only one left. They were all in bearing then and a good many quarts of
chestnuts were gathered. Some of them died in 1922 and more in 1923.
From here up, the trees are hickory (Hales) on pecans. They are ten
years from the graft, and planted here from Monticello, Fla., two years
ago. 23 out of the 24 trees living.
There are 12 varieties of Japanese persimmons, bought from Texas. This
one shows winter-killing but will apparently live. (Hayakuma persimmon).
Here is a Jap. persimmon (Kawakami). It has not borne yet. Here is a
McCallister pecan; originated from between the Wabash and Ohio Rivers.
Those are Thomas black walnuts; they have been out five years, and have
not yet borne.
This is a Ten Eyck; it has made good growth this year and is a heavy
bearer. This is a McCoy black walnut. This tree is bearing heavily this
year, and bore one nut last year. It is about five or six years from the
nursery. The parent tree is from near Rockport, Ind., and is a very
large one.
Here is an Ohio; it came from Mr. Jones, I think. These trees are
bearing heavily; they have been set out 5 or 6 years.
These trees are Lancaster heartnuts. They will probably bear heavily one
year and less the next.
(Here catkins and nuts were found on the same branch, and a photograph
was made).
MR. REED: There will probably not be any Lancaster here next spring; the
late growth has devitalized the tree.
Here is a California black walnut but it has not grown very
successfully.
Here is a Stranger heartnut from South Carolina, bearing.
Here is an O'Connor hybrid walnut on black walnut. The whole tree is
3-1/2 feet high; splendid growth for one year. The parent tree is in
Maryland, about two miles from Mr. Littlepage's place.
Here is a Lancaster heartnut which has borne every year, without a stop;
you see it is planted in a chicken yard.
EXHIBITS AT THE HOUSE OF WILLARD G. BIXBY, BALDWIN, N. Y.
September 4, 1924
BLACK WALNUTS
Varieties:
Adams
Alley
Herman
McCoy
Miller
Ohio
Stabler, Perfect Form
One Lobe
Ten Eyck
Thomas
Wasson
Species:
Juglans major, Arizona rupestris,
Texas boliviensis, Bolivia
insularis, Cuba
The extremes of black walnut
shape. Adams, long and
narrow, Corsan, short and
broad
Varieties: Butternuts
Aiken
Deming
BUTTERNUTS AND JAPAN WALNUTS
Varieties: Japan Walnuts
Heartnuts
Lancaster
Ritchie
Stranger
Species:
Juglans cinerea
manshurica
cathayensis
sieboldiana
cordiformis
Rough shell Japan walnut
Juglans sieboldiana x
cinerea
Juglans sieboldiana x
nigra
Cording, Juglans cordiformis x
regia
Nuts from 4 trees on Grand Ave.
Baldwin
CHESTNUTS
Varieties:
Boone
Paragon
Rochester
Morris No. 2
Morris No. 3
Species:
Chinkapin
Castanopsis
HAZELS AND FILBERTS
Varieties:
Althaldensleben
Barcelona
Daviana
Du Chilly
Emperor
Grosse Kugelnuss
Imperial
Italian Red
Merveille de Bollwiller
Montebello
Noce Lunghe
Red Aveline
Red Lambert
Rush (American)
Vest (American)
White Aveline
White Lambert
Species:
Chinese tree Hazel (Corylus
chinensis)
Constantinople Hazel (tree
corylus colurna)
Thibet Hazel (Corylus tibetica)
Hazel Blight (Specimen)
HICKORIES
Varieties:
Beaver
Brooks
Dennis
Fairbanks, Parent tree
Grafted tree
Galloway
Glover
Griffin
Hales
Kirtland
Laney
Milford
Pleas
Siers, Parent tree
Grafted tree
Vest
Weiker, Parent tree
Grafted tree
It will be noticed that nuts
from young grafted trees are
generally larger than those
from the parent trees
Species and Hybrid:
Arkansas Hickory, carya buckleyi
Arkansana
Bitternut, carya cordiformis,
Dennis, Hatch
Buckley Hickory, carya Buckleyi
Chinese Hickory, carya cathayensis
Pallid Hickory, carya pallida
Shellbark, carya laciniosa, from
3 locations
Water Hickory, carya aquatica
Zorn, the largest hickory yet
found, carya buckleyi Arkansana
x alba
PECANS
Northern Varieties:
Burlington
Busseron
Butterick
Campbell
Greenriver
Indiana
Koontz
Major
McCallister
Niblack
Norton
Posey
Witte
Species and curiosities:
Seedling Pecan from Adams,
Ill. The most northern native
growing pecan yet seen
by Willard G. Bixby
Curtis Pecan, without inner
shell partition
Schley Pecan, one grown in
Georgia, the other in southern
Pennsylvania. This
shows how the nuts are
dwarfed by lack of sufficient
summer heat
PERSIAN WALNUTS
Varieties:
Alpine
Boston
Colona
Franquette
Hall
Holden
Hutchinson
Lancaster
Mayette
Milbank
Ontario
Pomeroy
Rush
Sayre
Witte
Seedlings and Hybrids
Chinese Paper Shell
Juglans regia x cinerea from
2 locations
Allen, juglans regia x rupestris
MISCELLANEOUS
Almond, Ridenhauer
Chinese (edible apricot)
Beechnuts, American (2 locations)
European
Queensland Nut Macadamia
ternifolia
Water Chestnuts:
Nelumbium Luteum
Nelumbium Speciosum
NOTES TAKEN AT MERRIBROOKE, DR. MORRIS' ESTATE NEAR STAMFORD,
CONNECTICUT
Excursion of Friday, September 5, 1924
Arriving at Stamford, all guests and members were met at the station by
cars from Dr. Morris' place. After coming together at the house, the
members followed Dr. Morris to the main gateway, where the following
program commenced:
DR. MORRIS: If you will all follow me here inside the gateway we will
take the trees as they come in the order of the mimeographed sheet which
you hold.
I will first say that the abnormalities at Merribrooke this year were
three in number. First, a destructive invasion of the tent caterpillar
which attacked nearly all kinds of trees during its traveling stage.
Then came a canker worm invasion with partial or complete defoliation of
even the forest trees. Almost all of the whole leaves on any tree
represent the second set for the season. Then came a drought said to
have been the most severe since 1871. As a result of these three
influences most of the fruit trees and nut trees dropped their crops
this year.
Among the many introduced and grafted trees at Merribrooke only about
one hundred typical forms have been tagged for this occasion. The large
tags on the trees represent types, the smaller tags represent different
variations of the type. Numbers on the tags correspond to numbers on
this list.
We will begin with No. 1--Original Taylor Shagbark hickory. Nut large,
thin shelled, good cleavage and high quality. This is practically an
annual bearer. The weevil likes it because it is very thin-shelled.
Consequently we seldom get a good crop. Most of the trees were
defoliated. This is the best all-around hickory that I have found. I
gave prizes for years and got seedlings from all over the country, and
this is the best one that I obtained growing right here at my gate. It
is defoliated by both the tent caterpillar and the canker worm.
2. Buckley Hickory from Texas. Nut large, round, thick-shelled, peculiar
flavor and fragrance. This hickory was first described in 1872 in Texas
and then it was forgotten. Dr. Sargent was quite surprised when I told
him that I had one for the variety really passed out of history among
the botanists until the past two years. The bark is deeply ridged in the
older trees. The tree has been crippled by the twig girdler this year.
3. Carolina Hickory Seedling (scaly bark hickory). Nut small, thin
shelled, sweet. I think this is one of the most beautiful hickories we
have. It has been crippled this year but not enough to hurt. It has a
small, thin-shelled nut with sweet flavor. The older trees have the
scale on the bark.
4. Carolina Hickory grafted upon other local wild stock, and I do not
know whether it is macrocarpa or pignut.
5. Shagbark top-worked to Vest variety of shagbark from Virginia that
Mr. Bixby described yesterday as having a shell so thin that it could be
cracked with the hand.
6. Shagbark top-worked to Carolina and Kentucky varieties. Note the
different foliage, and smaller leaves. Here is a graft of three
hickories on one stock.
7. Shagbark top-worked to Vest shagbark above and to McCallister pecan
below. The foliage of this McCallister would justify putting the tree in
any grounds; but here on the shagbark stock the leaves are not so
large. The foliage on Mr. Bixby's was large and beautiful.
8. Shagbark top-worked to Brooks shagbark. That tree prolongs the name
of one of our audience into history.
9. Asiatic Winged Walnut (Pterocarya fraxinifolia). I think this would
be valuable for hybridizing.
10. Grafted Woodall American (black) walnut. Nut small, thin shelled.
Tree very prolific. This tree has not yet borne, but it should next
year. I got that from a man near Milford, Del. The nut is thin-shelled
and cracks very easily.
11. Grafted Lutz American Walnut from North Carolina. This tree is about
six years from the graft. The nut is large.
QUESTION: When do you have frosts here at Stamford?
DR. MORRIS: The frosts are from about the middle of September until
sometime in May. Sometimes we miss the September frosts.
12. Korean Nut Pine. Furnishes important food supply in northern Asia.
13. Grafted Papaw. Larger part Ketter variety. Prize fruits have weighed
about one pound each. Smaller part Osborn variety No. 3, a choice kind.
14. Seedling Papaw.
15. Seedling Papaw, christened "Merribrooke prolific" with clusters of
fruit of the first year's bearing. Five bunches on the tree and it is
the first year out from the nursery. It is a very beautiful tree for the
lawn.
The growing season of pawpaws is so long that a hard September frost may
catch the fruit before it is ripe in this locality. Fruit will stand a
light frost only.
16. Chinese Pistache seedling. Tree beautiful but nut too small for the
market. May serve for hybridizing purposes. The autumn foliage of this
tree is very wonderful.
17. Grafted Wolfe persimmon. Ripens fruit in July or August. This is an
ordinary size fruit but the peculiarity is that it ripens before the
others do.
18. Grafted Cannaday seedless persimmon. You see another member of our
party has gone down to fame with this Cannaday seedless persimmon.
19. Stanley shellbark hickory grafted on shagbark stock.
20. Stock grafted to Kentucky shagbark.
21. Jeffrey Blue Bull Nut Pine. Nuts small, thin-shelled, rich. Eaten
shell and all by the natives. This is one of the most beautiful of
pines. In the top of the tree is placed one of the large gourds which I
raise here on the place. I place these gourds in the tree-tops for
bird-houses. All kinds of birds nest in them, from the chickadee to the
barred duck. A squash may be used for this purpose as well as a gourd.
I raise the pines from seed.
22. Torrey nut pine from southern California. Nut is large, and has a
fine flavor. I get my seeds from Bartner Brothers. Pines do not do so
well near cities. The sulphites in the air are picked up by the pines
and this kills them. This particular pine is a surprise to all botanists
who have seen it; it is native in California and is one of the
disappearing pines. I have had five of them and I raised them all from
seed.
23. Chinese hazel. Grafted on common hazel and outgrowing it, The
Chinese hazel makes a tree from 80 to 100 feet in height. This is the
first year this tree has borne. It is grafted on common stock, and is
beginning to bear earlier than it would have done on its own roots.
24. Butternut parthenogens. Some are large and some small but all are
grown under the same conditions. That one was defoliated by the canker
worm and then by the tent caterpillar and this is the fourth set of
leaves it has put forth this year.
25. Hybrid walnut (Siebold x butternut) four years old.
26. Grafted American walnut. Peanut variety. Only one chubby half of
kernel to each shell. The scions were sent here from Washington, D. C.
27. Mediate shagbark grafts (Cook variety). Grafted July 10 in midst of
great drought. Compare this with the trees you will see farther on in
the walk, grafted near the end of the drought. I do not have much
trouble with the plain splice graft and I expect it to start ten days
after I put it in.
Here is the way I treat a borer, although I have two or three ways of
doing this. First I find a hole on the tree, like this one. Then I
follow down to where the borers work. I cut that part away, inject
chloroform and fill up the opening with common kitchen soap.
28. American Chestnut. Merribrooke variety, root-grafted on Japanese
chestnut. I grafted that very low, below the ground. It is the best
chestnut I have among several thousands that I planted. This tree was
one of the first to go down with the blight, but I have grafted on other
scions and have kept it going ever since.
29. Dresher chestnut (European origin) grafted on Japanese chestnut. The
graft is about three years old. It has borne since the first year. There
are several nuts on it now.
(Now we must be careful of the sharp stubs in the woods. These are newly
cut brush paths, and all guests wearing low shoes should step
carefully).
30. Stanley shellbark hickory, grafted on pignut hickory. Mr. Jones
introduced this hickory.
31. Kentucky shagbark grafted on shagbark stock, with bark slot graft. I
let another twig grow from the same lead for nourishment. I put in three
grafts here two of which are dead. I do not quite approve of that
method. I prefer now to go up to the small branches and then
splice-graft on small branches.
32. Marquardt pecan grafted on stock of pignut. It does well on this
hickory.
33. Hardy, hard-shell almond.
34. Woodall American walnut. This shows that the Woodall black walnut
grows fairly well on butternut stock.
35. Shagbark hickory top-worked to Marquardt pecan.
36. Staminate persimmon trees.
37. Bony Bush filbert, grafted on common hazel. (Bush badly cut up by
girdler beetle. Elaphidion. Five nuts on the bush).
38. Purple hazel. Look sharp to find the 20 nuts on this bush. This tree
is about 5 years old.
39. Four large bitternut-hickory trees, top-worked to Beaver hybrid.
Beaver branches distinguished by larger leaves and fewer leaflets. Stock
shoots will be cut out gradually, allowing Beaver to have entire tree
finally.
40. Bitternut hickory top-worked to Marquardt pecan.
41. Hybrid walnut. (Siebold x Persian). Tree riddled by walnut weevil
every year hopelessly.
42. Taylor shagbark hickory grafted on shagbark stock. I fill the
cavities with paraffin and turpentine. There are three or four nuts left
in the top of the tree. The tree has borne nuts for three years.
43. Pinus edulis.
44. Marquardt pecan on bitternut.
45. Dead hybrid hickory, grafted to Beaver hybrid. Grafts made enormous
growth in first year--10 feet for some grafts. All blew out in one
minute of hurricane in advance of thunder storm.
46. Bartlett hazel grafted on common hazel. There are a number of dead
ends, caused by a small worm you can hardly see.
47. Chinese chestnut. Blighted at foot of trunk but the tree continues
to bear.
48. Garritson persimmon. Best of all varieties called seedless, but the
large staminate tree nearby spoils that feature. It is about five years
old, and bears very regularly and heavily. The stock came from Mr.
Jones.
49. Early Golden persimmon. Carries one graft of Everhart seedless
variety on lowest large branch.
50. Hybrid walnut. Juglans nigra. I do not remember which parent I used.
51. Pignolia nut pine. _Pignolia pinea._ It is a seedling. You can buy
pignolia nuts in Europe for food everywhere.
52. Hardy soft-shelled almond. I do not know the variety as the label is
lost; but the tree was put there about 3 or 4 years ago. It came from
the Government.
58. Deming purple walnut. I think Dr. Deming can best tell you about
this.
DR. DEMING: It grows on the side of the road between Norwalk and
Danbury, where the very large black walnut tree is, 15 feet in
circumference, said to be the largest in Connecticut. This purple
variety has nuts with a brownish red involucre showing sharply against
the green leaves. The young foliage is purplish red, and the cambium and
the pellicle of the kernels are purple. It is a very fair nut and the
tree is very striking when it starts in spring with the beautiful tufts
of leaves.
DR. MORRIS: It may be a valuable wood for cabinet-makers. Every part of
the wood is purple. There are two purple trees. The smaller tree is
evidently a seedling of the larger.
54. Young Major pecan.
55. Webb Persian walnut on American walnut stock. The nuts are enormous
and of Alpine type of good quality. You saw some of these yesterday
among those brought in by Prof. Neilson. You sometimes see these in the
French market where they are called "Argonne." I picked this up in
Greenwood. It has many nuts this year and this is the second crop of
leaves.
56. Busseron pecan. This had a full crop of flowers this year, both
staminate and pistillate.
57. Appomattox pecan, from the James River in Virginia. This and four
other kinds of pecans would have borne nuts this year excepting for
defoliation. It is a handsome tree and will bear next year.
58. Seedling filbert. About six years old.
59. Daviana filbert from Europe. Many people call them "hazels," but I
think we should call them "filberts."
60. Josephine persimmon. It has borne heavily every year except this
year. It still has some leaves left. Some people are very fond of the
fruit. I do not like that as well as the Garretson. It is a big
persimmon and a very good one. The fruit stays on until late November
and December. I think the Garretson is the best persimmon I have ever
had.
61. Lambert persimmon. Largest fruited American kind.
62. Japanese persimmon, planted between the rocks for protection from
wind in winter, and from heat in summer. Hardy now for two years but of
slow growth.
63. Beaver grafted on bitternut.
64. Weiker hybrid hickory on shagbark stock.
65. European filbert grafted upon common hazel stock. The squirrels have
lived on it. I can count 7 nuts left. I made grafts more than a foot
long. It was planted three years ago. I could show you several hundred
trees bearing heavily this year, and on all of them we lost the first
crop of leaves.
66. Beaver grafted Nov. 5, 1922, on bitternut.
DR. ZIMMERMAN: Will they live when grafted at any time throughout the
year?
DR. MORRIS: I would not be afraid to graft anything at any time of the
year.
67. Taylor shagbark grafted July 21, 1924. Probably mockernut stock.
Growth slow but sure.
68. Wild beak hazel. Nuts not so good as those of common hazel.
69. Bitternut top-worked to Beaver.
70. Hazel, patch-grafted here and there with Bony Bush filbert. The
larger and darker leaves are Bony Bush.
71. Leonard shagbark grafted on stock probably shagbark. Nut very small,
thin shelled, highest quality and keeps for four years without becoming
rancid.
72. Shagbark top-worked to Taylor variety, but only a few grafts. Too
much work for a tree of this size.
73. Pleas hybrid pecan on butternut stock.
74. Bitternut top-worked to Beaver.
75. Here is a very interesting object lesson. No. 74 is a bitternut
top-worked to Beaver, and all doing well. The same day, with the same
graft, I top-worked this pignut. The pignut refused the graft and died
insulted. But another stock from the same root accepted Marquardt.
76. Bitternut stock accepting Marquardt pecan tardily.
77. Here is another form of borer. I treat them in this way: Cut away a
little of the hole, pour in the chloroform and stop up the hole with
soap. That will kill all of the borers in the tree.
78. Grafts of Laney hybrid hickory on bitternut.
79. Group of four filberts--not blighting, but not thriving this year or
last. Reason unknown. Soil is heavy clay hardpan near top. Top swampy in
spring.
80. Taylor shagbark on bitternut.
81. Taylor shagbark on shagbark stock.
82. Bitternut grafted to Lucado pecan. Grafts grew well for two summers,
but died in second winter.
83. One poor graft of pecan on bitternut.
84. Pleas hybrid pecan.
85. Merribrooke chestnut grafted upon Chinese chestnut sprouts.
DR. ZIMMERMAN: Have you been able to bud chestnuts successfully?
DR. MORRIS: Yes.
86. Daviana filbert.
87. Hybrid hazel. (_Colurna x Americana_).
88. Avellana hazel. Variety _Contorta_.
89. Siebold walnut. _Parthenogen._
90. Hybrid chinkapin. (C. pumila x C. dentata). Grafted to another
hybrid, but stock now blighting.
91. One of a series of chinkapins, natural or hybrids, grafted over to
other hybrids or to the Merribrooke variety of American sweet chestnut.
Some are blighting.
92. Original Bony-Bush hazel. Blighting moderately. Treatment for blight
not followed because of wish to note the degree of resistance.
That bush was named by Dr. J. Russell Smith. The nut is remarkably thin
shelled, very long and curious in form.
93. Chinkapin, not grafted. These bear heavily every year
notwithstanding the blight. From the same root common chinkapin will
keep on bearing year after year. When one stock blights another takes
its place so that heavy continuous bearing is the rule.
94. Original No. 1 Morris hybrid chinkapin. (C. pumila x C. dentata).
Nuts of size and quality of American sweet chestnut. Tree blighted in
its 13th year after bearing crops for 8 or 9 years. New stump sprouts
now growing.
(Note: At this time, the guests were called to the lawn back of the
house, where a luncheon was served by Mrs. Morris. The tables were laid
sumptuously, and all enjoyed it the more because of the surroundings,
where trees on one side bent over a clear trout-stream, and elsewhere
old-fashioned gardens splashed colors over the green background.)
BUSINESS SESSION
Held on Third Day
(Note: It was planned that this session should be held during the
afternoon of the third day, after the trip through Dr. Morris's estate.
However, while the members were exploring deep in a wooded portion of
Merribrooke, a sudden downpour of rain occurred. The nearest shelter was
found to be the barn, where the members agreed that the following
session should be held, since it was not possible to reach the main
house. All members were standing during the session, including the
reporter who wrote with the notebook resting against one of Dr. Morris's
cars.)
Session called to order by President Weber.
DR. SMITH: There should be added to the by-laws the following amendment:
ARTICLE V. Members all be sent a notification of annual dues at the time
they are due, and if not paid within two months thereafter 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.
_The President_: The motion has been seconded; all in favor please
signify by saying "Aye."
(Vote carried unanimously).
_The Secretary_: The association should have a fiscal year. Shall we
discuss this or will the president authorize the secretary and the
treasurer to agree upon a date most convenient to them for the beginning
of the fiscal year?
MR. REED: I move that we leave this to the discretion of the secretary
and the treasurer.
THE PRESIDENT: All in favor of the motion, please signify.
(Voted as presented).
THE SECRETARY: I move that combination membership in the Association
with subscription to the American Nut Journal be $4.50, a deduction of
25 cents each by the Association and the Journal.
THE PRESIDENT: All in favor of the motion please so indicate.
(Motion carried).
THE SECRETARY: The next thing is to elect new officers.
THE PRESIDENT: Mr. Reed will please read the report of the Committee on
Nominations.
MR. REED: The making of this report was one of both great pleasure and
of extreme regret. Since Dr. Deming has found that it will not be
possible for him to continue as secretary, the following names are
offered:
President--Harry R. Weber.
Vice-President--Mrs. W. D. Ellwanger.
Secretary--Mrs. B. W. Gahn.
Treasurer--H. J. Hilliard.
THE PRESIDENT: Are there any exceptions to this? Will those who are in
favor please so state?
(Election carried unanimously).