THE PERSIAN WALNUT IN CALIFORNIA.

Speaking more particularly of California walnut growing, it may be said: The best of soils are selected for this crop; the trees are being planted from forty to fifty feet apart; the best and most common advice is to plant budded or grafted trees, and so far as this advice has been followed the Placentia, an improved Santa Barbara, has been used, though in the newer districts where efforts are being made, with apparent success, to develop this industry, several other varieties are being used, such as the Wiltz, Franquette, Mayette, Eureka, Chase, Prolific, Meylan, Concord, Treyve and Parisienne. Thus far this work is experimental, and only time will determine the success and value of it.

The crop, as with all orchard crops on the Pacific Coast, is cultivated intensively, clean tillage being given, followed by cover crops and in some cases fertilizers accompanied with intercrops.

The trees require very little pruning, and though formerly the heads were started high, they are now formed low and the primary branches trained to ascend obliquely, thus facilitating tillage operations, and, in this respect, even improving upon the high head with spreading or even drooping main branches. While the more progressive planters favor trees one year from the bud, which have been put upon two year old stock, some still prefer two year old tops. Stocks are preferably California black, northern form. This is a large and vigorous tree, while the southern form is often or perhaps better, usually, a large shrub or small tree.

The remarkable behavior of the Vrooman orchard at Santa Rosa, in which there are sixty acres of grafted Franquettes, has been the chief means of stimulating the very extensive plantings that have been made during the past five or six years in the Pacific Northwest. This is the largest orchard of grafted nuts of a single type variety in the United States and is a most excellent example of what follows grafting. The nuts are exceedingly uniform, and large size. They are marketed in the natural color and are especially attractive, particularly when of a reddish-golden tinge.

The trees begin to bear at five or six years, though many instances are recorded where two year olds have borne a few nuts. Usually only a few pounds per year are produced prior to twelve years, after that the yield increases rapidly until at sixteen years the trees will average approximately fifty pounds or more per tree under favorable soil, tillage, and climatic conditions, providing the trees are of selected varieties of good bearing qualities.

One tree, known as the Payne tree, top worked on to a native black, has a record of yielding as much as seven hundred and twelve pounds in one season, though it is not fair to use these figures in estimating the yield per acre of seventeen trees.

While the walnut has received little attention in the Eastern United States, there are sufficient data at hand now to warrant the statement that several meritorious varieties may be successfully grown in favorable localities. These nuts, though not rated as high as the best imported nuts or the choice California product, would successfully compete with the foreign nuts which are now rated as replacement nuts by the dealers in California's best grade. It is not safe to endorse the view that any waste or abandoned land may be converted into successful walnut orchards, though such lands may in due time produce trees that will bear nuts. A first-class walnut orchard can only be produced upon first-class land, deep, fertile soil, a low water table, an open subsoil, with choice varieties, grafted upon the most suitable stock and then given first-class tree-care.

Professor Lake: I think a man now is making a tremendous mistake who thinks for a moment of advising the planting of seedling walnuts. We are bound to meet the problem of grafted fruit right away. The success in grafting in Washington this year has been such as to make us feel certain that we may safely advise budding yearling stocks and expecting a return of from seventy to ninety per cent of successful sets. Stocks giving best success in budding are California black. About two weeks after the budding is done, the tops are cut off two inches above, and allowed to bend over and protect the buds; and in the West, where they have intense sunlight, they have found it necessary to cover the buds with paper sacks. The budding which has given the largest success is hinge budding, a kind that I haven't seen discussed generally in the East. Instead of being a T at one end, it is a T at both ends. There is a horizontal cut across, another below, and a split between. The buds are taken preferably from the last year's wood. We attempt to take the wood away from the bud, with the exception of that little spongy part that runs up into the bud, and is the core.

Mr. Pomeroy: You speak of the hulling. Do they have to hull the Persian walnuts?

Professor Lake: In many instances, especially in dry seasons, or in those sections where water is not particularly abundant. Ordinarily, hulling is avoided by irrigating just preceding the time of falling. Frequently the growers of large acreages say that it is cheaper to run them all through the huller.

Mr. Littlepage: What would you prophesy about the average seedling Persian walnut tree as to success and quality of nut?

Professor Lake: I was led to think that all that was necessary to do was to plant the walnuts, because most of our authorities of twenty years ago said the walnut would come true to seed. I think out of several hundred trees planted throughout the state, and many we planted ourselves, not a seedling came true. I should think, normally, we should be very much dissatisfied in ten years from planting seedlings. As soon as anyone buds these with Franquette, Parisienne, Concord, Rush, Pomeroy, and others, I am satisfied he will not want to chance it with seedlings.

Mr. Littlepage: This dissatisfaction that may result from setting seedling walnuts, such as Rush, Nebo, Pomeroy, and others, would be just as great, perhaps, as the dissatisfaction resulting in the West, would it not?

Professor Lake: I can't see any reason, but that if there are present any of the native trees, they are bound to cross-fertilize. In California we have the Royal hybrid produced at over a mile and a half distance from any known American blacks. The Royal is a cross between the American black and the California black.

Mr. Littlepage: I don't suppose it would be reasonable to expect that there is a Persian walnut in the northern or eastern United States far enough from some native black to render it safe.

Professor Lake: I should hardly think so. Even if it is, I question whether a nut of real merit will come true to seed.

President Morris: Is it true that even from single type orchards the nuts, while coming fairly true to seed, would give trees widely different in bearing propensities?

Professor Lake: That is very true in this Vrooman orchard that has been developed to the very best possible advantage. There are trees that haven't borne a nut to make them worth while, others have been remarkably vigorous. From these, a few people, knowing of their real merits, are propagating select strains for their own use. They have fifteen or sixteen years' record. I question, if you take a hundred Franquettes from the Vrooman orchard miscellaneously, whether you would get more than ten per cent that would be really as good as the Vrooman.

President Morris: In California I went along the coast this summer from Los Angeles to Oregon and Washington, and looked over orchards. I find that in the West, as in the East, the tendency is for the Persian walnut to store up an undue amount of starch in the kernel. It is apt also to store up an undue proportion of tannin, and to be insipid. That means that in this country we must develop our own type of walnut, and it is quite the exception to find among any Persian walnuts growing on the Atlantic Coast or the Pacific Coast or in the middle of the country walnuts that are free from this tendency to astringency, to insipidity, and to toughness.

When I was on the Pacific Coast looking over specimens in one agricultural collection, a young woman who was showing the collection said, "And here is a lot of Franquettes, and Chabertes, and Mayettes, and Parisiennes that we imported; and do you know, we found our walnuts very much better than those?" I said to her, "Don't deceive yourself in this matter. This self-deception is a mistake. The thing to do is not to make that kind of a decision, but really to develop in our own country walnuts just as good as those, but not like them."

This was exemplified in a group of walnut raisers. One would say, "Here is a fine walnut that I raised." The other would say, "Yes, that looks pretty good, but you have got to hire a good talker to sell it." Another would say, "Isn't this a fine thin shelled nut?" And the same thing would be said. Now, the whole conversation of that meeting was to the effect that "you have got to have a good talker to sell it." Those people send their good talkers all over the country, and they do sell the walnuts; and it is going to kill the walnut market, unless this is stopped. Those points are ones upon which I would like to have an expression of opinion from Mr. Lake.

Professor Lake: I may say that the western knowledge of the walnut is based very largely upon the character of the Santa Barbara Softshell, and the people in the West are fully satisfied that the Pacific Coast walnuts are the best in the world. I am thoroughly of their belief, too. I agree thoroughly with the doctrine that we have got to improve our own varieties, and that is being done in the best way that we know at present,—by cross-fertilizing and growing the seedlings. A number have been developed the past few years. It is very true that the general public's taste, however, is not up yet to the connoisseur's in this matter, and I am satisfied that the ordinary grade of walnut is going to meet the public demand for a long time yet. The Santa Barbara Softshell will sell to the American public for good profitable prices for some time, and in the meantime, the men who are really wideawake and have a knowledge of the situation are going to endeavor to improve the home strains. I can't see that we can hope for very much from France, for during the last two years the real Mayette of France has been imported, because we have trees bearing in Santa Clara Valley a Mayette as near like the Mayette of Europe as it is possible to make them. The French have not been particularly anxious for us to get their best strains.

President Morris: In this connection, let me say I have seen Mayette, Chaberte, Parisienne,—the best European walnuts—growing in this country, and in this country they do precisely like the best European grapes,—that is, they give us a different product. Imported grafted stock will take from our soil those elements which make an astringent, tough, insipid nut. We have got to recognize it. Don't let us fail to go on record as calling attention to that fact. That means if we import the very best European kinds and plant these, we are going to have the same records as with grapes.

Professor Lake: This matter of quality is of considerable moment to the growers out there. Last year I took occasion to write five of the leading dealers in New York, like Parke and Tilford. They said in their letters of reply, "We consider the quality as varying from season to season. Some seasons we get the California product better than the European product; other seasons it is just the other way." It leads me to think seasonal variation has a great deal to do with the walnut, possibly. In some cases even the large dealers are not yet agreed that the American product is not yet good enough for the American market.

President Morris: Shall we say that nuts for the connoisseur should not be bleached?

Professor Lake: Modern bleaching consists in running the nuts through a current of salt. It is applied in such a way that it does not do any injury whatever to the flavor or the kernel, unless possibly salting the kernel in cracked nuts would be considered injurious. The bleaching is beautiful. They are not over bleached. They use six pounds of salt to a thousand gallons of water, and run a current of ninety-five volts. It is sprayed on to the nuts as they pass through a revolving cylinder, the spray coming on in a fine mist. As they pass over the cylinder, they are graded and ventilated, and put into sacks. That is after they have been dried. They are ready in about twenty-two hours to be sacked and delivered. The old method of processing in soda and lime and sulphur certainly did injure them.

Mr. Pomeroy: I am just a short distance from Niagara Falls and Buffalo. When any of you are in that section, I would like to have you come and see my trees. There are the seven year old trees my father started, and the orchard is of five or six acres. Some of the seedlings are in bearing now. I have a good many black walnuts in nursery rows, and I am going to begin grafting and budding. One thing I came for was to get information in regard to budding and grafting. In regard to the caring for the trees, it is a great pleasure to watch a tree grow and get it in shape.

Professor Craig: It seems to me that out of the very interesting discussion we have had on this question of the Persian walnut, and out of the discussion which has arisen from the papers of Mr. Littlepage and others on native nuts, we have obtained some very general principles which should be emphasized at this time. The one large principle that I want to call attention to is the principle which says that, in order to develop fruits—and we will include nuts in that general group—which shall be useful to the American public, we shall have to develop them under American soil and atmospheric conditions. In other words, the importation per se of European stock of whatever kind is altogether likely to meet with failure. This is the history of American fruit growing from the beginning. The very first beginning of fruit culture in this country was the importation of European fruits, and these uniformly failed. Success came when American colonists began to grow American seedlings. The fact that these have prevailed is shown by the percentage of American fruits the large orchardist produces at the present time. Today nearly ninety-nine per cent of our apples are of American origin. The condition of today means success; the condition of a hundred years ago meant failure.

In this Persian walnut business, I think success is going to come to us through such work as Mr. Pomeroy and other interested amateurs are doing throughout the country, in selecting a good type of seedling here and there and growing seedlings from it. This homely old method of producing new types through seedling selection is, I think, going to do a great deal to ameliorate conditions the country over. I simply wanted to impress that idea, that if we nut growers are going to do something to help the nut interests of the country, we can do it by planting nuts and selecting nuts from the best types, again taking the best nuts from the best types and planting them; thus by keeping on selecting, we shall win success in the future.

IS THERE A FUTURE FOR JUGLANS REGIA AND HICORIA PECAN
IN NEW YORK AND NEW ENGLAND?

John Craig, Ithaca, N. Y.

[Read by title.]

It is common knowledge that there have been frequent instances of the successful fruitage of Persian walnuts throughout the entire Northeast. The evidence is forthcoming in attractive samples of nuts. Specimens have been received during the past two years from New England, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and the lake region of New York, as well as the Hudson River section. So far as I am aware, however, Hicoria pecan has not fruited to any extent further north and east than southern Indiana.

Is it not remarkable that so little effort has been made to extend the natural range of this superb native nut northward?

The fruiting habits of Juglans regia may be regarded as fickle, depending in some cases upon pollination, in others upon climatic conditions at the blooming time. One of its defects is its decided proterandrous habit, which seriously affects pollination and fruit setting. In general, the Persian walnut is capable of cultivation in all safe peach growing sections. Yet in the Gulf States the complaint is made that it is too readily susceptible to stimulating influences of warm weather in the spring. Again, the roots in that section are affected by fungi and insects. Notwithstanding these charges, there should be a future in the North, as well as in the South, for this fine nut. It is hardly to be expected that success is to be attained in all sections of the country by using exclusively the material, by this I mean the strains and races, we have at the present time. For instance, in the South the root trouble is peculiar to that section, and it is probable that the root difficulties spoken of may be overcome by using native stocks in grafting and budding. The blooming habits, however, can only be modified by the relatively slow process of breeding.

In the North, nature has already provided us with foundation material for the improvement of Juglans regia. We have many promising varieties that have appeared more or less fortuitously here and there over the country. It is conceded that all of these do not possess the full range of desirable qualities, but they are sufficiently attractive certainly to challenge the best efforts of the plant breeder. We are encouraged too by such experiences as has come to us in the crossing of regia with allied species. A number of crosses of regia and nigra are recorded from the Pacific Coast. Burbank, Payne, and others have made notable progress in this line. It is a question, however, whether this line offers as certain reward as breeding in narrower lines, using the best individuals of Juglans regia which have come to us more or less by chance. The latter appears to me as the best field to operate.

Among the requirements in the Northeast, it may be said that we need hardiness of tree, coupled with a determinate habit of blooming, more than any other characteristics. Of course it goes without saying that we need thin shells, well filled with palatable meat. The work of Messrs. Pomeroy of Lockport, N. Y., J. G. Rush of West Willow, Pa., and other individuals in the Northeast is worthy of all encouragement. Wherever Persian walnuts are producing good nuts here in the Northeast, the best specimens of the best individual trees should be planted in the strong hope of improving the strain. There should be a first rate promise of success in this field, for many of our walnuts are fruiting as individual trees, standing alone and isolated, and therefore, are probably self-fertilized, a circumstance which may assist in shortening the process of improvement by breeding.

Hicoria Pecan. This is undoubtedly the best of all the native nuts, and the most worth while improving. The great popularity which this form of hickory enjoys in the South is undoubtedly due in considerable measure to the fact that it is adapted to a considerable range of territory. This adaptation is the natural acquirement of many years' evolution.

At this time of the year, one sees in fruiterers' shops in New York and other cities appetizing looking baskets, containing cracked shagbarks and pecans. These nuts are enjoying a large share of popularity at the hands of the consumers. As these two forms are exhibited together, the observer may note the essential good qualities of each, and he may make a mental picture of the possibilities of a union which would eliminate the undesirable features and combine the desirable. The lack of hardiness of the pecan would be strengthened by the hardy northern form, while the breeder would aim to retain the excellent flavors of each, the good qualities of meat, but enclosed by a covering of paper shell texture. We want the hardiness and adaptability of the shellbark, combined with the thin shell, the excellent cracking qualities, and the pleasant flavors of the pecan. Here is a truly attractive field. The fact that returns may be rather slow in maturing should not deter the plant breeder, for sometimes prizes come quickly. Of course the field is one which appeals more strongly to the institution of indefinite life tenure than to the individual whose years of activity are relatively brief.

What nature has done in the way of extending the range of the pecan northward has been clearly set forth in the excellent paper presented by Mr. Littlepage. This indigenous movement from the natural zone of the pecan towards the North and East has undoubtedly been infinitely slow. The important fact has been established, however, that not only has nature extended the natural range in the directions indicated, but Mr. Littlepage has shown that here and there a variety of exceptional merit has appeared, fortuitously and without assistance or guidance from man. These superior varieties are being placed under observation by interested nut enthusiasts like Messrs. Littlepage, Niblack, and McCoy, and others, who are not only studying the nut in its native haunts, but are experimenting with methods of propagation so that we may confidently look forward to a stable supply of these natural selections in the years near at hand.

Here, then, we have the material for founding new races of northern nuts by combining them with our best hardy hickories. Who will gainsay the prophecy that not far distant is the day when we may expect new hybrid strains of great economical importance arising from the union of our northern hickories with the most northerly forms of the pecan? Shall we designate these hybrids as "shellcans," "shagcans," or "hickcans," after the nomenclatural methods of present day plant breeders? The splendid work of our President in the interbreeding of northern types of nuts gives us strong hope to expect results of this nature.

In the matter of propagation we have learned certain essential fundamentals. First and most important is the firmly established fact that southern, pecan stocks are unsafe and generally unreliable in the region of the northern hickory. We must grow our own stocks from northern nuts. We must propagate by using home grown material exclusively, and as to methods of propagation, it is probable that we can follow in general the practice of the southern nurseryman, but unquestionably modifications in procedure will arise out of the sum of our experience which will tend each year to bring a larger measure of success.

This Association will perform an invaluable service in collecting these various experiences, winnowing the sound from the unsound, and disseminating safe deductions and reliable principles to the rapidly increasing band of nut culturists throughout the region of its activities. Our second session has been an unqualified success. May this meeting be surpassed in respect to enthusiasm manifested, experience and knowledge disseminated, by each of the annual conferences to be held in the years to come.

President Morris: Discussion as to the next place of meeting is in order.

Mr. Rush: I would certainly be very glad to entertain the Northern Nut Growers' Association at Lancaster City, Pennsylvania, and will assure you in advance that I will give you the best hospitality that the country can afford. We have now associated with the walnut interests in Lancaster County Mr. Jones of Jeanerette, Louisiana, who has been through that section and is pleased with the work that is being done there. I think it may be policy for the Association to meet there. We can have our night session, and be absent several hours in the morning and look over some of the work. Mr. Jones contemplates topgrafting hickory trees at his new home, and we can have the opportunity of seeing with what success he meets.

The Association voted to accept Mr. Rush's invitation.

President Morris: We will hear the report of the Committee on Resolutions.

RESOLUTIONS PASSED BY THE NORTHERN NUT GROWERS ASSOCIATION,

That special thanks be extended to Dean L. H. Bailey of the College of Agriculture for the invitation to meet at this place and to Prof. John Craig for his many courtesies shown the Association and its individual members.

That we hereby express our thanks to President Morris and Secretary Deming for their labor and untiring efforts to bring about a successful meeting.

That we also tender our thanks to President Morris for the liberal premiums offered for nut exhibits and to the many who have responded. That special attention be called to "The Morris Collection of the Edible Nuts of the World," maintained at this place by Dr. Robt. T. Morris, President of this Association. This collection is of the greatest possible educational value to those interested in the study of nuts and nut products.

That, in view of the distribution and rapid spread of the disease known as "Chestnut Blight," especially among the American species, we express our hearty approval of the efforts being made by the federal government, the several state departments and especially the action of the Pennsylvania State Legislature in appropriating the sum of $275,000.00 to aid in studying and combatting this dread disease, and

That we urge the importance of continued efforts along these lines and similar action in all other states in which the chestnut species is of commercial importance, either for timber or nut purposes.

That the Secretary be instructed to send a copy of these resolutions to Hon. James Wilson, Secretary of Agriculture, at Washington, D. C, and to Commissioner of Agriculture or Director of Experiment Stations of such states as within which, according to his judgment, the chestnut species may be of sufficient importance to justify such action.

C. A. Reed,
T. P. Littlepage,
Geo. C. Schempp, Jr.,
Committee.

(Read by Littlepage.)

That we thank Messrs. Collins, Reed, and Lake of the U. S. Department of Agriculture for attendance at this meeting and for their valuable information and assistance, and furthermore that we respect-fully invite them to attend the next annual meeting, and in the meantime lend the Executive Committee their assistance in making plans for next season's work and in carrying out the purposes of our organization.

T. P. Littlepage,
Geo. C. Schempp, Jr.

The Association voted to adopt these resolutions. President Morris: We will adjourn, and the Committee on Competition will meet this afternoon for examination of specimens and decisions in regard to the respective values of the different specimens exhibited.

APPENDIX

REPORT OF COMMITTEE ON EXHIBITS.

Two plates of black walnuts; one plate showing hybridity between Persian walnut and butternut; one plate Paragon chestnuts; one plate especially large American sweet chestnuts.

By A. C. Pomeroy, Lockport, New York.

Four plates of walnuts, showing variation of seedlings; grown on trees varying from six to eight years old.

By W. N. Roper, Petersburg, Virginia.

One plate Mantura pecans.

By T. P. Littlepage, Washington, D. C.

An exhibit of eighteen varieties of seedling pecans, grown in the Wabash region of Indiana and Kentucky. These seedlings represent very promising varieties, some of them being exceedingly thin shelled, most of them well filled and symmetrical in form. Of these, five have been named, to wit: Greenriver, Warwick, Hodge, Hoosier, and Major. Mr. Littlepage exhibits a plate of Juglans regia and a fine sample of Juglans nigra.

PRIZE NUTS.

SHAGBARK OR SCALY BARK HICKORY (Hicoria Ovata).

Class A. Large thin shelled nuts.
Class B. Very small thin shelled nuts.

SHELLBARK HICKORY, KING NUT, BIG BUD HICKORY (H. laciniosa).

Size is particularly desired with this species, but thinness of shell counts high.

PECAN (H. pecan).

Pecans sent for competition must be native nuts from New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Kentucky, Indiana and Ohio only, as these nuts are desired for northern horticulture.

OTHER HICKORIES.

Sometimes a tree of various other kinds of hickories will produce a very desirable nut; consequently first and second prizes are offered for any hickory nut not belonging to the above three kinds.

BLACK WALNUT (Juglans nigra).

Thin shelled black walnuts of good quality are desired.

BUTTERNUT, WHITE WALNUT (Juglans cinerea).

Size and thinness of shell are most important.

PERSIAN WALNUT, ENGLISH WALNUT (Juglans regia).

American grown varieties the only ones receiving prizes.

ASIATIC WALNUTS (Juglans cordiformis, J. Sieboldi, J. Sibirica).

American grown varieties the only ones receiving prizes.

BEECHNUT.

Size stands first for prize qualifications for Beechnuts.

AMERICAN HAZELS.

Thinness of shell and size are most important.

CHINQUAPIN (Castanea pumila).

Size is the most important qualification for this species.

CHESTNUTS.

On account of the rapid spread of the chestnut blight no other kinds of chestnut besides Chinquapins are desired at present.

FREAK NUTS.

Remarkable freaks of any species of edible nuts may win prizes. For instance, a black Walnut with meat growing in only one half of each shell.

R. T. MORRIS, New York City,
President Northern Nut Growers Association.

PRIZES AWARDED IN THE RESULTING COMPETITION.

1. Hicoria ovata

Plate II, first prize:
Plate I, second prize: Exhibited by Theron E. Platt, Newtown, Conn.

2. Hicoria pecan

Mantura, first prize: W. N. Roper, Petersburg. Va.
Major, second prize: T. P. Littlepage, Union Trust Building, Washington, D. C.

3. Hicoria laciniosa

First and second prizes: C. N. Stem, Sabillasville, Md.

4. Persian walnut

Nebo, first prize: J. G. Rush, West Willow, Pa.
Holden, second prize: E. B. Holden, Hilton, N. Y.

5. Asiatic walnut

Juglans Sieboldiana, first prize: J. G. Rush, West Willow, Pa.

6. Chinquapin

No. 2, first prize: J. G. Rush, West Willow, Pa
No. 1, second prize: J. G. Rush, West Willow, Pa.

7. Freak nuts

Hickory No. 4, first prize: Lillie E. Johnson, Gowanda, N. Y.

8. Butternuts

First prize: Mrs. Albina Simonds, South Royalton, Vt.

9. Beechnuts

First prize: Malcolm Newell, West Wardsboro, Vt.
Second prize: William Davis, Rutland, Vt.

10. Black walnuts

First prize: J. J. Robinson, Lamont, Mich.
Second prize: Dorothy McGrew, R.F.D. 6, Box 77, Kent, O.

The prizes awarded in this competition were contributed personally by the President.

REPORT OF THE COMMITTEE ON THE NOMENCLATURE OF JUGLANS MANDSHURICA AND THE SHELLBARK HICKORIES.

The following are the questions sent by the secretary and the answers received:

As there seems to be a difference of opinion as to the identity of 'Juglans mandshurica' will you be so kind as to answer the following questions for the benefit of the Northern Nut Growers' Association at their annual meeting at Ithaca, New York, Dec. 14 and 15, 1911.

Q. 1 What type of nut do you consider the "Juglans mandshurica" to be?

J. H. Black, Hightstown, N. J.: Probably a Juglans Regia Manchuria.

T. E Steele, Palmyra, N. J.: No resemblance to Persian walnut but very similar to butternut, a little longer and thicker than butternut and of little better quality.

Luther Burbank, Santa Rosa, Cal.: Nigra, or the connecting link between butternut, eastern black walnut and a trace of Sieboldi especially in foliage.

H. E. Van Deman, Washington, D. C.: It is almost identical with J. Sieboldiana.

J. M. Thorburn & Co., 33 Barclay St., N. Y. City.: Our idea of the type is that it resembles very closely in size, form and color of the shell the English walnut or Juglans regia, though the shell is thicker and the quality of the kernel has not the pleasant flavor of the Juglans regia.

Q 2 Does it resemble the Persian walnut or the butternut?

J. S. Black: Persian.

T. E. Steele: (See Q. 1).

Luther Burbank: (Does it resemble the Persian walnut—) No. (—or the butternut?) Very much in nut but less elongated and not pointed. Very thick shell.

H. E. Van Deman: Not similar to either of them.

J. M. Thorburn & Co.: (See Q. 1).

Q. 3 Is it a nut of commercial or other value?

J. S. Black: Yes.

T. E. Steele: I hardly think it a nut of commercial value as the shell is too thick. I should not consider it much better than the butternut.

Luther Burbank: Hardly unless improved. Meat sweet like butternut. Juglans Sieboldi var. Cordiformis is the very best of this type, thin shell, very sweet meats. Both these nuts vary very widely in form.

H. E. Van Deman: Only of value as a shade tree or as a stock from which to make crosses.

J. M Thorburn and Co.: As far as we know it has no commercial value here. We sell it only for seed purposes.

Q. 4 How was it introduced into this country?

J. S. Black: By Yokohama Nursery Co. of New York City.

T. E. Steele: I do not know.

Luther Burbank: Some twenty years ago both by myself and the Arnold Herbarium of Newtown, Mass.

H. E. Van Deman: By nuts from Manchuria, I have always understood.

J. M. Thorburn & Co.: We cannot tell. We purchase direct from Japan.

Q. 5 What are the characteristics of the tree?

J. S. Black: Very similar but hardier than Persian.

T. E. Steele: Very similar in growth to that of the Japan walnut, not unlike the butternut. In fact many call them butternuts, but Mr. Van Deman was quite sure they were the Mandshurica when he picked one from the tree I have in mind.

Luther Burbank: Much like Sieboldi.

Van Deman: Very thrifty and luxuriant with large leaves and large growth. Bark light colored.

J. M. Thorburn & Co.: It is a broad-headed tree growing about 60 feet high.

Q. 6 Have you raised them yourself or can you say who has?

J. S. Black: We have raised trees but not the nuts.

T. E. Steele: I have never raised them and know of no one who has.

Luther Burbank: Young trees. My one tree is more spready than other walnuts, and so far though old does not bear.

Van Deman: No, I have not grown the trees. Think John or Wm. Parry of Parry, N. J., have them. I have J. Cordiformis.

J. M. Thorburn & Co: We have never raised them ourselves.

Q. 7 Can you send samples or say where they can be obtained?

J. S. Black: We can furnish trees. Get nuts from Yokohama Nursery Co., New York City.

T. E. Steele: I know of but one tree near here, and I am mailing you one nut that I gathered a year or two ago, too long ago to be of any value except to show the character of the nut. If I can procure another nut or two of this year's growth I will do so and mail to you.

Luther Burbank: Have no samples but enclose usual form. From half shell. (Drawings of this, of the surface character of the nut, and of "size and form of a common sieboldi.")

H. E. Van Deman: Perhaps from the Parrys.

No replies were received from R. E. Smith, of the California Agricultural Experiment Station, Whittier; from Jackson Dawson, of the Arnold Arboretum; or from the Yokohama Nursery Co., 31 Barclay St., N. Y. City.

Summary of Dr. Morris's investigations as given by him on p. 12: The nut described in the U. S. bulletin as Juglans mandshurica is the one originally described and named by Maxim more than thirty years ago and is a nut of the butternut type. A few years ago the Yokohama Nursery Co., not knowing that this name had been previously applied, gave it to a nut of the Juglans regia type which they distributed. This nut had been previously named by De Candolle, Juglans regia sinensis.

NOMENCLATURE OF THE SHELLBARK HICKORIES.

THE HICKORY BARK BORER.