Title: Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Fourteenth Annual Meeting
Editor: Northern Nut Growers Association
Release date: June 2, 2008 [eBook #25675]
Most recently updated: January 3, 2021
Language: English
Other information and formats: www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/25675
Credits: Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe and the Online Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net
Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe and the Online
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+————————————————————————————————————+ |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. | +————————————————————————————————————+
WASHINGTON, D. C. SEPTEMBER 26, 27 and 28, 1923
Officers and Committees of the Association 3
State Vice-Presidents 4
Members of the Association 5
Constitution and By-Laws 11
Proceedings of the Fourteenth Annual Convention 15
Report of the Secretary 19
Some Further Notes on Nut Culture in Canada, Jas. A. Neilson 24
Address by Dr. L. C. Corbett 28
Address by C. A. Reed 33
Commercial Nut Culture, T. P. Littlepage 36
Notes by Mr. Bixby 39
Address, Mrs. W. N. Hutt 41
Report of Chairman of the Committee on Incorporation 47
Minutes of First Meeting of Directors 50
Report of the Finance Committee 51
Address by Dr. Oswald Schreiner 51
Address by Dr. W. E. Safford 54
Extension Work in Nut Growing, Professor C. P. Close 60
Roadside Planting vs. Reforestation, Hon. W. S. Linton 61
Encouragement from Failures in Grafting, Dr. G. A. Zimmerman 64
Letter from F. H. Wielandy 76
The Chestnut, C. A. Reed 77
Report of the Committee on Nomenclature 81
Notes from an Experimental Nut Orchard 81
Appendix 88
President HARRY R. WEBER, Cincinnati, Ohio
Vice-President J. F. JONES. Lancaster, Pennsylvania
Secretary WILLIAM C. DEMING, 983 Main St., Hartford, Conn.
Treasurer H. J. HILLIARD, Sound View, Connecticut
Auditing—C. P. CLOSE, C. A. REED.
Executive—HARRY R. WEBER, J. F. JONES, W. C. DEMING, H. J. HILLIARD, W. S. LINTON, J. S. MCGLENNON.
Finance—T. P. LITTLEPAGE, W. G. BIXBY, W. C. DEMING.
Hybrids—R. T. MORRIS, C. P. CLOSE, W. G. BIXBY, HOWARD SPENCE.
Membership—H. R. WEBER, H. D. SPENCER, J. A. SMITH, J. S. MCGLENNON, R. T. OLCOTT, W. G. BIXBY, J. A. NEILSON, W. C. DEMING.
Nomenclature—C. A. REED, R. T. MORRIS, J. F. JONES.
Press and Publication—R. T. OLCOTT, W. G. BIXBY, W. C. DEMING.
Programme—H. R. WEBER, R. T. OLCOTT, C. A. REED, R. T. MORRIS, W. G. BIXBY.
Promising Seedlings—C. A. REED, J. F. JONES, W. G. BIXBY, J. A. NEILSON.
Arkansas Prof. N. F. Drake University 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 Ernest M. Ives Sterling Orchards, Meriden
Dist.
of Columbia Prof. C. P. Close Pomologist, Dept. of Agriculture,
Washington, D. C.
England Howard Spence The Red House, Ainsdale, Southport
Georgia J. M. Patterson Putney
Illinois Henry D. Spencer Decatur
Indiana J. F. Wilkinson Rockport
Iowa D. C. Snyder Center Point
Kansas James Sharp Council Grove
Maryland P. J. 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 Mrs. W. D. Ellwanger 510 East Ave., Rochester
North Carolina C. W. Matthews N. C. Dept. of Agriculture, Raleigh
Ohio W. R. Fickes Wooster, R. No. 6
Oregon Earl C. Frost Gates Road, Portland, Route 1,
Box 515
Pennsylvania John Rick 438 Penn Square, Reading
South Carolina Thomas Taylor 1112 Bull St., Columbia
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 Fred E. Brooks French Creek
ARKANSAS
*Drake, Prof. N. F., Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville.
Dunn, D. K., Wynne
CALIFORNIA
Thorpe, Will J., 1545 Divisadero Street, San Francisco
CANADA
McRitchie, Prof. A. R., Arthur, Ontario.
Neilson, Jas. A., Ontario Hort. Exp. Sta., Vineland.
CHINA
*P. W. Wang, Sec'y, Kinsan Arboretum, 147 No. Szechuan Road, Shanghai.
CONNECTICUT
Barrows, Paul M., Stamford, R. F. D. No. 30
Bartlett, Francis A., Stamford
Bielefield, F. J., South Farms, Middletown
Deming, Dr. W. C, 983 Main St., Hartford
Gotthold, Mrs. Frederick, Wilton
Hardon, Mrs. Henry, Wilton
Hilliard, H. J., South View
Hungerford, Newman, Torrington, R. F. D. No. 2, Box 100
Ives, E. M., Sterling Orchards, Meriden
*Morris Dr. R. 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
ENGLAND
Spence, Howard, The Red House, Ainsdale, Southport
GEORGIA
Killian, C. M., Valdosta
Parrish, John S., Cornelia, Box 57
Patterson, J. M., Putney
Steele, R. C., Lakemont, Rabun Co.
Wight, J. B., Cairo
ILLINOIS
Brown, Roy W., 220 E. Cleveland St., Spring Valley
Buckman, Benj., Farmingdale
Buxton, T. C., Stine Bldg., Decatur
Casper, O. H., Anna
Clough, W. A., 929 Monadnoch Bldg., Chicago
Falrath, David, 259 N. College St., Decatur
Flexer, Walter G., 210 Campbell St., Joliet
Foote, Lorezo S., Anna
Holden, Dr. Louis Edward, Decatur
Illinois, University of, Urbana (Librarian)
Marsh, Mrs. W. V., Aledo
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
Powers, Frank S., 595 Powers Lane, Decatur
Reihl, E. A., Godfrey, Route 2
Rodhouse, T. W., Jr., Pleasant Hill, R. R. 2
Shaw, James B., Champaign, Box 644
Spencer, Henry D., 275 W. Decatur St., Decatur
Swisher, S. L., Mulkeytown
Vulgamott, Chas. E., Cerro Gordo
White, W. Elmer, 175 Park Place, Decatur
INDIANA
Clayton, C. L., Owensville
Copp, Lloyd, 819 W. Foster St., Kokomo
Gilmer, Frank, 1012 Riverside Drive, South Bend
Reed, W. C, Vincennes
Staderman, A. L., 120 South 7th St., Terre Haute
Wilkinson, J. F., Rockport
IOWA
Adams, Gerald W., Moorhead
Bricker, C. W., Ladora
Pfeiffer, W. F., Fayette
Snyder, D. C., Center Point
Snyder, S. W., Center Point.
KANSAS
Bishop, S. L., Conway Springs
Fossenden, 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. J., Bowie
Perkins, H., 401 Nat. Marine Bank Bldg., Baltimore
Wall, A. V., Baltimore
MASSACHUSETTS
*Bowditch, James H., 903 Tremont Bldg., Boston
Bowles, Francis T., Barnstable
Cleaver, C. Leroy, Hingham Center
Collins, Geo. D., 388 Union St., Springfield
Johnstone, Edward O., North Carver
Sawyer, James C., Andover
Wright, G. F., Chelmsford
MICHIGAN
Banine, Chester H., Vandalia
Charles, Dr. Elmer, Pontiac
Copland, A. W., 670 E. Woodbridge St., Detroit
Graves, Henry B., 2134 Dime Bank Bldg., Detroit
Kellogg, Dr. J. H., 202 Manchester St., Battle Creek
*Linton, W. S., Saginaw
Penney, Senator Harvey A., 425 So. Jefferson Ave., Saginaw
Wallace, Henry, Detroit
MISSOURI
Crosby, Miss Jessie M., 4241 Harrison St., Kansas City
Stark, P. C., Louisiana
Youkey, J. M., 2519 Monroe Ave., Kansas City
NEBRASKA
Caha, William, Wahoo
Thomas, Dr. W. A., Lincoln
NEW JERSEY
Brown, Jacob S., Elmer, Salem Co.
Clarke, Miss E. A., W. Point Pleasant, Box 57
Franck, M., Box 89, Franklin
Gaty, Theo. E., 50 Morris Ave., Morristown
*Jaques, Lee W., 74 Waverly St., Jersey City
Landmann, Miss M. V. Cranbury, R. D. No. 2
Marston, Edwin S., Florham Park, Box 72
Parry, T. Morrel, Riverton
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
Culver, M. L., 238 Milburn St., Rochester
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
Henshall, H., 5 W. 125th St., N. Y. C.
Hoag, Henry S., Delhi
Hodgson, Casper W., Yonkers, (World Book Co.)
*Huntington, A. M., 15 W. 81st St., New York City
Jewett, Edmund G., 16 S. Elliott Place, Brooklyn
Johnson, Harriet, M. B., 15th St. & 4th Ave., New York City
Krieg, Fred J., 11 Gladys St., Rochester
Lattin, Dr. H. W., Albion
Lauth, John C., 67 Tyler 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
McGlennon, J. S., 28 Cutler Building, Rochester
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
Pierce, H. Gordon, 103 Park Ave., N. Y. City
Pirrung, Miss L. M., 779 East Ave., Rochester
Pomeroy, A. C., Lockport
Rawnsley, Mrs. Annie, 242 Linden St., Rochester
Rawnsley, James B., 242 Linden St., Rochester
Schroeder, E. A., 223 East Ave., Rochester
Shutt, Erwin E., 509 Plymouth Ave., Rochester
Snyder, Leroy E., 241 Barrington St., Rochester
Solley, Dr. John B., 968 Lexington Ave., New York City
Teele, Arthur W., 120 Broadway, New York City
Tucker, Arthur R., Chamber of Commerce, Rochester
Tucker, Geo. B., 110 Harvard St., Rochester
Vick, C. A., 142 Harvard St., Rochester
Vollertsen, Conrad, 375 Gregory St., Rochester
Waller, Percy, 284 Court St., Rochester
Wile, M. E., 955 Harvard St., Rochester
Williams, Dr. Chas. Mallory, 4 W. 50th St., New York City
*Wisman, Mrs. F. de R. Westchester, New York City
Wyckoff, E. L., Aurora
NORTH CAROLINA
Hutchings, Miss L. G., Pine Bluff
Matthews, C. D., North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture, Raleigh
Van Lindley, J., (J. Van Lindley Nursery Co.), Pomona
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
OREGON
Frost, Earl C., Route 1, Box 515, Gates Rd., Portland
PENNSYLVANIA
Althouse, C. Scott, 540 Pear St., Reading
Anders, Stanley S., Norristown
Baum, Dr. F. L., Boyertown
Bohn, Dr. H. W., 34 No. 9th St., Reading
Bolton, Charles G., Zieglerville
Boy Scouts of America, Reading
Druckemiller, W. H., 31 N. 4th St., Sunbury
Fritz, Ammon P., 35 E. Franklin St., Ephrata
Gribbel, Mrs. John, Wyncote
Hershey, John W., Ronks
Hess, Elam G., Manheim
Hile, Anthony, Curwensville
Horst, John D., Reading
Jenkins, Charles Francis, Farm Journal, Philadelphia
Jockers, Fred'k J., 4 E. Township Line, Jenkintown
*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
Rittenhouse, Dr. J. S., Lorane
Rose, William J., 413 Market St., Harrisburg, "Personal"
Rosenberry, W. H., Box 114, Lansdale
Rush, J. G., West Willow
Smedley, Samuel L., Newton Square, R. F. D. No. 1
Smedley, Mrs. Samuel L., Newtown Sq., R. F. D. No. 1
Smith, Dr. J. Russell, Swarthmore
Taylor, Lowndes, West Chester, Box 3, Route 1
Weaver, William S., McCungie
Whitner, Harry D., Reading
Wilhelm, Dr. Edward A., Clarion
*Wister, John C., Clarkson and Wister Sts., Germantown
Wolf, D. D., 527 Vine St., Philadelphia
Zimmerman, Dr. G. A., Piketown
RHODE ISLAND
Allen, Philip, Providence
SOUTH CAROLINA
Taylor, Thos., 1112 Bull St., Columbia
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
+Dodge, Harrison H., Mount Vernon
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
* Life Member
+ Honorary 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.
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 five dollars, 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.
New National Museum, Washington, D. C.
September 26-27-28, 1923.
(In making up this report the transcript of the stenographer's full report has been unsparingly cut, in accordance with the vote of the convention. Copies of the full report are in the possession of the secretary.)
The Convention was called to order at 2 p. m., Sept. 26, 1923, in the
New National Museum.
In his opening address the president spoke of the need for increased membership and improved financial condition. He also recommended a return to the old method of combining the secretary and treasurer in one office and that the secretary-treasurer should have a fair salary, suitable quarters, and adequate help. He spoke of his own efforts to increase the usefulness of the association and expressed his fears that they had amounted to very little. He quoted the statement of the editor of the American Nut Journal that what people want to know is whether they can make any money by the cultivation of nut trees. That statement led to a campaign to try to locate in the territory of the association groups of nut trees in profitable bearing. He felt satisfied that there are numerous paying nut orchards, and he recommended a continuance of the campaign for locating such orchards.
The president then went on to instance the experience of Mr. Frederick G. Brown of Salisbury, Mass., at whose place, about two miles from the ocean, there are two Persian walnut trees, 12 to 15 years old, one of them about a foot in diameter and twenty feet high, that have borne for two years. Peach trees will not live at this place. Two miles away at Newburyport is a tree a year or two younger that bore a half peck of nuts last year, and another tree 35 years old in bearing for 15 or 20 years. The nuts were spoken of as of high quality.
He referred to Edward Selkirk of North East, Pa., who has a grove of 250 trees about 22 years old of the Pomeroy variety. Last year the crop was one ton and brought in a little over $500.00. This year the crop is much larger. For best development of the trees the land should be given over entirely to their culture.
The president quoted a letter from E. A. Riehl of Godfrey, Illinois as follows:
My nut plantings are mostly young, many just coming into bearing, while many others have been top-worked to better varieties, so that money returns are not what they would be had I started out planting improved varieties. Part of my aim was to originate better varieties than we had when I began. In this, I think, I have been fairly successful.
My plantings consist mostly of chestnuts. These have sold readily at 35 to 40 cents per pound wholesale. It is rather a hard matter to give any idea as to profit, except that we gathered 23 pounds from one tree five years after topworking on a tree then about three inches in diameter. In 1920, the net return was $1,172.54, in 1921, $1,019.44, in 1922, which was about a half crop, $1,196.81. All this on land so rough no crop could be grown on it but pasture. This year's crop promises to be a full one.
As to walnuts, we have made no record of single trees. The Thomas, by actual test, gives ten pounds of meat to the bushel, which we sold to dealers last season at $1.00 per pound, and could not nearly supply the demand.
Walnut crop here a failure this season. Only a few Thomas trees have a crop.
If the meeting was after nut harvest, I would send the best chestnut exhibit that has ever been shown at any meeting.
H. C. Fletcher of Clarkson, N. Y., was quoted as estimating the nuts produced from two trees each year from 1911 to 1915 as $25 worth. (Presumably these were Persian walnuts, but this was not stated.) In 1916 and 1917 there were about six bushels of nuts, probably $75 worth. In 1918 a market basket full. In 1919 and 1920 about $40 worth, including some trees sold. In 1921 about $50 worth were produced and in 1922 $60 worth of nuts and $30 worth of trees.
In the president's own filbert nursery at Rochester over 300 pounds of fine nuts were produced for which 30 cents a pound were offered by grocerymen.
Mr. W. R. Mattoon of the Forest Service of the U. S. Dept. of
Agriculture spoke as follows:
Two years ago, when the Forest Service was planning to get up a bulletin on growing walnut trees for timber, we found the need to include information on the nuts also. Mr. C. A. Reed and I together prepared a manuscript on growing the walnut tree both for timber and for nuts.
It pays to grow walnuts in small groups and singly, rather than in large blocks, for while they have not proven altogether failures when planted in large quantities they have been disappointing. Many of the trees which we planted as close as 6 x 8 feet several years ago, have not given very satisfactory results because they have not had enough light and air. The black walnut grows singly in the forest, although there may be full stands of other trees around it. Our idea is to recommend planting the black walnut in spots around on the farm, in little inaccessible places and on the hillsides, where the soil is good; for the black walnut requires good soil, and we cannot find that quality in large patches, nor is it usual on slopes of ground. So we must put it here and there on the farm, along the fence rows and in various places, but not in groups. The farmer planting in this way becomes its wood which is used in the most expensive furniture. I believe that mahogany is the only other wood so valuable. On the other side of the world they have the mahogany tree for cabinet use, and here in America we have the black walnut, a cabinet wood that is not surpassed.
The present available publications on this subject are limited but we are referring people who inquire about it to Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 933, "The Black Walnut, Its Growth and Management." That is midway between a technical and a popular bulletin, and it comprises about the only available publication that we have at the present time on the subject of growing the tree. Farmers' Bulletin No. 1123, "Growing and Planting Hardwood Seedlings on the Farm", deals with the black walnut along with other trees. Another publication is Department of Agriculture Bulletin No. 153, "Forest Planting in the Eastern United States," which considers the black walnut along with the other available trees for planting.
MR. OLCOTT: For a small orchard would it be proper to plant 160 to 180 feet apart?
MR. MATTOON: When planted in that way you would get nut production and at the same time, a timber growth. If pruned you get a good log at the base. The small, ten-foot logs from these trees pay as much as you would get for an 18 foot log of a taller tree. For forestry purposes, pruning is a desirable practice.
THE PRESIDENT: But for nut-bearing, what is your opinion?
MR. MATTOON: I should suppose that you would want your orchard trees to be as low-branched as possible, and with as full foliage as possible.
Mr. Bixby (acting as secretary) then read a paper by H. R. Mosnat of Morgan Park, Illinois in which he spoke of the number of doctors interested in nut growing and the need of all men of that character having a hobby of that kind. He thought that the taxes on many farms might be paid out of the profits of nut trees planted on the farms and along the highways. But these nut trees should not be seedling trees. The apple and the black walnut are said to be the only trees that grow in every state of the Union. Nuts were one of the staple foods of our ancestors. We should not be discouraged if we have not yet found the right nut for the East and the Middle West. We should seek them promptly because of the rate at which nut trees are being converted into logs. By next year, he said, he expected to have 25 varieties of black walnuts in his collection including some hybrids. Machines for cracking black walnuts by power are now practically perfect and one firm in that business has cracked about a million pounds in the last few years and expects to treble or quadruple its business this season if supplies can be secured. The trouble with most walnut cracking machines is that they crush instead of crack and small bits of shell are apt to stick to the meats. But there is machinery now to remove these bits of shell. There are wild black walnuts that run 16 to 18 per cent kernels, though the average is only 12-1/2%. It is not always the largest nuts that produce the greatest proportionate weight of kernels. The picking and cracking expense with black walnuts is very little greater than with pecans, but the final cleaning to render the meat absolutely free of shells has been very expensive. Cultivated black walnuts will of course give better results, because they have been selected for easy cracking, have kernels that separate readily from the shell, the product is uniform, and the nuts require much less grading before cracking than the wild black walnuts, where every tree bears nuts differing in size, as in almost every other quality. Figuring 50,000 pounds to the carload it will take about eight carloads of wild black walnuts to make one carload of kernels of the same weight. More and more English walnuts and pecans are being sold in the form of kernels, and black walnuts also will best be sold in kernels. These can be canned in vacuum glass or metal cans, and the housewife will use more nuts when she can get the shell-free meats with her favorite cooking utensil, the can-opener. Confectioners and bakers will take black walnut meats by the carload in preference to other nut meats because they have more flavor, and so "go further."
The growing of black walnuts in a commercial way will require education, but already there is a growing interest. Several of the large weekly publications have, within the last couple of months, carried full page, illustrated articles on black walnuts. One of these, in a magazine of general circulation which is over half a million, within a month resulted in almost one hundred letters asking for additional information, which shows that a great many people want to know more about the possibilities of black walnuts. This interest will certainly increase when profitable black walnut orchards are actually growing and paying good profits. Already men are putting in black walnut orchards or groves of several hundred acres, and one such planting of 1,600 acres is proposed, but it will be partly hardy pecans. This shows rapid development into a real industry of magnitude.
Report of the Secretary.
On March 1, 1923, the treasurer, Mr. W. G. Bixby, handed over to the secretary the funds and books of the association, saying that his time had become so much taken up that he was able to give too little of it to the duties of his office. Thus it became necessary for the secretary to assume the functions of the treasurer as well.
These functions were, in the first place, the payment of the obligations of the association from the funds available. The funds available for current expenses were not sufficient for the payment of these obligations. The secretary therefore took it upon himself to pay these obligations with funds of the association put aside for other purposes. These funds were money received from life membership payments that had been deposited in the Litchfield Savings Society, as a sort of contingent fund, and other funds from the same source held by the treasurer and handed over by him to the secretary. These two funds were completely used up in the payment of current expenses, as will appear in the detailed statement of the secretary.
These funds, however, were still insufficient to pay the current expenses, which were, chiefly, the expenses of the stenographer's report and transcripts of the thirteenth annual convention, at Rochester, and the cost of printing the annual report. The cost of printing the report was paid out of the available funds. The stenographer's bill, amounting to $169.00 originally, but reduced to $135.00 by the stenographer on representation by the officers of the association that the amount was excessive, was paid by Mr. Bixby personally, and the association is indebted to Mr. Bixby in that amount at this moment.
The second function that developed upon the secretary was the management of the membership lists and matters relating thereto, which, though perhaps essentially a duty of the secretary of an association such as this, had been managed by the treasurer since the time when he took over the duties of the secretary in 1918. This had involved quite an expenditure for clerical work. This clerical work would still be an expense to the association, had not one of our members, Mr. H. J. Hilliard, of Sound View, Connecticut, volunteered to do it. Mr. Hilliard was formerly connected with a bank, is entirely familiar with the keeping of accounts, is a man of means and leisure, and I shall take pleasure in offering his name to fill the vacant treasurership. Heretofore, this association has had to pay little or nothing for clerical work which has been done either by the secretary, or by the treasurer and his personal clerical force.
In accordance with the vote of the Rochester convention the secretary drafted two letters, one entitled, "To the State Vice-Presidents of the N. N. G. A. and All Members of the Association"; the other, "To All Women Members of the N. N. G. A. and to All Women Interested, or Interestable, in Nut Culture." Both of these letters were sent to all members of the association, and the letter to women was sent also to a considerable list of women not members. The results of these letters were, so far as the secretary has means of knowing, not over a half dozen letters of appreciation from members, one new woman member, and a letter of appreciation from another woman.
The secretary has reason to believe, however, that the letters were the means of stimulating several of the state vice-presidents to activity in the matter of getting new members, in writing articles for the press and in giving illustrated talks on nut growing. Among those who are known to have given such talks or articles, are Dr. Morris, Mr. Weber, Mr. Spencer, Mr. Smith, Mr. Turk, Mr. O'Connor, Mr. and Mrs. Corsan, Mr. Reed, Mr. Neilson, Wilkinson, Snyder, Matthews, Kains, MacDaniels, Fagan, Kaufman, Rick, Bixby, the secretary, and, doubtless, a number of others.
The secretary has a collection of slides on nut growing which he has lent two or three times to members for illustrating their lectures. It was necessary to provide a box for the safe transportation of these slides which the secretary purchased, at a cost to the association of $8.85. The secretary also furnished a typed, running commentary for these slides and, in one or two instances, has furnished negatives and photographs for making slides and illustrations. The secretary also offers to furnish outlines for lectures or articles, and has a small collection of nuts which is available for lectures.
If the funds were available, it would be possible to enlarge the collections of slides, illustrations and nuts for the use of members who wished to give talks or write articles.
Possibly the suggestion of the secretary was responsible for the formation of a subsidiary association in Rochester. On this a report is desirable from President McGlennon or Mr. Olcott. One or two other members have written of their intention to form subsidiary associations.
A leaflet was also issued by the secretary announcing Mr. Jones' offer to give seedling nut trees as a premium to new members. The demand for these trees not being up to expectation, Mr. Jones very generously sent out five such trees in place of the original offer of one or two. I hope that Mr. Jones will make a report of the number of trees thus distributed. Although the circular distinctly stated that these trees were premiums for new members, many members understood it as an offer for renewal of membership as well, and I think that in every such instance, Mr. Jones himself forgot and sent the trees. A few members, whose names came in too late, were disappointed in not getting trees. Mr. Jones has intimated that it may be possible to correct these omissions this fall. I hope that Mr. Jones will make a statement about this, and I hope also, that the association will not overlook Mr. Jones' liberality in distributing these trees entirely at his own expense.
There have been expressions of regret, and I am sure that many more have felt it, that it has not been possible to go on with the nut contests and the giving of prizes for new and valuable nuts. As there is not likely to be any one else willing to assume the really immense labor involved in the nut contests, conducted as Mr. Bixby has conducted them, I suppose that all we can do is to hope that circumstances will sometime again make it possible for Mr. Bixby to resume these very valuable services for the development of nut culture in the United States. I say intentionally "the United States," because I believe that these services have benefitted the whole country. This fact makes me the bolder in uttering the daring suggestion that perhaps, now that Mr. Bixby has shown the way, and developed exact methods that may be safely followed, which, if I do not misapprehend, is what it states that it desires before presuming to take up any new line of work, the Department of Agriculture itself might consider it a matter worthy of its attention. Professor J. A. Neilson, of the less cautious Canadian Department of Agriculture, is rendering very valuable services of this kind for the Dominion of Canada.
There is evidence that several more state agricultural institutions are giving attention to nut growing. (MacDaniels, at Ithaca; J. C. Christensen, University of Michigan).
There is no need of taking your time now to recapitulate the many things that ought to be done to promote the planting of nut trees and the scientific investigation of nut growing. Dean Watt's address, published in the 12th annual report, and the letter of the secretary to state vice-presidents, contain outlines for these things. The attention of the present convention is more particularly to be given to advocating nut tree planting on a production basis.
Regarding the campaign for new members, perhaps the chairman of the committee on membership will make some remarks. The present membership of the association is 337, if we drop no names this year for non-payment of dues. Of course, those who do not pay their dues should be dropped. But the association has never made any ruling as to how long names should be carried on the rolls. The secretary has been easy in sending copies of the annual reports to members in arrears, hoping that the conscience-stricken recipients would hasten to pay up. But there is no proof that such has been the case, and the secretary would recommend making a rule as to when a member is no longer in good standing, when he should be dropped from the rolls, and what members are entitled to copies of the annual report. The secretary would make the suggestion that there be an amendment to the by-laws to the effect that members who have not paid their dues within three months from the time of their first notification, be sent a second notification to the effect that they are not in good standing on account of non-payment of dues and are not entitled to receive a copy of the annual report; but that all privileges may be restored on payment of dues. At the end of three months from the sending of the second notice, the names of members not in good standing should be dropped. The annual report should be sent only to members in good standing.
Mr. Hilliard asked me what our fiscal year was. I answered that I did not think we had any. It would undoubtedly be a convenience if we are to have a bank man for a treasurer, and a ruling by the association would be in place.
Our accredited list of nut nurserymen is out of date and a new list should be issued. Recommendations as to changes in or additions to that list, should be considered by the members.
It is desirable that the annual reports of the association should be indexed and bound, but no hand has yet been found to do it.
Our ambitions have so far outstripped our sources of revenue that we have come to look on an annual deficit as a normal and defensible thing. I think it is indefensible. I think it is going to have a bad effect on our attendance and our morals if the members have to look forward to what amounts to a good big assessment at every convention. A deficit is not inevitable. The secretary-treasurer was able to report a surplus at the first, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh meetings. The income from membership dues should be enough to enable the printing of the annual report. But if not I should be in favor of not printing the report until funds were on hand to pay for it.
In rendering an account of the funds of the association I will first state that there is on hand, cash in bank, $84.89. This amount must be charged with the Bowditch hickory prize fund, $25, which leaves $59.89, cash on hand. We owe Mr. Bixby for paying the stenographer's bill, $135.00, and Mr. Olcott for printing, $24.58, a total of $159.58. This makes our deficit $99.69, practically just one hundred dollars.
It should be recalled that in arriving at this result it was necessary to use up our reserve fund from life memberships, amounting to $225.00. If we count that in with the deficit, it amounts to $325.00.
A detailed account of receipts and expenditures is herewith submitted. At the present moment, on account of a rush of other work, on account of difficulties of other kinds, and because of a division of the work between Mr. Hilliard and myself, I am unable to give the exact amount received from memberships and sale of reports and bulletins. This I hope to correct before the annual report goes to press.
Turned over by the Treasurer, Mar. 1, 1923:
Money for current expenses $ 89.66
From life memberships 95.00
Bowditch hickory prize 25.00
From Litchfield Savings Society 130.00
Membership dues
Sale of reports and bulletins
Printing report $378.00
Misc. printing and postals 7.50
Clerical hire and postage 47.65
Postage, telegrams, carriage 38.09
Box for lantern slides 8.85
———-
$480.09
Due Mr. Bixby, stenographer's bill $135.00
Due Mr. Olcott, printing 24.00
———-
$159.58
The report of the secretary was adopted.
The following paper was read by the acting secretary as Mr. Neilson was unable to be present:
JAS. A. NEILSON, B. S. A., M. S., Extension Horticulturist, Hort. Expt.
Station, Vineland Sta., Ont.
The nut culture activities outlined in the paper presented by the writer at the convention in Rochester were carried on as much as time and means would permit during the past year. The search for nut trees has been continued and has yielded some interesting results. Several valuable trees of kinds already noted have been located and additional species discovered. Among these were five pecan trees which have been growing on the farm of C. R. James at Richmond Hill, a small town fifteen miles north of Toronto. These trees were about fifty years old and appeared to be perfectly hardy, as far as growth was concerned, but owing to the northern location (43.45") seldom produced ripened nuts. The season of 1919, however, was longer and somewhat warmer than most seasons, and a fully ripened crop of nuts was gathered. The nuts are small with a thin shell and a fine sweet kernel. The largest tree in the lot is about 35 feet tall with a trunk diameter of 16" and a spread of branches equal to its height. Another small plantation of pecans was found at Niagara-on-the-Lake on the fruit farm of John Morgan. Some of these trees were of grafted sorts and others were seedlings. Both grafted and seedling trees were making a good growth and appeared to be perfectly healthy.
In as much as the pecan is native to a country having a longer growing season and higher average summer temperatures than southern Ontario, it is quite encouraging to find that these trees will even grow here, to say nothing of bearing nuts. This would seem to indicate that there are possibilities for some of the pecan-bitternut and pecan-shagbark hybrids in southern Ontario where the shagbark and the bitternut grow quite freely.
I also located two excellent shagbark hickories which have fair-sized nuts with thin shell and fine kernels. One of these trees grows about twelve miles west of Simcoe, Ontario, and produces quite a large nut with a shell so thin that it can be easily cracked with the teeth. This particular tree is about seventy feet tall and bore ten bushels of nuts in one season. I have records of several other good hickories and plan to inspect these at the earliest opportunity.
Several more good English walnuts have been located and examined. Among these there is one tree over seventy-five years old which at one time bore thirty bushels of ripe nuts.
A few good heartnut trees have been located at various points. One of these trees is about thirty-five feet tall, with a spread of nearly sixty feet from tip to tip of branches. The present owner harvested several bushels of good nuts in one season from this tree.
I bought with my own funds a bushel of nuts from this tree and sent them in lots ranging from six to thirty to interested parties in various parts of Ontario. Of course I know that this is not in accordance with the best nut cultural principals, but I thought it was one way of getting nut trees started. If these nuts do not reproduce true to type, they will serve as a good stock for budding or grafting with the best introduced heartnuts later on. Another good heartnut was located almost on the outskirts of Toronto. At five years from planting this tree bore one-half bushel of fine, thin-shelled nuts.
In my last paper I stated that filberts had not done well in Ontario. I am glad to state that I will now have to retract that statement and inform you that good filbert trees have been found near Ancaster, which is close to Hamilton. These trees were about fifty years old, the largest specimen being nearly a foot in diameter at the base and about 25 feet tall. The trees bore well, but on account of the hordes of black and grey squirrels very few nuts were harvested. A fine lot of filberts was also found at Tyroconnell, a small hamlet on the north shore of Lake Erie, in Elgin County. These trees are nearly fifty years old and bear excellent nuts. Much to my surprise I found a fine clump of filberts growing quite near the campus of the O. A. C. at Guelph. These trees were introduced from England about sixteen years ago and at first they did not appear to be hardy, but eventually they established themselves and are now doing well in growth and fruitfulness. I was somewhat amused to think that I was searching so diligently for valuable nut trees all over the Province and did not even know of the existence of these trees, until a year and a half after I made my initial attempt to discover valuable nut trees.
I will have to correct another statement made at the last meeting, to the effect that almonds do not grow well in Canada except on Vancouver Island. Since then I have found a few, good, hard-shelled almond trees growing and yielding well in the Lake Erie country. This leads me to believe that almonds can be grown, with reasonable success, anywhere in the peach belt, particularly in the lake district.
In addition to my efforts to locate good trees I persuaded the authorities at the O. A. C. to establish small plantings of some of the best black walnuts, hickories, Japanese walnuts, and Chinese chestnuts. I also obtained about five bushels of Chinese walnuts and one bushel of Chinese chestnuts from northwest China for testing at the experiment stations, and by other interested individuals. Owing to the length of time the nuts were in transit the majority of them were unfit for germination. A few have grown, however, and we hope to get good results from these.
A collection of nuts containing 60 plates and 21 different species was prepared and exhibited at the Royal Winter Fair at Toronto and also at the Livestock Show at Guelph. I was in attendance almost constantly at Toronto, and endeavored to give all the information possible on nut culture. Both exhibits attracted a great deal of attention and called forth favorable comments from visitors and the press.
Experimental plantings of English, Japanese, Chinese, and American walnuts, filberts and hickories, have been established at the Horticultural Experiment Station. Mr. W. J. Strong pollenated about 200 black walnut blossoms with pollen of the English walnut. Apparently a good number (approximately 75%) have set fruit.
A graduate of the Ontario Agricultural College, who has become interested in nut culture, procured 2,000 black walnut seedlings from the Forestry Station at St. Williams. These trees were budded, in August last, with local grown English walnuts, but unfortunately only a few buds took. An attempt will be made next spring to whip graft the trees that did not set buds this summer.
There is a marked increase in the interest in nut culture shown by the public during the past year. This is shown by numerous requests for information and addresses on nut growing and by the public endorsement of nut culture by three important horticultural organizations. The Ontario Horticultural Council, the Federal Horticultural Council and the Ontario Horticultural Societies Convention each passed a resolution asking the Dominion Department of Agriculture to appoint a man to investigate the possibilities of nut culture in Canada. No definite action has been taken as yet, but it is expected that an appointment will be made in the near future.
We are giving the boys and girls of Ontario an opportunity to assist us in our work by hunting for good nut trees, and as an incentive we have offered prizes of $5.00 each for the best specimens of our various native and introduced nut trees. This should bring results, because if there is anyone in this wide world who knows where good nuts are, it is the small boy.
The work during the past year has generally been encouraging, but like every other line of human endeavor there have been disappointments. For example, one bushel of Chinese walnuts was stolen, and a number of good specimens of other kinds mysteriously disappeared from my exhibition collection.
Another disappointing feature has been the apathy, and even hostility, shown by some officials. I do not intend, however, to let these difficulties discourage me in the least, but plan to carry on and preach the gospel of beauty and utility as exemplified in our best nut trees.
U. S. Department of Agriculture
The work in nut culture by the Department of Agriculture antedates the present Bureau of Plant Industry, and to confine the history of the work to the present Bureau of Plant Industry would not quite do the subject justice.
From the time of the beginning of fruit work in the Department of Agriculture, in 1885, nuts have received more or less attention. After the formation of the Bureau of Plant Industry, in 1901, special appropriations were received from Congress for the support of nut investigations, and individuals were appointed to that service in the department. Mr. C. A. Reed, whom you all know very well, was the first appointee of this service, devoting his whole time and attention to the work. He has been with the department for several years, and has given his time exclusively to the nut problems of the country. Naturally, the nut problems are not confined to any geographic area, but are nation-wide; but certain of the plants which have entered into the problems of nut culture have demanded more attention than others, for reasons that are the same as in fruit culture. The older fruits, those better known and longer in cultivation, whose problems are better understood, require less attention from the grower and from the experimenter than do the newer ones in the field.
Nut culture in America, as I understand it, not being a nut culturist myself, consists of two types of projects. We have one type that has long been practiced by man, that we imported from European countries and established on this continent. People have cultivated these nuts more or less intensively for generations, and many of the problems have been worked out, so far as Europe is concerned. Of course, when introduced in America, new problems confronted the growers here. The other type of nut industry is based upon indigenous nuts of which we know little, either from the orchard standpoint or as to the varieties concerned. Our native nuts, particularly the pecan, have forced themselves upon the attention of investigators of the department to much greater extent, perhaps, than any other nut with which we have to deal. Being a native, indigenous plant, not yet under cultivation, there is immediately presented the problem of the choice of varieties, adaption to changed conditions, and all of the problems arising in connection with a rapidly developing commercial industry; certain enthusiasts soon become enamored with the possibilities in the southern parts of the United States for pecan culture, and they immediately transplant it into new and untried regions, and as a result their problems have become legion.
The work of the Department of Agriculture in nut culture has developed really around the growing industries of the country; primarily, around the pecan, and secondly, around the almond and the walnut, for these are the more important, commercially. Naturally, the most pressing problems arise in connection with growing industries; they have growing pains which have to be eased the same as with small boys.
The Department of Agriculture has therefore found itself in the position of seeking answers to numerous questions which have been made in connection with these developing industries. I believe that we have contributed very materially to the knowledge of varieties, particularly as regards their adaptation to different geographic locations. We have also assisted the industries to solve some of their problems of cultivation, particularly of propagation, and also the problems growing out of the maintenance of soil fertility. With a new crop, in a new environment, it is always a problem to know how to manage the soil, and this is one of the leading lines of activity in the field, at the present time. In the Bureau of Plant Industry, two offices, that of Horticulture and Pomology and that of Soil Fertility, are co-operating in the solution of the soil fertility problems in the pecan regions.
Of course, as the industry developed and became established, the natural enemies of the pecan and of the other nut trees asserted themselves, as a result of which there have been set up investigations in the Bureau of Plant Industry to study the life histories of the various fungi that attack pecans; and outside of the Bureau of Plant Industry, the Bureau of Entomology has been devoting time to the study of the control of insect enemies. So that, at the present, the department is so organized that three or four important lines of attack are being made upon problems of these industries. Thus, while at the beginning of the Bureau of Plant Industry, in 1901, there was no single, individual person devoting his time and attention to the problems of nut culture, at present there are quite a group of individuals giving their whole time. I feel we are making progress in the work, and while we may be lagging very much behind what we should like to do, we are assisting as best we can, and are at least keeping in sight of the industry, as it goes forward.
I will not try to go into details about the work we are carrying on, because it is better to tell of what we have accomplished than to tell what we hope to do. We have a man on the Pacific Coast giving his whole time and attention to the study of breeding and of the cultural problems of almonds. Besides this, we have two men giving all of their time to pecans; and during the last year, there has been established near Albany, Georgia, a station devoted to the cultural problems of pecans. One gentleman is continuously on the ground with the work, and two others devote more or less of their time to it.
Now, while these problems connected with the industries are the ones occupying most attention, the workers in the Department of Agriculture have not been unmindful of other native nut-bearing plants, such as the native black walnuts, the hickories and the chestnut up to the time of the very destructive attack of blight. The chestnut, however, has not passed out of our sphere of activity, because at the present time, (and I think you will see tomorrow at the Bell Station, some interesting possibilities in the future of chestnut culture in this country), the Chinese forms, which are much more resistant to blight, bid fair to give us a progeny to make it possible for us also to have a chestnut industry from the horticultural standpoint.
Probably the day of timber supply from our native chestnut is at an end. We hope not, but it looks that way at the present time. The possibilities of growing trees from China, the mollissima, or hybrids of them, bids fair to place the chestnut industry so that we can contend with the blight. We probably will not have immune varieties, but those which are able to live with the blight. That, it seems to me, is a very important consideration, because chestnuts have always been an important nut in our eastern markets, and are important in the European markets as well. While the larger forms of southern Europe will probably not be of value to us here, if we can establish a nut industry with nuts of fair quality, as large as our native sweet chestnuts, based on the Chinese species, the mollissima, then we will be making progress. You may see some of these trees at Bell Station which are eight or ten years old; they are bearing quite abundantly, and some of the chestnuts are really very palatable and of satisfactory size.
In addition to this breeding work with chestnuts, there is under way intensive breeding work with almonds which has for its object the development of those more hardy than those now in cultivation in California. This almond industry, though large, is handicapped because of the late frost injury, and it is desirable to get those which will bloom later and withstand lower temperatures.
The varietal problem with pecans will be ever with us, as long as varieties are found in the wilds and as long as people continue to plant seedlings in different localities. That is one of the subjects that is being given considerable attention.
In addition, the relative productivity of the plants to use as mother plants is an important one. In the work of the Department of Agriculture in connection with citrus fruits, it has been found that the individual bud carries over into its progeny the ability to produce fruit not only of a given type, but also the productivity of the parent to the progeny. A long series of records of the behavior of individual trees have been secured; we are building up a mass of information on which to base selections for better parent trees than any available at the present time. If the pecan behaves like the citrus fruits of California, we will be able in the future to have strains and varieties which will be very much less variable than those at the present time.
The propagation, selection, disease and cultural work covers the field that is handled by the Bureau of Plant Industry. We always like to dream of the future, and we are pleased to have the dreams come true. We must have in mind the possibility of better black walnuts than we have at present; and after the great inroad into the industry made at the time of the War, when the trees were used for timber purposes, there should be a greater effort on the part of the people in the northern districts to propagate black walnuts, not only for nuts but also for timber. The black walnut is a very great asset not only for timber and for ammunition purposes, but for food as well.
The hickory tree is in the same class as the black walnut—it is a valuable timber tree as well as nut tree. No other timber is as valuable for the construction of wheels as hickory, and while the "disc wheel" has served a useful purpose in railroad car construction, it is not likely that it will replace hickory altogether in the construction of wheels of motor vehicles. We are veritably a nation on wheels and we will always be looking for material with which to carry us through the country. As I have said, we are a nation of people on wheels, and if your propaganda did nothing more than to stimulate an increased interest in the production of hickory for timber purposes, it would be accomplishing a great result. But I believe that there are varieties among the hickories which should be to the North what the pecan is to the South. There are those which are very large and those which are thin-shelled, and those of fine flavor; as a food product I think the shellbark is second only to the pecan. And I should hail the day with great interest when there are good, recognized varieties of hickories corresponding with the best varieties of pecans. I believe they will be found and developed.