find onethat reaches the diameter of a foot or more, and generally it is onethat is located where it has plenty of space to grow, as in openpasture. The tree is rather easy to graft to many varieties ofhickories. No doubt if it were grown in large numbers, in the propersoil, the time for producing seedling stock ready for nurserypropagation could be cut down. But it appears more likely that somenorthern pecan seed can be found which will produce a hardy understockto furnish a seedling of sufficient vigor and size for propagatingpurposes in five years or less. +Records of Bearing+ Our first successful grafting of Weschcke hickory on bitternut hickory(_Carya cordiformis_) was in 1927, but these grafts did not bear forabout ten years. We know now that this was because there was a lack ofpollen of the shagbark species to pollinate its blossoms. Now thesetrees are bearing profusely. The second batch of grafts from the original Weschcke hickory, whichgrew near Fayette, Iowa, was made in 1934. One mature nut from graftsmade that spring was gathered from the ground in the same year, aboutOctober 1, 1934, but it had been partly consumed by a squirrel. Fromthat year to the present, these grafted trees produced each year andnever failed to mature some edible nuts up to and including this year, when there is a very large crop (6-1/2 bushels). This, then, is the 15thconsecutive crop of nuts of which I have a record. During two years wehad such early fall frosts that the nuts were a little shriveled and notfully mature, but still edible. In other years there were some lightcrops, but there never has been a crop failure in all this time. Thevariation in bearing is also due in part to several late frosts which inthe spring in some years killed back all the foliage and newly expandingbuds. Yet new dormant buds opened, some of which had flowers, and socarried on the unbroken bearing record. Last winter (1947-48) produced the most severe damage to exotic speciesof fruit and nut trees as well as ornamentals, including evergreens, ever recorded in this area; yet the grafted Weschcke hickory trees wereso loaded down with nuts that I had to support the load by tying upbranches to keep them off the ground. This tough winter caused almostevery variety of apple tree to be barren, such as Wealthy, NorthwesternGreening, Whitney Crab, Haralson and Malinda. Only two varieties, Lowland Raspberry and Hibernal, bore fair crops. Last winter killedoutright (to the ground) most of my Thomas black walnuts, some of whichwere more than 25 years old, and damaged severely such other varietiesas Ohio, Vandersloot, and Ten Eyck. The winter was responsible also forthe killing of several seedling Chinese chestnuts which had survived tenyears of our winters and yet others of these Chinese chestnuts aregrowing again from sprouts near the ground surface. The mulberriessuffered greatly also, but in general the hickories of many varietiescame through this winter, with very little damage, and most of them arebearing a few nuts. Even the wild hazels suffered differing amounts ofdamage and have only partial crops of nuts because of the effects of thewinter. In conclusion, keep in mind that these experiments and tests have beenconducted in severe climatic conditions in the 45th parallel at RiverFalls, Wisconsin, 35 miles east of St. Paul, Minnesota, and that out ofmore than fifty varieties of hickories and pecans and their hybridstested, only these two, Bridgewater and Weschcke hickory, (boththin-shelled easy-cracking varieties), have succeeded to a point whichcan be classed as commercial; the writer can now recommend these twovarieties for propagation by nursery firms capable of undertaking thepropagation of hickory nut trees, the sale of which to the public is aforegone conclusion. _By request of the secretary, Mr. Weschcke sent the following additionalinformation on the Weschcke hickory:_ About ten years ago I noticed that there was no pollen coming from thistree and yet from the very beginning, even when there was no otherpollen available except the wild hickory pollen from the _Caryacordiformis_, the Weschcke hickory produced nuts. Thinking that it wasdue to parthenogenesis I bagged clusters of pistillate blossoms, andalthough setting nuts they all dropped off which is typical ofnon-pollenization. I then bagged groups of pistillate blossoms which Ipollinized with different available pollens of the _Carya ovata_ andthese set nuts which started to grow, upon which I removed the bags. From this experiment I found that the Bridgewater did a very good jobof pollenization and it became the tree that I considered as acompatible mate. Other trees that pollinate well are Kirkland, Deveauxand Glover; Beaver is not a good pollenizer and I have not experimentedwith Fairbanks to know whether it is satisfactory. The catkins growvigorously on the Weschcke up to the time that the pollen sacs seemready to open, then the catkin drops off. No pollen has ever maturedthat I know of. When dried from this state, they yield no pollen. I told Dr. J. W. McKay about this nearly seven years ago, and he askedfor fresh samples of the catkins at different periods which I mailed tohim in receptacles that he furnished. He wrote me a very nice treatiseon this subject for inclusion in my book which I expected to bepublished at that time. The book was never published, however, sinceOrange Judd turned it down during the war for lack of paper as theexcuse. I did not try any further to get it published, and since thattime many new things should be added to the hazel hybrid chapter. Dr. McKay said that he is familiar with this action on the part of nuttrees. I have felt that it was phenomenal since I have had no other suchexperience among all the nut trees with which I have experimented. However, this loss of pollen saves vitality apparently for theproduction of several times the pistillate bloom that I have seen on anyother hickory with which I have worked and this apparently accounts forthe prolificacy of the Weschcke when grafted on the native Wisconsinhickory. (Male-sterility occurs with chestnut and apple. --Ed. ) At first I considered the Weschcke somewhat of a hybrid nut; later Ichanged my mind about it and considered it a pure shagbark. I havereversed my opinion again and consider the possibility of its beingslightly hybrid with bitternut blood. The parent tree at Fayette, Iowastood close to big bitternuts. The shell, being the thinnest of allhickories (known to me) leads me to suspect the hybridity with thebitternut. It is quite smooth and the ridges are less prominent than inalmost any other hickory except such known hybrids as the Beaver. Itsshape is oval to long and it is flat so that whenever you throw ahandful down to a smooth surface they all assume the same position, andbecause of this they would no doubt lend themselves to commercialcracking as they would feed through the mechanism of a cracking machineexactly in the same order. I have not always had such a high opinion of this nut. Dr. Deming hasletters from me which have a disparaging note, and although Dr. Demingconsidered it a valuable nut, he has letters from me in which Iindicated that I was sorry that it was not productive and that it hadsuch a small nut. Both these conditions changed with time and withintwenty years this nut sometimes becomes one of the largest hickories ofthe cultivated varieties and its proficacy then probably depended oncorrect pollination which I was not aware of in the beginning. I hope you will pardon me for dwelling so on this hickory, but afterworking with hickories for nearly thirty years it certainly seemsremarkable to me that we have such a productive variety that is hardythis far north and west, that is perfectly at home on the native hickoryroots, and that matures its nuts from September 15 to October 1, isself-hulling, that has escaped the attack of all sorts of weevils thatinfest our native nuts. (I have never found one wormy Weschcke hickorynut although sometimes you find empty nuts. ) This variety also escapesthe spring frosts so that there have been fourteen consecutive years ofbearing without interruption. The foliage is vigorous, has no diseasesso far; the young branches are sometimes cut off by oak tree pruners orgirdlers. This happens to many kinds of trees, including all the oaks, butternut, black walnut, all the hickories and even the chestnuts. Whenyou take into consideration the fact, that no other hickory has such afine record it makes me very enthusiastic over this variety in spite ofthe fact that it bears my name. Were you to classify this hickory fromcasual observation, you would think it is a pure shagbark, and it isonly the extreme thinness of shell and the outside appearance pf the nutshell which indicates some slight hybridity. Progress with Nuts at Wolfeboro, New Hampshire MATTHEW LAHTI Inasmuch as I do not expect to be able to attend the thirty-ninth annualmeeting, I thought I would report to you on the progress of my nut treessince my letter of a year ago. Last winter was a severe one in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire (43° 36' northlatitude. ) We had more than the usual amount of snow, and although thetemperature did not get down much lower than 25° below zero at my place, it remained cold for many days at a time without relief. This, and thefact that last fall was one of the driest seasons on record, plus thefact that this spring it rained almost continuously for more than amonth, resulted in considerable damage to my nut trees. My Broadview Persian walnut graft suffered severe damage, with branchesup to two inches in diameter being killed. Whether this was from frostor lack of moisture in the fall I do not know, but two Crath Persianwalnuts, one of which is situated within fifty feet of the Broadview, suffered no apparent winter injury at all. Neither Broadview nor Crathbore any nuts this year, whereas last year the Broadview producedeighteen nuts. My Gellatly heartnut also suffered severe winter injury similar to theBroadview Persian walnut, and after it leafed out it looked as if a firehad gone through it because of the dead wood. However, it is bearingthirteen nuts this year. Strange to say, the black walnut trees did not suffer any winter injury(the Thomas, set out in the spring of 1939, having been injured in eachprevious winter), except that the Tasterite is barren of nuts this yearagainst a pretty good crop last year. However, the Thomas is bearing afair crop, but the nuts are smaller than usual. While my hickory trees appeared to suffer no winter injury, out ofpossibly two dozen that I have planted since 1939 I expect to have onlythree left. The number had dwindled to nine last year, and six of thoseI am afraid will be dead by the end of next year. These six had donewell for six or seven years. The cause appears to be poor circulationthrough the graft union. This is unfortunate as I believe hickory treeswill live and bear fruit in our climate. I had the usual experience with filberts and hazelnuts, namely that thecatkins were, for the most part, Winter killed. There, are no nuts onRush, Barcelona, Medium Long, or Red Lambert, and the Winkler bushes[self-fertile--Ed. ] which bore heavily last year (although the nuts didnot fully ripen), are bearing only a few nuts this year. Native butternut trees last year bore a heavy crop of nuts. This year, the crop is very light. As an experiment, I planted three Chinese chestnuts this spring:Abundance, Nanking, and a "straight line" seedling. Although I haven'tmuch hope that they will survive many winters, I thought I would trythem out. Several people have inquired about nut growing in New Hampshire, and Ihave sent them a resumé of my experiences. Breeding Chestnuts in the New York City Area ALFRED SZEGO, Jackson Heights, New York City [Part of a letter to the Secretary, October 27, 1948. ] I am one of those members who have not been able to attend annualmeetings. In the two or three years that I have been a member, I havederived great enjoyment from reading the annual reports and receivinginformation through your news bulletin. Therefore, when I received your improved bulletin, "The Nutshell, " Ifelt that I and others like me should write and tell you how wonderfulit is. There is much that I just want to "get off my chest. " My past criticismwas that the organization was a bit lethargic. But nut trees are _slow_in showing results, despite the nurserymen's attractive visions ofquick, big harvests of nuts and even timber!!! This slow patience of theblack walnut has determined the tempo of much of the membership. +Chestnut Breeding Efforts+ My main work is to attempt to breed two types of chestnuts: (1) One thatis very productive with a low head and will bear nuts like the oldAmerican chestnut. (2) Another that will make a good timber stick. It ismy theory that present chestnut breeders are crossing inferior material, using any specimens that happen to be in flower at the right time aslong as they represent the species to be crossed. Suppose they intend to cross _C. Crenata_ x _C. Dentata_. An averageJapanese chestnut is usually pollinated with flowers from a poorstruggling sprout on the edge of the woods that has only one thing torecommend it. That is an early bearing characteristic which is inherent, but which, according to experiments and observations I have tediouslycarried out, _is not totally due to ringing by the blight_. The experiment takes place and a few hybrid nuts are produced. They aretermed (_C. Crenata_ x _C. Dentata_). It is expected that thecharacteristics of the offspring will be somewhere between those of thetwo parents in blight resistance and nut size and quality. But what ofthe grandparents, the many ancestors of the American chestnut sproutthat have not even the slight resistance of the sprout? Can they notexpress their characteristics and hand them, down to theirgrandchildren? And some individuals of _C. Crenata_ are not reputed tobe so highly blight resistant. Of course the scientists engaged in this work are men of the highestcalibre and no doubt are aware of this, but it is extremely difficult toobtain, propagate, and care for named varieties of the finestindividuals of each chestnut species. Apple, cherry, and other fruit breeders would not dream of crossingcommon scrub cull fruit trees and expect any degree of success. My first task when I began, three years ago, on my coppice growth 35 to40 year old hardwood forest, was to clear a little land and to beginplanting different world species of _Castanea_. You would be astonished to find that it was impossible for me to obtainseed or trees, at the time, of _C. Crenata_, _C. Seguinii_, _C. Pumila_, _C. Henryi_ and _C. Alnifolia_. I obtained some 24 seeds of _C. Mollisima_ from Dr. A. H. Graves, for which I was grateful. At the timehe didn't have a good crop, I think. Institutions and governmentagencies would not or did not like to release their newly developedhybrids for fear that I was a nurseryman or perhaps would sell them for"blight resistant" chestnuts, although they were not yet proven. +Experiment at Pine Plains+ By diligent search I managed to get a few trees and hybrids of _C. Crenata_ and a variety (seedling of) called "Colossal. " These thrivedand survived about 30° below zero under deep snow at Pine Plains, NewYork. I also set out 2 bushes (_C. Pumila_) obtained from Harlan P. Kelsey, East Boxford, Massachusetts. Dr. Graves' seed gave fairgermination, and I now have seven nice young _mollisimas_ from 8" to 30"high. Of two three year old trees I obtained from a local nursery, onedied (my fault) from not reducing the top, and the other died back tothe ground from winterkill, but came back again as sprouts. I easilyobtained seed of _C. Sativa_, but the severe winter mowed the seedlingsdown and there are only two survivors. One is smaller this year thanlast but the other is about 14" high and making slow, straight growth. The _chinkapins_ are perfectly hardy and this year one of them made _3feet of growth_. I estimate that I have some 3, 000 to 4, 000 American chestnut sproutsthat range anything from 1 to 18 feet in height. But more promising--Ihave a cluster of fine young seedlings that I have been caring for. Allthe woods were cleared away from them to give them plenty of light. Theyare watered by the old hand bucket method in dry spells. I report onthem occasionally to Mr. G. F. Gravatt and Mr. Russell B. Clapper of theU. S. D. A. They are a faint ray of hope. Four of them are about from 18 to 20 feet tall. One is about 9 feethigh. One blighted and died two years ago and was removed. Anotherblighted at the base and I cut the canker out, but I fear it's going. One branch is dead and was removed. The others developed strong blightresistance. Small cankers formed on the lower branches but did not makeheadway. I cut some of these out and the trees healed nicely. As thetrees become older, their resistance diminishes and the proof liesahead. One tree that I labeled No. 1 has about two dozen, well healed_Endothia_ scars already. The trees have not bloomed for me yet but Imay have some results soon. I intend to cross this clonal group with thefollowing: 1. With _C. Seguinii_ for greater blight resistance and productivity. 2. With _C. Mollisima_ (var. Abundance) for blight resistance, fine nutsof medium size, and a good timber stick with good vigor. 3. With large Japanese like Austin, and their hybrids like "Colossal, "for a medium size nut of fair quality and highly prolific for thegeneral market for a cooking or roasting chestnut. Though many people dislike the Japanese chestnuts, they are at leastproductive and hardy (at my place). Their chief attribute is theirpossibility as food for stock and wildlife. Some of the same people whodislike them (among nurserymen) recommend planting oaks which certainlydo not compare with _C. Crenata_. When a very "sweet" acorn is found itis proclaimed to be "as good as Japanese chestnut. " The Chinese chestnut has its faults here. It is not very thrifty ingrowth here and as a rule doesn't bear until late. It is not veryproductive and the nuts spoil easily. I have since planted much seedfrom the south and it often doesn't even get here in a viable condition. +Assistance from Beltsville+ My work has lately been facilitated by Mr. Gravatt and Mr. Clapper. Ivisited them at Beltsville and Mr. Clapper personally toured the orchardwith me at Glenn Dale, showing me the kind of helpful courtesy that onenever forgets and that is a tribute to these men. Some promising material was given to me which will greatly facilitate mywork. Mr. Gravatt suggested the use of "Ammate" as an experiment topoison trees that interfere with any American chestnut growth I wish tosave. The experiment is intended to eliminate the resulting sprouts thataccompany girdling. Incidentally, part of the experiment is to attemptto give light and cultivation and fertilizer to 100 native chestnutsprouts in a four acre area. I have some information on American chestnut sprouts that may be ofinterest to the membership. In an endeavor to locate the best Americanmaterial, I have been combing the woods and thickets on Long Island, inNew Jersey, Connecticut, and parts of Dutchess County, New York (thelatter not extensively). Many thousands of sprouts were examined todiscover the following: _Their present status. _ 1. Sprouts occur almost always in woodlands. 2. They reach their greatest height and are most luxuriant at the edgeof woodlands or in clearings therein. 3. They rarely exceed 15 feet in height and reach a diameter of aboutthree inches. 4. One in many hundreds, and only where there is light in abundance, will bear flowers. 5. One in many thousands bears female or pistillate flowers whichsometimes produce "blind" or empty nuts. [Unpollinated--ED. ] 6. Rarely, indeed very rarely, are two flowering trees close enough toproduce viable seed. 7. There are a few seedlings that are single stem upright trees (no oldstump in evidence) that reach up to 20 and rarely 25 or 30 feet inheight with a diameter of 6" or so. (Mr. R. B. Clapper thinks it is probably due to the absence of an old, infected stump that this greater height is reached. ) 8. Ringing by the blight does not necessarily force the flowers andnuts. The woodlands abound with chestnut sprouts in all stages ofgirdling without pollen or fruit. When I have my trees in bearing, I will be glad to furnish pollen andnuts from them to anyone that pursues the important work of trying toimprove what I consider the most promising nut tree we yet know. Winter Injury to Nut Trees at Ithaca, New York, in the Fall and Winterof 1947-48 L. H. MacDANIELS and DAMON BOYNTON, Ithaca, N. Y. The winter of 1947-48 caused more damage to nut trees at Ithaca, NewYork, than any since 1933-34. It was a combination of a series of earlyfreezes followed by sub-zero temperature in mid-winter. Apparently themost injury was done by the fall freezes. These occurred on September25, 26, and 27. On each successive night the temperature dropped lowerthan the preceding, and on September 27 was around 20°F. There wasconsiderable variation in temperature related to exposure, air drainageconditions, and other factors. On West Hill in Ithaca the minimum temperature recorded on September 27was 23°F. Injury to leaves and nuts was severe. Within a few days theleaves had shrivelled and dried on the trees. It was apparent that thisearly freeze came before the abscission layers were formed in the leafbases or growth matured. Ordinarily, a hard freeze late in the seasonwill cause the trees to drop the leaves the next day. The nuts on thetrees were frozen solid and mostly turned black within a few days andbegan to shrivel. Development was stopped, with the result that the nutson all varieties were very poorly filled. The cavities appeared on firstcracking to be full of kernel, but on drying these shrunk so that theywere practically valueless. Some of the nuts were planted in a nurseryrow in the fall and germinated fairly early, showing viable embryos inspite of arrested development. During the winter the temperature fell to -25°F, a temperature whichordinarily would not damage black walnuts seriously. It is impossible toseparate the effect of the low winter temperatures from that of theearly freeze in September. In this location the net result of the earlyfreeze and the severe winter was to kill vigorously growing grafts onthe walnut trees. Also the cambium in the main crotches of a Stambaughtree with a trunk about 14 inches in diameter was killed. This tree wasdestroyed in a windstorm in August, 1948, but it is not clear that thebreakage was related to the winter killing in 1947-48. None of the treesnow has a good crop, which may be or may not be related to the frost inthe fall. It is entirely possible that failure to form blossom buds iscaused either by killing of bud primordia or more likely by depletion ofcarbohydrate reserves due to the loss of leaves in early fall. One seedling of Carpathian walnut was not damaged seriously except forsome slight terminal twig killing. Another tree, however, had most ofthe smaller branches killed. Hickories and chestnuts were apparentlynot seriously damaged but some seedlings of the Japanese walnut werekilled to the ground. +Walnut and Hickory Plantings+ At the orchard of the Department of Pomology of Cornell University thereis a large collection of walnut and hickory varieties and other nuttrees. It is not known exactly what the temperatures were in thislocation but an exposed location half a mile distant had a minimumSeptember temperature recorded of 24°F. And minimum winter temperatureof -20°F. The planting in question is on two levels and on a hillside. The damage on the hillside and the upper level was relatively less thanon the lowlands where apparently the air drainage was poor. Probably thetemperature in the lowlands may have reached 20°F. In September and-25°F. In the winter. At any rate, the damage to the trees was much moresevere than in the West Hill location where the temperature reached23°F. In September. Injury to the black walnut on the higher land and on the hillside wasmostly the killing back of the twigs and smaller branches. On sometrees, the petioles of last year's leaves were still attached to thedead twigs late the following summer, showing that the freeze occurredbefore the abscission layers had formed. The dozen or more varieties ofblack walnut on the higher land showed little difference between themexcept that the Elmer Myers showed somewhat greater injury. On the lowground, many varieties including Murphy, Edmunds, Benton, Ohio, Todd, and Stambaugh were killed to the ground or back to the main branches ofthe trunk. Of three Thomas trees, about 20 years old, one was killedoutright, one severely injured, and the other injured only in the twigs. Apparently the difference in these three trees was related to the sizeof the crop on the trees, although no definite data are available onthis point. Walnuts showing little or no injury were: Mintle andTasterite. Neither of these had had a crop in 1947. Many of the varieties of hickory were injured as was the nativebitternut, _Carya cordiformis_. This injury consisted mostly of thekilling back of the lower limbs and twigs with some varieties beingkilled outright. Killing of the lower limbs as compared with the tops ofthe trees is probably related to lower temperatures near the ground dueto temperature inversion and possibly to the fact that the lowerbranches were somewhat weaker in their growth. This sort of injury iscommon with fruit trees. On the higher ground the Chinese chestnut trees planted some 20 yearsago showed considerable injury. About 50% of them were killed and otherswere damaged in the lower branches. Chestnut trees in this planting hadall survived the cold winter of 1933-34, with winter temperatures below-30°F. , so that it is probable that the early freeze of September 27 wasresponsible for their death. Japanese walnut seedlings again showed great difference in hardiness, the more tender seedlings killing to the ground and others showinglittle damage. Northern pecans on higher ground showed severe damage, the killingextending to the trunk and larger limbs. The variety Burlington, whichis a hybrid, pecan x shagbark, showed little injury. In a planting of several hundred seedling black walnut trees in anotherlocation the temperature on September 27 was probably around 18-20°F. About 20% of the trees were killed to the ground. These trees weregrowing under a sod mulch, were not overly vigorous, and for the mostpart had not come into fruiting. In the 1947-48 winter about half of the sweet cherries in the Pomologyorchard were killed and peaches were severely injured. No injury wasapparent on apple trees. Weather conditions such as occurred in 1947-48, though unusual, are tobe expected occasionally in the latitude of Ithaca, and in factthroughout the northern states. Apparently the fall freeze waswidespread as it was almost impossible to obtain any black walnuts thatwere of any value. Some of the specimens received from other sourcesobviously had been frozen. The possibility of such damage might well bea deterrent on planting black walnuts in any considerable acreage as acommercial venture in the north. The experience of the past yearcertainly emphasizes the fact that as yet our knowledge of varieties isincomplete and also that the Northern Nut Growers Association has muchwork to do in either locating or developing varieties of greaterhardiness or with growth characteristics which provide early maturityand thus immunity from early frost damage. What Came Through the Hard Winter in Ontario GEORGE HEBDEN CORSAN, Islington, Ontario For winter killing of trees I refer you to the winter of 1947-48. I hada huge elm and a very tall white ash killed. A lot of black walnuts andheartnuts and some Persian (English) walnuts were killed back the lengthof last year's growth. Some Persian walnuts were killed to the groundwhile others were not even nipped off of a bud. Very strange to say, mybest Persian walnut---whose shell is very thin, whose meats are verysweet and fat, the tree itself a fast grower, prolific andself-pollenizing--not only did not show a sign of trouble but actuallyhad a crop of most excellent nuts. _These trees only_ will I distributein future, as well as my two types of "Rumanian Giants. " The RumanianGiants did show a little winter killing of two or three inches of thetips and showed up poorly on the crop size. I find that all my Russian walnuts [_J. Regia_, probably"Carpathian"--Ed. ] run true to seed--no bitter nuts as from north China. They evidently planted the sweet nuts only, thus eliminating the bittertypes; they knew and practiced no budding or grafting in [that part of]Russia. Astounding to say, filberts came through last winter inexcellent shape, but the terrible, cold, late spring, froze all maleblossoms but those of the "Jones Hybrid" types, which I have from seedsI sowed. These latter yielded a good crop of nuts as did Brixnutseedlings. Not a butternut on a tree nor a beechnut! Some black walnuts were loadedwhile others were quite empty. And so I predicted--last September--a mild, open winter with some colddays. [His prediction was good for his locality. --Ed. ] My "Senator Pepper" hybrid (butternut x heartnut cross) had a crop butmy "David Fairchild" had some empty and some full. My "Mitchell hybrid"had a good crop and, believe me, this nut is far away ahead of theMitchell heartnut and up against the world for cracking out clean. Itwill equal an almond, and as for taste, it is so far ahead of a Brazilnut that the Brazil nut would rank D 3 beside it. I still believe in seed planting, even for speed of eventual growth. Last October I climbed up a black walnut tree I planted in mid-World WarI. From the top of it I looked away down to the tops of electric powerpoles! Filberts Grow in Vermont JOSEPH N. COLLINS, R. F. D. No. 3, Putney, Vermont Fifteen years ago I set out a few hundred nut trees and bushes. TheChinese chestnuts are not doing very well, as they needed more attentionthan I could give them. Honeylocusts, in this climate, require moretime. At present I can report only on seedling filberts. The seeds forthese plants were collected from the four corners of the world. Some ofthe seedlings perished, lots of them were discarded as unworthy. Atpresent I am setting out two acres of the ones that stood up well underthe test. The filbert (_Corylus avellana_) is a bush 15 to 20 feet tall and thebushes should be planted 20 to 25 feet apart. It doesn't mind partialshade, requires no spraying and very little pruning. Like the redraspberry, it is easily propagated by suckers. Most of my bushes startedproducing when they were four years old and now in their fourteenthyear, drop about 15 pounds of large fine nuts each September. They standup well under the rigorous Vermont climate, at an elevation of 1, 000feet. Knowing as much about their growing habits as I do, I believe thata steady winter with plenty of snow on the ground and a late spring thatisn't fickle, is well suited for filbert growing in the Northeast. Theneed for wind protection and good air and water drainage cannot beover-emphasized. There are a few reasons why I should advise against growing filberts intree fashion--with a single trunk, as they are mostly grown on the WestCoast. The catkins of the filbert develop during the summer, lie dormantthrough the winter, and shed their pollen very early in the spring. Should the temperature fall as low as -35°F, the catkins winterkill. Toovercome this shortcoming, I bend down and peg to the ground, in thelate fall, a few slim shoots with dormant catkins, so that the snow, orsome other mulching material supplied when there is insufficient snow, will cover and protect the catkins from winterkilling. By the end of March, after a stretch of fair weather, two tiny redtongues appear at the tips of some of the leaf buds. These are thepollen catching parts of the pistillate flowers. If the winter was kind, the filbert bushes will be a riot of golden catkins, shedding theirpollen. If the catkins remain dormant when the pistillate flowers bloom, they have been winterkilled, and the bent down reserves have to becalled up. These being protected during the winter, on being bent backto their original position, will come into bloom in a few days, pollenizing the waiting pistillate flowers. Bees eagerly seek this, oneof the earliest pollens. The now fertilized flowers, which always stayedinside the buds, go back to sleep for about two months; they are safefrom the "North Easter, " from late freezes, or from snow. When filbertsare grown naturally, that is with many shoots from the ground, it iseasy to harvest them by shaking the slender shoots. I hand hoed mybushes for the first three years, and gave them a permanent mulch overthe whole area, adding some material each year. I am inclined to believe that part of my success with filberts is due tomulching. In the middle of summer, I apply a 4" cover of low grade hay, and in the fall I again cover the ground with fallen leaves. Due to theideal conditions thus created (optimum temperature and moisture) forsoil bacteria and earthworms, this material is entirely digested. Themulching material almost disappears by the middle of the next summer, indicating vigorous biological activity. By this time a new layer ofmulch is spread, completing the cycle. Late in the fall a load of manureis heaped in the middle of the plantation as an earthworm refuge. Thisheap is scattered early in the spring. Light applications of wood ashesand super-phosphate are given yearly, late in the fall. In conclusion, I wish to state that selected varieties of filbert nutscan be grown in the Northeast. Hybrids between the American and Europeanfilbert are good growers and producers, although I find that the flavorof the nut isn't as good as that of the pure _avellana_. I would advisethe planting of a dozen bushes by each of a great number of personsfurther to prove the possibilities of growing this specific nut in theNew England area, also to promote the idea of growing both feed and foodon trees and bushes. Report of Necrology Committee C. E. SCHUSTER Carl E. Schuster, horticulturist with the U. S. Department ofAgriculture stationed on the Oregon State College campus and generallyrecognized as the nation's foremost authority on filbert production, died February 6, 1948, in Corvallis as a result of a heart attack. Atthe time of his death, he was 58. Associated with the Northwest's growing nut industry for more than 30years, he was recognized for his outstanding contributions to filbertand walnut production. One of his first and most outstandingdevelopments was related to the pollination requirements of filberttrees. After research proved the common commercial filbert variety, theBarcelona, was self-sterile, he recommended to filbert growers that theyplant DuChilly, Daviana and White Aveline filbert trees with theirBarcelona to insure complete pollination. Full crops resulted. +Organized Summer Tours+ For approximately 20 years prior to 1941, he served assecretary-treasurer of the Western Nut Growers Association. In thiscapacity he assisted in starting the summer tours which have beencarried on continuously since. He helped guide the Association throughits early years to a position of importance among the commodity groupsof the state. In 1941, he was forced to relinquish his office as aresult of the enactment of a federal regulation. At this time, he wasgiven an honorary life membership in the Association. In recent years, he devoted major attention to orchard management withemphasis on fertilization and general nutrition needs of nut trees. Inthis work he co-operated with Dr. R. E. Stephenson at Oregon StateCollege. Their outstanding development was in the field Of borondeficiency in walnuts. Walnut production of many orchards, they discovered, could be increasedtwo and three fold by the addition of borax fertilizer. The presence of"snake heads" or sprouts in summer walnut growth and "die-back" orwinter kill noticeable in some walnut trees during the winter months arenow generally recognized as signs of boron deficiency. +Wrote Many Nut Articles+ Other work in walnuts proved that fertilizer applications can and dopay. Prior to this work with resulting fertilizer recommendations, manywalnut growers had not made heavy enough applications on certain soiltypes and felt that fertilizers were not worthwhile in walnutproduction. Mr. Schuster was the author of many articles pertaining to nut culture. In the 10 years he was on the staff of the college horticulturedepartment before entering federal service, he made an outstandingrecord in teaching and research. With other scientists he worked indeveloping a successful pollination program for cherries. This work wascarried on after it was determined that the three leading cherryvarieties, Royal Ann, Bing, and Lambert, were all self-sterile andintersterile. A native of Ohio, he came to Oregon in 1912 to attend Oregon StateCollege after having completed two years at Ohio Wesleyan. He received aB. S. Degree in agriculture in 1914 and two years later, 1916, receivedhis master's degree. He joined the college staff three years later and remained until 1929, when he took the federal position he held until his death. He was aveteran of World War I, having served as an infantry second lieutenant. He was a member of Alpha Zeta Sigma Xi, and Gamma Sigma Delta honorsocieties and was a life-long member of the Evangelical church, whichhas since merged with the United Brethren church. He is survived by Mrs. Schuster and four children, Charles, Robert andMargaret--all Oregon State College students, and Flora, a high schoolstudent. A brother, Dr. Earl J, Schuster, lives at Tillamook. --Reprintedfrom _Better Fruit_ magazine. MRS. LAURA SELDEN ELLWANGER Mrs. Laura Selden Ellwanger, member of one of Rochester's pioneerfamilies, died at her home, 510 East Avenue, Rochester, New York onSeptember 1, 1948, after a short illness. She was the widow of William D. Ellwanger, whose father, GeorgeEllwanger, was a co-founder of the Ellwanger & Barry Nursery Company. Her brother, George B. Selden, was inventor of the gasoline automobile, and her father, Henry R. Selden, was a New York State Court of Appealsjudge and one-time lieutenant governor of the state. Mrs. Ellwanger was the last survivor of 12 children in the Seldenfamily. Her maternal grandfather, Dr. Abel Baldwin, settled in Clarksonin 1811, just a year before Rochester was founded. She was born in ahouse on the land now occupied by the Highland Hospital. One of hersisters, Louise, was the wife of Maj. Gen. Elwell C. Otis, formergovernor of the Philippine Islands. Mrs. Ellwanger spent many summers at her home, Brookwood, in Ontario, Wayne County. She was honorary president of the Rochester Female Charitable Society, one of the city's oldest organizations, and a member of the RochesterHistorical Society, The Rochester Garden Club, Genesee Valley Club, andthe Rochester Rose Society. She is survived by a daughter, Mrs. Kenneth H. Field, of Rochester; twogranddaughters, Mrs. John F. Weis, Jr. , of New York City, and Mrs. EdwinII, Atwood, Jr. , Rochester, and four great-grandchildren. (The above, is from a Rochester newspaper clipping. --Ed. ) M. M. KAUFMAN (The secretary received the following letter from Mrs. M. M. Kaufman, dated March 17, 1949. ) "I regret to advise you that my husband, M. M. Kaufman (Clarion, Pennsylvania), a member of the Association for many years, died March 3, 1948. "My husband was a strong, conservationist and always appreciated thework of the Nut Growers. In continuing his interests, I should like tojoin the Association, and I am enclosing my check for $8. 00 to coverdues of $3. 00. .. . And $5. 00 as a contribution in my husband's name forfurthering the work of the group. " NORMAN B. WARD Norman B. Ward, a new member, with offices at 866 Hanna Bldg. , Cleveland15, Ohio, was reported deceased in September, 1948. No obituary noticehas been received for him. Attendance R. P. Allaman, Harrisburg Pennsylvania Mrs. R. P. Allaman, Harrisburg Pennsylvania Stephen Bernath, Poughkeepsie, New York Mrs. Stephen Bernath, Poughkeepsie, New York Charles B. Berst, Erie, Pennsylvania Frank B. Blow, Norris, Tennessee Gertrude R. Blow, Norris, Tennessee Mrs. L. C. Brann, Knoxville, Tennessee John T. Bregger, Clemson, South Carolina Carroll D. Bush, Eagle Creek, Oregon J. Edwin Caruthers, Alpine, Tennessee Wm. S. Clarke, Jr. , Dept, of Horticulture, State College, Pennsylvania B. C. Cobb, Norris, Tennessee Miss Mary R. Cochran, Cincinnati, Ohio C. E. Connally, Roanoke, Virginia Mrs. C. E. Connally, Roanoke, Virginia Thomas S. Cox, 103 Hotel Avenue, Knoxville. 18, Tennessee H. L. Crane, 6822 Pineway, Hyattsville, Maryland Frank B. Cross, Oklahoma A & M College, Stillwater, Oklahoma Mrs. Frank B. Cross, Stillwater, Oklahoma W. H. Cummings, Fountain City, Tennessee Mrs. W. H. Cummings, Fountain City, Tennessee Helen E, Davidson, 234 E. Second St. , Xenia, Ohio John Davidson, Xenia, Ohio Margaret Davidson, Xenia, Ohio Elora Donnelly, Hoboken, New Jersey John H. Donnelly, Hoboken, New Jersey Brooks D. Drain, Knoxville, Tennessee Martin D. Ehlmann, St. Charles, Missouri Mrs. Martin D. Ehlmann, St. Charles, Missouri R. W. Fisher, West Plains, Missouri A. E. France, Charleston, West Virginia Wilbert M. Frye, Pleasant Dale, West Virginia F. C. Galle, Dept, of Horticulture, Univ. Of Tenn. , Knoxville, Tennessee H. R. Gibbs, 803 William St. , Front Royal, Virginia Mrs. Bessie J. Gibbs, 803 William St. , Front Royal, Virginia Jack Godwin, Signal Mountain, Tennessee G. H. Gordon, Union, South Carolina Dr. Edward A. Grad & Family, Cincinnati, Ohio G. F. Gravatt, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Maryland. Dr. Clyde Gray, Horton, Kansas G. A. Gray, Cincinnati, Ohio John L. Gray, Raleigh, North Carolina Henry Gressel, Mohawk, New York Mrs. Henry Gressel, Mohawk, New York Earl C. Haines, Shanks, West Virginia Max Hardy, Sr. , Albany, Georgia Mrs. Max Hardy, Sr. , Albany, Georgia Max Hardy, Jr. , Albany, Georgia Hubert Harris, Auburn, Alabama John F. Hatmaker, Norris, Tennessee Agnes V. Hendricks, Knoxville, Tennessee A. G. Hirschi, 414 N. Robinson St. , Oklahoma City, Oklahoma C. F. Hostetter, Lancaster, Pennsylvania Mrs. C. F. Hostetter, Lancaster, Pennsylvania Bruce Howell, Sweetwater, Tennessee C. B. Howell, Jr. , Knoxville, Tennessee Lilian Jenkins, Norris, Tennessee Denman A. Jones, Walnut Grove Farms, Parkesburg, Pennsylvania G. S. Jones, Rt. I, Box 140, Phenix City, Alabama Mrs. Tinman W. Jones, Walnut Grove Farm, Parkesburg, Pa. Raymond Kays, Oklahoma A & M College, Stillwater, Oklahoma J. B. Kingrohm, Knoxville, Tennessee G. J. Korn, 140 N. Rose St. , Kalamazoo, Michigan Ira M. Kyhl, Sabula, Iowa E. W. Lemke, Detroit 14, Michigan R. C. Lorenz, Fremont, Ohio Mrs. R. C. Lorenz, Fremont, Ohio W. W. Magill, Lexington, Kentucky D. E. Manges, Norris, Tennessee J. C. Moore, Auburn, Alabama R. G. Moore, Dept, of Hort. , V. P. I. , Blacksburg, Va. Dr. C. A. Moss, Williamsburg, Kentucky John T, Mullins, Renfro Valley, Kentucky H. O. Murphy, Chattanooga, Tennessee Dr. L. H. MacDaniels, Ithaca, New York Mrs. L. H. MacDaniels, Ithaca, New York Frances C. MacDaniels, Ithaca, New York F. J. McCauley, 233 West Erie St. , Chicago 10, Illinois Elizabeth L. McCollum, White Hall, Maryland Blaine McCollum, White Hall, Maryland J. C. McDaniel, 403 State Office Bldg. , Nashville 3, Tenn. Mrs. Herbert Negus, Mt, Rainier, Maryland James R. Oakes, Bluffs, Illinois Royal Oakes, Bluffs, Illinois Mrs. Vincent L. Odum, San Diego, California Robert E. Ogle, Tenn. Experiment Sta. , Knoxville, Tennessee F. L. O'Rourke, East Lansing, Michigan E. L. Overholser, Dept. Of Hort. , V. P. I. , Blacksburg, Virginia Roger W. Pease, Morgantown, West Virginia Gordon Porter, Windsor, Ontario, Canada Sara M. Potts, Knoxville, Tennessee Carl Prell, South Bend, Indiana Edna M. Pritchett, 803 William St. , Front Royal, Virginia Ralph H. Quick, Lesage, West Virginia G. B. Rhodes, Route 2, Covington, Tennessee Mrs. G. B. Rhodes, Route 2, Covington, Tennessee Ralph, Richterkessing, R. R. 1, St. Charles, Missouri Mrs. Ralph Richterkessing, R. R. 1, St. Charles, Missouri David Richterkessing, R. R. 1, St. Charles, Missouri John Rick, Reading, Pennsylvania W. Jobe Robinson, Route 7, Jackson, Tennessee Mrs. W. Jobe Robinson, Route 7, Jackson, Tennessee Dr. Wm. L. Rohrbacher, 811 East College St. , Iowa City, Iowa Mrs. Wm. L. Rohrbacher, 811 East College St. , Iowa City, Iowa Ralph Schreiber, Sr. , 245 Cherry St. , New Albany, Indiana Ralph Schreiber, Jr. , 245 Cherry St. , New Albany, Indiana T. L. Senn, Clemson, South Carolina W. A. Shadow, Decatur, Tennessee Maurice E. Shamer, M. D. & Son, Baltimore, Maryland Sylvester Shessler, Genoa, Ohio Mrs. E. D. Shipley, Knoxville, Tennessee G. B. Shivery, Knoxville, Tennessee Raymond E. Silvis, Massillon, Ohio Frances Simpson, Norris, Tennessee George L. Slate, Geneva, New York Barbara Sly, Rockport, Indiana Donald R. Sly, Indiana Nut Nursery, Rockport, Indiana Louesa M. Sly, Rockport, Indiana Raymond E. Sly, Rockport, Indiana Sterling Smith, 630 W. South St. , Vermilion, Ohio H. F. Stoke, Roanoke, Virginia Mrs. H. F. Stoke, Roanoke, Virginia Bernard M. Taylor, Alpine, Tennessee Clifford R. Von Gundy, Cincinnati, Ohio Ford Wallick, Peru, Indiana Arthur Weaver, 3339 South St. , Toledo, Ohio Harry R. Weber, Morgan Road, Rt. 1, Cleves, Ohio Mrs. Martha R. Weber, Morgan Road, Rt. 1, Cleves, Ohio J. F. Wilkinson, Indiana Nut Nursery, Rockport, Indiana Mrs. R. Allen Williams, Chicago, Illinois William J. Wilson, Fort Valley, Georgia Mrs. William J. Wilson, Fort Valley, Georgia T. G. Zarger, Norris, Tennessee Mrs. T. G. Zarger, Norris, Tennessee Mrs. G. A. Zimmerman, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Membership Listings Miss Helen Lewis, of the secretary's office, has corrected the followingalphabetical list of members by states and countries, up to May 1, 1949, and further additions up to press time will be added below "Wisconsin", if space permits. We are listing also the members' occupations, so faras they have been furnished, and ask that other members who want themlisted include this information when they pay their dues for the comingyear. Please check on your own listing now, and notify the secretary ifany correction in the name or address (including zone number) should bemade. Northern Nut Growers Association Membership List as of May 1, 1949 *Life Member **Honorary Member ALABAMA Campbell, R. D. , Route 1, Stevenson. +Farmer, mine operator. + Dean, Charles C. , Route 3, Box 220, Anniston Orr, Lovic, Route 1, Danville. +Farmer, chestnut and peach grower, merchant. + ARKANSAS Clawitter, A. T. , Route 3, Box 210, Little Rock Hale, A. C. , Route 2, Box 322, Camden Van Arsdale, D. N. , Route 4, Berryville Williams, Jerry F. , Viola Winn, J. B. , West Fork CALIFORNIA Armstrong Nurseries, 408 N. Euclid Avenue, Ontario. +General nurserymen, plant breeders. + Gaston, Eugene T. , Route 2, Box 771, Turlock. +Nut nurseryman, Turlock Nursery+ Haig, Dr. Thomas R. , 3344 H. Street, Sacramento. +Surgeon+ Kemple, W. H. , 216 West Ralston Street, Ontario. +Nurseryman, plant, breeder and research horticulturist. + Nicholson, Thomas B. , 1017 N. Ophir Street, Stockton Parsons, Charles E. , Felix Gillett Nursery, P. O. Box 1026, Nevada City. +Nurseryman. + Pozzi, P. H. , 2875 South Dutton Avenue, Santa Rosa Serr, E. F. , Agri. Experiment Station, Davis. +Associate Pomologist. + Walter, E. D. , 899 Alameda, Berkeley Welby, Harry S. , 500 Buchanan Street, Taft. +Private & Corporation Horticulture. + Williams, Edward L. , Sheepranch CANADA Brown, Alger, Route 1, Harley, Ontario. +Farmer. + Cahoon, Dr. E. B. , 333 O'Connor Drive, Toronto 6, Ontario Casanave, John A. , 209 Patterson Rd. , Lulu Island, Vancouver, B. C. Cornell, R. S. , R. R. No. 1, Byron, Ontario Corsan, George H. , Echo Valley, Islington, Ontario. +Nurseryman, nut breeder. + Crisp, Dr. Allan G. , Suite 204, 160 Eloor Street West, Toronto, Ontario Elwood, H. , 78 Trans Canada Highway West, Chilliwack, B. C. +Nurseryman. + English, H. A. , Box 153, Duncan, B. C. +Farmer, fruit and nut grower. + Filman, O. , Aldershot, Ontario. +Fruit and vegetable grower. + Gellatly, J. U. , Box 19, Westbank, B. C. +Plant breeder. Fruit grower & nurseryman. + Giegerich, H. C. , Con-Mine, Trail, B. C. Goodwin, Geoffrey L. , Route 3, St. Catherines, Ontario. +Fruit grower. + Harrhy, Ivor H. , Route 1, Burgessville, Ontario Housser, Levi, Rt. No. 1, Beamsville, Ontario, +Fruit farmer. + Maillene, George, R. R. 1, Saanichton, B. C. Manten, Jacob, Route 1, White Rock, B. C. *Neilson, Mrs. Ellen, 5 Macdonald Avenue, Guelph, Ontario Papple, Elton E. , Route 3, Cainsville, Ontario Porter, Gordon, R. R. No. 1, Harrow, Ontario. +Chemist+ Snazelle, Robert, Forest Nursery, Dept. Of Industry & Resources, 140 Cumberland St. , Charlotteville, P. E. I. Trayling, E. J. , 609 Richards Street, Vancouver, B. C. +Jeweller. + Wagner, A. S. , Delhi, Ontario Wharton, H. W. , Route 2, Guelph, Ontario. +Farmer. + Willis, A. R. , Route 1, Royal Oak, Vancouver Island, B. C. Young, A. H. , Portage La Prairie, Manitoba Young, A. L. , Brooks, Alta. CONNECTICUT *Deming, Dr. W. C. , 31 S. Highland, West Hartford 7. +(Dean of the Association)+ Giesecke, Paul. R. F. D. 3, Pinewood Road, Stamford. +Physicist. + Graham, Mrs. Cooper, Darien Graves, Dr. Arthur H. , 255 South Main Street, Wallingford +Consulting Pathologist, Conn. Agr. Expt. Station, New Haven, Connecticut. *Huntington, A. M. , Stanerigg Farms, Bethel McSweet, Arthur Clapboard Hill Road Guilford. +Industrial Engineer. + *Newmaker, Adolph, Route 1, Rockville Pratt, George D. , Jr. , Bridgewater White, George F. , Route 2, Andover DELAWARE Brugman, Elmer W. , 1904 Washington Street, Wilmington. +Chemical Engineer. + Wilkins, Lewis, Route 1, Newark. +Fruit grower. + DENMARK Granjean, Julie, Hillerod. (See New York. ) Knuth, Count F. M. , Knuthenborg, Bandholm DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA American Potash Institute, Inc. , 1155-16th St. , N. W. , Washington, D. C. Borchers, Perry E. , 1329 Quincy Street, N. W. , Washington 11, D. C. +Civil Engineer. + Ford, Edwin L. , 3634 Austin St. , N. E. , Washington 20. Graff, George U. , 242 Peabody Street, N. W. , Washington, 11, D. C. Kaan, Dr. Helen W. , National Research Council, 2101 Constitution Ave. , Washington, D. C. +Research Associate. + **Reed, C. A. , 7309 Piney Branch Road, N. W. , Washington 12, D. C. +Nut Culturist. + ECUADOR SOUTH AMERICA Colwell, P. A. , Institute of Inter-American Affairs, c/o American Embassy, Quito. FLORIDA Avant, C. A. , 960 N. W. 10th Avenue, Miami. +Pecan grower. + Estill, Gertrude, 153 Navarre Drive, Miami Springs. +General Manager. + GEORGIA Eidson, G. Clyde, 1700 Westwood Ave. , S. W. , Atlanta Hammar, Dr. Harold E. , U. S. Pecan Field Station, Box 84, Albany. +Chemist, U. S. D. A. + Hardy, Max, P. O. Box 128, Leeland Farms, Leesburg. +Nurseryman, farmer. + Hobsen, James, Jasper Hunter, Dr. H. Reid. 561 Lake Shore Drive, N. E. , Atlanta. +Teacher and farmer. + Neal, Homer A. , Neal's Nursery, Rt. 1. Carnesville. +Farmer, nurseryman. + Noland, S. C. , P. O. Box 1747, Atlanta 1. +Owner of Skyland Farms. + Wilson, William J. , North Anderson Avenue, Fort Valley. +Fruit and nut orchardist. + IDAHO Baisch, Fred, 627 E. Main Street, Emmett Dryden, Lynn, Peck. +Farmer. + Kudlac, Joe T. , Box 147, Buhl. +Orchardist. + McGoran, J. E. , Box 42, Spirit Lake. +Nurseryman. + Steele, A. A. , John Steel Orchards, Parma. +Manager of Orchard. + Swayne, Samuel F. , Orofino ILLINOIS Albrecht, H. W. , Delavan Allen, Theodore R. , Delavan Anthony, A. B. , Route 3, Sterling. +Apiarist. + Baber, Adlin, Kansas Best, R. B. , Eldred. +Farmer. + Bradley, James W. , 1307 N. McKinley Ave. , Champaign Bronson, Earle A. , 800 Simpson Street, Evanston Churchill, Woodford M. , 4323 Oakenwold, Chicago Coe, John E. , 2024 Sunnyside Avenue, Chicago 25 Colby, Dr. Arthur S. , University of Illinois, Urbana Dietrich, Ernest, Route 2, Dundas. +Farmer. + Dintelman, L. F. , State Street Road, Belleville Erkman, John O. , 103 N. Lincoln Street, Urbana Fordtran, E. H. , 8700 Fullerton Avenue, Chicago 47 Frey, Frank H. , 2315 West 108th Place, Chicago 48. +Assistant to V. P. , C B I & P R. R. + Frey, Mrs. Frank H. , 2315 West 108th Place, Chicago 48. +Housewife. + Gerardi, Louis, Route 1, Caseyville. +Nut and fruit nurseryman. + Grefe, Ben, R. R. 4, Box 22, Nashville. +Farmer. + Haeseler, L. M. , 1959 W. Madison St. , Chicago Heborlein, Edward W. , Route 1, Box 72 A, Roscoe Helmle, Herman C. , 526 S. Grand Avenue, W. , Springfield. +Division Engineer, Asphalt Institute. + Hockenyos, C. L. , 213 E. Jefferson Street, Springfield. +Business man. + Johnson, Hjalmar, W. , 5811 Dorchester Avenue, Chicago 37 Jungk, Adolph, 817 Washington Avenue, Alton Kreider, Ralph, Jr. , Hammond Langdoc, Mrs. Wesley W. , P. O. Box 136, Erie. +(J. F. Jones Nursery)+ Oakes, Royal, Bluffs (Scott County) Pray, A. Lee, 502 North Main Street, LeRoy. +Attorney. + Seaton, Earl D. , 2313 6th, Peru. +Machinist. + Sonemann, W. F. , Experimental Gardens, Vandalla. +Lawyer and farm operator. + Whitford, A. M. , Farina. +Horticulturist. + INDIANA Arata, J. W. , R. R. 2, Box 28, Osceola. +Mechanical Engineer. + Bauer, Paul J. , 123 South 29th Street, Lafayette Behr, J. E. , Laconia Boyer, Clyde C. , Nabb Buckner, Dr. Doster, 421 W. Wayne Street, Ft. Wayne 2. +Physician and Surgeon. + Clark, C. M. , c/o C. M. Clark & Sons Nurseries, R. R. 2, Middletown +Fruit & nursery stock. + Eagles, A. E. , Eagles Orchards, Wolcottville. +Apple grower. + Eisterhold, Dr. John A. , 220 Southeast Drive, Evansville 8. +Medical Doctor. + Fateley, Nolan W. , c/o Campbell Oil Co. , 2003 Madison Avenue, Indianapolis 2 Garber, H. C. , Indiana State Farm, Greencastle Gentry, Herbert M. , Route 2, Noblesville Glaser, Peter, Route 18, Box 463, Evansville Hite, Charles Dean, Route 2, Bluffton Hunter, J. Robert, 215 So. Broadway, Peru Prell, Carl F. , 1414 E. Colfax Avenue, South Bend 17 Richards, E. E. , 2712 South Twyckenham Drive, South Bend. +Studebaker Corporation. + Russell, A. M. , Jr. , 2721 Marine Street, South Bend Schreiber, Ralph, 245 Cherry Street, New Albany Skinner, Dr. Charles H. , Route 1, Thorntown. +Teacher and farmer. + Sly, Miss Barbara, Route 3, Rockport Sly, Donald R. , Route 3, Rockport. +Nurseryman, nut tree propagator. + Wallick, Ford, Route 4, Peru Ward, W. B. , Horticulture Bldg. , Purdue University, Lafayette. +Ext. Horticulturist, Vegetables. + Wichman, Robert P. , R. R. 3, Washington Wilkinson, J. F. , Indiana Nut Nursery, Rockport. +Nurseryman, farmer. + IOWA Anderson, Donald, Welton Junction Berhow, Seward, Berhow Nurseries, Huxley Boice, R. H. , Route 1, Nashua. +Farmer. + Clayton, Donovan, Route 1, Coin Cole, Edward P. , 419 Chestnut Street, Atlantic Ferguson, Albert B. , Center Point. +Nurseryman. + Ferris, Wayne, Hampton. +President of Earl Ferris Nursery. + Harrison, L. E. C/o Harrison Lake Shore Orchards, Nashua. +Orchards. + Huen, E. F. , Eldora Inter-State Nurseries, Hamburg. +General nurserymen. + Iowa Fruit Growers' Assn. , State House, Des Moines 19. +Cooperative buying organization+ Kaser, J. D. , Winterset. +Farmer. + Kivell, Ivan E. , Route 1, Greene. +Farmer. + Knowles, W. B. , Box 126, Manly Kyhl, Ira M. , Box 236, Sabula. +Nut nurseryman, farmer, salesman. + Lounsberry, C. C. , 209 Howard Avenue, Ames Martazahn, Frank A. , Route 8, Davenport McLaran, Harold F. , Mt. Pleasant. +Lawyer. + Rodenberg, Henry, Guttenberg. +Farmer. + Rohrbacher, Dr. William, 311 East College Street, Iowa City. +Practice of Medicine. + Schlagenbusch Brothers, Route 2, Fort Madison. +Farmers. + Snyder, D. C. , Center Point. +Nurseryman, nuts and general. + Tolstead, W. L. , Central College, Pella Wade, Miss Ida May, Route 3, LaPorte City. +Bookkeeper. + Welch, H. S. , Mt. Arbor Nurseries, Shenandoah White, Herbert, Box 264, Woodbine. +Rural Mail Carrier. + Williams, Wendell V. , Danville KANSAS Baker, F. C. , Troy Borst, Frank E. , 1704 Shawnee Street, Leavenworth Breidenthal, Willard J. , Riverview State Bank, 7th & Central, Kansas City. +Bank President. + Funk, M. D. , 612 W. Paramore Street, Topeka. +Pharmacist. + Gray, Dr. Clyde, 1045 Central Avenue, Horton. +Osteopathic Physician. + Harris, Ernest, Box 20, Wellsville Leavenworth Nurseries, Carl Holman, Proprietor, Route 3, Leavenworth. +Nut nurserymen. + Mondero, John, Lansing Thielenhaus, W. F. , Route 1, Buffalo Underwood, Jay, Uniontown KENTUCKY Alves, Robert H. , Nebi Bottling Company, Henderson Magill, W. W. , University of Kentucky, Lexington. +Field Agent in Horticulture+ Moss, Dr. C. A. , Williamsburg. +Physician and Bank President. + Mullins, Tom, Renfro Valley. +Radio entertainer, commercial walnut cracker. + Rouse, Sterling, Route 1, Box 70, Florence Tatum, W. G. , Route 4, Lebanon. +Commercial orchardist. + Whittinghill, Lonnie M. , Box 10, Love. +Growing nut trees, evergreens, fruit trees. + MARYLAND Crane, Dr. H. L. , Bureau of Plant Industry Station, Beltsville. +Principal Horticulturist, U. S. D. A. + Eastern Shore Nurseries, Inc. , Dover Road, Easton. +Chinese chestnuts & ornamentals. + Gravatt, Dr. G. F. , Plant Industry Station, Beltsville. +Research Forest Pathologist. + Hogdson, William C, Route 1, White Hall Hoopes, Wilmer P. , Forest Hill. +Retired farmer. + Kemp, Homer S. , Bountiful Ridge Nurseries, Princess Anne. +General nursery. + Lowerre, James D. , Dist. Training School, Laurel McCollum, Blaine, White Hall McKay, Dr. J. W. , Plant Industry Station, Beltsville. +Government Scientist. + Negus, Mrs. Herbert, 4514 32nd Street, Mt. Rainier Porter, John J. , 1199 The Terrace, Hagerstown. +Farm Owner. + Shamer, Dr. Maurice E. , 3300 W. North Ave. , Baltimore 16 MASSACHUSETTS Babbit, Howard S. , 221 Dawes Avenue, Pittsfield. +Service Station owner and part time farmer. + Bradbury, Capt. H. G. , Hospital Point, Beverly Brown, Daniel L. , Esq. , 60 State Street, Boston Bump, Albert H. , 160 Standish Rd. , Watertown Davenport, S. Lathrop, North Grafton. +Farmer, Fruit Grower. + Farrell; Charles, 46 Pratt Street, Tanaton Pitts, Walter H. , 39 Baker Street, Foxboro. +General Foreman, Instrument Company. + Feitse, Ernest, Osterville Kendall, Henry P. , Moose Hill Farm, Sharon La Beau, Henry A. , North Hoosie Road, Williamstown. +Steam engineer. + Rice, Horace J. , Box 146, Wilbraham. +Attorney-at-Law. + Russell, Mrs. Newton H. , 12 Burnett Avenue, South Hadley Short, I. W. , 299 Washington Street, Taunton Steward O. W. , 15 Milton Avenue, Hyde Park 36, +Fire Protectors Engineer and Manager. + Swartz, H. P. , 206 Chincopee Street, Chicopee Wellman, Sargent H. , Esq. , Windridge, Torsfield. +Lawyer. + Weston Nurseries, Int. , Brown & Winter Streets, Weston. +Nurserymen. + Weymonth, Paul W. , 183 Plymouth Street, Halbrook Wood, Miss Louise B. , Poeassett, Cape Cod. MEXICO Compean, Senor Federico, Gerente, Granjas "Cordelia", Escobado No. , 76, San Luis Potosi, Mexico. +General Manager of "Cordelia" Farms. + MICHIGAN Achenbach, W. N. , Petoskey Ainsworth, Donald W. , 5851 Mt. Elliott, Detroit 11 Andersen, Charles, Andersen Evergreen Nurseries, Scottsville Barlow, Alfred L. , 13079 Flanders Avenue Detroit 5 Becker, Gilbert, Climax Hoylan, P. B. , Cloverdale Bradley, L. J. , Route 1 Springport. +Farmer. + Bumler Malcolm R. , 2600 Dickerson, Detroit 15. +Insurance Trustee. + Burgart, Harry, Michigan Nut Nursery, Box 33, Union City. +Nurseryman. + Burgess, E. H. , Burgess seed & Plant Company, Galesburg Burr, Redmond M. , 820 S. 5th Avenue, Ann Arbor. +General Chairman, The Order of Railroad Telegraphers, Pere Marquette District, C&O Ry. Co+ Cook, Ernest A. , M. D. , c/o County Health Dept. , Centerville Corsan, H. H. , Route 1, Hillsdale. +Nurseryman. + Emerson, Ralph, 161 Cortland Avenue. Highland Park 3 Estill, Miss Gertrude. (See under Florida. Summer Address: Rt. 4, Box 762. Battle Creek, ) Grater, A. F. , 820 Liberty Avenue, Buchanan Hackett, John C. , 3921 Butterworth Rd. , S. W. , R. R. 5, Grand Rapids 6 Hagleshow, W. J. , Box 314, Galesburg. +Grain farmer. Odd contract jobs. + Hay, Francis H. , Ivanhoe Place, Lawrence Healey, Scott, 200 Sherwood Street, Otsegu **Kellogg, W. K. , Battle Creek King, Harold J. , Sodus. +Farmer and fruit grower. + Korn, G. J. , 140 N. Rose Street, Kalamazoo 12. +Shop worker. + Lee, Michael, P. O. Box. 16, Milford Lemke, Edwin W. , 2432 Townsend Avenue, Detroit 14. +Engineer, and nut orchardist. + Miller, Louis, 417 N. Broadway, Cassopolis. +District Forester. + O'Rourke, Dr. F. L. , Horticultural Dept. , Michigan State College, East Lansing +Professor of Horticulture. + Pickles, Arthur W. , 760 Elmwood Avenue, Jackson Prushek, E. , Route 3, Niles Scherer, Milton E. , M. C. M. T. , Qts, 20, Sault Saint Mario Stahelin, C. A. , Stahelin Nursery, Bridgman. +Nurseryman. + Stocking, Frederick N. , Harrisville Tate, D. L. , 959 Westchester Street, Birmingham Taylor, Merrill W. , Trust Dept. , First Natl. Bank & Trust Co. , Kalamazoo Whallon, Archer P. , Route 1, Stockbridge Wiard, Everett, 510 South Huron St. Ypsilanti Zekit, Arnold, 1958 Catalpa Court, Ferndale 20 MINNESOTA Ruer, Eldred, Route 3, Canby Hodgson, B. E. , Dept, of Agriculture, S. E. Experiment Station, Wasaca Mayo Forestry & Horticultural Institute, Benjamin F. Dunn, Supt. , Box 498; Rochester Skrukrud, Baldwin, Sacred Heart Tulare, Willis E. , 800 3rd Avenue, S. E. , Rochester Weschcke, Carl, 96 S. Wabasha Street, St. Paul. +Proprietor, Hazel Hills Nursery Co. + MISSISSIPPI Meyer, James R. , Delta Branch Experiment Station, Stoneville. +Cytogeneticist (Cotton. )+ MISSOURI Bauch, G. D. , Box 66, Farmington Blake, R. F. , c/o International Shoe Co. , 1509 Washington Ave, St. Louis 3. Fisher, J. B. , Rt. 1, Pacific Fisher, Richard W. , Box 112, West Plains Glesson, Adolph, River Aux Vases Hay, Leander, Gilliam Howe, John, Route 1, Box 4, Pacific Huber, Frank J. , Weingarten. +Farmer. + Hudson, Perry H. , Smithton James, George, Brunswick Johns, Jeannette F. , Route 1, Festus Logan, George F. , Oregon Nicholson, John W. , Ash Grove. +Farmer. + Nicholson, Kadire A. , Ash Grove Ochs, C. Thurston, Box 291, Salem. +Foreman in garment factory. + Richterlessing, Ralph, Route 1, St. Charles. +Farmer. + Stark Brothers Nursery & Orchard Co. , Louisiana. +Fruit and general nurserymen. + Tainter, Nat A. , 714 N. Fifth Street, St. Charles. +Factory worker and Nursery owner. + Van Erp, George D. , 7 East 85th St. , Kansas City Weil, A. E. , c/o Dow Chemical Company, 3615 Olive St. , St. Louis 8. +Representative on agricultural chemicals for Dow. + NEBRASKA Brand, George, Route 5, Box 60, Lincoln Caha, William, Wahoo Hess, Harvey W. , The Arrowhead Gardens, Box 209, Hebron Hoyer, L. B. , 7554 Maple Street, Omaha 4. +Cane weaving chairs--seats and backs. All kinds of weaving. + Marshall's Nurseries. Arlington Ricky, Lowell D. , 1516 South 29th Street, Lincoln White, Miss Bertha G. , 7615 Leighton Ave. , Lincoln 5 White, Warren E. , 6920 Binney St. , Omaha 4. +Watchmaker. + NEW HAMPSHIRE Lahti, Matthew, Locust Lane Farm, Wolfeboro Latimer, Professor L. P. , Dept. Of Horticulture, Durham Malcolm, Herbert L. , The Waumnek Farm, Jefferson Messier, Frank, Route 2, Nashua NEW JERSEY Anderegg, F. O. , Raritan Blake, Dr. Harold, Box 93, Saddle River Bottoni, R. J. , 41 Robertson Road, West Orange. +President of Harbot Die Casting Corp. + Brewer, J. L. , 10 Allen Place, Fair Lawn Buckwalter, Mrs. Alan R. , Flemington Buckwalter, Geoffrey R. , 20 Cedar Street, South Bound Brook. Chemist. Cumberland Nursery, Route 1, Millville. +Nurserymen. + Donnelly, John H. , Mountain Ice Company, 51 Newark St. , Hoboken Dougherty, William M. , Broadacres-on-Bedens, Box 425, Princeton Ellis, Mrs. Edward P. , Strawberry Hill, Route 1, Box 137, Keyport Franek, Michael, 323 Rutherford Avenue, Franklin Hyper Humus Company, Newton *Jacques, Lee W. , 74 Waverly Place, Jersey City Kelly, Mortimer B. , Route 2, James St. , Morristown McCullouch, J. D. , 73 George Street, Freehold McDowell, Fred, 905 Ocean Avenue, Belmar Ritchie, Walter M. , Route 2, Box 122R, Rahway. +Landscape nurseryman. + Rocker, Louis P. , The Rocker Farm, Box 196, Andover. +Farmer. + Sheffield O. A. , 288 Hamilton Place, Hackensack Sorg, Henry, Chicago Avenue, Egg Harbor City Sutton, Ross J. , Jr. , Route 2, Lebanon Van Doren, Durand H. , 310 Redmond Road, South Orange. +Lawyer. + Yorks, A. S. , Lamatonk Nurseries, Neshanic Station NEW YORK Barber, George H. , Route 1, Stockton. +Farmer. + Barton, Irving Titus, Montour Falls. +Engineer. + Bassett, Charles K. , 2917 Main Street, Buffalo Beck, Paul E. , Beck's Guernsey Dairy, Transit Road, East Amherst Benton, William A. , Wassaic. +Farmer & Secretary, Mutual Insurance Co. + Bernath's Nursery, Route 1, Poughkeepsie. +Nut Nursery. + Bernath, Mrs. Stephen, Route 1, Poughkeepsie Bixby, Henry D. , East Drive, Halesite, L. I. , +Executive V. P. , American Kennel Club, New York City. + Brook, Victor, 171 Rockingham Street, Rochester 7. +Sales Engineer. + Brooks, William G. , Monroe. +Nut Tree Nurseryman. + Bundick, Clarkson U. , 35 Anderson Avenue, Scarsdale Button, Arthur J. , Lock Box 348, Olean Carter, George, 428 Avenue A. , Rochester 5. +Textile weaver and tree grower. + Cassino, Augustus, Valatie, Columbia County Cowan, Harold, 643 Southern Building, The Bronx, New York 55 Elsbree, George, R. F. D. , Stanfordville Feil, Harry, 1270 Hilton-Spencerport Road, Hilton. +Building Contractor. + Ferguson, Donald V. , L. I. Agr. Tech. Institute, Farmingdale Flanigen, Charles F. , 16 Greenfield Street, Buffalo 14 Freer, H. J. , 20 Midvale Road, Fairport Fribance, A. E. , 139 Elmdorf Avenue, Rochester 11. Fruch, Alfred, 34 Perry Street, New York 14. Artist. Graham, S. H. , Bostwick Road, Ithaca. +Nurseryman. + Granjean, Julio, c/o K. E. Granjean, 9406 68th Ave. , Forest Hills Gressel, Henry, Route 2 Mohawk Haas, Dr. Sidney V. , 47 West 86th Street, New York 24. +Physician. + Hasbrouck, Walter, Jr. , 19 Grove Street, New Paltz Iddings, William A. , 1931 Park Place, Brooklyn Irish, G. Whitney, Valatie Knorr, Mrs. Arthur, 16 Central Park, West, Apt. 1406, New York Kraai, Dr. John, Fairport. +Physician. + Larkin, Harry H. , 189 Van Rennsselaer Street, Buffalo, 10 *Lewis, Clarence, 1000 Park Avenue, New York Little, George, Ripley. +Farmer. + *MacDaniels, Dr. L. H. , Cornell University, Ithaca. +Head, Dept. Of Floriculture & Orn. Hort. + Miller, J. E. , J. E. Miller Nurseries, Canandaigua. +Nurseryman, fruit grower. + Mitchell, Rudolph, 125 Riverside Drive, New York 24 *Montgomery, Robert H. , I E. 44th Street, New York Mossman, Dr. James K. , Black Oaks, Ramapo Muenscher, Prof. W. C. , 1001 Highland Road, Ithaca. +Prof. Of Botany, Cornell University, also grows black walnuts. + Nelson, Howard F. , 350 Elmwood Avenue, Buffalo 18 Newell, P. F. , Lake Road, Route 1, Westfield Overton, Willis W. , 3 Lathrop Street, Carthage Owen, Charles H. , Sennett. +Superintendent of Schools. + Page, Charles E. , Route 2, Oneida Rightmyer, Harold, Route 4, Ithaca Salzer, George, 169 Garford Road, Rochester 9. +Chestnut nurseryman. + Schlegel, Charles P. 990 South Avenue, Rochester 7 Schlick, Frank, Munnsville Schmidt, Carl W. , 180 Linwood Avenue, Buffalo Shannon, J. W. , Box 90, Ithaca Sheffield, Lewis J. , c/o Mrs. Edna C. Jones, Townline Road, Orangeburg Slate, Prof. George L. , Experiment Station, Geneva Smith, Gilbert L. , State School, Wassaic. +Nut Nurseryman. + Smith, Jay L. , Chester. +Nut Tree Nurseryman. + Steiger, Harwood, Red Hook Szego, Alfred, 77-15 A 87th Avenue, Jackson Heights, New York Timmerman, Karl G. , 123 Chapel Street, Fayetteville Waite, Dr. R. H. , Willowaite Moor, Perrysburg. +Physician. + Wichlae, Thaddeus, 3236 Genesee Street, Cheektowaga (Buffalo) 21 *Wissman, Mrs. F. De R. --no address. NORTH CAROLINA Brooks, J. R. , Box 116, Enka Burch, O. L. , Route 2, Roxboro Dunstan, Dr. R. T. , Greensboro College, Greensboro Finch, Jack R. , Bailey. +Farmer. + Parks, C. H. , Route 2, Asheville. +Mechanic. + Wagner, J. M. , Turner Manufacturing Company, Statesville NORTH DAKOTA Bradley, Homer L. , Long Lake Refuge, Moffit. +Refuge Manager. + OHIO Glen Helen Department, Antioch College, Yellow Springs Barden, C. A. , 215 Morgan Street, Oberlin. +Real Estate. + Bitler, W. A. , R. F. D. 1, Shawnee Road, Lima. +General Contractor. + Brewster, Lewis, Swanton Bungart, A. A. , Avon Cinade, Mrs. Katherine, 13514 Coath Avenue, Cleveland 20 Clark, R. L. , 1184 Melbourne Road, East Cleveland 12 Cook, H. C, Route 1, Box 12, Leetonin Cornett, Charles L. , R. R. Perishable Inspection Agency, 27 W. Front St. , Cincinnati. +Inspector. + Craig, George E. , Dundas (Vinton County) Cranz, Eugene F. , Mount Tom Farm. Ira Cunningham, Harvey E. , 420 Front Street, Marietta Daley, James R. , 400 W. South Street, Vermilion. +Electrician. + Davidson, John, 234 East Second Street, Xenia. +Writer. + Davidson, Mrs. John, 234 East Second Street, Xenia Davidson, William J. , Old Springfield Pike, Xenia Diller, Dr. Oliver, D. , Dept. Of Forestry, Experiment Station, Wooster Dowell, Dr. L. L. , 529 North Ave. , N. E. , Massillon Dubois, Miss Frances H. , 6938 Miami Road, Cincinnati 27. +Landscape gardener and newspaper columnist. + Emch, F. E. , Genoa Evans, Maurice G. , 335 S. Main Street, Akron 8 Fickes, Mrs. Ada C. , Route 1, Wooster Foraker, Major C. Merle, 2545 Romig Road, Akron Foss, H. D. , 875 Hamlin Street, Akron 2 Frederick, George F. , 3925 W, 17th, Cleveland 9 Garden Center of Greater Cleveland, 11190 East Blvd. , Cleveland Gauly, Dr. Edward, 1110 Euclid Avenue, Cleveland 15. +Ocullst. + Gerber, E. P. , Kidron Gerstenmaier, John A. , 18 Pond S. W. , Massillon Goss, C. E. , 922 Dover Avenue, Akron 20 Gard, Dr. Edward A. , 1506 Chase Street, Cincinnati 23 Greib, Louis W. , 1150 N. Limestone St. , Springfield Hawk & Son Nursery, Rt. 2, Beach City. +Chestnut trees. + Heena, Carl R. , Route 2, New Richmond Hill, Dr. Albert A. , 4187 Pearl Road, Cleveland Irish, Charles F. , 418 E. 105th Street, Cleveland 8 Jacobs, Homer L. , Davey Tree Expert Company, Kent Kappel, Owen, Bolivar Kintzel, Frank W. , 2506 Briarcliffe Avenue, Cincinnati 13. Kobelt, Don, Route 5, Medina. +Insurance Adjuster. + Kratzer, George, Route 1, Dalton Krok, Walter P. , 925 W. 29th Street, Lorain. +Research and Development Engineer. + Laditka, Nicholas G. , 5322 Stickney Avenue, Cleveland 9 Lashley, Charles V. , 216 S. Main St. , Wellington Lehmann, Carl, 1601 Union Trust Building, Cincinnati, 2. +Attorney at Law. + Lorenz, R. C. , 121 North Arch Street, Route 5, Fremont Machovina, Paul E. , 1228 Northwest Blvd. , Columbus 12 Madson, Arthur E. , 13608 Fifth Avenue, E. Cleveland 12 McBride, William B. , 2398 Brandon Road, Columbus 10 McKinster, Ray, 1682 South 4th Street, Columbus 7 Metzger, A. J. , 724 Euclid Avenue, Toledo 5 Miller, Ralph J. , 251 Westview Avenue, Worthington Nicholson, Jonathan J. , 175 W. Columbus Avenue, Mount Sterling Nicolay, Charles, 2259 Hess Avenue, Cincinnati 11. +Accountant. + Oches, Norman M. , R. D. 1, Brunswick. +Mechanical Engineer. + Osborne, Frank C. , 4040 W. 160th Street, Cleveland 11 Pomerene, Walter H. , Route 3, Coshocton. +Agricultural Engineer, Hydrological Research Station+ Ranke, William, Route 1, Amelia Rieck, C. , 522 S. Main Street, Findlay Rummel, E. T. , 13618 Laverne Avenue, Cleveland 11. +Sales Engineer. + Schaufelberger, Hugo S. , Route 2, Sandusky Seas, D. Edward, 721 South Main Street, Orrville Scitz, M. B. , 975 Nome Ave. , Akron. +Auto dealer. + Shelton, Dr. E. M. , 1468 W. Clifton Blvd. , Lakewood 7 Sherman, L. Walter, Mahoning County Experiment Farm, Canfield Shessler, Sylvester M. , Genoa Silvis, Raymond E. , 1725 Lindberg Avenue, N. E. Massillon. +Realty. + Slutz, Russell C. , Box 504, 123 High St. , Navarre Smith, Kenneth, 642 Collins Park Avenue, Toledo Smith, Sterling A. , 630 W. South Street, Vermilion +Telegrapher, N. Y. C. R. R. (Treasurer of the Association. )+ Spring Hill Nurseries Company, Tipp City. +General nurseryman. + Steinbeck, A. P. , Box 824, Route 7, North Canton Stocker, C. P. , Lorain Products Corp. , 1122 F. Street, Lorain Thomas, Fred, Route 1, Bedford Road, Masury Thomas, W. F. , 406 South Main Street, Findlay Toops, Herbert A. , 1430 Cambridge Blvd. , Columbus 12. +College Professor. + Urban, George, 4518 Ardendale Road, South Euclid 21. +Mayor. + Van Voorhis, J. F. , 215 Hudson Avenue, Apt. B-1, Newark Von Gundy, Clifford E. , R. F. D. 13, Cincinnati 30 Walker, Carl F. , 2851 E. Overlook Road, Cleveland 18 Weaver, Arthur W. , 3339 South Street, Toledo 4 *Weber, Harry R. , Esq. , 123 E. 6th Street, Cincinnati. +Attorney, Farm owner. + Weber, Mrs, Martha R. , Route 1, Morgan Road, Cleves Williams, Harry M. , 221 Grandon Road, Dayton 9. +Engineer. + Willett, Dr. G. P. , Elmore Wischhusen, J. F. , 15031 Shore Acres Drive, N. E. , Cleveland 10 Yates, Edward W. , 3108 Parkview Avenue, Cincinnati 13 Yoder, Emmet, Smithville OKLAHOMA Butler, Roy, Route 2, Hydro. +Farmer, cattleman. + Cross, Prof. Frank B. , Dept. Of Horticulture, Oklahoma A & College, Stillwater. +Teaching and Experiment Station work. + Gray, Geoffrey A. , 1628 Elm Ave. , Bartlesville Hirschi's Nursery (A. G. ) 414 North Robinson, Oklahoma City. +Dry cleaning business, nurseryman. + Hartman, Peter E. , Hartsdale Nursery Company, P. O. Box 882, Tulsa 1. +Nurseryman. + Hughes, C. V. , Route 3, Box 614, 5600 N. W. 16th Street, Oklahoma City Meek, E. B. , Route 2, Wynnewood Pulliam, Gordon, 1005 Osage Ave. , Bartlesville Ruhlen, Dr. Charles A. , 114 North Steele. Cushing. +Dentist. + Swan, Oscar E. Jr. , 1226 E. 30th Street, Tulsa 6. +Attorney, Mid-Continent Petroleum Co. + OREGON Carlton Nursery Company, Forest Grove. +Nurserymen and Nut Orchardists. + Miller, John E. , Route 1, Box 912-A, Oswego Osborne, W. L. H. , Mont Alto, Idylyld Route 275, Roseburg Pearcy, Harry L. , Rt. 2, Box 190, Salem. +H. L. Pearcy Nursery Co. (Nut trees. )+ Sheppard, Charles M. , Tucker Road, Hood River PENNSYLVANIA Allaman, R. P. , Route 86, Harrisburg Bangs, Ralph E. , Route 2, Spartansburg. +Farmer. + Banks, H. C. Route 1, Hellertown Beard, H. K. , Route 1, Sheridan. +Insurance Agent. + Berst, Charles B. , 11 W. 8th Street, Erie. +Inspector, Lord Mfg Co. , Erie, Pa. + Bowen, John C. Route 1, Macungie Breneiser. Amos P. , 427 North 5th Street, Reading Brown, Morrison, 342 East Cooper Street, Slippery Rock. +Teacher. + Clarke, William S. , Jr. , P. O. Box 167, State College Creasy, Luther P. , Catawissa Damask, Henry, 1632 Doyle Street, Wilkinsburg. +Telephone man. + Eckhart, Pierce, 5731 Haddington Street, Philadelphia 31 Etter, Fayette, P. O. Box 57, Lemesters. +General Line Foreman for an Electric Company. + Gardner, Ralph D. , 4428 Plymouth Street, Harrisburg. +Assistant State Fire Marshall. + Good, Orren S. , 316 N. Fairview Street, Lock Haven. +Retired. + Gorton, F. B. , Route 1, East Lake Road, Harbor Creek. +Electrical Contractor. + Hammond, Harold, 903 South Poplar Street, Allentown Heckler, George Snyder, Hatfield Hostetter, L. K. , Route 3, Lancaster. +Farmer, black walnut grower. + Hughes, Douglas, 1230 East 21st Street, Erie Johnson, Rooert F. , 1625 Greentree Road, Pittsburgh 5 Jones, Mildred M. (See Mrs. Langdoc--under Illinois) Jones, Dr. Truman W. , Walnut Grove Farm, Parksburg Kaufman, Mrs. M. M. , Clarion. Kirk, DeNard B. , Forest Grove. +Engineer. + Knowse, Charles W. , Colonial Park, Harrisburg. +Coal Dealer. + Laboski, George T. , Route 1, Harbor Creek. +Fruit Grower and Nurseryman. + Lambert, E. A. , Box 76, McKean Leach, Will, 406-410 Scranton Life Bldg. , Scranton 3. +Lawyer. + Mattoon, H. Gleason, Box 304, Narberth. +Consultant in Arboriculture. + Mecartney, J. Lupton, Room 1 Horticultural Building, State College. +Teacher. + Mercer, Robert A. , Rt. 1, Porkiomenville Miller, Elwood B. , c/o The Hazleton Bleaching & Dyeing Works, Hazleton Miller, Robert O. , 3rd and Ridge Street, Emmaus Moyer, Philip S. , U. S. F. & G. Building, Harrisburg Nicderriter, Leonard, 1726 State Street, Erie. +Merchant. + Nonnemacher, H. M. , Box 204, Alburtis. +Line Foreman, Bell Tel. Co. Of Pa. + Oesterling, Howard M. , R. D. 1, Marysville Ranson, Flaval, 728 Monroe Avenue, Scranton 10. +Farmer. + Reidler, Paul G. , Ashland. +Manufacturer of textiles. + Rial, John, 528 Harrison Ave, Greensburg *Rick, John, 438 Pennsylvania Square, Reading Rupp, Edward E. , Jr. , 57 W. Pomfret Street, Carlisle. +Draftsman--Tree Surgeon. + Schaible, Percy, Upper Black Eddy. Laborer. Smith, Dr. J. Russell, 550 Elm Avenue, Swarthmore. +Geographer-Nurseryman-Author. + Sofianos, Louis S. , Greenfields, Reading. Gardener. Starr, Miss Charlottee Churchill. R. R. 1 Bucks County, Quakertown. +Artist & housewife. + Stewart, E. L. , Pino Hill Farms Nursery, Route 2, Homer City Theiss, Dr. Lewis E. , Bucknell University, Lewisburg. +Writer-Retired College Professor+ Twist, Frank S. , Box 127, Northumberland Washick, Dr. Frank A. , S. W. Welsh & Veree Roads, Philadelphia 11. +Surgeon. + Weaver, William S. , Weaver Orchards, Macungie Weinrich, Whitney, P. O. Box 225, Wallingford *Wister, John C. , Scott Foundation, Swarthmore College, Swarthmore. +Horticulturist. + Wright, Ross Pier, 235 W. 6th Street, Erie Zarger, Thomas G. , Route 3, Chambersburg Zimmerman, Mrs. G. A. , R. D. , Linglestown RHODE ISLAND *Allen, Philip, 178 Dorance Street, Providence Rhode Island State College, Library Dept. , Green Hall, Kingston SOUTH CAROLINA Bregger, John T. , Clemson +Research Supervisor (Soil Conservation), Orchard Erosion Investigations. + Gordon, G. Henry, 13 1/2. Main Street, Union. +Retired Mariner. + Henderson, E. P. , Bath. +Manager, Kaolin Mines & Ornamental Nurseryman. + Hundley, P. C. & Son, Woodruff. +Orchard supplies. + Poole, M. C. , Cross Anchor. +Beach grower. + Senn. T. L. , Horticultural Dept. Clemson College. Clemson. +College Teacher. + SOUTH DAKOTA Richter, Herman, Madison TENNESSEE Acker Black Walnut Corporation, Morristown. +Walnut processors. + (See also under Virginia. ) Alpine Forest Reserve, Alpine. +Presbyterian Church project. + Boyd, Harold B. , M. D. , 905 Kensington, Memphis 7. +Physician. + Boyd, Robert W. , Boyd Nursery Company, McMinnville. +General nurseryman. + Chase, Spencer, T. V. A. , Norris. +Horticulturist. + Cox, T. S. , 108 Hotel Avenue, Knoxville 18. Dunlap, Dr. William B. , 912 E. Main Street, Union City. +Optometrist. + Garrett, Dr. Sam Young, Dixon Springs. +Surgeon. + Holdeman, J. E. , 855 N. McNeill, Memphis 7 Howell Nurseries, Sweetwater. +Ornamental and chestnut nurserymen. + Kingsolver, J. B. Route 2, Concord Lowe, Dr; Jere W. , c/o Mrs. Murphy Webb; Westover Drive, Nashville McAlexander, Kenneth J. , Cedar Grove. +College student. + McDaniel, J. C, Tenn. Dept: of Agriculture, 403 State Office Bldg. , Nashville 3. Horticulturist, farmer. McDaniel, Mrs. J. C, 1421 Kirtland Avenue, Nashville 6 McDaniel, J. C, Jr. , 1421 Kirkland Avenue, Nashville 6 McQueen, S. S. , Box 1262, Mountain Home Murphy, H. O. 12 Sweetbriar Avenue, Chattanooga. +Fruit grower. + Parsley, G. B. , Route 1, Smithville. +Nurseryman. + Rhodes, G. B. , Route 1, Covington. +Farmer. + Richards, Dr. Aubrey, Whiteville. +Physician. + Roark, W, F. , Malesus. +Farmer, chestnut grower. + Robinson, W. Jobe, Route 7, Jackson. +Farmer. + Sammons, Julius, Jr. , Whiteville Shadow, Willis A. , Decatur. +County Agricultural Agent. + Shipley, Mrs. E. D. , 3 Century Court, Knoxville Smathers, Rev. Eugene, Calvary Church, Big Lick. +Pastor. + Southern Nursery & Landscape Co. , Winchester Sutherland, W. B. , 520 Clearview Street, Knoxville 17 Zarger, Thomas G. (Temporarily in Pennsylvania) TEXAS Arford, Charles A. , Box 1230, Dalhart Arp Nursery Company, (Clark Kidd) 5th and Wall St. , P. O. Box 867, Tyler. +Wholesale Nursery. + Bailey, L. B. , Box 1436, Phillips. +Chemist. + Brison, Prof. F. R. , Dept. Of Horticulture, A. & M. College, College Station Florida, Kaufman, Box 151, Rotan Price, W. S. Jr. , Navarro County, Kerens Romberg, L. D. , U. S. Pecan Field Station, Box 539, Brownwood Winkler, Andrew, Route 1, Moody. +Farmer and pecan grower. + UTAH Petterson, Harlan D. , 2164 Jefferson Avenue, Ogden. +Highway Engineer. + VERMONT Aldrich, A. W. , Route 3, Sprinfield. +Farmer. + Collins, Joseph N. , Route 3, Putney Ellis, Zenas H. , Fair Haven. +Perpetual member, "In Memoriam. "+ Foster, Forest K. , West Topsham. +Fruit grower. + Ladd, Paul, Putney. +School Teacher. + VIRGINIA Acker Black Walnut Corporation, Broadway. +Walnut processors. (See also under Tennessee. )+ Burton, George L. , 728 College Street, Bedford Case, Lynn B. , Route 1, Fredericksburg Dickerson, T. C. , 316-56th Street, Newport News. +Statistician, farmer. + Dudley, Charles, Glen Wilton Gibbs, H. R. , 808 William Street, Front Royal. +Carpenter, wood worker. + Gunther, Eric F. , Route 1, Box 31, Onancock. +Retired business man. + Lee, Dr. Henry, 806 Medical Arts Building, Roanoke 11 Pinner, R. McR. , P. O. Box. 155, Suffolk Stoke, H. F. , 1436 Watts Avenue N. W. , Roanoke Stoke, Mrs. H. F. , 1436 Watts Avenue, N. W. , Roanoke Stoke, Dr. John H. , 21 Highland Avenue, S. E. , Roanoke 18. +Chiropractor. + Thompson, B. H. , Harrisonburg. +Manufacturer of nut crackers. + WEST VIRGINIA Cannaday, Dr. John E. , Charleston General Hospital, Charleston 25. +Surgeon. + *Frye, Wilbert M. , Pleasant Dale Gold Chestnut Nursery, c/o Mr. Arthur A. Gold, Cowen. +Chestnut nurseryman. + Haines, Earl C. , Shanks Long, J. L. , Box 491, Princeton Mish, Arnold F. , Inwood Reed, Arthur M. , Moundsville. +Proprietor, Glenmount Nurseries. + Shepler, Harvey, Oxford WASHINGTON Altman, Mrs. H. E. , 2338 King Street, Bellingham 9 Barth, J. H. , Box 1827, Route 3, Spokane 15. +Watchmaker and farmer. + Bartleson, C. J. , Box 25, Chattaroy. +Office worker. + Biddle, Miss Gertrude W. , 928 Gordon Avenue, Spokane 12 Brown, H. R. , Greenacres Bush, Carroll D. , Grapeview. +Chestnut grower and shipper. + Denman, George L. , 1319 East Nina Avenue, Spokane 10. +Dairyman. + Eliot, Craig P. , P. O. Box 158, Shelton. +Electrical Engineer, part time farmer. + Hyatt, L. W. , 2826 West La Crosse, Spokane 12 Kling, William L. , Route 2, Box 230, Clarkston Knight, J. C. , W. 723 Sinto Avenue, Spokane 12. +Retired. + Latterell, Misa Ethel, Greenacres Linkletter, F. D. , Route 2, Box 722, Mercer Island Naderman, G. W. , Route 1, Box 381, Olympia Shane Brothers, Vashon Shepard, Will, Chelan Falls Tuttle, Lynn, Nursery, The Heights, Clarkston WISCONSIN Cox, Irvin W. , P. O. Box 2632, West Allis Koelsch, Norman, Jackson Ladwig, C. F. , 2221 St. Lawrence, Beloit Mortensen, M. C. , 2117 Stanson Avenue, Racine Talbot, Harold W. , Rt. 7, Hex 198, Milwaukee 13 NEW MEMBERS ADDED SINCE MAY 1, 1949 Carlisle, Francis, 819 Second Street, S. E. , New Philadelphia, Ohio Gehring, Rev. Titus, P. O. Box 668, Grants, New Mexico Keathly, Jack, Marland, Oklahoma Koeferl, Alots J. , 2835 North 20th St. , Milwaukee 6, Wisconsin O'Brien, Howard C. , 25 Irvington Street, Boston 16, Massachusetts Spears, Ernest G. , 4326 Forest Avenue, Norwood 12, Ohio Warnecke, Martin H. , 714 S. First Avenue, Maywood, Illinois * * * * * +Subscribers and Standing Library Orders+ Brooklyn Botanic Garden Library, 1000 Washington Avenue, Brooklyn 25, N. Y. Clemson College Library, Clemson, South Carolina. Cornell University, College of Agriculture Library, Ithaca, New York. Detroit Public Library, 5201 Woodward Avenue, Detroit 2, Michigan. Jones, G. S. , Route 1, Phenix City, Alabama. Library, University of Miami, Coral Gables 34, Florida. Library, University of New Hampshire, Durham N. H. Oregon State College Library, Corvallis, Oregon. Peachy, Enos D. , P. O. Box 22, Belleville, Pennsylvania. Rhode Island State College, Library Dept. , Green Hall, Kingston, Rhode Island (membership). Rutgers University; Agricultural Library, Nichol Ave. , New Brunswick, N. J. St. Louis Public Library, Olive, 13th and 14th Streets, St. Louis, Missouri. EXHIBITS AT THE NORRIS MEETING, 1948 _Noah Abernathy, Marble, North Carolina. _ Chinese chestnuts. _Benton & Smith Nut Tree Nursery, Wassaic, New York. _ Shagbarkhickories, hybrid hickory, Persian walnut. _Dr. R. T. Dunstan, Greensboro College, Grensboro, North Carolina. _Persian walnuts. _A. G. Hirschi, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. _ Pecans, black walnuts, heartnut, Carpathian Persian walnut, Chinese chestnuts, Orientalpersimmons. _Jaynes Hobson, Jasper, Georgia. _ Chinese chestnuts. _Howell Nurseries, Sweetwater, Tennessee. _ Chinese chestnuts, Japanesechestnut. _Dr. G. S. Jones, Phenix City, Alabama. _ Chinese chestnuts. _G. J. Korn, Kalamazoo, Michigan. _ Shagbark hickories, shellbarkhickory, black walnuts, butternut, collection of photographs. _R. C. Lorenz, Fremont Ohio. _ Pecan, Persian walnut. _Dr. C. A. Moss, Williamsburg, Kentucky. _ Black walnuts, Persian walnut, pecans, shellbark hickory, Chinese chestnut, filbert. _New York State Agricultural Experiment Station, Geneva, New York. _Turkish tree hazel; Chinese tree hazel, native hazel, European hazels, hybrid hazels, black x Persian hybrid walnut. _G. B. Rhodes, Covington, Tennessee. _ Pecans, heartnut, Persian walnut. _Dr. Aubrey Richards, Whiteville, Tennessee. _ Chinese and hybridchestnuts, heartnuts, black walnuts. _Sylvester Shessler, Genoa, Ohio. _ Persian walnuts, black walnuts, heartnut. _H, F. Stoke, Roanoke, Virginia. _ Persian walnuts, black walnuts, butternuts, heartnuts, shellbark hickory, shagbark hickory, filberts, Chinese, Japanese and hybrid chestnuts, hybrid hazels, graft unions, photographs. _TVA Forestry Relations Department (Norris Nursery), Norris, Tennessee. _Large collections of black and seedling Persian walnuts; Chinesechestnuts, heartnuts, filberts, American hazel, pecans, shellbarkhickory, Oriental persimmons. _U. S. D. A. Pecan Station, Albany, Georgia. _ Named varieties of Chinesechestnut. _J. F. Wilkinson, Rockport, Indiana. _ Pecans. _Dr. W. C. Willett, Elmore, Ohio. _ Heartnuts. _William J. Wilson, Fort Valley, Georgia. _ Black walnut, hican. (List compiled by H. F. Stoke) ANNOUNCEMENTS 40th Annual Meeting at Beltsville, Maryland September 6, 7 and 8, 1949 Dr. H. L. Crane, Plant Industry Station, Beltsville, Maryland, ischairman of the local arrangements and program committees for the 40thAnnual meeting this year, to be held at Beltsville, a suburb ofWashington, D. C. Other committee members are listed in the front of thisvolume; They will welcome your suggestions on things to be included inthe program and the tour near Washington. _Members will receive theadvance program. _ +Older Reports of the Northern Nut Growers Association, Inc. , AreAvailable+ The Association, which was organized in 1910, has published a report ofits annual meeting each year except two, beginning with 1911. Sets of reports lacking only volumes for 1923, 1925, 1926, 1935, 1940, 1941, and 1944 may still be purchased, These sets, consist of 29 reportsthrough 1948 and contain over 3800 pages of material pertaining to nutculture in many stated and Canada. The price of the set of availablereports is $12. 00. (A very few complete sets through Vol. 39, includingan index to the first 30 volumes, are available to agricultural andother libraries only at $17. 00). Single numbers are $1. 00 each, exceptthe current number and the preceding one: 1948 at. $3. 00 and 1947 at$2. 00 each. Orders should be sent to the secretary accompanied byremittances made payable to the Northern Nut Growers Association, Inc. Libraries and other institutions desiring to receive the reportsregularly without the bother of ordering them every year may have theirnames placed on a special mailing list to receive each report regularlywhen published. A bill for $2. 00 will accompany the 1949 report, whensent to such institutions. +Other Publications on Nut Growing+ 1. Bush, Carrol D. _Nut Grower's Handbook. _ Orange Judd Publishing Company, New York, 1941. $2. 50. 2. Smith, J. Russell. _Tree Crops, A Permanent Agriculture. _ Revised edition on schedule for 1949 publication. Inquire of author at Swarthmore, Pa. 3. Smith, J. Russell, _How to Graft Nut Trees. _ May be purchased from Walnut Lane Press, Swarthmore, Pa. Illustrated with diagrams. 9 pp. 25c. 4. Smith, J. Russell. _The Planting, Fertilization and Care of Nut Trees and Persimmon Trees. _ Available from Sunny Ridge Nursery, Swarthmore, Pa. , price 25c. 5. Reed, C. A. _Nut Tree Propagation. _ U. S. Department of Agriculture Farmers' Bul. 1501. For sale only. 5c (coin) from Supt. Of Documents, U. S. Government Pointing Office, Washington 25, D. C. 6. Mattoon, W. R. & Reed, C. A. _Planting Black Walnuts. _ U. S. Department of Agriculture Leaflet 84. Free from Department of Agriculture; Washington, D. C. 7. Moznette, G. F. Et al. _Insects and Diseases of the Pecan and their Control. _ U. S. Department of Agriculture-Farmers' Bul. 1829. May be had from U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 8. Sitton, B. G. & Akin, E. O. _Grafting Wax Melter, _ U. S. Department Leaflet 202. Free from U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 9. Sitton, B. G. _Pecan Grafting Methods and Waxes. _ U. S. Department of Agriculture Circ. 545. May be had from U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington, D. C. 10. Sitton, B. G. _Vegetative Propagation of the Black Walnut. _ Mich. Sta. Tech. Bul. No. 119. Sept. , 1931. Available from Michigan State College, E. Lansing. 11. MacDaniels, L. H. _Nut Growing. _ Cornell Univ. Ext. Bul. 701. From College of Agriculture, Ithaca, New York. 12. Haseman, L. _The Walnut Caterpillar. _ Missouri Exp. Sta. Bul. 418. 13. Talbert, T. J. _Nut Tree Culture in Missouri. _ Mo. Exp. Sta. Bul. 454. May be had from Agr. Exp. Station, Columbia, Mo. 14. Schuster, C. E. _Filberts. _ Oregon State College Ext. Bul. 628. May be had from Oregon State College, Corvallis, Oregon. 15. Schwartze, C. D. _Filbert Culture. _ Washington State Col. Ext. Bul. 263. May be had from Extension Service, Washington State College, Pullman, Wash. 16. Sherman, L. W. And Ellenwood, G. W. _Topworking and Bench-grafting Walnut Trees. _ Special Circ. 69. May be had from Agr. Exper. Sta. , Wooster, Ohio. 17. Slate, G. L. _Filberts. _ N. Y. State Agr. Exp. Sta. Cir. 192. Free from Experiment Station, Geneva, N. Y. 18. _DDT to Control Pecan Weevil. _ Multigraphed, 1948. Available free from Division of Horticulture, Tenn. Dept. Of Agriculture, Nashville 3, Tenn. 19. Blake, M. A. And Edgerton, L. J. _Experience with Blight Resistant Chestnuts in New Jersey. _ Bul. 717 N. J. Agr. Exp. Sta. , New Brunswick, N. J. 20. Yerkes, Guy E. _Propagation of Trees and Shrubs. _ U. S. D. A. Farmers' Bul. No. 1567, available from Supt. Of Documents, U. S. Gov't Printing Office, Washington 25, D. C. , price 10c (coin). 21. Cox, John A. , et al. _Top Working Pecan Trees. _ Ext. Circ. 209. Available free from Louisiana State University, University, Louisiana. 22. Hilton, R. J. _Frameworking Fruit Trees. _ Farmers' Bulletin 136 of the Dominion Department of Agriculture. Available from Dominion Department of Agriculture, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. (Framework grafting technique is adapted to top-working large seedling nut trees). 23. Snyder, John C. _Pollination of Tree Fruits and Nuts. _ Ext. Bul. 342. Washington State College, Pullman, Washington. 24. Smith, Gilbert L. _Practical Nut Growing. _ 60 pp. Illus. $1. 50 from author, Wassaic, N. Y. Note: In addition to the above publications, the horticulturaldepartments of many state and provincial agricultural experimentstations and agricultural colleges have free circulars or bulletinslisting the recommended varieties of fruit and nut trees for theirareas. The prospective tree planter is advised to place more reliance onthe local recommendations (where available) than on those from distantstates where the soils, the climate, and the adapted varieties may bequite different. The NNGA list of some nurseries which sell hardy, named varieties of nuttrees is revised each winter. The secretary, will send copies of thenext revision free on request. --J. C. McDaniel, _Sec'y. _, Nashville 3, Tenn.