Title: Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Fifteenth Annual Meeting
Editor: Northern Nut Growers Association
Release date: May 23, 2008 [eBook #25566]
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25566
Credits: Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net
NEW YORK CITY SEPTEMBER 3, 4 and 5, 1924
Officers and Committees of the Association 3
State Vice-Presidents 4
Members of the Association 5
Constitution 10
By-Laws 13
Proceedings of the Fifteenth Annual Convention 15
Secretary's Report 15
Treasurer's Report 18
Address—Dr. Britton 19
Reports from State Vice-Presidents 20-30
Top Working Hickories in the North—W. C. Deming 32
Notes on Mediate and Immediate Grafting at All Times of the
Year—R. T. Morris 44
Stocks For Hickories—W. G. Bixby 48
The Search for Blight-resisting Chestnut Sprouts—J. F. Collins 57
Protection of Wounds in Nut Trees—J. F. Collins 61
A Harangue on the Nut Situation in Iowa—S. W. Snyder 65
Some of the More Important Insects Attacking Northern
Nuts—Fred E. Brooks 68
Developing a Nut Industry in the Northeast—G. A. Zimmerman 75
Transplanting Nut Trees—W. G. Bixby 78
Heredity in Trees and Plants—A. F. Blakeslee 81
Progress Report on Nut Culture in Canada—J. A. Neilson 88
Notes by Professor A. S. Colby 93
Address by Prof. MacDaniels 99
Nut Tree Crops as a Part of Permanent Agriculture Without
Plowing—J. R. Smith 103
Notes at Mr. Bixby's Nut Orchards and Nurseries, Baldwin, N. Y. 107
Exhibits at the House of W. G. Bixby 113
Notes Taken at Merribrooke, Dr. Morris' Estate Near
Stamford, Conn. 114
Amendment to By-Laws 121
Nuts—R. S. Copeland 125
Hardiness in Nut Trees—C. A. Reed 127
Walnut Grafting Investigations—T. J. Talbert 135
Care and Preparation of Nuts for Seed Purposes—E. R. Lake 137
Exhibits 140
Members Present 142
President HARRY R. WEBER, Gerke Building, Cincinnati, Ohio
Vice-President MRS. W. D. ELLWANGER, 510 East Avenue,
Rochester, N. Y.
Secretary C. A. REED, Box 485 Pa. Ave. Station,
Washington, D. C.
Assistant Secretary MRS. B. W. GAHN, 485 Pa. Ave. Station,
Washington, D. C.
Treasurer H. J. HILLIARD, Sound View, Conn.
Auditing—MRS. KARL W. GREENE, P. H. O'CONNOR
Executive—HARRY R. WEBER, MRS. W. D. ELLWANGER, C. A. REED, H. J. HILLIARD, W. S. LINTON, J. S. MCGLENNON
Finance—T. P. LITTLEPAGE, W. G. BIXBY, DR. W. C. DEMING
Hybrids—DR. R. T. MORRIS, J. F. JONES, W. G. BIXBY, HOWARD SPENCE
Membership—HARRY R. WEBER, H. D. SPENCER, DR. J. R. SMITH, R. T. OLCOTT, W. G. BIXBY, J. A. NEILSON, DR. W. C. DEMING, J. W. HERSHEY
Nomenclature—C. A. REED, DR. R. T. MORRIS, J. F. JONES
Press and Publications—DR. W. C. DEMING, W. G. BIXBY, M. G.
KAINS
Program—HARRY R. WEBER, F. A. BARTLETT, C. A. REED, DR. ROBT.
T. MORRIS, A. S. COLBY
Promising Seedlings—C. A. REED, J. F. JONES, W. G. BIXBY, J. A.
NEILSON, S. W. SNYDER
Arkansas Prof. N. F. Drake Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville
California Will J. Thorpe 1545 Divisadero St., San Francisco
Canada James A. Neilson Hort. Exp. Sta., Vineland, Ontario
China P. W. Wang Sec'y Kinsan Arboretum, 147 N. Sechuan Road,
Shanghai
Connecticut Dr. W. C. Deming 983 Main St., Hartford, Conn.
Dist. of
Columbia Karl W. Greene Ridge Road, N. W., Washington
England Howard Spence The Red House, Ainsdale, Southport
Georgia J. M. Patterson Putney
Illinois Henry D. Spencer Decatur
Indiana J. F. Wilkinson Rockport
Iowa S. W. Snyder Center Point
Kansas James Sharp Council Grove
Maryland P. H. O'Connor Bowie
Massachusetts C. Leroy Cleaver 496 Commonwealth Ave., Boston
Michigan Dr. J. H. Kellogg Battle Creek
Missouri P. C. Stark Louisiana
Nebraska William Caha Wahoo
New Jersey C. S. Ridgway Lumberton
New York L. H. MacDaniels Cornell Univ., Ithaca
North Carolina H. M. Curran N. C. Dept. of Agriculture, Raleigh
Ohio James L. Brooke Pleasantville
Oregon Knight Pearcy Salem
Pennsylvania John Rick 438 Penn Square, Reading
Tennessee J. W. Waite Normandy
Utah Joseph A. Smith Edgewood Hall, Providence
Vermont F. C. Holbrook Brattleboro
Virginia D. S. Harris Roselawn, Capital Landing Road,
Williamsburg, R. F. D. 3
Washington Richard H. Turk Washougal
West Virginia Dr. J. E. Cannaday Box 693, Charleston
(Compiled November 12, 1924)
ARKANSAS
*Drake, Prof. N. F., Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
Dunn, D. K., Wynne
CALIFORNIA
Thorpe, Will J., 1545 Divisadero Street, San Francisco
CANADA
Neilson, Jas. A., Ontario Hort. Exp. Sta., Vineland.
CHINA
*Wang, P. W., Sec'y, Kinsan Arboretum, 147 No. Szechuan Road,
Shanghai.
CONNECTICUT
Bartlett, Francis A., Stamford
Deming, Dr. W. C., 983 Main St., Hartford
Hardon, Mrs. Henry, Wilton
Hilliard, H. J., Sound View
Hungerford, Newman, Torrington, R. F. D. No. 2, Box 100
Ives, E. M., Sterling Orchards, Meriden
Montgomery, Robt. H., Cos Cob, Conn. (1924)
*Morris, Dr. Robt. T., Cos Cob, Route 28, Box 95
Pomeroy, Eleazer, 120 Bloomfield Ave., Windsor
Sessions, Albert L., 25 Bellevue Ave., Bristol
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
Agriculture, Library of U. S. Dept. of
Close, Prof. C. P., Pomologist, Dept. of Agriculture
Greene, Karl W., Ridge Road, N. W.
Gravatt, G. F., Forest Pathology, B. P. I. Agriculture
*Littlepage, T. P., Union Trust Building
Reed, C. A., Dept. of Agriculture
Williams, A. Ray, Union Trust Bldg.
Von Ammon, S., Bureau of Standards
Gahn, Mrs. B. W., U. S. Department of Agriculture
ENGLAND
Spence, Howard, The Red House, Ainsdale, Southport
GEORGIA
Patterson, J. M., Putney
Steele, R. C., Lakemont, Rabun County
Wight, J. B., Cairo
ILLINOIS
Brown, Roy W., 220 E. Cleveland St., Spring Valley
Casper, O. H., Anna
Flexer, Walter G., 210 Campbell St., Joliet
Foote, Lorenzo S., Anna
Illinois, University of, Urbana (Librarian)
Mosnat, H. R., 10910 Prospect Ave., Morgan Park, Chicago
Mueller, Robert, Decatur
Nash, C. J., 1302 E. 53rd St., Chicago
Potter, Hon. W. O., Marion
Riehl, E. A., Godfrey, Route 2
Rodhouse, T. W., Jr., Pleasant Hill, R. R. 2
Shaw, James E., Champaign, Box 644
Spencer, Henry D., 275 W. Decatur St., Decatur
Swisher, S. L., Mulkeytown
Vulgamott, Chas. E., Cerro Gordo
INDIANA
Clayton, C. L., Owensville
Copp, Lloyd, 819 W. Foster St., Kokomo
Gilmer, Frank, 1012 Riverside Drive, South Bend
Staderman, A. L., 120 South 7th St., Terre Haute
Wilkinson, J. F., Rockport
IOWA
Adams, Gerald W., Moorhead
Armknecht, George, Donnellson. (1923)
Bricker, C. W., Ladora
Snyder, S. W., Center Point
KANSAS
Bishop, S. L., Conway Springs, Route No. 1
Fessenden, C. D., Cherokee
Hardin, Martin, Horton
Hitchcock, Chas. W., Belle Plaine
Gray, Dr. Clyde, Horton
Sharpe, James, Council Grove
MARYLAND
Jordan, Dr. Llewellyn, 100 Baltimore Ave., Takoma Park
Keenan, Dr. John F., Brentwood
O'Connor, P. W., Bowie
Wall, A. V., Baltimore
Watkins, Asa H., Mount Airy. (1924).
MASSACHUSETTS
*Bowditch, James H., 903 Tremont Bldg., Boston
Bowles, Francis T., Barnstable
Cleaver, C. Leroy, Hingham Center
Sawyer, James C., Andover
MICHIGAN
Bonine, Chester H., Vandalia
Charles, Dr. Elmer, Pontiac
Graves, Henry B., 2134 Dime Bank Bldg., Detroit
Kellogg, Dr. J. H., 202 Manchester St., Battle Creek
*Linton, Hon. W. S., Saginaw
Penney, Senator Harvey A., 425 So. Jefferson Ave., Saginaw
Michigan, University of, Ann Arbor. (1924).
MISSOURI
Stark, P. C., Louisiana
Tiedke, J. F., R. F. D., Rockville. (1924).
Youkey, J. M., 2519 Monroe Ave., Kansas City
NEBRASKA
Caha, William, Wahoo
Thomas, Dr. W. A., Lincoln
NEW JERSEY
Clarke, Miss E. A., W. Point Pleasant, Box 57
Gaty, Theo. E., 50 Morris Ave., Morristown
*Jaques, Lee W., 74 Waverly St., Jersey City
Landmann, Miss M. V., Cranbury, R. D. No. 2
Ridgeway, C. S., Lumberton
NEW YORK
Abbott, Frederick B., 1211 Tabor Court, Brooklyn
Ashworth, Fred L., Heuvelton
Bennett, Howard S., 851 Joseph Ave., Rochester
Bethea, J. G., 243 Rutgers St., Rochester
Bixby, Willard G., 32 Grand Ave., Baldwin, L. I.
Bixby, Mrs. Willard G., 32 Grand Ave., Baldwin
Brinton, Mrs. Willard Cope, 36 So. Central Pk., N. Y. City
Buist, Dr. G. L., 3 Hancock St., Brooklyn
Clark, George H., 131 State St., Rochester
Cothran, John C., 104 High St., Lockport
Corsan, G. H., 55 Hanson Place, Brooklyn
Diprose, Alfred H., 468 Clinton Ave., South, Rochester
Dunbar, John, Dep't. of Parks, Rochester
Ellwanger, Mrs. W. D., 510 East Ave., Rochester
Gager, Dr. C. Stewart, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, Brooklyn
Gaty, Theo. E. Jr., Clermont
Gillett, Dr. Henry W., 140 W. 57th St., New York City
Graham, S. H., R. D. 5, Ithaca
Hart, Frank E., Landing Road, Brighton
Haws, Elwood D., Public Market, Rochester
Hodgson, Casper W., Yonkers, (World Book Co.)
*Huntington, A. M., 15 W. 81st St., New York City
Johnson, Harriet, M. B., 40 Irving Place, New York City
Krieg, Fred J., 11 Gladys St., Rochester
Liveright, Frank I., 120 W. 70th St., N. Y. C.
MacDaniel, S. H., Dept. of Pomology, New York State College of
Agriculture, Ithaca
Motondo, Grant F., 198 Monroe Ave., Rochester
Nolan, Mrs. C. R., 47 Dickinson St., Rochester
Nolan, M. J., 47 Dickinson St., Rochester
Olcott, Ralph T. (Editor American Nut Journal), Ellwanger and Barry
Building, Rochester
Paterno, Dr. Chas. V., 117 W. 54th St., N. Y. City
Pomeroy, A. C., Lockport
Rawnsley, Mrs. Annie, 242 Linden St., Rochester
Rawnsley, James B., 242 Linden St., Rochester
Reinold, O. S., Yonkers-on-Hudson, (1924).
Schroeder, E. A., 223 East Ave., Rochester
Shutt, Erwin E., 509 Plymouth Ave., Rochester
Solley, Dr. John B., 968 Lexington Ave., New York City
Teele, Arthur W., 120 Broadway, New York City
Tucker, Geo. B., 110 Harvard St., Rochester
Vollertsen, Conrad, 375 Gregory St., Rochester
Waller, Percy, 284 Court St., Rochester
Wile, M. E., 955 Harvard St., Rochester
Wissman, Mrs. F. de R., Westchester, New York City
Wyckoff, E. L., Aurora
NORTH CAROLINA
Hutchings, Miss L. C., Pine Bluff
Matthews, C. D., North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture, Raleigh
OHIO
Beatty, Dr. W. M. L., Route 3, Croton Road, Centerburg
Coon, Charles, Groveport
Dayton, J. H., (Storrs & Harrison), Painesville
Fickes, W. R., Wooster, R. No. 6
Hinnen, Dr. G. A., 1343 Delta Ave., Cincinnati
Neff, Wm. N., Martel
*Weber, Harry R., 123 East 6th St., Cincinnati
PENNSYLVANIA
Althouse, C. Scott, 540 Pear St., Reading
Baum, Dr. F. L., Boyertown
Bohn, Dr. H. W., 24 No. 9th St., Reading
Boy Scouts of America, Reading
Davis, Miss E. W., Walnut Lane and Odgen Ave., Swarthmore,
Pennsylvania. (1923).
Druckemiller, W. H., 31 N. 4th St., Sunbury
Fritz, Ammon P., 35 E. Franklin St., Ephrata
Gribbel, Mrs. John, Wyncote
Hershey, John W., E. Downingtown
Hess, Elam G., Manheim
Hile, Anthony, Curwensville
Jenkins, Charles Francis, Farm Journal, Philadelphia
*Jones, J. F., Lancaster, Box 527
Kaufman, M. M., Clarion
Leach, Will, Cornell Building, Scranton
Mellor, Alfred, 152 W. Walnut Lane, Germantown, Philadelphia
Minick, C. G., Ridgway
Paden, Riley W., Enon Valley
Patterson, J. E., 77 North Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre
Pratt, Arthur H., Kennett Square
*Rick, John, 438 Penn Square, Reading
Rose, William J., 55 North West St., Carlisle
Rush, J. G., 630 Third St., Lancaster
Smedley, Samuel L., Newton Square, R. F. D. No. 1
Smith, Dr. J. Russell, Swarthmore
Wilhelm, Dr. Edward A., Clarion
*Wister, John C., Clarkson and Wister Sts., Germantown
Zimmerman, Dr. G. A., Piketown
RHODE ISLAND
Allen, Philip, Providence
TENNESSEE
Waite, J. W., Normandy
UTAH
Smith, Joseph A., Edgewood Hall, Providence
VERMONT
Aldrich, A. W., Springfield, R. F. D. No. 3
Ellis, Zenas H., Fair Haven
Holbrook, F. C., Battleboro
VIRGINIA
Gould, Katherine Clemons, Boonsboro, Care of C. M. Daniels, via
Lynchburg, R. F. D. 4
Harris, D. S., Roselawn, Capital Landing Road, Williamsburg, R. 3
Hopkins, N. S., Dixondale
Jordan, J. H., Bohannon
Moock, Harry C., Roanoke, Route 5
WASHINGTON
Berg, D. H., Nooksack
Turk, Richard H., Washougal
WEST VIRGINIA
Brooks, Fred E., French Creek
Cannaday, Dr. J. E., Charleston, Box 693
Hartzel, B. F., Shepherdstown
Mish, A. F., Inwood
WISCONSIN
Holden, Dr. Louis Edward, Beloit
* Life Member.
Name. This society shall be known as the NORTHERN NUT GROWERS ASSOCIATION.
Object. Its object shall be the promotion of interest in nut-bearing plants, their products and their culture.
Membership. Membership in the society shall be open to all persons who desire to further nut culture, without reference to place of residence or nationality, subject to the rules and regulations of the committee on membership.
Officers. There shall be a president, a vice-president, a secretary and a treasurer, who shall be elected by ballot at the annual meeting; and an executive committee of six persons, of which the president, the two last retiring presidents, the vice-president, the secretary and the treasurer shall be members. There shall be a state vice-president from each state, dependency, or country represented in the membership of the association, who shall be appointed by the president.
Election of Officers. A committee of five members shall be elected at the annual meeting for the purpose of nominating officers for the following year.
Meetings. The place and time of the annual meeting shall be selected by the membership in session or, in the event of no selection being made at this time, the executive committee shall choose the place and time for the holding of the annual convention. Such other meetings as may seem desirable may be called by the president and executive committee.
Quorum. Ten members of the association shall constitute a quorum, but must include two of the four elected officers.
Amendments. This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of the members present at any annual meeting, notice of such amendment having been read at the previous annual meeting, or a copy of the proposed amendment having been mailed by any member to each member thirty days before the date of the annual meeting.
Article I
Committees. The association shall appoint standing committees as follows: On membership, on finance, on programme, on press and publication, on nomenclature, on promising seedlings, on hybrids, and an auditing committee. The committee on membership may make recommendations to the association as to the discipline or expulsion of any member.
Fees. Annual members shall pay three dollars annually, or four dollars and a half including a year's subscription to the American Nut Journal. Contributing members shall pay ten dollars annually, this membership including a year's subscription to the American Nut Journal. Life members shall make one payment of fifty dollars, and shall be exempt from further dues. Honorary members shall be exempt from dues.
Membership. All annual memberships shall begin either with the first day of the calendar quarter following the date of joining the association, or with the first day of the calendar quarter preceding that date as may be arranged between the new member and the Treasurer.
Amendments. By-laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of members present at any annual meeting.
Members shall be sent a notification of annual dues at the time they
are due, and if not paid within two months, they shall be sent a
second notice, telling them that they are not in good standing on
account of non-payment of dues, and are not entitled to receive the
annual report.
At the end of thirty days from the sending of the second notice, a third notice shall be sent notifying such members that unless dues are paid within ten days from receipt of this notice, their names will be dropped from the rolls for non-payment of dues.
at the
of the
September 3, 4 and 5, 1924
Held in the
Baldwin, Long Island, Sept. 4 Stamford, Connecticut, Sept. 5
Chairman—PRESIDENT HARRY R. WEBER
THE PRESIDENT: The meeting will please be in order, and we will have the secretary read his report.
THE SECRETARY: Secretary's Report for 1924.—Fourteen years ago, on November 17, 1910, two women and ten men, seers and prophets, met for organization in this building at the invitation of Dr. N. L. Britton, at that time and now, Director of the New York Botanic Gardens. We meet here again today by reason of his unfailing kindness.
Of the twelve persons present at that first meeting, three are here
again, Dr. Britton, Dr. Morris and myself, and two are known to be dead,
Prof. Craig of Cornell University, and Mr. Henry Hales, of Ridgewood,
New Jersey.
The association has held an annual convention each year of its existence except during the war, in 1918, when no formal meeting was held. An annual report has been published every year, except that the report of the proceedings of the first meeting was incorporated in the report of the second meeting, and the ninth report, that for 1918, has not yet been issued.
The present secretary has held the office every year except in 1918 and 1919, during military service, when Mr. Bixby took his place.
From an educational and scientific standpoint I think the association may be said to have fulfilled creditably its original declaration of purpose, "the promotion of interest in nut-bearing plants, their products and their culture." Many choice nuts have been brought to notice and perpetuated. The establishment of nurseries where grafted nut trees of choice varieties may be obtained has been encouraged. The art of grafting and propagating nut trees has been brought to a high degree of success by members of the association. Experimental orchards, both of transplanted nursery trees and of topworked native trees, have been established in widely separated parts of the country.
Acting on the suggestion and request of members of the association, Mr. Olcott established the American Nut Journal, one of the most important of our accomplishments. Finally, and perhaps best of all, a number of horticultural institutions have taken up seriously the study of nut culture and the planting of experimental orchards. Testimony to this will be found in letters to be read by the secretary and in the presence on our program today of representatives of several horticultural and other institutions of learning. I believe that the association can take credit to itself for having, by its publications and other means of influence, in large degree brought about this interest and action.
As for any commercial success in nut-growing, brought about by our activities, when we compare nut-growing in our field with pecan-growing in the South, and with walnut, almond, and perhaps filbert-growing, on the Pacific Coast, our results are meagre indeed. Of course commercial production, the building of a new industry of food supply for the people, is our ultimate goal. Why are our results in this direction, after fourteen years of effort, so small? Is it because we have devoted ourselves too exclusively to the scientific and educational aspects of our problems and neglected, either from over-cautiousness or from inertia, to encourage commercial plantings? There are some of our members who think that we have. They say that we should have been bolder in assuring people of success to be attained in nut tree planting.
As for me I do not think that we have been too cautious. We who are so accused, can point to the disastrous results of following the advice of commercially interested persons, results which have had much to do with retarding and discouraging nut planting and counteracting the labors of our association.
But now, however, I believe that we have reached a state of knowledge where we can confidently recommend the commercial planting of nut orchards. We recommend the Indiana pecan in many states; the improved black walnuts over a much wider area, and the chestnut in many localities where it is not a native tree. The top-working of native hickories and black walnuts also can be confidently recommended. In every case, however, the adaptability of the kind of nut to the locality should be passed upon by an expert. In every case, also, even in that of top-working native hickories and walnuts, intelligent and generous care is essential for any degree of commercial success.
It is probable also, that the planting of the European filbert can be recommended under conditions of intelligent care.
Now what of the association's future? The field is boundless but the working cash is wanting. Faith is unlimited but works are conditioned by want of appeal to commercial powers. It is almost a vicious circle, no commercial appeal no money, no money no development to appeal to commerce. But we do make progress and it is accelerated progress. In time we must necessarily arrive at our goal. Our lines of advance are sketched out and our progress along these lines depends on the energy of the workers and the means with which they have to work.
I shall ask the association to establish a rule as to when members are in good standing and when they should be dropped from the rolls for non-payment of dues.
I shall also ask for a clear understanding, in the form of an amendment to the by-laws, on the question of annual dues and their combination with the American Nut Journal.
It is desirable that we have a ruling as to a fiscal year.
The delay in the issuance of the annual report was due to my unwillingness to contract debts for the payment of which funds were not in sight.
The treasurer's report will show that we have a surplus in the treasury to date of about $50. The report of the treasurer is too long to be read at this time, so I will simply repeat that it shows on hand a cash surplus of $50. I will turn the detailed report over to the auditing committee for their action.
NOTE—Owing to delay in mails, the report given below is a later one than that used by the secretary. The one here included should have reached the secretary previous to convention, and it is the final, correct statement.
Membership—Plan No. 1 $ 2.00
Membership—Plan No. 2 19.25
Membership—Plan No. 6 111.00
Membership—Plan No. 7 149.50
Membership—Plan No. 9 8.25
Membership—Plan No. 10 7.75
———-
Total receipts from membership $297.75
Transfer of Funds from Former Treasurer 104.13
Contributions 235.00
Sales of Literature 10.01
Interest .10
———-
Total $646.99
Cash on hand $ .80
Middletown National Bank, Middletown, Conn. (Deposit) 170.64
Litchfield Savings Society, Litchfield, Conn. (Deposit) 4.23
Charged to Loss. 2 Subs, to Amn. Nut Journal on former
Treasurer's account 3.00
Expenses:
Postage, Express and Insurance $ 9.79
Government Envelopes and Stamps 15.63
Adhesive Stamps 8.54
Postal Cards 1.25
Postal Cards and Printing 3.25
Registry Fee and Money Order Fee .18
Telegrams 1.18
Reporting Proceedings of Rochester Convention 50.00
Transcript of Proceedings of Rochester Convention 85.00
Reporting, etc., Proceedings of Washington Convention 60.00
Blank Account Book for the Association 5.00
Seal for the Association 7.00
1000 Letterheads 8.50
1500 Letters 8.50
500 Letters, double sheet 8.00
1500 Circulars 6.50
500 Reports, (92 pp., including cover) 184.00
500 Manila Envelopes 2.00
Printing 1.50
Addressing and Mailing 2.50
———
$468.32 ———- $646.99
Respectfully submitted,
H. J. HILLIARD, Treas.,
Northern Nut Growers Ass'n, Inc.
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: We will now be addressed by Dr. Britton, Director of the
Botanical Gardens in which we are assembled.
DR. BRITTON: Mr. President and Members of the Northern Nut Growers' Association: By curious coincidence, in looking over the records of the New York Botanical Society's reports, I find the printed account of the organization meeting of your association. It is printed in the Journal of the New York Botanical Gardens, No. 132, for December, 1910. The article is written by George B. Nash. I believe I will read this report and if, perchance, the document is not in your files, I will turn this copy over to your president for preservation.
A meeting was held in the museum building on November 17, (1910) for the purpose of organizing an association devoted to the interests of nut-growing. The meeting was called to order shortly after 2 p. m. by Dr. N. L. Britton, who welcomed those present and wished them success in their undertaking. During his remarks he referred to a recent visit to Cuba where he succeeded in collecting nuts of the Cuban walnut, Juglans insularis Griseb. Specimens of these were exhibited and some of them presented to Dr. R. T. Morris for his collection of edible nuts of the world, deposited at Cornell University.
Dr. W. C. Deming was made chairman of the meeting and a temporary secretary was elected. The chairman read a number of letters from various parts of the country expressing an active interest in the formation of an organization such as was proposed. A committee of three was appointed by the chair to draft a constitution. This committee, consisting of Mr. John Craig, Dr. R. T. Morris and Mr. T. P. Littlepage, submitted a report recommending that the name of the organization be the Northern Nut Growers' Association, that residents of all parts of the country be eligible to membership, and that the officers be a president, a vice-president and a secretary-treasurer. An executive committee of five was also provided for, two of said committee to be the president and secretary-treasurer. The annual dues were placed at $2.00, and life membership at $20.00. The recommendations of the committee were adopted.
An interesting exhibition of nuts, and specimens illustrating methods of grafting, formed a feature of the meeting. Chestnuts, walnuts, and hickory nuts, including the pecan, were illustrated in much variety. Mr. T. P. Littlepage had a series of nuts of the pecan which he had collected from a number of selected trees in Kentucky and vicinity. One of these, almost globular in form, was of particular excellence, being of clean cleavage and delicious flavor.
Dr. R. T. Morris was elected president; Mr. T. P. Littlepage, vice-president; and Dr. W. C. Deming, secretary-treasurer.
George V. Nash.
DR. BRITTON: May I say to you that our good wishes for your association, expressed at that time, are simply repeated now, and we hope that you will make yourselves at home and as comfortable as possible. We have made arrangement for the convention to leave here about one o'clock, for luncheon at Sormani's as guests of the Botanical Society. The autos will be at the door promptly, so I trust that you will adjust the session so as to be free to leave then.
THE PRESIDENT: We wish to extend our thanks to Dr. Britton for his kind remarks and for his hospitality.
We will now have the secretary read reports from our state vice-presidents.
THE SECRETARY: These are very interesting. The first one is from Mrs.
Ellwanger, our state vice-president for New York.
(Reading in part) "My walnut trees are doing well and have many more nuts than ever before. The filberts planted two years ago, also have some, and the chestnuts, those the blight have left me, are covered with burs. There are beech nuts, too.—I intend to keep on planting chestnut trees, in spite of the blight."
Mr. C. S. Ridgway, Lumberton, New Jersey, writes as follows:
"There are very few nut trees in our vicinity. In fact, very few except what I have—some large old pecans at Mt. Holley, but the fruit is so small they are not gathered."
The next letter is from Mr. Howard Spence, of Ainsdale, Southport,
England. Mr. Spence writes:
"During the last year I have got one of our horticultural research stations interested in the subject of walnut culture and just recently the headquarters of the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries also. The latter are using a small pamphlet on nut culture generally, to which I have contributed some facts. But a point of more definite interest at the moment is that the Minister has agreed to instruct all their inspectors over the country to make a collection of all walnuts of merit and forward them to me for classification and identification of varieties which may be worth perpetuating. As almost all the large number of trees in this country are seedlings I am hopeful that some interesting material may be located."
Here is a letter from Mr. Richard H. Turk, Vice-President for the state of Washington:
"Your request for a report from this Pacific Coast state came as a surprise. The Western Walnut Growers' Association is very strongly organized as regards Oregon and Washington, and it is difficult to persuade our nut growers here to join an association with its base of operations so far removed as the Northern Nut Growers' Association. I believe that I have been responsible for an additional membership of at least one or two which I think can be considerably augmented this fall.
Filbert growing has firmly caught hold of the enthusiasm of the people here. The acreage has reached 2,000 acres as compared to a bare 150 acres of six years ago. I estimate a planting of 1,500 additional acres to this quick bearing nut, this season. I have trees enough in my nursery to plant 600 acres but regard the majority of the plants as being too small. Planters plant even the smallest one-year layers out a distance varying from ten to twenty-five feet. I regard this as a waste of time, money and energy. Trees with two year old roots are none too big. The variety most planted is the Barcelona, closely followed by Du Chilly, and is supported by pollinizers for these two varieties at the rate of one pollinizer to every nine of the commercial sort. Intent eyes are watching every new seedling in search of new and superior varieties. Some have been found and will be propagated. Nut growers are but warming to the idea. I am putting out eight thousand four-year old seedling filbert trees in orchard form to be tested for qualities desired in a better filbert.
Tree filberts instead of bushes is a new idea that is fast gaining headway against the old method of removing the suckers by hand each season. Corylus colurna, the Turkish species, and Corylus chinensis, the Chinese tree hazel, are most favored as stocks. It has been found that these trees are easily grafted to filberts, that they are extremely hardy and grow twice as fast as the filbert, and that the vigor of the stock enlarges the size of the nut, regardless of variety. Foremost in the recommendation of grafted tree filberts, I have correspondents in many foreign countries and have arranged for the delivery of several thousand pounds of these nuts to grow seedlings of.
The tree hazel is of the future as yet, and one must recognize the demand for layered stock until replaced by what appears to be better. To add at least thirty acres to my present filbert plantings this year is my desire. I am planting at least 400 trees to the acre as interplants in a grafted walnut orchard. No use in wasting time before the trees begin to bear profitable crops. Three and four years at most for man-sized returns when using a ten foot planting.
One planting of Du Chilly filberts last year produced an average of close to 40 pounds per tree on nine-year-old trees and an average of 10 pounds on four-year-old trees. The spread of the latter trees was scarce four feet, and I counted 22 nuts on a branch eight inches in length. Mr. A. W. Ward reports an average crop of 200 nuts to each two-year-old filbert tree in his four-acre planting this season. These are also Du Chillys that are fast building up a sentiment favoring them before the lower-priced Barcelona variety. The Barcelona is a more vigorous tree and shells out of the husk 75% whereas the Du Chilly is but 40% self husking, but that will not offset the differential of five to ten cents per pound in favor of the great, oblong nuts.
The walnut acreage of Washington and Oregon is approximately 12,000 acres and is now taking a new hold with all the additional planting being made up of grafted trees. The VROOMAN FRANQUETTE variety grafted on the California black walnut stock is the tree used in these plantings. Formerly, seedlings of the so-called second generation type were quite popular, but when it became evident that seedlings would not transmit the superior qualities of the parent, that method of propagation was thrown into the discard. Eight thousand acres of the acreage now out, are seedling trees that must be topworked before Oregon will be truly famous for the quality of the nuts it produces. These seedling trees are paying at present under our present high prices after many years of barrenness.
My own 900 seedling trees I top-worked last year to the Vrooman Franquette variety, placing as many as thirty grafts in some trees and obtained an average of 70 per cent successful grafts. These grafts have made wonderful growth this season, and are quite capable of bearing large quantities of nuts next season. My crew of walnut grafters are becoming well known over a radius of 100 miles, and the work they are doing is a road to profit for many an owner of unproductive nut trees.
This fall I intend publishing some of the leading articles of the nut-growing authorities of this section, in conjunction with a catalogue well illustrated and containing my experience as a nut grower. Anyone contemplating planting walnuts or filberts may well send in their reservation of copy. Generally speaking, nut tree nurserymen and nut tree planters have not had time nor desire to add to the literature on this subject. I believe that when the nurserymen get behind the move to plant nut trees there will be some very interesting developments. There is one good thing in sight, and that is that it will not be the old-fashioned seedling that they will push this time. I think that you people of the East have got to make another determined effort to drive home the impossibility of seedlings ever being satisfactory. Outside the association a nut tree is a nut tree regardless of seedling and grafted trees, and one is expected to bear just as many fine large nuts as the other and just as soon. After losing twenty to thirty thousand dollars in delayed returns from a seedling walnut orchard, is it any wonder that I oppose the planting of more seedlings by the unwary?
In concluding this report I wish to state that I have talked nuts before a score of different meetings during the last year, and in the press of Oregon and Washington have done much to encourage the prospective grower."
THE SECRETARY: It seems to me that this report is one that will be very useful to nut growers in the East and very suggestive to beginners in nut growing. I would like to ask Mr. Reed if he has any comments to make on the report.
MR. REED: As I know conditions in the Pacific Northwest Mr. Turk has given an accurate report. The one criticism that I might make would be, perhaps, that there seems to be a probability of over-enthusiasm. This often occurs in any part of the country with respect to new things. It has been most conspicuous with the pecan in the South, and the almond industry in the West. As the pioneers in the nut industry in Oregon and Washington are acquiring greater experience they are increasingly more cautious with regard to such matters as varieties, planting sites, planting distances, interpollination, and others of kindred nature.
The industry in the Northwest is still comparatively small. It is centered mainly in the Willamette Valley of Oregon and to some extent in a narrow strip running north towards Seattle. The best informed are planting only in fertile, moist, properly drained soils so situated that air drainage is good. The local soils are much more variable than would be suggested by casual observation. Also, greater attention is being paid to air drainage in that part of the country than in the East. Several years ago there was a sudden drop in temperature from 32 degrees above to 24 degrees below zero, at McMinnville, Oregon. This proved fatal to trees and plants of many kinds, particularly those on flat bottoms or on hillsides from which, for any reason, the cold air was prevented from blowing to lower levels.
In addition to the species of nuts discussed by Mr. Turk, something might be said regarding the possibilities of chestnut culture in the Pacific Northwest. Numerous trees, planted singly or even in small groups found there, grow so well as to indicate plainly that the genus is capable of adapting itself to existing environment. However, both planters and consumers are generally prejudiced against the chestnut. This is easily explained for the reason that either sufficient numbers of varieties have not been planted together to ensure interpollination, or Japanese chestnuts have been planted. Early planters were evidently not aware that most varieties are largely self-sterile, and they did not know that the average Japanese chestnuts are fit for consumption only when cooked. Had these two facts been taken into consideration by them, it is not improbable that there would now have been an entirely different situation regarding the chestnut in that part of the country.
THE SECRETARY: I have a few more reports. Is it the sentiment of the meeting that I go on reading them?
MR. REED: I would like to hear the reports.
* * * * *
THE SECRETARY: Knight Pearcy, from Salem, Oregon, writes:
"Both filbert and walnut planting have continued in Oregon during the past year. There has been a steady increase in the acreage of these two nut crops during the past five years but, fortunately, no planting boom.
The older walnut orchards are almost all seedling groves and many of these seedling groves are producing a very attractive revenue. Practically all of the new plantings are of grafted trees, it having been amply demonstrated that, while seedlings are often revenue producers, the grafted orchards bring in more revenue and at no greater cost of operation. Seedling orchards are offered for sale, but very few grafted plantings are on the market. The Franquette continues to be the principal tree planted; probably 95% of the new plantings being of this variety.
A co-operative walnut marketing association has been formed, and this year for the first time carlot shipments of Oregon nuts will be sent East.
The filbert, a younger member of the Oregon horticultural family than the walnut, is being planted as heavily as the walnut, if not more heavily. Probably 60,000 trees were planted in the Willamette Valley of Oregon last year. Production of filberts has not yet become heavy enough to supply home markets. It will probably be some time before Oregon filberts reach eastern markets.
No other nuts are grown commercially in the state, although the chestnut does well here."
Mr. T, C. Tucker, State Vice-President from California, writes:
"The principal consideration in relation to the California nut situation is a recognition of the tremendous increase in planting within the last ten years. Many of these newly planted orchards have already come into bearing. The marketable almond tonnage of California has increased until it is now over three times that of ten years ago. The walnut tonnage has doubled during the same period.
New plantings are going forward very slowly at the present time due to the conditions prevailing in the fruit industry in general.
Economic conditions, coupled with the keenest kind of foreign competition have interfered materially with the sale of almonds in this country, with the result that almond growers have been losing money every year for the past four years. At the same time the tremendously increased domestic tonnage has resulted in keeping the prices to the consumer very low in relation to pre-war prices and costs. The consumer has been getting the benefit of maintaining the domestic almond producers in the business. The fact that domestic tonnage cannot be kept down, as soon as a profit is in sight, warrants the American public in maintaining a sizable industry in this country by means of a protective tariff, even though it may appear on the surface as though it might mean increased prices. The experiences of the last four years have demonstrated beyond a doubt that increases in import duties have not resulted in increased prices to the consumer. They have, in fact, increased the competition to a point where prices have dropped rather than risen.
The same situation applies to walnuts, except possibly as regards losses to growers during recent years. The fact that walnuts ordinarily take longer to come into bearing than almonds has prevented any rapid increase in production such as has taken place with almonds. They are, however, facing many of the same conditions of keen competition from countries where costs of production are very, very low.
Conditions this year point to both almond and walnut crops of approximately the same size as last year. That means the walnut crop will be around 25,000 tons and the almond crop around 10,000 tons. The condition of the walnut crop seems to be about normal. Where irrigation is not available they are suffering from lack of water. Almonds this year are showing in many districts the disastrous effects of the unusually dry season. This will show up most strongly, however, in reduced tonnage for next year, and stick-tights for this year. These latter, however, are not saleable, so the consumer need not worry but that the almonds received in the markets will be good, edible almonds. What the final outcome of the drought will be it is a little too early to tell.
Pecans and filberts are produced in such small quantities in California that they do not affect the market in any way except possibly locally. There is nothing to indicate any abnormal condition affecting either of these in the few places where they are grown. No large plantings of either of these nuts are being made, since there seems to be considerable question as to how successful they will be from a commercial standpoint.
Chestnuts are not being planted as fast as they might be, especially in those sections of the state to which they are well adapted. With the rapid disappearance of the chestnut forests of the eastern states, through the ravages of the chestnut bark disease, there is no reason why chestnuts could not be grown in California, especially in many of the foot-hill districts. This, of course, presupposes that the chestnut bark disease can be kept out of the state, and we believe it can be. The general price situation, however, is such as to discourage any extensive plantings at this time. The interest that is being taken in possible future plantings, however, is such that it appears reasonable to believe that the next few years will see materially larger plantings made, provided there is any improvement in agricultural economy conditions."
Mr. James Sharp, Vice-President from Kansas, writes:
"The only nut native here is black walnut, and the crop is heavy. There are some Stabler and Thomas planted here, and some grafted on native black are bearing. We have something like fifty grafted pecans planted of all varieties, but none bearing yet. The pecan is a native south and east of here in Kansas, and the crop is good, I understand. We also have a few grafted sweet chestnuts growing in Kansas which are bearing well, and more are being planted. I have one English walnut growing near my house, which had male blooms last spring, but no nuts. We do not think they will be a success in Kansas but we hope to grow some nuts on our tree next year, the first in Kansas."
Mr. U. H. Walker, Nacla, Colorado, who says he is probably the only one in that state attempting to grow nut trees, instead of fruit, writes of his attempts. His place is at an altitude of 5,800 feet, where he can at times look down into the clouds, and on clear days can look up into perpetual snow. Mr. Walker has black walnut trees that have produced crops each year for the last ten years, three pecan trees and two persimmons. He has been experimenting with nut trees obtained from the government for the last ten or twelve years, and is willing to plant and care for any trees which the members of the association would like to have tried out in the center of the Rocky Mountain district.
Prof. V. R. Gardner, Michigan Agricultural College, in a letter to C. A. Reed, says: "We are getting a very nice collection of hardy nuts started on our Graham Station grounds near Grand Rapids. These are for the most part young trees being planted in orchard form. We are also doing some top-grafting and as soon as we shall be able to accumulate more data upon which to base recommendations, I am inclined to think that we will put on a number of nut grafting demonstrations in the state. I am sure there will be a demand for it.
If your meetings could be held later in the year, perhaps some time during the winter, I think it would be easier for some of the station men to attend them."
MR. REED: Might I add that Prof. Gardner was at one time Assistant in Horticulture at Corvallis, in the heart of the walnut district of Oregon. From there he went to Missouri as State Horticulturist. During the three years at that place he top-worked a considerable number of walnut trees with scions of supposedly hardy varieties of Persian walnuts, especially the Franquette, and such varieties of Eastern black as he could obtain. The Persian practically was killed out during the first winter. The black walnut tops are now coming into bearing, and considerable attention is being attracted to them throughout the Mid-West. Prof. Colby may know something further regarding the work in Missouri.
THE SECRETARY: I hope you notice how many more reports we are getting from the men connected with the horticultural departments of the state institutions. Here is a letter from H. H. Bartlett, Director of the Botanical Gardens at Ann Arbor, University of Michigan:
"Our Botanical Garden in its present location is relatively new, having been established only in 1914. The development of permanent plantings has been mostly in the last two or three years, so you see we have as yet done nothing with nut trees other than to assemble what varieties we could get hold of. I must confess that the poor little things look much as if the wrath of heaven had overtaken them. We had 8 degrees of frost on the night of May 22d, when all the trees were in young leaf. All the nut trees were badly killed back, some below the graft, so I've had to pull some out. Since they had only a miserable start last year, they look pretty sad now. However, I'll replace where necessary, and hope for better luck next time.
If there should be an opportunity in the course of the discussion to state that we are prepared to receive and take care of nut trees that originators wish to try out in this region, I shall appreciate it. We are receiving occasional nut-bearing plants from the Office of Seed and Plant Introduction of the Department of Agriculture, and are very glad to act as a testing station for new introductions or productions.
In order not to give a false impression as to the extent of our work, I feel impelled to say that we haven't yet a nut tree in bearing, and only one over three feet high."
Mr. Conrad Vollertsen writes that he will not be able to be here as he had planned. He states that all of his 31 varieties of filbert trees, except one, have fairly good nut crops. His place, as you know, is in Rochester, N. Y.
Mr. F. A. Bartlett, of Stamford, Conn., writes:
"You may be interested to know that some of my nut trees are giving some results this year. A number of varieties of filberts are fruiting, three varieties of black walnuts, almonds, Chinese chestnuts, heartnuts, besides the native hickory and butternuts."
MR. REED: According to Mr. Bartlett the Lancaster heartnut, which was introduced by Mr. Jones, is starting out in highly encouraging manner at his place near Stamford. It has grown well and is now a handsome, symmetrical tree. Indications are that it will bear well.
THE SECRETARY: Mr. Bartlett takes good care of his trees. We shall hope to pay a visit to his place.
I have a letter from Mr. Hicks, Westbury, Long Island. He will be with us today, and he proposes in his letter that we make an excursion to his place on Long Island.
Mr. J. W. Killen, Felton, Delaware, in a letter to Mr. Reed, writes as follows:
"This year we are maturing some nuts on the cordiformis and sieboldiana types of the Japanese walnut (young trees 3 to 5 feet high) that had no staminate blossoms. These we are producing by crossing with the pollen from one of our best Persians. We are looking for something interesting from there nuts when planted and the trees come into bearing. But all this takes time and patience. We had more chestnuts last fall than ever before, and the prices averaged higher, about 20 cents per pound, wholesale. Our best chestnuts are looking good now. Will soon be opening; usually begin about the 5th to the 10th of September, to open up.
"We have not succeeded very well in propagating Mollissima (Chinese chestnut) but we find the quality of the nuts very good. All of our American sweet and all of the European type, including Paragon, Numbo, Dager, Ridgely, etc., have been gone for years, and left our Japs just about as healthy looking as they were 20 years ago, yet they were all set in the same block."
THE SECRETARY: It is encouraging to know that Mr. Killen has a strain of chestnuts that will grow there without being destroyed by blight.
MR. REED: Blight is not serious with his trees.
THE SECRETARY: It is with mine. But Mollissima has resistance.
MR. REED: The real pest in Mr. Killen's chestnut planting is the weevil. The nuts have to be marketed promptly in order to avoid destruction by this insect.
THE SECRETARY: I have a letter from Mr. Littlepage, who regrets that he will not be able to be with us.
Another letter is from Mr. Riehl, who regrets that because of his age he will not be able to take the long trip from Godfrey, Ill., to New York City. He writes to us of the place of the chestnut in northern nut culture, as follows:
"Blight and weevil are the greatest enemies of this nut. Blight in all probability will destroy practically all native chestnut where it is native, and in all such districts the planting of chestnut orchards for profit will be useless until varieties are found or produced that are immune to that disease. In time this, no doubt, will be done. If I were fifty years younger and lived in a blight section, it would appeal to me to do something in that line.
Where the chestnut does not grow naturally it can be grown without fear of the disease. I have the largest chestnut orchard in the West, of all ages from seedlings to sixty years, with no blight.
Even were there no blight it would not be advisable to plant chestnut orchards where it is native because of the weevil. The weevil appears to be worse on the large improved varieties than on the smaller native. Of course any one planting a chestnut orchard now would plant the newer, larger varieties, as they will always outsell the smaller. No one who has not talked with handlers of chestnuts can have any idea of the handicap the weevil is to sales and prices. Where the chestnut is not native the nuts produced will be free of weevils.
The place to plant chestnut orchards is where the chestnut is not native, on soils that are not wet. Such situations exist in the central west and westward to the Pacific coast. I have had reports of chestnut trees growing and bearing in all this territory, and have had favorable reports of trees that I sent there of my improved varieties.
There is a good market at good prices for good, homegrown chestnuts. My own crops so far have sold readily at 25 to 40 cents per pound wholesale, and the demand is always for more after the crop is all sold.
Of all the nuts that I have experimented with I have found the chestnut to come into profitable bearing sooner and more profitably than any other."
DR. MORRIS: Some of the state vice-presidents have spoken of native chestnuts of good kinds. One obstacle, however, in the distribution of good chestnuts, has been the state laws which prevent us from sending chestnuts from one state to the other. I would like to ask Mr. Reed if it would be possible to make some arrangement at Washington whereby scions might be sent under government inspection to the West and to other parts of the country where blight does not exist. On my property at Stamford I had several thousand choice chestnut trees. The blight appeared and I cut out 5,000 trees that were from fifty years to more than a hundred years old. Among them there was one sweet American chestnut superior to the others. It had a very large, high-quality nut, and very beautiful appearance, having two distinct shades of chestnut color. The tree was the first to go down with the blight but I have kept it going ever since by grafting on other chestnut stock. I would like mighty well to have that chestnut grow in other parts of the country. It would be an addition to our nut supply.
Furthermore I have among a large number of hybrids, two of very high quality between the American sweet chestnut and the chinkapin. I gave these to Mr. Jones. He found, however, that he had no market for them because of the fear of blight. I would like to present scions of this to anybody outside the chestnut area where chestnuts are being grown, provided I can do this under government methods. We should find a way to do this.
THE SECRETARY: And not by boot-legging.
MR. REED: As Prof. Collins is more likely to be informed in regard to quarantine laws than I am he is the proper one to answer that question. I may say, however, that the federal department is unlikely to interfere in any way with the carrying out of state quarantine laws. Prof. Collins is now in the room. Dr. Morris, will you kindly re-state the question to him?