propagated satisfactorily in the North. In Florida and Louisiana we
could graft the shagbark on pecan stocks with fairly satisfactory
results, so far as the live or stand was concerned, but the tree did not
take kindly to the climate of the Gulf Coast and made little growth, a
number dying out altogether the second and third years after being
grafted. We have never gotten very satisfactory results from grafting
the shagbark with scions taken from old, bearing trees, but with good
scions from young thrifty trees, the shagbark may be grafted with fairly
satisfactory results in the northern states. From the nature of the
growth, it is not practical to bud the shagbark by the annular or patch
bud methods as practiced so satisfactorily on the pecan, but last
season (1913) in an experiment we got good results from ordinary shield
budding by taking scions from a tree that had matured and ripened its
growth up early and setting the buds on young, sappy growth of the
pignut hickory, _Hicoria Glabra_. The scions from which those buds were
taken were cut to test patch budding on the shagbark and when it was
found that the growth had hardened and the bark would not peel, the buds
were cut and inserted by ordinary shield budding, as practiced on the
apple, peach, etc. This experiment was made with little or no hope of
success, so that my surprise can well be imagined, when the wrapping was
removed and it was found that every bud had united with the stocks!
These buds have made better growth the present season than have the
grafts set the past spring, as might be expected. This may be a freak
and we may not be able to again duplicate the results, at least in more
extensive practice, but I am inclined to think that we will, under
similar conditions. The shagbark, without any manipulation, ripens and
hardens up its growth early in the season and it would appear that these
conditions could easily be duplicated, at least in average seasons.
Young stocks of either the pecan or pignut hickory hold their sap much
later than does the shagbark and are in good condition for budding after
the shagbark is dormant. We have practiced this method on the chestnut
for several years with very satisfactory results. The chestnut may be
budded almost as easily as the apple or pear, and with nearly as good
results, by ordinary shield budding, by taking scions for budding from
an old bearing tree which has matured and ripened its growth up early
and setting the buds on young, sappy seedling stocks growing under
cultivation in the nursery. The paragon chestnut, especially, ripens its
growth up very early when the tree is carrying a good crop of chestnuts,
and there is a month, in average seasons, when buds may be taken from it
and set on young stocks in the nursery. This condition might be brought
about on younger trees from which buds are to be taken by withholding
nitrogenous fertilizers and cultivation, or, if necessary, by root
pruning. Root pruning should not be too severe as a sudden check on the
growth in the growing season might interfere more or less with the
storing up of "starch" or "dormant plant food" in the scion. Any
condition or conditions that will serve to induce early maturing and
ripening of the wood growth on trees from which buds are to be taken
will be satisfactory, and by using nitrogenous fertilizers and liberal
cultivation on the stocks to be budded, they may be kept in good
condition of sap well into September in average seasons. Grafted at the
proper time we were able to get good results without any manipulation of
the seedling stocks. All that we ever did there was to remove the new
growth occasionally to hold the stocks in good condition for grafting
and prolong the grafting season, and it was always questionable whether
this was a necessary precaution. My idea in keeping the new growth off
the stocks till the grafts were set was not to control the sap flow, but
to prevent, if it were possible by this means, the exhaustion of the
stored up "starch" in the stock, by the new growth. In the northern
states, the sap in the walnut stocks, and perhaps to some extent in
other nut tree stocks, is inclined to come up in the spring with a rush.
Some seasons at least, even before the buds push into growth, when the
stocks are cut off for grafting a large number "bleed" or run sap very
freely and this may continue several days, flooding and injuring the
scion, and exhausting the vitality of the stock. This condition was
especially noticeable the past spring, due presumably, to the lateness
of the growing season. Making provision for the exit of the surplus sap
was usually sufficient in the lower south and, we believed, would be
farther north, but with the stronger flow of sap this is not sufficient
in the northern states, at least some seasons. An examination of grafts,
set on stocks which have bled freely after having been grafted, shows
that the stock callouses very slowly, if at all, and the scion, unless
it be of very heavy, solid wood, becomes dark colored and sour and the
wood soon dies in the cleft, although the scion above this point may
remain green for weeks. I am not able, at this time, to give any
specific remedy for the correction of this trouble for the reason that I
have not worked it out to my own satisfaction as yet, but now that we
understand the trouble better, I feel sure that we will be able to
correct it in the manipulation of the stocks before they are grafted.
Keeping the new growth off the stocks may be found to be sufficient in
most seasons, if the grafting is done rather late, but I am of the
opinion that a rather severe cutting back of the stocks a few days
before they are grafted, if the grafting is done early, will be found
the best practice. For later grafting, my opinion is that two or three
cuttings, say a week apart, will be better. Root pruning, where it can
be practiced to advantage, will be found more effective still. I have
never known newly transplanted stocks or those which had the tree digger
run under them, to bleed freely when grafted, and we have sometimes
gotten a good stand of grafts on such stocks, but such stocks may not
always have sufficient sap for the best results in grafting, if they
have been recently transplanted or root pruned. Fall planted As a
matter of experiment, I want to try budding both the pecan and walnut by
this method the present season, but I don't expect any results from
walnut buds set in this way. For the information of those who may wish
to try this method the present season, I will say that we cut the
shagbark buds a little heavier than we cut apple or pear buds. The wood
was left in the bud. The bark on the stock was split and the buds
inserted just as in any other shield budding. The buds were wrapped very
firmly, with waxed muslin, just as we wrap patch buds.
Our success with grafting the English or Persian walnut, under northern
conditions, has been variable and not very satisfactory. With good
scions and good stocks and other favorable conditions, we have sometimes
gotten over 90 per cent to grow, but the stand is more often much below
this and the present season we did not average over 25 per cent. The
fact that we get good stands of grafts when all conditions are right, is
not only encouraging but demonstrates that the English walnut can be
grafted under eastern or northern conditions with at least a fair degree
of certainty as to results, just as soon as we learn the causes of our
failures and are thus able to apply the remedy. Perhaps the greatest
drawback to the successful grafting of the English walnut is the
difficulty of obtaining good scions. The annual growth of the walnut is
much more pithy than that of the pecan or shagbark, and for this reason,
only a comparatively small portion of the growth is available for
grafting purposes if we are able to select scions that will give the
best results. Like the pecan and shagbark, the two-year wood makes the
best scions for grafting, provided that the wood has good buds on it,
but under our conditions those buds that lie dormant are usually shed
off during the summer and few good buds remain that will start quickly
into active growth. It is true that adventitious buds will often form
where these buds have shed off, and these will push into growth if the
stock is kept free from sprouts, but usually too late in the season to
make good trees, and keeping the seedling stock free from sprouts when
it should be in leafage is more or less weakening and injurious and the
grafts, starting into growth late in the season, do not mature and ripen
their growth up properly before frost and are quite likely to be injured
by early November freezes, unless they have some protection. To graft
the English walnut with unvarying and satisfactory results, under
northern conditions, we must not only have good scions and good stocks,
but we must control the sap flow in the stocks. In Florida and Louisiana
the sap came up more gradually in the stocks in the spring, and when or
root pruned stocks would probably give the best results, as the sap
would probably come up more gradually in the spring and, while the flow
would probably be sufficient for the best results, it would not flow
freely enough to injure the scion or stock.
We have not experienced any serious difficulty from an extreme flow of
sap in pecan stocks, either in the North or South, but we have had
grafts set on the pignut hickory fail from this cause. The English
walnut may be budded with fair to good results, by the patch method, by
selecting good buds on the best matured, round growth, but to propagate
the tree economically and satisfactorily it is desirable to both bud and
graft, otherwise both stocks and scion wood are wasted.
TOP-WORKING LARGE WALNUT TREES
W. C. REED, VINCENNES, INDIANA
In top-working large native walnut trees to the Persian or English
walnut, the first operation is to cut the trees back severely. This
should be done while the trees are dormant, preferably in February or
early in March. Cut them back two feet or more above where you wish to
graft, then cut again to where you want them. This will avoid splitting.
Usually we cut back to where the limbs are from two to four inches in
diameter. We have cut some back that were six to eight inches with good
results. However, limbs this size require careful attention to avoid
decay as it takes so long for them to heal over.
_Scions for Grafting_
Scions for grafting should be cut while perfectly dormant and packed in
damp moss or sawdust, being careful not to have it too wet. Paper line
the boxes and place in a cool place. Cold storage is much better. Scions
cut during the winter and placed in cold storage will come out in good
shape for grafting in May, or budding during July or August. Where there
is danger of the wood being injured by cold weather it would be well to
cut scions in November, before severe cold.
_Time for Grafting_
Wait until the new growth is well advanced or nearly in full leaf, which
is about May 1 to 10, in this latitude.
_Methods_
Use either the wedge graft or the bark graft. We have had equally good
results with each. If any difference it is in favor of the side or bark
graft which we prefer because it does not split or mutilate the stock,
there is not the chance for decay, and the wounds heal over much
quicker. On limbs three to four inches in diameter put in three to four
grafts.
Cut the stubs back one to two inches below where they were cut when
dormant so you may have a fresh clean cut. Pare the rough bark off until
you have a fairly smooth surface for three inches below where the limbs
are cut off.
_Side or Bark Grafting_
For side or bark grafting split the bark with a sharp knife for about
two inches where the graft is to be set. Cut your scions with about two
buds. Slope the scion all from one side with a long slope so it will fit
well to the wood or cambium layer; then trim off a little of the outer
bark on the outside lower edge of the scion, just enough to expose the
cambium so it will come in contact with the inner side of the bark on
the tree.
_Wedge Graft_
If the wedge graft is used, take a long bladed knife (a corn knife will
do) set it sloping on the cut off stock and make a clean cut through the
bark first so it will split straight, then raise the handle of the knife
and drive the blade into the wood, splitting it as deep as needed,
depending on the size of the scion and insert a wooden wedge made from
some hard wood. An old broom or hoe handle is good, tapering the wedge
from both sides, leaving it thick in the center so it will come out
easily after the graft is set by simply tapping lightly from first one
side and then the other. In cutting the scion slope from each side with
a long slope to fit the split in the stub. The outer edge of the scion
should be somewhat thicker than the inner edge so that when the wedge is
taken out it will be held firm. Be very careful to see that the cambium
of the scion and tree meet on each edge of the scion. Pack all large
cracks with tissue paper and wax thoroughly.
_Waxing, Tying, Bagging_
As soon as the grafts are set, cover the entire wound with grafting wax,
being careful to cover the top of the stub well and the sides as far
down as the bark is split, and the upper end of the scion. Then place a
paper sack over the stub to prevent evaporation and leave this on until
the scions start into growth. We do not use any tying material on large
limbs because the bark is thick enough to hold the graft in place.
However, on smaller trees it will be important to wrap the grafts well.
_Grafting Wax_
The best grafting wax we have found is composed of the following:
Four pounds resin, one pound beeswax, one-half pint linseed oil and one
tablespoon of lampblack. Melt all together and apply with a paint brush,
being careful not to have the wax too hot.
_After Care_
After new growth starts watch it closely every week or ten days and keep
all suckers removed until the scion starts into growth. Wherever grafts
fail to start the suckers may be left to grow for budding later.
_Budding Large Trees_
Cut back early the same as for grafting, cover all cuts with grafting
wax, let all sprouts grow until time to bud, which is usually August 1
to September 1. Thin out the small, weaker sprouts and bud three or four
of the largest ones, setting the bud four to six inches from where the
sprout comes out of the stub. Use the patch bud, wrap carefully with
waxed cloth, using muslin dipped in melted beeswax, the strips of cloth
three-sixteenths to one-fourth inch wide. The following spring, about
March 1, cut the sprouts back to about three inches above the bud,
remove all other sprouts when new growth starts and keep all suckers
removed.
_Supports_
At this time you will need to put up slat supports to tie the buds to.
Take slats one by two inches and twelve feet long. Nail these to the
sides of the limbs so they will extend six to eight feet above. Keep
buds and grafts tied up every week or ten days during the growing
season.
It has been our experience that budding is preferable. However, grafting
in the spring and then budding in August gives you two chances the same
season.
This same method applies to the pecan and hickory as well as the walnut
and if the work is carefully done you will surely be well paid for your
work.
INTEREST IN NUT GROWING IN THE INTERMOUNTAIN STATES
DR. L. D. BATCHELOR, UTAH AGRICULTURAL EXPERIMENT STATION
The marked increase in the interest in nut growing throughout the
intermountain states is shown by the numerous inquiries on this subject
which are directed to this office. There have been very few plantings of
commercial orchards, but on every hand there is an interest shown in
using nut trees for shade trees. The hardy varieties of Persian walnut
are being planted more each year to ascertain the most promising sorts
for commercial planting. Larger plantings will no doubt follow when some
of these varieties have gained the confidence of the people, for one of
the chief drawbacks to nut planting in the past has been the common
belief that a semi-tropical climate is essential to the production of
such nuts as almonds, pecans and Persian walnuts.
The Utah Agricultural Experiment Station has distributed about one
hundred Persian walnut trees to coöperative planters over the state the
past season. Ninety-five per cent of the trees are making a thrifty
growth, while a similar planting made in 1912 gives good promise.
The following varieties are included in the experimental lot; Chaberte
(grafted on black walnut); Franquette (on black and English walnut);
Franquette (Vrooman Strain); Mayette (on English Walnut); Parisienne (on
the black walnut); Pomeroy (seedling); Pomeroy (on black walnut); Rush
(on black walnut).
A number of seedling trees have been discovered by the writer during the
past year, throughout the state. Some of these seedlings are producing a
fairly good type of commercial nut. What is more important, however, the
success of these seedling Persian walnuts points to the practicability
of planting the hardier varieties of this nut in the intermountain
states.
REPORT FROM G. H. CORSAN
Location--Toronto.
Season--Winter, 1913-1914; Spring, 1914; Summer, 1914.
Type of season--November and December very mild. The ground was not
frozen the least on January 1, 1914. January 12 the coldest day Toronto
ever experienced 22° F. below zero. On February 12 it was 18° F. below
zero. January, February and most of March _very_ steady cold. Very
little snow all winter, none on January 12.
Except those that I smothered by _too_ much care the following seedlings
lived through the winter and are alive today: Pecans; pinus edulis;
pinus Koriensis; chestnuts; filberts; all the juglans including
Californica and Canadian seed of regia; pawpaws; persimmons. My
"mountain rose" peaches had not a twig winter killed though my
Fitzgeralds, a very hardy peach, had some; this peach may not be as
hardy as it is blown up to be. The season has been very dry and this
summer many of the Paragon chestnuts died that were not watered. My
Pomeroy walnuts are having a struggle to keep good form but I think that
I will have a few hardy ones selected from them, as these last two
winters have been the most trying on young trees we have ever had, of
which fact I am glad. Here at Battle Creek are a dozen of Mr. W. C.
Reed's grafted pecans; all are alive and growing strong as are mine in
Toronto. I wrote you of the horrible abuse that mine had while in
transit and they had a right to die but lived. Pecans grow very late
into the fall and do not shed their leaves early so that I feel sure
that the wood will harden sufficiently to stand the winter. The next
question is, will the nut mature where grapes and peaches grow and just
escape the October frosts. I saw many splendid pecans at Burlington,
Iowa. Native pecans for seed stock can be procured from there in
abundance. The nuts there are long and narrow, but not thick-shelled,
and sell retail in the stores for not less than twenty cents a pound.
The climate at Burlington has been 35° F. below zero some winters.
I am certain from my observations all over northeastern North America
that the pecan has far more possibilities than the English walnut or any
other nut unless we can develop a blight proof chestnut.
The north Chinese walnut has been doing wonderfully well in Toronto and
those two trees fifteen and seventeen feet high have not a twig killed.
They do not bear as early as the Japanese. Their leaves are much longer
than the English walnut but the nut is fully as good as the best
California, Persian walnut that ever reached the market. Many of the
nuts are paper shelled, some burst open at the suture. Their appearance
is almost the same as the English but the tree is much hardier, growing
at the extreme north of China. Then this is the tree that the nurserymen
of Ontario have been selling as "English" walnuts and guaranteeing to be
hardy. But as soon as we saw the leaf and the trunk we at once knew them
for north Chinese walnuts and upon being told that, the men acknowledged
that they were. Just today I have been speaking to a missionary from the
extreme north of China and he informs me that they have two feet of ice
every winter where these trees grow in abundance with the finest nuts he
ever saw. This fact and the fact that really good pecans can grow up
north are the two facts that I wish this association to work on in order
to get results that are certain of success.
DISTRIBUTION OF PERSIAN ("ENGLISH") WALNUT SEEDLINGS IN MICHIGAN
Attention should be called to the work of Mr. Myron A. Cobb of the
Department of Agriculture of the Central State Normal School, Mount
Pleasant, Michigan, of which he sends the following outline. Mr. Cobb
has consented to send out with the trees a leaflet, to be supplied by
this Association, explaining the fundamental principles of nut growing.
It is interesting to note the cost of these seedling trees, one and
one-half cents each, including postage.
The success of Mr. Cobb's work shows the readiness of the public for it.
Our Association should encourage similar work in other states.
* * * * *
"About five years ago, I began the distribution of walnut seedlings by
planting a few seeds in our orchard, and distributed them to the schools
of Isabella County. I distributed about five hundred each year, making a
total of two thousand five hundred seedlings. This year, the idea has
been more widely advertised, and the demand for seedlings has been
enormous. I have distributed this year five thousand seedlings and have
received orders for about two thousand more which I could not fill
because of lack of trees.
"This work was taken up primarily with the idea of distributing walnut
seedlings on the farms and incidentally to teach how trees are raised
and to correlate the work of the school to the home.
"The trees have been distributed largely by parcel post, in amounts from
three to three hundred. The trees have been sold for one and one-half
cents each. This covers the original cost of the trees and the postage
on the same. Some of the trees have been grown upon our own grounds, but
the most of them have been obtained from the D. Hill Nursery Company, of
Dundee, Illinois. The distribution has been largely through the schools,
but many organizations have interested themselves in the movement, as
farmers' clubs, women's clubs, civic improvement leagues, etc. The
Women's Club of Pontiac distributed two hundred and seventy-five. We
prefer to distribute them through the schools.
"These trees have been distributed to nearly every portion of Michigan,
Mr. Weidman, a prominent lumberman, sending one hundred to the Upper
Peninsula. Several hundred have been sent to the burned over areas of
Northeastern Michigan, some have been planted in the cities and along
the roadside, but the most of them have been distributed to the farms.
The demand this year exceeded our anticipation. Many farmers and
organizations have been greatly interested in securing and distributing
the seedlings, and some of the requests for seedlings have been very
interesting, in that they show such a great desire on the part of the
farmers to secure the trees, and it has been with extreme regret that we
were obliged to return their money, because of lack of seedlings.
"This movement seems to be especially interesting in many ways and plans
are being made to supply the demand the following season and to extend
the work along other practical lines and apparent indications are that
our slogan, 'A walnut tree for every farm,' will be a reality."
EXAMPLES OF SOME RECENT CORRESPONDENCE
FARMINGDALE, ILL., August 5, 1914.
I am interested in fruit and nuts of all kinds, but plant only for home
use and experimentally.
I believe the chestnut is a better money nut here than the pecan, as
natives here bear very sparsely and irregularly although the catkins or
male part usually come out in great profusion.