SECTION X.--AMENDMENTS TO BY-LAWS

ARTICLE I. These by-laws may be amended at any Annual Meeting by a

two-thirds vote of the members present provided such amendments shall

have been submitted to the membership in writing at least thirty days

prior to that meeting.

Forty-Third Annual Meeting

Northern Nut Growers Association

August 25, 26, 27, 1952

Spencer County Court House, Rockport, Ind.

The opening session of the Forty-third Annual Meeting of the Northern

Nut Growers Association convened at 9:20 o'clock, a.m., at the Spencer

County Court House, President L. H. MacDaniels presiding.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: The gavel with which we open this forty-third

annual meeting of the Northern Nut Growers Association has some

historical significance. It was made from a pecan tree which grew in the

orchard of Mr. Thomas Littlepage in Maryland, near the city of

Washington, and it has been the custom of the Association to open its

meetings with that gavel.

The forty-third meeting of the Northern Nut Growers Association will be

in order. To open the session we will have the presentation of the

colors. You will all stand, please, and remain standing through the

invocation. (Colors presented by Boy Scouts and the invocation given by

the Reverend William Ellis of Rockport.)

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: At this time we will call on Mr. Hilbert Bennett

to bring us greetings from the people of Rockport. Mr. Bennett of

Rockport.

Address of Welcome

HILBERT BENNETT, _Rockport, Ind._

Some are here that were here in 1935 and 1939. I was on the Citizen's

Committee in each of those years. It was the purpose of the Citizen's

Committee to take notice of your coming and to try to make you

appreciate our interest in you and in your coming.

Why was I on that Committee in 1935?

Why was I on that Committee in 1939?

Why am I on that Committee in 1952?

I will tell you.

When I was a boy two other young men, somewhat older than I, were young

men in the same township and somewhat closely located. I knew those boys

and I knew them well. You came to know them and know them well. One of

those boys was the late Thomas P. Littlepage, a charter member of this

Association. It was my good pleasure to teach school with him. We

attended College together. At college we roomed together. We attended

conventions together and were close personal friends. I think I was in

position to know him and know him well. The other boy was R. L. McCoy.

We too, were close personal friends. We too, taught school in the same

territory and contemporary with T. P. Littlepage. Prior to any

organization of the N.N.G.A. I went with these two boys (men by that

time) on trips of investigation and inspection of certain nut trees

about which they had heard and which they wanted to examine.

If the trees examined met the proper standards, they wanted to use them

in propagation. If not they would pass them up.

Another boy somewhat younger than myself and the two above mentioned

boys, joined most heartily into the nut discussions and investigations

and explorations of promising clues. With them he helped to run down

clues when they would hear of a promising prospect. The jungles were

never too dense, the distance too far, the road too muddy or rough, for

those three characters to run down in those horse and buggy days, any

prospect in which they were interested. This boy also became a member of

your most valued organization. I have a special interest in this boy. I

was, especially closely associated with him and his family. He went to

school to me. My signature appears on his Common School Diploma. Their

home was my home whenever I sought to make it so. I was free to come and

go. I came a lot. Ford Wilkinson, the third character, and I have been

close friends ever since.

Another one of your fine members became a good friend of mine. He came

into our county and planted a farm to nut trees and nut production. It

is now the largest nut orchard in the county. I am informed that at that

time it was the largest nut farm of hardy northern varieties in the

world. I got acquainted with him early and became endeared to him. It

was none other than the late Harry Weber.

When it became known that you were to meet here in 1935, it was a

natural sequence that Ford Wilkinson, knowing that I would gladly help

in any way I could and knowing I was his genuine friend saw fit to place

me on the Citizen's Committee. If he had not, I positively would have

climbed aboard anyway. You couldn't have driven me out with a peeled

hickory club. I was just going to be in on it whether or no.

Whether I performed well in 1935 or whether he couldn't find any one

else to serve in my place, I never knew; but he again placed me on the

Committee in 1939.

Now here I am in 1952 an old broken down fossil, broken in health, but

not in spirit, of little consequence to anybody or anything, I am still

on the Committee.

That answers the question of some of you of why that old man Bennett is

always on the local committee and that you have wondered if there is no

other person in this whole community that will serve but him. No,

friends, we have many who would gladly serve and I doubt not that would

serve much more efficiently.

I have prepared a short "skit" that I wish to present.

* * * * *

1st. _Introducing Joan Flick, of Washington, D. C._

I am a pecan plucked from a small orchard planted by a retired business

man. He had some surplus ground near his premises that was too rough for

easy cultivation. He thought that he would plant it to pecans so that

his family and his children's families would have nuts for their own use

and pleasure. He took good care of the trees. He fertilized them every

year and sometimes oftener. In the course of a few years he not only had

more pecans than all of the families could use, but he sold hundreds of

pounds of nuts from these trees. He developed a commercial orchard

unconsciously.

2nd. _Palma Smith of Cincinnati, Ohio._

I am the hican, I have no commercial value of consequence. I demonstrate

the ability, the interest, the development and the possibilities of

improvement by the determined efforts of the members of your

association. Knowing your ability and determination to make improvements

in nut culture, I have every feeling that in the not too distant future

you will develop me into a profitable commercial product.

3rd. _Sandra Wright of Rockport, Indiana._

I am the walnut, a most valuable tree for fine fruit and fine timber for

many uses. I have been noted for my fine grain and my ability to take a

fine polish. Our forefathers immediately found the walnut to be the

choice timber out of which to build fine furniture, gun stocks, home

furnishings and many other things that required high grade material. We

have never lost sight of its significance.

Thin shelled nuts, easily cracked, and hulled out in halves have been

developed. Walnuts will grow almost any where. Originally it was a

common forest tree and would continue to be if it had the opportunity.

There is little danger of the walnut becoming extinct. It is too

valuable. I suggest that you plant liberally to high grade walnut trees.

4th. _Jo Ann Hall of Rockport, Indiana._

I am the once popular beech under whose folds thousands of picnickers

have gathered and enjoyed life's most savory and pleasant moments. I

have built thousands of American homes and farm barns. I have built

thousands of miles of old farm plank fences. I have built car load after

car load of beautiful, useful and valuable furniture. In the early

period of this country I furnished mast for thousands of swine that fed

many families. I have filled many minor places of usefulness. As sad as

it is to do and as much as I hate to do so, I am now bidding you a last

farewell.

Self interest, the slowness of my growth and the impracticability of

propagation of this once valuable tree leaves but one course, that I

pass to my reward with the firm hope that the other trees now being

developed, and grown will fill all of the purposes for which I have been

so useful, and fill them with increased usefulness. With this sad but

necessary adieu, I bid you one and all goodbye.

5th. _Pattie Jones of Rockport, Ind._

I am the oak, the sturdy oak, the king of the forests. I am stout. They

make beams, spars, sills, fulcrums and what not from me that require

strength. I grow fairly fast. I came into usefulness as the world came

into need of heavy timbers.

I am dainty and refined as well as strong. I am used in making fine

flooring, fine furniture and many other useful things. Please do not

discard me from production. Please do not let me pass into oblivion. I

am very very valuable. I deserve to be perpetuated.

6th. _Marcia Smith of Cincinnati, Ohio._

I am a pecan plucked from the tree of a man who in the early years of

his married life planted pecan trees in unused spots on his farm that

were unsuitable for cultivation. As the trees grew into nut bearing

trees his family of children grew. In the October days, with great

gaiety, glee and happiness, the children would gather the fruit of those

trees. The children grew to maturity and went to the city to work; but

when those October days came they returned home and with similar

happiness as of their youth they gathered the nuts from those trees.

With pleasure I say I am one of those trees.

7th. _Jean Morris, Joyce Morris and Sandra Wright, all of Rockport,

Indiana._

We are a group of clusters, the filbert, the pecan and the walnut. We

came from a nut farm within the bounds of Spencer County. This farm was

planted and developed by a former enthusiastic member of your wonderful

organization. He spent much time and energy in behalf of your

organization. He developed the largest nut orchard in the county. I

refer to Harry Weber, who came from a neighboring state and endeared

himself to this community by his superb manhood, his genial disposition

and his intense interest in his subject matter. We commend his efforts

to others.

8th. _Virginia Mae Daming of Rockport, Ind._ She was carrying the former

Reports of the N.N.G.A.

This cluster is plucked from a "Tree" of great magnitude and

significance. Today it has its roots firmly set in Rockport, Indiana.

Its branches reach from the Atlantic to the Pacific, from Canada to

Mexico. Its influence is felt throughout the world.

Its inception was in Spencer County, Indiana, not specifically detailed,

but in the main, by boys that were reared among the native nut trees of

this community of which there were many. It was born in the great City

of New York under the care of the late Thomas P. Littlepage, Dr. Wm. C.

Deming, Dr. Robert T. Morris and Prof. John Craig. It was nurtured

throughout the land of the detailed history you know much more than I.

It has had an enormous growth. It is a most meritorious organization.

Language will not express the extent of its benefits to humanity and to

civilization. It adds to the comfort of untold thousands of happy homes.

It furnishes employment for thousands of people. It furnishes food of

vital importance to many families. It is the main stay in the

manufacture of all kinds and grades of furniture. It furnishes food for

thought. It keeps the scientific and investigating minds busy in the

constant development and improvement of its processes and benefits. Its

possibilities are boundless.

That this "Tree" may continue to grow and develop in the future as it

has in the past in the interest of humanity and help us to realize its

importance and help us to continue its forces in accord with nature and

nature's God is my earnest prayer. May God bless you one and all.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: Thank you very much, Mr. Bennett. You have made

us feel most welcome in Rockport, as you have before on two other

occasions. I don't believe that there is any other man who has welcomed

this organization three times in the same locality.

We also thank you for bringing in the trees and the children to greet us

on this occasion. It isn't very often that the trees themselves come

into the assembly room to greet us, and we appreciate your effort in

doing this for us.

We will now proceed with the business of the Association.

There appears to be no record of the members elected to serve on the

nominating committee for this session. As near as we can determine this

committee is as follows: Mr. Silvis, Mr. Allen, Mr. Wilkinson, Mr. McKay

and Mr. Gerardi.

Is there a motion to approve these names?

The committee was approved by vote.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: This Committee will bring in a slate of officers

of the Association for the next year at our final business session.

I will now call for the reports of standing committees. There are eight

of these. The Program Committee. Royal Oakes is the chairman. The fact

that we are having a meeting indicates the functioning of the Program

Committee.

MR. OAKES: I believe I have nothing to report at this moment. I would

like to say the other members did a good part of the committee work.

PRESIDENT MACDANIELS: We appreciate the part that all of you have played

in arranging these meetings.

The Publications Committee, Editorial Section. Dr. Theiss, I believe, is

not here. Dr. Theiss received the manuscripts and either had them read

or read them himself.

The Printing Section of the Publications Committee, Mr. Slate.

MR. SLATE: Our proceedings are on the press and probably will be

finished and in the mail this week.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: The Place of Meeting Committee. Mr. Allaman is the

chairman. In the absence of Mr. Allaman, I present the invitation

secured by Mr. Salzer, to meet in Rochester, New York in 1953. Their

convention bureau offers very attractive facilities and the invitation

is seconded by the Mayor, Joseph J. Naylor, the president of the

Rochester Convention and Publicity Bureau, the President of the

Rochester Hotel Association, the President of the Junior Chamber of

Commerce of Rochester, and the Deputy Commissioner of the Rochester

Parks, which just about covers the board.

It doesn't seem to me worthwhile to read all of this material. What it

boils down to is that Rochester would be a very good place to meet. The

Rochester parks are very interesing places to go, and as I understand

it, there are facilities which would not be expensive to the

Association. Is that true, Mr. Salzer?

MR. SALZER: Yes, there would be no charge for exhibit rooms if they are

held in the hotel, because we are classed as a scientific organization.

And we would have the facilities of the Bausch Memorial Museum. There

would be facilities for showing moving pictures or slides, and for an

exhibit.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: It would be in order at the present time to take

definite action on this Rochester invitation, if you care to do so. A

motion would be in order to accept.

It has been moved, seconded, and carried that we have our 1953

convention in the City of Rochester, the dates will be determined by the

Board of Directors.

The general thinking of the Board of Directors is that we will go to

Lancaster, Pa. again in 1954, and in 1955 come back into the Middle

West. Mr. Allaman has been working on the Lancaster proposal and I think

there has been some spade work done in Michigan already. Have you

anything to say about that, Mr. O'Rourke?

MR. O'ROURKE: We will be very glad to have you at Michigan State College

at any time. Unfortunately, however, we do not have any nut plantings

there. The nut plantings are either in the eastern part of the state or

the western part. It's quite a drive either way.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: I don't think we have to make a commitment at this

time, but it is something to be brought to the attention of the Place of

Meeting Committee.

I think we might have a little further explanation from Mr. Best about

his bacon breakfast.

MR. BEST: We said in our membership drive that anyone who would go out

and work would bring home the bacon, and we further fortified the deal

that we were going to furnish the bacon here at Rockport at this

session. So in the morning over at Cotton's restaurant we will have

bacon, all you want to eat, and the only requirement is that you either

got a member last year in the membership drive we have been working on,

or that you tried to get a member. That's all that's necessary.

MR. GRAVATT: You have spoken about the meeting in 1954. As you know, I

have represented this country at the International Chestnut Meeting for

two years. There has been some talk about the possibility of the N. N.

G. A. inviting the International Chestnut Meeting to meet in this

country in 1954 or '55. At the last meeting the delegates from Japan

recommended that they meet in the United States in 1954. The matter is

not decided, and I think if you will put off decision about Lancaster

until later, it would be a little better.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: The committee on Standards and Judging, Mr.

Spencer Chase.

MR. SPENCER CHASE: Mr. President, we contemplated having a report on

hickory standards for this meeting, but because of circumstances beyond

our control, we didn't get the project under way.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: I will call on our secretary at this time for the

report of the meeting of the directors.

MR. McDANIEL: There were several things brought up last night at the

meeting of the Board of Directors of the Northern Nut Growers

Association. One matter was the subscription to the American Fruit

Grower magazine which we give our membership.

The American Fruit Grower had been selling subscriptions to the

Association for its members at 30 cents a year. Since the first of July

this year their rate is 50 cents. The opinion of the directors and

committee members present last night was that we should drop that

subscription to the American Fruit Grower for our members. It will be

sent to all members who join for this year and up to the beginning of

the next fiscal year. After October 1st, no subscriptions to the

American Fruit Grower through the Association. Do we have any discussion

on this proposal? (Considerable discussion followed.)

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: I suggest that we hear the report of the Board of

Directors and then act on the various items one by one in executive

session.

MR. McDANIEL: You have heard something about the membership drive, and

we will have more on that later. The directors suggested that we

encourage more memberships, contributing memberships and sustaining

memberships in the Association at $5.00 and $10.00 per year. Some of us

feel we can't pay any more than $3.00 for our membership; others will be

able to support the organization financially by taking memberships at

the $5.00 or $10.00 rate, and we are still offering our life membership

at $75.00.

Another matter discussed was offering the set of 34 volumes of back

reports in The Nutshell at the price of $20.00 for the 34 volumes now

available.

We suggest also that the Association authorize the appointment of a

Publicity Committee to work with the Membership Committee in attracting

new members.

That is about all I have as the report of the directors' meeting last

night, Mr. President.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: This matter of the Board of Directors reporting to

the business session is a pattern which I think is a good one. The

proposition has been placed before you as to whether or not you wish to

continue our affiliation with the American Fruit Grower magazine. As you

will recall, the reason the question comes up at the present time is

that they have raised their rate from 30 cents a member to 50 cents a

member, which is 50 cents of our $3.00, which with the 50 cents

secretarial expenses leaves but $2.00 to run the society. As the

Treasurer will explain to you later, we are in somewhat of a financial

difficulty.

It has been moved and seconded that the Association subscription to the

American Fruit Grower be discontinued.

This matter is up for discussion.

MR. MCDANIEL: We have much more space available in The Nutshell than in

the American Fruit Grower, and there is the possibility of more frequent

publication.

MR. DOWELL: If we could actually get it bi-monthly or quarterly, in

place of the Fruit Grower, I think most all of us would be better

informed and actually have more information. And The Nutshell is a very

excellent means of showing somebody what the organization is about. You

give them a copy of the American Fruit Grower, and if he is interested

in nuts, most copies aren't going to convince him of much.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: I think this question is related to the

appointment of a Publicity Committee which will explore what can be

done to secure more publicity and give more information about nuts to

our members than has been possible in the Fruit Grower.

The members of the Board of Directors felt that $300-plus is a high

price to pay for what we got out of The American Fruit Grower.

(The question was called for.)

The motion is passed without dissent.

The question of authorizing the appointment of a Publicity Committee is

introduced mainly as a matter for your information, also because it's

much better if the society as such were to authorize such a committee.

Do I hear such a motion?

Moved by Mr. Salzer, seconded by Colby and passed that the appointment

of a Publicity Committee be approved.

I will ask for the report of the Treasurer, Mr. Prell.

Treasurer's Report

MR. PRELL: Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Best has asked that I

help in connection with his report. That certainly is not because I can

make his report better than he can, but probably because a new member is

not a new member until his check has arrived and has been recorded, and

I happen to have those figures. I will be happy to do that, but perhaps

we should start first with the report that the President has asked for,

the Treasurer's report.

I imagine that you are uninterested in an itemized, detailed report of

receipts and expenditures; I imagine you are interested in the question:

How are we doing? We are not doing too well. The annual report for this

year indicates that our financial condition is not satisfactory. For the

second successive year we have spent more money than we have taken in,

and that would be the third successive year, if it hadn't been for the

fact that due to the lateness of the publication in 1950--that it, the

annual report--we did not pay for an annual report that year. That means

there are three years in a row that we have gone downhill.

The picture is not entirely black, however. There are some bright spots.

For instance, all our bills are paid. Second, we have money in the bank.

Third, our $3,000 investment in Government bonds is still intact, and

fourth, our deficit this year was less than it was last year, which may

indicate that we have already touched bottom and are starting up.

The cause of our deficit is easy to put your finger on. We are operating

on budgets that are ten years old, and costs have gone way, way beyond.

Dues were increased several years ago, but even at that time they were

not increased adequately, and since then costs have skyrocketed.

The membership situation is not too bad, though the cost situation is

bad. The two don't jibe at all. The reason we have a lesser deficit this

year than last is Mr. Best's work and the work of his vice-presidents in

increasing the membership, and the results of that work; I think, have

only begun to show.

Specifically, we came within $417 of collecting enough money this year

to pay our expenses. It was over $500 last year, making a total of a

thousand dollars that we have spent above our receipts. While we have

some money in the bank, there will be a bill due in about 30 days on the

publication of the annual report, that will be mailed within the next

few days. And that will take all the money that is in the bank, plus

what we are able to collect in dues immediately, and I hope that many of

them are paid at once. But that still leaves us without money to operate

through the year, and by January, unless conditions change, we will be

borrowing money.

The Board of Directors has discussed this. They have some thoughts on

the subject which will be presented to you by Dr. MacDaniels. I think

that one of the obvious things that you all think of and I may mention

is the matter of increased membership. That's an obvious solution, and

as I said a minute ago, it's a very possible solution.

The work that was started by Mr. Best last February is only now

beginning to bear fruit. New memberships, even as late as this for this

year, in August, are coming in very, very well. I personally see no

reason why the membership cannot be increased to a thousand members next

year, providing all of us bring in a member or two.

I asked a friend of mine on The Country Gentleman for some data on state

population compared to farm population. I forget just exactly now how it

runs on various states, but I do recall Indiana. We have a population

here of four million people. There are about 700,000 of these people on

166,000 farms. The farms in this state produce a wealth of $75,000,000 a

year. With 700,000 farmers in this state and population of 4,000,000

with a wealth of $75,000,000 a year, it would seem to me that the State

of Indiana should have more than only 39 members. Out of that group we

should certainly increase that ten times. We should have 400 members,

and if the same proportion is carried throughout the nation, why, this

organization can easily obtain a roll of 7500 to 10,000 members. A

thousand members next year should be a pushover. So much for the

financial report.

Mr. Best's campaign started last February. His vice-presidents were

given material and the inspiration to work for new members, and they

responded. For Mr. Best I compiled the list of the new members who have

been brought in, with the people who have brought in the greatest

number, but that thing went galley-west in the last few days by the

strong finishers. Mr. Best himself came in yesterday with a pocket full

of 11 new members, and he already had a couple on the list. Up to that

time--and I am not giving credit to the Secretary, because several of

the members that show his sponsorship have come naturally through his

office. So disregarding the sponsored members of the Secretary, Spencer

Chase was top man, up until Mr. Best upset him yesterday, followed by

Dr. Rohrbacher, who was a late finisher with members who were not

recorded in this report. All through the year it was a battle between

Pennsylvania and Illinois as to who would have the greater number of

members.

Illinois, with 36 members, hopped up to 60, and Mr. Best's 11 make 71.

And just this morning they got two others from Illinois, making 73. So I

think Illinois has the second place position firmly nailed down.

Last year we had 563 members all together. This year now we have 170

new members. We can't add that to 563, because in every organization

there is a loss of membership every year, and it's to be expected that

our membership should have a 10 per cent turnover through circumstances

of people leaving their places where they have their nut tree plantings,

deaths and other circumstances. So there was a net gain of 86 members to

date.

TREASURER'S REPORT

August 25, 1951 to August 18, 1952

RECEIPTS

Membership Dues $1,907.00

Sales of Annual Reports 190.00

Interest on U. S. Bonds 37.50

Donations 48.95

U.S.P.O. Unused Balance, Permit 3.05

Petty Cash 1.97

TOTAL $2,188.47

DISBURSEMENTS

41st Annual Report (Pleasant Valley) $1,375.86

Plates and printing, 900 copies $1,271.16

Envelopes, 2500 31.65

Mailing 73.05

The Nutshell 86.55

Printing & mailing Vol. 4, No. 3 28.64

Printing & mailing Vol. 5, No. 1 57.91

American Fruit Grower 191.60

582 Subscriptions at 30c 174.60

34 Subscriptions at 50c 17.00

Urbana Meeting 163.68

General Expenses 20.28

Reporting & Transcribing 143.40

Secretarial Help, 50c per member 317.00

Stationery and Supplies 179.81

Association Promotion 114.91

Application Folder, 5000 90.02

Supplemental Folder, 650 17.69

Things-of-Science 7.20

Secretary's Expense 77.23

Treasurer's Expense 94.04

Dues, American Horticultural Society 5.00

TOTAL $2,605.68

Cash on deposit, First Bank, South Bend $1,313.78

Disbursements 2,605.68

$3,919.46

-- -- -- --

On hand August 26, 1951 $1,730.99

Receipts 2,188.47

$3,919.46

-- -- -- --

U. S. Bonds in Safety Deposit Box $3,000.00

I know that Mr. Best has still some more material that he will supply to

any of you who are anxious to go out and help in getting the new

members. It's only a matter of every person getting a couple, or like

Spencer Chase getting 10. That would put us well toward our goal of a

thousand members, on which the Association probably can operate without

deficit. I thank you. (Applause.)

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: Thank you very much, Mr. Prell. We are very much

indebted to you for your business-like handling of the affairs of the

society. It is sometimes bitter to know the facts, but the only way that

we are ever going to get anywhere is by knowing the facts and facing

them. Either fortunately or unfortunately we are not like the federal

government, which can go on piling up deficits. We have to do as each

one of us as individuals has to do: If our operating-expense exceeds

income, we either have to get more income or cease out-go. That is the

situation under which we are confronted at the present time.

A little later we can take up some of the things we have in mind. Did

you have a further report, Mr. Secretary?

I think probably the Treasurer stole some of the thunder that you might

otherwise have.

MR. MCDANIEL: He did that, and the Membership Committee also. You know

something of the activities of the secretary's office during the current

year, a matter of getting out three issues of The Nutshell and assisting

with the editing of the annual report, which I hope you will receive

about the time you get home.

One other activity in which the Secretary participated, in addition to

the usual task of answering letters to beginning nut growers, was this

project "Things of Science". Perhaps Dr. McKay could tell us more about

that. Is Dr. McKay in the room? Will you come up now?

DR. MCKAY: We being near Washington, were, of course, the logical people

to come in contact with this suggestion early when it was made. As a

matter of fact, the very beginning of this movement goes back to Harry

Dengler. Some of you may know of him. He is Extension Forester at the

University of Maryland and is also Secretary of the American Holly

Association.

Harry Dengler was very much interested in this "Things of Science"

program and happened to mention to the Science Service paper, of which

Watson Davis is editor, that it would be a desirable thing to work up a

test on nuts.

For the benefit of those of you who do not know what "Things of Science"

is, it is a movement sponsored by Science Service, located in

Washington, D. C, whereby 12,000 subscribers to "Things of Science"

receive every month a little kit through the mails dealing with all

kinds of subjects in science. It is usually a little box, as in the case

of the one on nuts, or it may be simply an envelope with some things in

it to taste. The idea is to give people all over the country who are

interested enough to pay $5.00 a year one kit a month, each one dealing

with a different phase of science.

Many groups subscribe to this service; for instance a boy scout troop,

libraries and industrial plants. So it goes to literally many thousands

more people than the 12,000 actual subscribers that it has.

So when Science Service came to us and said, "Would you be interested in

helping us work up a kit on nuts", naturally, we wanted to do what we

could towards helping these people, and our first thought was this

organization as an official sponsor for it. So we contacted the

directors, the officers, Dr. MacDaniels and J. C. McDaniel, and as a

result, the Northern Nut Growers, through its board of directors,

because we had no other means to authorize it, went ahead and sponsored

this move.

To do it, we approached the California Walnut Growers Association, the

California Almond Growers Association, the Northwest Nut Growers

Association, and the Southeastern Pecan Growers Association, with the

idea of having their names mentioned in the kit, and in return they

would furnish samples to distribute. The Northern Nut Growers

Association furnished the hickory nut samples. The kit was composed of,

as I recall, six different kinds of nuts--Persian walnuts and almonds

from California, filberts from the Northwest, Pecans from the Southeast,

hickory nuts from the Northern Nut Growers Association, and pistachio

nuts furnished through the Department of Agriculture by Captain

Whitehouse at Beltsville. He secured the pistachio nuts from the trees

in California. The kit was composed of a little box about four inches

long, an inch and a half deep and three inches wide, containing two or

more nuts of the various kinds, together with a brochure that we helped

the science people work up. Dr. MacDaniels and the various cooperating

groups worked up this brochure of information. The kits include a set of

directions for the subscriber to follow in using the material. There are

several different possibilities, all along the lines of scientific

experimentation.

The idea is to get these youngsters and young people to become familiar

with different kinds of nuts.

I think that's all I should say, Mr. President. That covers pretty well

the effort that was made and those who made the effort. (Applause.)

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: Thank you very much, Dr. McKay. This project is

one in which there were deadlines as to time, and we had to work rather

fast. Air mail, special delivery, the long distance telephone and

telegraph played quite a part in it. The Science Service was paying the

cost of assembling and mailing. The only cost to the Association was for

the hickory nuts.

MR. MCDANIEL: We were late on that and unable to get the quality nuts we

would like, but we did get enough to fill the kits, not all of which

were worthy.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: We would like to have secured Carpathian walnuts,

but the nuts from known sources of supply were so discolored with husk

maggot that we were ashamed to send them out. We were not able to locate

and to furnish any considerable amount of any kind of northern nuts.

Twelve thousand of these kits went out, and each one of them is in a

position where it probably contacted a dozen or more on the average, so

that I am sure as a result of the effort a great many people not only

became more familiar with nuts and their various sources and uses, but

also learned that the contest was sponsored by the Northern Nut Growers

Association. Mr. Prell, who knows something about advertising, thought

it was a very worthwhile project.

That completes the reports of the officers and of the committees. We

will now take ten minutes recess.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: The session will be in order.

As your treasurer said, there are several other things which we

discussed in the directors' meeting. We discussed this matter of how,

the situation being such as it is, the Association could improve its

position through gaining more members and through either making more

money or cutting down expenditures.

The Publicity Committee was one of those suggestions, who were to

explore this matter of getting better publicity for less money. That is,

whatever publicity we got from the American Fruit Grower cost us about

$300, and we think we can do a lot better in some other way.

Another matter was to place the financial situation of the society

squarely before the membership and ask that as many as could and felt so

inclined take out a contributing or a sustaining membership. We felt

quite strongly that raising the dues was not the answer, because there

are a lot of people sort of on the fringe who don't work too actively

for the society but who do take out regular memberships but who, if we

raised the dues even another 50 cents, would probably fail to renew

their memberships. So that at least for the present we are not going to

go ahead on that basis, unless you want that to come up for further

discussion.

Another point which we, I think, should explore was the matter of

advertising in the proceedings. Some other associations, the pecan

association, particularly, as Dr. McKay pointed out, make a substantial

part of their revenue from advertising in the proceedings. We have tried

that before, but times have changed, and I think it should be considered

again.

Then the matter of speeding up sales of sets of the proceedings to

libraries, that is, further publicity in The Nutshell about sets that

are for sale and, perhaps, circularizing the library lists to sell

complete sets, or as complete as we have.

Another matter that might be explored is having some kind of a

"give-away program", some inducement for those who take out memberships

for the first time. Other societies do it in one way or another.

Unfortunately, our material does not lend itself to that sort of thing

as well as some others, but we might be able to give nuts of Carpathian

strains that could be used as seed nuts, or perhaps the hybrid hazels.

MR. MCDANIEL: One suggestion made in a letter from Dr. Crane was to

distribute hybrid walnuts to grow to fruiting size. That might be

explored if there is a source of enough seedlings or seed nuts of

Juglans Regia crossed with Juglans Nigra.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: We would welcome any further suggestions which you

may have, either as to saving money or making money, or increasing our

membership, which amounts to making money, of course.

Another thing that might be done to present the possibilities of nut

growing to your communities is to sponsor exhibits at your own county or

state fairs.

Mr. Slate wanted to make a comment along these lines.

MR. SLATE: That matter of urging sustaining and contributing memberships

has been mentioned by you. I think it would be one of the best things

we could do to send a statement of our financial condition to the

members of the Association pointing out the need for additional funds

and suggesting that all who can possibly afford it take out sustaining

and contributing memberships. It seems to me that this is just about the

only alternative to increasing the dues. I am not sure whether an

increase in the dues would result in the loss of many members or not.

Perhaps they are getting rather used to the higher price level, and it

might be well to have an expression of opinion from some of those here

as to whether they thought there would be serious objections to an

increase in the dues. Surely, there are many who can afford to carry

sustaining or contributing memberships.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: That is the opinion of the Board of Directors. Mr.

Slate has raised a question as to the validity of the conclusion of the

Directors regarding the advisability of raising the dues. Our thinking

was that to raise the dues beyond the present level would result in

sufficient loss of membership to offset any gain in revenue. The last

time we raised the dues what was the effect?

MR. MCDANIEL: When we raised the dues to $3.00 we had a membership of

650. It dropped to about 580; a loss of 60 or 70.

MR. PRELL: We in effect raised dues 50 cents this morning. It won't

affect new members, but it may cause some of the older ones who are

members to drop. They know that at present 50 cents of their dues are

going to the Fruit Grower; now they aren't getting the Fruit Grower.

MR. MACHOVINA: They were getting for $2.50 what they will now get for

$3.00.

PRESIDENT MACDANIELS: Any other discussion?

MR. KINTZEL: I have given this problem of increasing the membership

quite a bit of thought, and have an idea which might be used. Let's see

by a show of hands how many live in the city but own farms outside of

the city.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: The question is how many live in the city but have

farms outside. Sixteen or 17, probably about 20.

MR. KINTZEL: You might call me a city farmer. Like many other city

people, I own a small farm near the city in which I live, which is

Cincinnati, Ohio. I am intensely interested in the work of the N.N.G.A.

There must be many others who, too, are owners of land but who use the

land for experimental farming and to get a little diversion from the

daily grind in the busy, noisy city. These people would consider it a

favor to have their attention called to the interesting work of our

organization.

A practical plan for getting in touch with this reservoir of future

members is to secure the names and addresses of such land owners from

the records at the various county court houses fringing the cities. A

personal letter should be written to these future members. A friendly

invitation to join the N.N.G.A. should be extended, and a printed

brochure describing and explaining its work and objects should be

included.

I believe that by working systematically on the city dweller, who also

owns acreage outside the city limits, we could give our membership list

a big boost.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: That is a good suggestion for the Membership

Committee.

Is there anything further?

MR. CALDWELL: This is not a suggestion, but a comment following up the

idea of the previous speaker. In Syracuse there was a woman with an

estimated 160 acres of land, who about 15 or 16 years ago became

interested in planting hybrid chestnuts. Unfortunately, the land was not

suitable for raising chestnuts and the two or three hundred trees she

planted failed to grow. I don't think there are two alive there now. So

you will have to be a little bit careful in encouraging city people to

plant nut trees. She spent a lot of money and right now if you mention

that, she will just practically tear you apart. She wasted money and

time, so be careful in getting people going too strong unless you are

sure the trees are going to grow for them.

MR. SNYDER: According to the chart outside, cutting off the Fruit Grower

will leave us just a few cents per member in the red.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: Right.

MR. SNYDER: Well, don't we have $3,000 in bonds? What are they for, if

it isn't to tide us over a hard period like this?

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: That is a suggestion for the Board of Directors.

MR. SNYDER: If inflation keeps up, the bonds will be worth nothing. We

might as well use them up. I would suggest we use every method to

balance the budget without them, but if necessary, use some of them up.

If it is necessary, use the bonds to balance the budget.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: The question of whether or not we use the bonds, I

think, would have to be considered very carefully. I think one of the

Ohio men has a suggestion.

MR. DOWELL: This discussion would follow along with that on membership.

The active members of the Ohio section were organized back in 1946, and

in 1948 the national body put in its by-laws a provision that there

could be state sections formed. That is Article 1 and also Article 2,

that you could have affiliated bodies. Now, as far as I know, there is

no other state section.

MR. MCDANIEL: Michigan has one, now.

MR. DOWELL: Michigan has not actually affiliated yet, and when it does

come in it will be an affiliated society. According to the by-laws it

will not be necessary for all its members to be members of the N. N. G.

A.

Now, we feel that some strong state section is the main support in

membership interest and a lot of other lines, and I think that if you

check the rolls you will find where you have had a state organization,

whether it's affiliated or otherwise, particularly Ohio and Michigan,

that our membership has not really dropped down in total numbers. Of

course, there is a turnover every year. If it has dropped down, it's

been slight in comparison with the overall drop down.

MR. MCDANIEL: Ohio is only holding its own now. You have one more member

than you had a year ago.

MR. DOWELL: That's right, we are holding our own, and previous to this

last run, the total number in the Association was down a hundred. That

has not dropped in Ohio, which has the state section. Neither has it

recently in Michigan, which has recently organized the Michigan Nut

Growers.

The Executive Committee of the Ohio section wishes to present the

following resolution for the consideration of this body:

RESOLUTION

"WHEREAS we feel that membership in a state section has been a

definite advantage in maintaining and increasing membership in the

National Organization, as has been demonstrated in the Ohio Section

of the N. N. G. A.;

WHEREAS a National Organization becomes strong because of its

strong local sections which help maintain interest;

THEREFORE the National Organization should encourage and foster the

formation of local sections.

We therefore submit the following motion: That the N. N. G. A.

amend its constitution to provide for the organization of local

sections. These amendments should include the following provisions:

1. Membership in the N. N. G. A. shall be a requirement for full

membership in the local section; however this shall not exclude

local sections from accepting associate members.

2. That each member of the N. N. G. A. shall automatically become a

member of a local section when he resides in a location where a

recognized local section exists.

3. Wherever a local section has become established, the local

chairman shall serve as vice president of the N. N. G. A. for that

area.

4. The N. N. G. A. shall refund to the treasurer of each local

section ten percent (10%) of the N. N. G. A. dues paid annually by

members of that section."

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: I conclude that you are presenting this for the

consideration of the Association. It would be an amendment to the

by-laws, I take it, rather than the constitution. Such an amendment

would have to come up for consideration at the next meeting after

consideration by the Board of Directors; either that, or else vote on it

by mail.

MR. DOWELL: It is purely a motion now, if passed or rejected. But if it

is passed, then previous to the Rochester meeting, the proposal would

have to be in a suitable form to be either passed or rejected for the

by-laws.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: We have this resolution in printed form. That will

be transmitted to the Board of Directors for consideration at the next

meeting.

MR. DOWELL: We make it as a motion that the mass accept or reject it

here.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: The motion is, then, to accept the resolution and

present it to the Board of Directors. Is that right? Is there a second?

MR. KINTZEL: I second it.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: Are there further remarks? If not, all in favor,

signify by saying "Aye." (Chorus of "ayes"). Opposed? (None.) It is

carried.

MR. O'ROURKE: I am very sorry I was not recognized before the vote was

taken.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: I am sorry.

MR. O'ROURKE: I am speaking, I think, for the Michigan Nut Growers, of

which we have quite a group here today, and we are quite anxious to

maintain an independent state organization. We feel that it is perfectly

all right for this motion to have been adopted as it has been, if there

will be no attempt made to delete that section which now refers to

affiliation.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: I think there would be no attempt to do that.

MR. O'ROURKE: Is that clearly understood that there will be no attempt

made to delete the section on affiliation?

MR. DOWELL: That is the understanding. Now, there are two ways in the

present by-laws. Now, this would either be a third or replace the first.

It would have nothing to do with affiliating groups.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: I think that is right, and I think the thing to

do, Mr. Dowell, would be to be sure that the new president is apprized

of the Michigan point of view in that regard. He will be the chairman of

the new Board of Directors, and this is simply a motion to consider it.

It doesn't go any further than that.

Is there any further business to come before this group at this time? If

not, the other item on the agenda, as it is stated, I believe, is a

presidential address.

The Forward Look

Presidential Address, by L. H. MacDaniels

As the retiring president of our Association, it is a time honored

custom and a privilege to give what is often referred to as the

presidential address. I do not have in mind giving an address but rather

to consider with you informally the present situation of the Northern

Nut Growers Association and to give my ideas as to what we might do to

improve our position and forward the purposes for which the Association

was organized in 1910.

Time does not permit recounting the history of the development of the

Association. This has been done on several previous occasions. I will,

however, go back to the 1945 report in which under the title "Where Do

We Go from Here" I tried to pick up various aspects of the condition of

the Association immediately following the war and point out areas to

which special attention should be given at that time.

Considering our situation in 1952, it appears that many of our problems

are about the same as they were in 1945 although in some areas definite

progress has been made. A quick look at our problems then and now is

perhaps pertinent to the present discussion. One of these is variety

evaluation. This still remains one of the important areas where we need

much more information particularly as to the success or failure of

different named clones of nut trees in various regions. Perhaps it is

time for us to carefully summarize whatever data we have accumulated as

to the adaptation of varieties or at least make plans for extending a

program of evaluation. Since 1945 our survey committees have been active

and have secured information that will certainly be helpful.

The problem of judging standards has been clarified somewhat. It is my

personal opinion that the judging schedule for varieties of black

walnuts worked out with the assistance of Dr. S. S. Atwood is on a sound

basis and might well receive much wider use. Following along somewhat

the same pattern, suggested schedules have been proposed for the

hickories and butternuts. These should receive further consideration and

adoption, if approved at least on a tentative basis. A schedule for

Persian walnuts is very much needed as indicated by the recent contest

in which confusion occurred related to there being no recognized

standards of evaluation. With the Persian walnut such matters as the

method of cracking and the importance of such characters as sealing of

nuts, recovery of whole halves and others should be agreed upon.

Our procedure in naming varieties is still somewhat chaotic. Possibly we

should adopt the general pattern of the American Pomological Society.

Their example of setting up an approved list of varieties for planting

on a regional basis is worthy of consideration. Even though such a list

were tentative and incomplete, a start which would embody the best

information we have would be valuable.

Securing new varieties of, hardy nut trees through breeding has made

some progress. Most encouraging is the work of the Federal Experiment

Station at Beltsville where Doctor Crane and Doctor McKay and their

associates are using modern techniques in securing new varieties of

hardy nut trees. Some progress in hybridization, of course, has been

made, particularly with the filberts, the hybrids developed by J. F.

Jones, G. L. Slate, S. H. Graham, Heben Corsan and some others, showing

great improvement over previous European varieties in their adaptability

to the northern United States. At the present time there are filbert

varieties of hybrid origin better than those in the nursery trade which

should be propagated and made available. Work with the Chinese chestnuts

has also been valuable.

It is my opinion, which I believe is shared by most of those who are

familiar with progress in securing new varieties, that we are not likely

to find in the wild, varieties or clones which show any marked

improvement over those already found and named. There is, of course,

always the possibility of the "perfect nut" arising as a chance

variation. The recent walnut and hickory contests, however, have been

somewhat disappointing for they have not discovered any variety of black

walnut better than the Thomas for instance, or a hickory much better

than some of those located years ago. This does not mean that members of

the Association should not keep a sharp lookout for new varieties

occurring spontaneously which will be better than existing sorts. It

does mean, however, that if real "breaks" are to be secured, it will be

necessary to apply some of the more effective techniques which are known

in the plant breeding field. Any such program is a long time project and

can only be effectively attempted by experiment stations, or by some of

the young men, who begin now to make crosses under the direction or at

least with the advice of those who are familiar with plant breeding

techniques.

Progress has been made in the Association organization. The constitution

has been thoroughly overhauled and amended, particularly to provide for

regional groups. Certainly such groups are to be encouraged and have

done and will do much to strengthen the national organization in the

various states. It is my personal opinion that these regional groups can

be of particular value in working with the experiment stations and

legislatures to promote the interests of the Association. The state

associations should be on the alert to build on the interests of

conservation departments as related to wildlife preserves and

sportsmen's clubs and other agencies which put the growing of nut trees

in proper perspective. I am not at all in favor of securing either

federal or state support for every minor project which comes along.

However, the Northern Nut Growers Association need make no apologies for

its program, particularly as it is related to the conservation of our

natural resources; to the promotion of better living on the farm and

those values which are real and great, even though they do not show up

large in dollar value of crops produced.

Unfortunately, projects in nut growing have been started in various

states, particularly Ohio and Michigan only to be eliminated before they

really got under way because of lack of support. Experiment station

directors, if they are confronted with a shortage of funds, are likely

to run the blue pencil through items which cannot be backed up with

economic considerations. The approach of the Northern Nut Growers

Association it seems to me should not be to seek support on an economic

basis but rather on the basis of better living on the farm, improvement

of gardens and farmsteads and the advantages of growing nut trees as

compared with any other horticultural activity. There has been a real

increase in the importance which is given to this approach in recent

times and an active state association, which can keep in touch with

local conditions and call on the national association for additional

support, will certainly be of great assistance in the future.

I personally am not in favor of any sort of a set up by which the

national association gives a kick back of national dues to a regional

association. The dues are inadequate for the national association at the

present time. Looking at the whole situation with some perspective, it

would seem that the regional associations might contribute to the

national association rather than the reverse. If the constitution and

by-laws of the Association are not such as to make affiliation with the

national association and the formation of regional associations easy,

they can readily be changed to secure the very best pattern that can be

devised.

Perhaps one of the most acute problems with which the Association is

faced is the struggle to keep financially solvent. We are all aware of

our changing economy, particularly the increased costs of printing and

in fact of everything that our organization uses or needs, even postage.

In my thinking, the finances of the Association are much the same as

those of an individual, who is confronted with expenditures that exceed

his income. The things that have to be done are obvious and the same in

both cases. One is to spend less and the other is to secure more funds.

In the judgment of your directors and executive committee, expenditures

have been reduced as low as is safe in order to keep a going

organization. Members join the Association for the value which they get

out of it and a large part of this value is in the form of reports,

newsletters, information made available and the organization of annual

meetings. If these services were discontinued or curtailed, membership

falls off. This has been the experience of other plant societies, of

which there are many.

In my judgment retrenchment is not the answer in the present situation.

Securing additional funds is the best forward-looking policy. The

question comes up as to how this may be done. Experience in our

Association and I believe other associations as well, has shown that

$3.00 is about as far as dues can be raised. There comes a point with

every society when, if the dues are increased, there is a falling off of

membership, which more than offsets the gain. Other obvious procedures

are: (1) increasing the number of members; (2) providing different types

of memberships to encourage larger contributions; (3) gifts; and (4)

special fund raising projects. Of these various ways and means,

certainly increasing the number of members is by far the more promising.

The overhead of the association is not increased with additional

memberships anywhere near in proportion to the contributions of those

members. This is particularly true for additional copies of the report

and general office expense. The drive for new members under President

Best's leadership has produced gratifying results and I believe if this

is continued effectively through the next few years, a membership

increase can be secured that will assure the Association's balancing its

budget. Somewhere in the neighborhood of a thousand paid memberships

would solve most of our financial difficulties. Provision is already

made for different types of memberships and it is to be hoped that many

who can do so will join the contributing member class at least until we

are out of our present financial woods.

Other societies raise considerable revenue through special projects such

as the sale of publications of one kind or another, seed distribution or

slide rental. The type of material with which the Northern Nut Growers

Association deals is not comparable to some of these other organizations

but certainly the possibilities of revenue through special projects need

to be explored.

Research with northern nut trees is exceedingly important from the

standpoint of accomplishing the objectives of the Association. The

matter of breeding new varieties has already been touched on. Other

types of research are such that a large part must be carried on by

experiment stations which have a continuing program. Much has been done

in securing observational information by Association members themselves

but some problems are such that they must be continued over a long

period of time and set up with adequate checks and provision for

securing significant data. Otherwise the results are of no real value.

Granted we need all the sound observational experience that all the

members can bring to our problems, there are still aspects of culture of

northern nut trees that need continuing program of scientific research.

Fortunately, much of the cultural information secured with nut crops of

economic value is directly applicable to northern nut trees. This is

true of the work with northwestern filberts, western walnuts, southern

pecans and even the tung industry. There comes a point, however, when

information thus gained needs to be checked under the specific

conditions where the crops are grown and very little research has been

done in the northern states where the hardy nuts are important.

Of special importance to the northern nut growers is the control of

diseases and insects. At the present time the bunch disease of walnuts

is becoming increasingly more troublesome and very little is known as to

how this is spread or how it may be controlled. In my own filbert

planting, the hazel bud mite during past years has made the crop

practically a failure. Little apparently is known as to the life history

of this insect or when miticides might be applied. Examples such as the

bunch disease and mite damage are multiplied many times with other

diseases of local or regional importance. In my thinking our best hope

for getting something done is to encourage the Departments of Entomology

and Plant Pathology in the experiment stations to take up these disease

and insect problems, which might be attacked by graduate students as

thesis subjects, even though the economic importance is not great.

As I see the situation of the Association, there is need for its members

to produce more nuts of better quality. Nothing intrigues the interest

of potential members as much as actually seeing and tasting locally

grown samples of nuts of superior varieties. On several occasions I have

tried to assemble collections of nuts for exhibit or to buy them for one

purpose or another and found great difficulty in finding sources of

supply. This was particularly true in the fall of 1951 when we were

trying to assemble nuts for "The Things of Science" project. We wanted

very much to secure Carpathian walnuts that could be sent out and used

for seed purposes. There was no source to which we could turn. In

several possible sources of supply, husk maggots had so infested the

crop that the nuts were discolored and unattractive. It might have been

possible to secure enough black walnuts to include in the kit but the

problem of state quarantines against the bunch disease could not be

easily adjusted.

Finally I believe the Northern Nut Growers Association is doing a very

significant work. Our emphasis at the present time at least might very

well be on nut growing as a hobby and for conservation, for better shade

trees and for better living on the farms and homesteads rather than to

emphasize the commercial angles. This will come in time if it can really

be demonstrated that growing northern nut trees is a profitable venture.

In these days of job specialization everyone needs a hobby and an outlet

for special interests. I know of few other fields of endeavor for those

who like growing things than the rewards that are to be found in the

growing of hardy nut trees.

MONDAY AFTERNOON SESSION

The Monday afternoon session was convened at one o'clock p.m.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: The afternoon session will please be in order.

The first paper this afternoon will be, "The Future of Your Nut

Planting," Mr. W. F. Sonnemann, Vandalia, Illinois.

The Future of Your Nut Planting

W. F. SONNEMANN, _Vandalia, Ill._

Ladies and gentlemen, it is a great pleasure to appear before the

Northern Nut Growers Association. I am just a sprout as far as nut

growing is concerned, when we consider the age of some of our old

hickory nut trees.

About 25 years ago, I became interested in nut growing and, in

particular, the river-bottom hickory nut tree. Then we had so many nut

trees growing in the bottom that we never thought of trying to plant a

tree or look after one. People could gather all the nuts they wanted and

often the trees were cut just to get the nuts. They'd lay a stick of

dynamite at the base of the tree to shake the nuts off.

After a few years of that, I thought we might do something to save the

nut trees for the future generations. That's when I first started to

plant some nuts. Incidentally, I made a big mistake, by not joining the

Northern Nut Growers Association.

Naturally, I wanted the largest pecan I could find. I went to the St.

Louis market and bought and planted nice Papershell pecans--very nice

pecans, but the trees do not mature their crop. Mr. McDaniel and I tried

to top-work them, but that's a big job. Had I joined the Northern Nut

Growers Association, I could have avoided a lot of those mistakes.

There are some things that I found out in practicing law that can very

well apply to nut growing. If you will pardon the reference to personal

experience, I can bring forth to you about four situations. One, a good,

close friend of mine had a vacant lot close to his home. He had been

planting nut trees and papaw trees and persimmon trees for years. On

this vacant lot he had a 25-year-old Busch walnut growing back on the

alley, on the lawn was a beautiful Japanese flowering cherry, and there

were two pecan trees in the yard proper. He sold the lot to a neighbor

whose wife was just crazy about flowers, little dreaming that those

trees would ever be cut down. I don't believe the ink of the recorder

had been cooled or dried before that English walnut was cut down, the

Japanese cherry grubbed out of the front lawn, and one of the pecan

trees was cut. It just about broke the old owner's heart, and all he

could say was, "I am just disappointed in my neighbors." And now there

is a house being erected there, and the pecan tree that was 12 inches in

diameter was cut. That could have been prevented, had this man given

thought to the future.

Another man, named Hagen, who was instrumental in getting me interested

in nut growing, had a nice group of river-bottom shellbark trees growing

in his field. One of these has been propagated and named the Hagen, and

although it isn't a good cracking quality, it's a very large nut.

A pipe line was laid close to that field, and this man had the

fore-*sight to put a clause in this pipe-line right of way which gave

him the protection of collecting adequate damages for the destruction

of the trees. Didn't even need a lawyer, which is something bad for the

law business. It is a suggestion, that when a pipe line, or telephone

company is buying a right of way, it is possible to protect your

interests in valuable trees.

Another instance of protecting nut trees was when the new U. S. Highway

40 was built across Illinois. I had the job of condemning the right of

way and when the engineer and I were out walking over it we noticed a

fine group of hickory nut trees on the hillside. I remarked what a nice

group of trees it was. He said, "Yes, that's going to be a borrow pit up

there." I said, "You mean they are going to destroy those trees?" He

said, "Yes, dirt from this borrow pit will make the fill across this

bottom."

I said, "Why can't we get the dirt somewhere else? Dirt is dirt."

And the engineer said, "Well, that's the plans." We had a little

contrariness there, and I had to threaten to drop the case as far as

that tract of land was concerned. If you fight long enough and hard

enough in such cases you may find some other person who is interested in

nut trees. We did; we found an engineer higher up, and that group of

hickory trees is now a picnic area. They used a borrow pit somewhere

else, and it gives me a great pleasure to drive past that group of

hickory trees and see them still standing there. In the fall of the year

you'd be surprised at the number of people at that picnic area, and they

keep those hickory nuts picked up clean as fast as they fall.

In our county hospital just started they happened to select a piece of

ground I own an interest in for a county hospital. On that are some good

hickory nut trees. I told them they'd never get the land until they made

some arrangements in regard to those nut trees. The engineer that

designed that hospital must have had some sense, because they are

building a canopy around one of the trees adjacent to that hospital, and

have arranged to cut only one scrub oak. The other trees will be

mentioned in the deed with restrictive covenants to protect them.

If you sign anything a company gives you, you are liable to have

anything cut on your land. Remember the saying that "the big print gives

it to you and the fine print takes it away." And it's the fine print you

want to watch in all your right of ways or in your condemnation

proceedings.

I know a man who had almost 160 acres of river-bottom hickories. During

his lifetime he was very careful about those trees. He would cut the

brush around the trees and harvest those hickory nuts as if it was a

crop of corn or beans. Upon his death his children were scattered over

the various states. They didn't care anything for this hickory grove.

It's been cut. Now there is a bulldozer in there trying to clean out

those hickory stumps. They are not making much progress. All you now

have in that farm is 160 acres of old tree stumps, wild honey-suckle

vines, poison ivy and poison oak, and even a coon hunter gripes when he

has to take his dogs through there on a coon hunt. Those heirs care

nothing about it.

In selling land it doesn't make any difference whether it's a sale to a

neighbor, or to a friend or a stranger, you should protect any trees

that you have growing upon that land by what we term a covenant running

with the land, and that means if a deed is made it will provide that

certain trees shall not be cut within a certain period of time. In one

case where I am forced to sell some land I am protecting the trees for

10 years.

Each of these situations requires research under your own state laws. I

had hoped to be able to tell you something definite and precise as to

each situation, but when I considered the membership in the Northern Nut

Growers, the many states it covers and the great difference in the state

laws, it's just impossible to lay your hand upon one set of facts that

governs. You should consult your attorney who is dealing with your

transactions and tell him specifically what you have in mind and what

you want to protect. He will know whether your state recognizes

covenants running with your land and what provision can be made to

protect trees that you want to save or secure damages.

Remember, in any transaction, if it is not in the written instrument

that you sign, it's just an oral agreement that you make on the side,

and it doesn't mean a thing. It has to be in the paper that you sign.

As I mentioned briefly, in what they call "eminent domain", the state

has a right to take property for public use. The only thing you can do

there is just get your head square and fight, and if you are stubborn

enough, you may find someone in the organization that you are dealing

with who has some interest in trees. They may not be members of the

Northern Nut Growers Association or any tree association, but there are

some people who appreciate trees and who do realize how long it takes to

have a nice pecan tree or nice hickory nut tree growing.

If they call you contrary, that you won't give in to anything, let them

call you contrary, let them call you nuts, but you can protect your

trees and make sure that their future is secure.

What will happen to your trees after you are dead? Each individual's

situation has to be considered separately. In many states you can

provide by will to whom you want your nut planting to go, or you can, by

making a trust, give the trees to trustees with certain powers and

duties to care for and manage them for a period of time or perpetually,

depending on the laws of your state. Usually it is limited to the life

of some person or 21 years. In that length of time if your heirs or the

person you desire these trees to go to have not educated themselves to

the value of the tree, then the planting will be lost anyway.

In all of these cases and all the transactions that you make, if you

value your trees--and you surely do when you will carry water for them

and plant them and dig that large hole for those roots--it is worth

while to look after them during the trees' lifetime, not your own

lifetime. And if you will consult with your attorney, particularly

mention those trees to him and just exactly what your ideas are, I think

you will be assured that you will have a future for nut trees.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: Thank you, Mr. Sonnemann.

Are there any questions you wish to ask on this subject. Here is a

chance to get free legal advice on the spot. That's unusual.

DR. GRAVATT: There is one point I'd like to bring out, backing up what

the gentleman just said. You know we introduced back in 1928 to 1936

very large numbers of Chinese and Japanese chestnuts. Most of them went

out to state forestry departments and such; somewhere around a half

million trees. We have had some very valuable cooperative orchard

plantings, which have been lost because something happened to the man,

he moved away, sold his property, or died. With these gentlemen who have

passed away, experimental orchard plantings and other trees were part of

their lives, but their children, or whoever inherited the property, had

no interest in continuing the work.

We have had the same experience with some agricultural experiment

stations where one of the horticulturists is interested in the

plantings, but has moved away, and we have lost our plantings.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: Thank you, Dr. Gravatt. Mr. Becker, do you wish to

say something about the Reed Memorial?

MR. BECKER: This is just a word of appreciation to a number of the

Northern Nut Growers members who have helped out with the C. A. Reed

Memorial.

When we organized the Michigan Nut Growers Association last January it

was Professor O'Rourke's idea to have a memorial at Mr. Reed's home

town, which is Howell, Michigan. With Mrs. Reed's approval we planned as

our first project, planting a nut tree with a suitable plaque in memory

of the late Dr. Reed.

As a followup, we issued a little bulletin asking for contributions

toward the memorial. We sent these out to people who knew Mr. Reed, many

of whom are among this group.

Response has been gratifying and we now have approximately $95 toward

the tablet. On Arbor Day a Michigan variety of shagbark hickory called

the Abscoda was planted at Howell on the library grounds. The services

were conducted with the cooperation of the Michigan State College and

the Livingston County garden group. This is a word of appreciation and

also to explain what we have done. Thank you. (Applause.)

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: We will go on to the next paper, "The Value of a

Tree," Ferdinand Bolten, Linton, Indiana. Mr. Bolton. (Applause.)

MR. BOLTEN: Members of the Northern Nut Growers Association and ladies

and gentlemen: I am just a farmer. I am not a speech-maker, like the

lawyer here who makes his living talking. I make my living farming, and

I have some ideas, views that I'd like to bring before you.

The Value of a Tree

FERD BOLTEN, _Linton, Ind._

Members of the Northern Nut Growers Association, ladies, and gentlemen.

It may be a little unusual for a fruit grower and farmer to be on this

program; however, I have lived a lifetime working with trees on the same

farm I was born on sixty-six years ago last May. We have one hundred

acres of orchard, several varieties of nut trees, including English

walnut, pecans, hybrid pecans or hicans, hickories, filberts, hazelnuts,

heart nuts, butternuts, black walnuts; also, persimmons, pawpaws,

hybrid oaks and many of the native forest trees. In operating a farm

this size, you naturally get a lot of experience and headaches. A very

good friend of mine told me a joke that I think fits in with my farm

very well. He said a fruit grower delivered a load of apples to the

insane asylum. One of the inmates was helping unload the apples. The

inmate kept talking about apples, so the grower asked him if he was ever

on a fruit farm. The inmate replied that he was before he came to the

asylum and, in return, asked the grower if he had ever been in the

asylum. The grower replied that he had not. Then the inmate said, "Mr.,

I have been both places, and I can tell you something. It is a lot nicer

here than it is on a fruit farm".

My subject is,

THE VALUE OF A TREE

A tree out of its natural habitat sometimes becomes worthless. As an

extreme example, the orange tree in Indiana has no commercial value and

the apple tree in Florida has no commercial value. Therefore, it seems

that we should, in Indiana, endeavor to develop better trees in the

trees which are at home here. This includes the native hickory and the

black walnut, hazels, filberts and the pecans in Southern Indiana.

Personally, I am spending quite a bit of time with the Crath Carpathian

English or Persian Walnut. Last winter, I lost seven out of fifty trees

from some cause, after they had gone through the winter of 1950 and

1951, at a temperature of nineteen below zero without injury. It may

have been they were caught last fall by a hard freeze in full foliage,

early before the apples were all picked; and, again, it may be blight. I

hope not. But this I do know, the hickory and black walnut in their

natural habitat were not injured.

I wonder why hickories are so erratic in their bearing habits. Could it

be the winter rest period? For example, the peach has to have from seven

hundred hours, in some varieties, to twelve hundred hours, in others, of

below forty-five degrees temperature, or they will not set a good crop

of fruit. The value of a variety of peach in Georgia sometimes is

determined by the number of hours of rest period below forty-five

degrees that the variety has to have. It has happened that the same

variety of peach has produced a good crop in Northern Georgia and a poor

crop in Southern Georgia. Where the winter was not as cold in Indiana we

never lose crops from the lack of enough cold weather; we lose them from

sub-zero temperatures. So you see, the value of a variety in Georgia is

different to Indiana.

The value of a tree may be in the wood or in the food its produces, or

its beauty in winter. Many a picture is taken of evergreens covered with

snow. Its value may be its beauty in summer, or the coloring of its

leaves in the fall. There is also a sentimental value; a limb that is

just right for a child's swing, the Constitutional Elm at Corydon, or

the Harrison Oak at North Bend, Ohio. They have a historical value and

are visited by many people.

A man said to me some time ago, "I wonder why God made the hicans the

cross between the pecans and the hickory?" There may be a valuable nut

tree show up in the second or third generation of the hybrid trees when

certain characteristics begin to revert to the parent trees. I have on

my farm some hybrid oaks grafted, and am very anxious to see them

produce acorns so I can plant them and watch the results. This hybrid

originated in the Greene and Sullivan County Forest in Indiana, and is

called the Carpenter Oak after Mr. Carpenter, the district forester. It

is, apparently, a cross between the shingle oak and the pin oak because

it is comparable with both of them.

The value of a tree is not always the one that wins first prize in the

show. The best plate of nuts in the show may not be from the most

valuable tree, because it may be biennial in bearing habits, it may be a

shy bearer, it may be an early bloomer and subject to frost. My most

productive Crath Carpathian tree is not the best walnut and would not

get anywhere in the show, but it is hardy, blooms late, and is

productive; so its value is in these traits. The number of chromosomes

in the Crath Carpathian walnut may be different. There is quite a

difference in the size of nuts produced on individual trees. This

indicates that there may be a difference in chromosome count. If this is

true, it will be a great help in improving the size of the nuts

produced. It may be of value in pollination. The triploid apple needs to

be pollinated by the diploid variety. By setting them close together,

you get a much better set of fruit.

Sometimes I think trees are as temperamental as people. Some trees,

especially the apple, lose their value because they are subject to

certain diseases. Some are susceptible to scab, blight, codling moth,

rots, blotch, and other diseases, to a point where they become worthless

as commercial varieties. The honey locust has been considered one of the

trees on farms to be destroyed, because it was thought to be worthless.

Now, its value is being found in the correcting of sugar deficiency in

dairy cattle. The pods of the honey locust are one of the best foods to

correct sugar deficiency and cattle like them and eat them freely. I

have on my farm a thornless honey locust that produced ten bushels of

pods one year. The honey locust is also a legume and produces nitrogen

which, in turn, is used by the pasture grasses and makes more pasture

for the cattle.

The mulberry tree that ripens when cherries are ripe has a value in the

fact that every mulberry eaten by a bird saves a cherry and the birds

are valuable because they destroy insects that cause the worms in

cherries.

After observing trees for years, I am convinced that there are certain

strains or families of trees in the forest that have outstanding traits.

Those traits in growth might be dwarfs or they may be giants; they may

have short lives or long lives, like different varieties of apples. The

fruit or seeds may be large or small. I believe as reforestation

progresses there will be certain trees located which have value as seed

trees and which will improve the forest equal to the improvement in

livestock on the farms today. The razor back hog that roamed the forest

is gone and has been replaced by animals much improved; yet, the forest

in which it roamed is the same. Now we are turning to man made forests

and a chance to improve them by selecting the more valuable trees for

our source of seed. In the native hickory and black walnut, there is a

great need for more interest in searching for and preserving the most

valuable trees for their cracking quality, flavor, and productivity.

There have been and are now, nut trees on farms that were valuable

trees, but were known only to the owner and the small boys of the

community. These trees should have been preserved for posterity, but

many of them are lost forever.

In forestry, a tree's value may be in its ability to re-seed itself. In

the kinds of pine, the Virginia pine is one of the best, and also, one

of the youngest to produce seed cones. I have counted twenty-five cones

on a five year old Virginia Pine tree. In forestry, the red cedar is

good to re-seed itself in the area in which it grows. The maple ash,

cotton wood, and poplar also grow freely from nature's seeding.

Every tree that grows has a value. The leaves help purify the air; the

persimmon and the tree with a wild grapevine are food for wild life. The

old hollow tree is a refuge for the coon and o'possum and other wild

life. I have a hollow white oak on my farm I let stand because a family

of squirrels is raised in it every year. I also have a bee tree and the

bees help pollinate my fruit trees so they produce better. A world

without trees would be a desolate place. The value of a park is in its

trees.

I have spoken of the value of trees for the preservation of wild life,

but how do trees affect the life of man and how does man affect tree

life? Man is the builder or destroyer of tree life; although the tree is

the oldest living thing in plant or animal life, man is master over

trees. A man came into my farm office one day and said, "Everything in

this room either grew from the earth or was mined from the earth." How

about everything in this room? The furniture, the clothing you wear, the

ring on your finger, the glass in the windows, etc.? Let us think for a

minute, what are the things of the greatest value in this room? We have

an organization, The Northern Nut Growers Association. It did not grow

from the earth, there is knowledge of science here, there are doctors'

degrees (I wish I had one), there is ambition, honesty, love, pride, and

patriotism. Man's knowledge is the key. What he leaves alone or what he

destroys. So the greatest value is man's knowledge. After all, the

greatest values are the things that come from the minds and the hearts

of men. By man's efforts, we find or develop these valuable trees.

The value of a home is increased by trees. The love of trees and the

pride in owning a home is hard to separate. The privilege in America to

own a home and plant a tree on your own ground is of great value. It has

been said that he, who plants a tree, is truly a servant of God. I

sometimes wonder if this great value of the privilege of owning a piece

of ground and building a home and planting a tree is in danger of being

lost under the present creeping grip of socialism and communism. This

privilege of planting and owning a tree is of greater value than any

tree, and we must not lose this valuable inheritance in America.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: Mr. Magill, are you all set with your program?

MR. MAGILL: Yes, sir. This is to be a discussion of "Methods of Getting

Better Annual Crops on Black Walnut--A symposium led by W. W. Magill

(Kentucky)--Discussion by a panel made up of W. G. Tatum, Spencer Chase,

W. B. Ward and Mr. Schlagenbusch." Will those men come here? We will get

started.

My business in life is Extension peddler down in Kentucky, working on

fruits and nuts and berries, and naturally that takes me into a good

many counties. We have 120, and I have been in all of them. Some places

didn't have anything, so no reason to go back. But I pick up a lot of

conversation, people give you ideas and things to think about.

We were talking about the conditions of the world--everybody's got a

good job and plenty of money and biggest incomes that the country has

ever known. That's true, but if you take down in the hills and hollows

into some places that I go and you take the financial status of certain

of those families, it's not measured in thousands of dollars, some cases

not hardly measured in hundreds of dollars. It's measured in terms of

gratuities and things to eat and not measured by greenbacks, and the

families don't pay income tax.

Last fall I was out on a farm in the foothills some 70 miles from

Lexington, in a place that most of you folks wouldn't want to live in

and call home, a little farm, probably 16 acres, with a widow lady

probably 65 years old, living there with her daughter. And among other

things, she said, "Mr. Magill, I understand that you are supposed to

know something about nuts. See that tree standing right out there?" She

says, "I will give you a $20 bill if you will tell me how to make that

nut tree bear annual crops."

Well, I was a little bit surprised. I listened, and I got to asking her

questions. Some member of the family had gone to Chicago years ago, and

she knew about all the black walnut packing firms in Kentucky. This

relative had worked in the market, and had indicated she could get a

dollar a pound for all the nut meats she would pick out and send to this

relative in Chicago. And that nut tree meant about 30 to 35 dollars a

year when it had a crop but only bore every other year.

Well, that drove home just a little more to me than ever before the

question of why certain nut trees bore and others didn't bear. To that

lady there it meant $30 the year it bore and no income from that tree on

the year it didn't bear. And she stood there beside the home and pointed

out other trees that bore regularly. And she said, "Why do they bear

regular crops and this good tree that makes so many fine, big kernels

bears every other year?" That's a challenge I am throwing out to this

audience today to all the members on this panel.

I am hoping that Pappy Ward or Friend Chase will answer that question

completely. The thing I have in mind, is that in a group like we have

here today, as many nuts as we have got here, if we think about this

question and talk to the folks back home, I believe in a year or two we

can have worked out and have printed in the records of the report some

pretty reasonable answers as to why nut trees don't bear, or why they

bear heavy crops on certain years and are off certain years.

Mr. Ward, I know you have observed this over a period of years. What, in

your opinion, is the one factor that is more responsible for this

alternate bearing of black walnuts?

Why Black Walnuts Fail to Bear Satisfactory Crops

W. B. WARD, _Department of Horticulture, Purdue University, Lafayette,

Ind._

When man or nature, and sometimes both, change the natural habits of a

tree, most anything can happen. There are years when the black walnut

sets very few fruits either on the seedling trees or trees of named

varieties. Some few trees have alternate years of production, while

other trees bear annually and some not at all. Good results and good

crops may be expected only when several factors are normal and

conditions favorable. After twenty years of keeping records and

observations on nut trees and through correspondence with other growers,

I consider the main reason for crop failure or light production to be

climatic conditions and the weather for an entire year.

The black walnut produces a pistillate flower at the end of the present

season's growth. The staminate flowers, or catkins, come from last

year's wood. Good growing conditions are desirable for wood growth and

fruit bud formation and any retarding of growth the previous season

means little or no production. Winter injury to wood and bud, diseases

or insects attacking the foliage, soil moisture, and summer temperatures

will lower tree vitality. There are times when strong vigorous trees

fail to fruit which could be due to a high or low carbohydrate-nitrogen

balance. Soil type, plant food, age of tree, and location will have some

influence on annual or even biennial production but yet are not the all

important reasons for light crops.

The pollen of the black walnut is mostly wind borne as few insects ever

visit the flowers and pollination is dependent on wind borne pollen.

Trees planted in groups and close together are generally more productive

than trees planted in orchard rows even as close as 40' by 40'. When the

weather is cold and rainy during bloom, one should not expect much of a

crop.

The staminate flowers opened early in Indiana the years of 1950, 1951,

and 1952. The weather was more or less ideal during the time the catkins

had elongated and about ready to shed pollen. This warm spell was

followed by a fairly cool weather and considerable rain, which delayed

the opening of the pistillate flowers, consequently the pollen dried and

was lost before the pistil was receptive.

The few walnut trees in the University plantation have always had the

best of care. The trees have been mulched, fertilized (both through root

and leaf feedings), sprayed, cultivated and seeded to grass with the

grass clipped. The trees are some distance away from other seedling

walnuts and a bit off the beaten path of the right direction of the

spring winds. The varieties are Ohio, Stambaugh, Stabler, Rohwer, and

Thomas. When the spring weather is balmy at flowering time, the trees

bear a respectable crop but let the weather change to cool and moist and

then that is the time one begins to think about calling up the sawmill

to see if there is any need for some good walnut logs.

MR. MAGILL: That's a mighty good discussion. I see Mr. Ward has been

observing walnut trees closer than I assumed he had.

Mr. Chase, I know you have seen a lot of things in Tennessee that you

are not going to tell us about, but I suggest that you discuss some of

the things you have observed about walnut trees bearing anywhere.

MR. CHASE: Alternate bearing has been a problem with fruits and nuts

since time immemorial. I know a tremendous amount of work has been done

with the apple, which has a definite biennial bearing habit. There have

been all sorts of things tried to make it bear annual crops, and as far

as I know, there has not been anything effective developed along that

line. Of course, there are varieties of apples that tend to bear annual

crops.

As Mr. Ward brought out--he took all my thunder, so I don't have much to

say--a tree may set a heavy crop of nuts one year because frost or poor

pollination the year before destroyed the crop so that a large amount of

carbohydrates were built up in the tree. Now, the tree in producing a

heavy crop of well filled nuts utilizes every bit of carbohydrates it

has stored and can manufacture. While it is doing this the terminal bud

is being formed for next year's crop, and if there isn't a sufficient

amount of carbohydrates in the tree at that critical period, there is

not likely to be a flower bud formed.

This is not limited just to walnuts, but occurs with nearly all fruits

and nuts, with the possible exception of the chestnut.

We made a study which was reported in the 1946 report by Mr. Zarger in

which he reported the bearing habits of some 135 trees over a 10-year

period, and there were definite bearing cycles, or bearing habits. It

was not always an on year followed by an off year, but possibly two

years in a row, then nothing. There were some trees that went three

years without a crop, then a crop. Very few, however, had annual crops,

and the annual crops were heavy or moderately heavy, followed by what we

consider a light crop.

These trees were scattered through seven states and, of course,

conditions were not the same. They were all seedling trees, but careful

records were kept on the bearing habits. There was a group of trees that

could not be classified into any definite bearing habit. In those

instances we suspected unfavorable weather at pollination time, but as a

general rule, in our section I don't believe we are concerned with that

factor.

The Thomas, which we can watch carefully in a nearby orchard, is

definitely on one year and off the next. Quite a few are on one year and

off two years. We haven't found any way to make that an annual crop,

because when it sets a crop, it sets a bumper crop, and there is simply

not enough food in the tree to set a sufficient number of fruit buds for

the following year's crop. I am sure that a lot of you folks have

observed this, and I think, Mr. Magill, that you might sound out some of

them.

MR. MAGILL: Going back to an observation I made as a kid, money didn't

grow in bushes around our place, and back in those days you could go out

and kill ten rabbits and sell them for 8 cents apiece, and if you only

used 4 cents apiece for ammunition, you have made 40 cents off of the

deal and had $20 worth of fun, and that was a good day's work. You

remember those days, Pappy? Back in those same times, I used to get

money out of hauling black walnuts to an old corn sheller and having

people who didn't have an interest in the corn sheller sell them for 50

cents a bushel. That was also pin money. Come in mighty useful.

We had a certain group of trees on the farm I was raised on that bore

every other year, and I can think of two fields where we rearranged the

fences in such a way as to make pasture fields out of them, and two of

those trees were where 15 or 20 cattle pastured. These were the only

shade trees, and naturally they manured those trees. And I recall for a

few years I was getting annual crops from them. Apparently they got

something supplied by cattle that they didn't have otherwise. Others in

the foothills of Kentucky, have come to the same conclusion.

I know a man who has pecan holdings in Alabama. He told me up to the

time he got the farm the trees had a few blooms but wouldn't set pecans.

He applied 15 mineral elements and claims to have got results from it. I

have talked to at least three people in my travelling around who tried

the same treatment on pecans, one in Georgia, one in Alabama and one in

Mississippi. They reported that they had improved yield on pecans by

using complete mineral fertilizer. That's in addition to nitrogen,

phosphorus and potassium.

I am foolish enough to think that that nice, young orchard of Mrs.

Weber's would make an excellent place to try it. I understand that the

trees are not behaving as well as they should. I'd like for Ford

Wilkinson to be made chairman of a committee to see that they are

fertilized according to some kind of a schedule that could be worked out

and do some observing. That is one of the few places I know of in the

several states that would be as adequately laid out. I'd like to see a

complete fertilizer including nine or ten mineral elements used.

I don't mean spend a lot of money, but you can do a lot of observing for

relatively few dollars. I just throw that out as a hint.

I would like to open up this discussion. Mr. Bolten talked a while ago

about things he was growing out of the ground, or out of minerals.

Everything comes from the ground, and I reckon you'd say this Northern

Nut Growers Association is a little like Topsy, it just developed, as

the fellow about the weeds. He said they weren't created, they just come

all at once. Now I believe that out of this Northern Nut Growers

assembly here that we have got some keen observers that might have

something on their minds they want to tell us about. Who wants to speak

first?

MR. CALDWELL: This is just an observation I am throwing out for the

benefit of those who are here. I spent some time in China, and I was

interested in the fact that their walnuts there produced yearly crops.

In trying to find out why they produced yearly crops, I also discovered

that their persimmons, their plums and their peaches did the same thing.

The reason for that apparently goes back to their mythology. They

believe in signs and doing certain things according to certain seasons

of the year, and one of the things that they did was to gather together

in the dark of the moon on one particular night at a certain time and

beat the living daylights out of these trees with big bamboo clubs. I

wouldn't suggest that people here do that, but it's been known to

foresters quite a while that by transplanting or severely pruning or

girdling trees that you could produce fruits on these trees the

following year. Apparently the Chinese so injured the cambium during the

severe beating that they have caused that wound stimulus to induce the

formation of flower buds for the following year. By so doing in their

English or Persian walnuts they did have yearly crops. I have seen this

myself, and I checked back to see why. Perhaps they could explain it.

The only explanation we made was not fertilizing, but in the wounding of

the cambium. Now, perhaps there could be something done of that nature

for walnuts, but I wouldn't suggest getting around and beating the trees

up.

MR. MAGILL: In that connection, one man in Kentucky got the same answer.

He said about five years ago a cyclone came through there and blew the

chimney off the house and uprooted a number of apple trees and leaned

over three walnut trees, and he said they have borne five crops in

succession. Now, this is the same story that you have got there.

MR. STOKE: I'd just like to remark that I think that's a sort of

negative approach. I noticed a boy who had an apple tree that was about

to die. He girdled it and got a tremendous crop of blossom. You probably

have secured the same results. That is one of Nature's ways to

perpetuate itself. But I think there a constructive angle in those trees

that respond to nitrogenous fertilizer or manure. I believe the secret,

if there is a secret, is that a tree in bearing a crop exhausts itself

more or less. It recuperates the following year and then is ready to

bear another crop. And the way to meet that situation is to fertilize

heavily, especially with nitrogen, the season of the heavy crop so that

you will have not only enough leaf growth to produce that crop, but to

build up nutrients the following year. I believe that will help break

the cycle and establish more regularity.

Some trees do that themselves; that is, they will bear a moderate crop

every year. I have the Land walnut at home. It bears every year. Certain

chestnuts will bear every year, not excessive crops, but Hobson bears a

pretty good crop every year. I believe the secret of breaking that

on-and-off cycle is to fertilize heavily the year of production not the

year of non-production. If you apply nitrogen on the off year you

produce perhaps an excess of wood growth that year and overbearing the

following year.

MR. MAGILL: Referring to apples, any of you apple growers well know that

the Golden Delicious and York Imperial grow crops in alternate years.

Now, you come along with hormone sprays and take half or two-thirds of

the young fruits off soon after the trees blossom and throw them into

regular production. That's the same thing that you are talking about,

Mr. Stoke. I never heard of anybody thinning walnuts. I don't know

whether they do or not. A lot of things I don't know, but I don't know

of anybody ever thinning walnuts, except squirrels.

MR. WARD: Last year a lady from Kokomo, Indiana, wrote me that she had a

very fine walnut tree growing near Mr. Bolten's place in Greene County,

and as far as she could remember that tree had borne an annual crop for

the past 70 years. I wrote to Mr. Bolten asking him to investigate. If

I remember correctly, these trees were grown in the poorest possible

place. Is that right, Mr. Bolten?

MR. BOLTEN: Yes.

MR. WARD: There were two or three trees right close together that had a

nice crop and the ground was covered with a lot of nice nuts which Mr.

Bolten thought worth propagating, and he has a tree already started.

We have other varieties that we call the Saul, the Goose Creek and the

Alley, which are all seedlings and which have produced almost every year

with about the same size of crop.

In our own planting, at the University, we have tried a lot of things

without telling anybody about it. Every once in a while the boys mow the

orchard, and have bruised and barked a lot of these trees with no effect

whatever on bearing. We have time and time again taken the Stambaugh,

Ohio, Thomas, Stabler, and Aurora and have given them a good shot of

fertilizer in the spring after a rain, and have produced wonderful

growth in all of those years but still had only a light crop.

A few years ago some of the boys were spraying the apple orchard with

Nu-Green and Urea at the rate of 5 pounds to 100 gallons of water, and

had a little extra. They said, "Well, we don't like Ward's nut trees

over there, we will put this stuff on them, and if it kills them, that's

all right, and if they live, that's all right, too." They gave them some

feeding throughout the summer and we haven't found any different

results.

MR. STOKE: May I say just one more thing to clarify my suggestion? I was

assuming that potash and phosphate were present in sufficient quantity.

What I wanted was leaf growth to store up energy and nutrients for the

following year and to apply that on the year of heavy crop, so besides

maturing the crop, it will provide that leaf growth, and not in the year

of no crop.

MR. WARD: We have tried that both ways, and going back, Mr. Stoke, again

to the lack of pollination, it seems like both the pistillate and

staminate flowers are there, but they just don't set a crop of fruit.

MR. STOKE: One thing more I wanted to say, and it slipped my mind. We

know any tree that grows too rapidly will not produce seed nor fruit,

and excess nitrogen on apple or walnut or anything else will not cause

the formation of fruit buds, but the normal amount is necessary for the

formation of buds.

MR. MCDANIEL: We have even got alternate bearing on persimmons in Urbana

now. Trees that bore extremely heavily didn't bloom this year.

MR. MAGILL: We hill-billies have been taking a pass at that. I wonder if

Dr. Slate couldn't give us some scientific facts about this. How about

it, Slate?

DR. SLATE: Mr. Caldwell's remarks about the beating of the walnut trees

in China reminds me of an ancient saying that, "A dog, a woman, a walnut

tree, the more you beat them the better they be."

MR. DAVIDSON: One of my seedlings began to bear seven years ago, and has

borne steadily every year exceptionally large crops. It never failed

until this year, and the only explanation that I can give is that just

as the bloom was incepted we had continuous rains. There was no

pollination of that tree, whereas other trees that were receptive at

other times are pretty well filled.

Out of two or three thousand trees you will find some exceptional ones.

I have some that bear fairly good crops but do not fill. Walnut trees

are just as different from each other as are apple trees. There are some

things you can't do anything about at all, and weather is one of the

things. One shouldn't be too much mystified by an occasional failure,

because it may be due to continuous rains during the period of

pollination and when they are receptive.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: This matter of alternate bearing is one that has

plagued the pomologist for a great many years, and one in which we made

little progress, with apples for example, until with hormone sprays the

trees could be thinned very early in the year. Any thinning done after

the fruit was the size of your thumb was too late. However, now that the

fruit can be thinned when it is very young, real progress is being made

in securing annual bearing on varieties that previously were a serious

problem in alternate bearing.

The failure to fruit is due to many different factors. Some of these are

external such as frost and rain at pollen shedding. There is nothing you

can do about these. Other factors are internal and determine the

formation of fruit buds. If the tree is carrying an exceptionally heavy

crop, the chances are it will not have enough of the material which

determines the setting of buds to form buds for the following year. With

the apples we can do something about this by thinning the crop at the

time it blooms. With walnuts, I don't see how we are going to do it.

Fertilization is another approach.

Certainly we should make conditions just as favorable as possible for

growth and for the development of the buds and by all means control

insects and diseases. If you do not have a good leaf surface good crops

will not be set the next year. It's a complex problem, but I don't think

it is insoluble.

DR. MCKAY: Mr. Chairman, in connection with this matter of annual

bearing of black walnut trees we believe that in doing all sorts of

things you will not influence the yielding of most of our black walnut

varieties. The black walnut, _Juglans nigra_ is probably--some of us

think, at least--constituted genetically in such a way that the

varieties we have do not yield annual crops simply because they are not

constituted that way. I know some of you may disagree with me, but one

of the greatest arguments for this idea is the fact that in some of our

other nut species we do have varieties that are genetically heavy

producers. For instance, we have a selection of Chinese chestnuts right

now that will bear annual crops on the poorest soil under any conditions

imaginable. You can graft scions of that tree on other stocks and plant

them anywhere you choose under differing conditions and it will have a

heavy set of burs. It may not fill the nuts, it may not attain the size,

but genetically speaking, inherently it is a heavy bearer. Perhaps our

black walnut species are inherently not annual producers. This is hard

to prove, I admit, because the breeding of the species takes so long

that we cannot actually demonstrate it.

We have felt also that the black walnut species as a whole does not have

the characteristics of thin shells and good cracking qualities that we

want. For this reason we have begun a program of crossing the black

walnut with the English or Persian walnut, in order to get the thin

shell that we want from the other species. Perhaps the same thing is

true in the question of yield and the species as a whole does not have

the characteristic of yielding heavy annual crops.

MR. MAGILL: I think we can readily see that we haven't settled this

problem but it is time to close the discussion.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: The next paper that we have is by H. F. Stoke of

Roanoke, Virginia, "Survey on Hickory Varieties." Mr. Stoke is the

chairman of our Survey Committee. Last year he brought us very valuable

information about walnuts, and this year he is going to talk about the

hickories. Mr. Stoke.

MR. STOKE: They delegated the job to the Survey Committee to make a

hickory survey for this year, using the different state and provincial

and national vice-presidents to collect the data. I am going to read

this.

The 1952 Hickory Survey

By the Survey Committee

H. F. STOKE, _Chairman_

In compiling this report the pecan has been omitted from the list. As it

is the most important member of the hickory group it was felt that the

national and state pecan associations are far more competent to compile

complete and reliable data on the species than is this organization.

The response by our vice-presidents to the questionnaire sent out has

been rather disappointing, replies having been received from slightly

less than half their number. It is apparent that interest in the hickory

is considerably less than in the black walnut, which was surveyed in

1951.

Perhaps the most beloved and widely distributed of the hickories is the

shagbark, _Carya ovata_. It is reported from Massachusetts on the east

to southeastern Minnesota, southward to Texas and eastward to the

Carolinas where it mingles with and is sometimes confused with the

scalybark. In the opinion of many the superb distinctive flavor of its

nuts is not equaled by those of any species.

The domain of the Shellbark or Kingnut _C. laciniosa_ lies within the

same area but is slightly less extensive. Like the pecan, it is partial

to the rich alluvial bottom lands along streams and is seldom found

elsewhere. It occurs rarely in Virginia and North Carolina, and there

only in the Appalachian area.

The Scalybark or southern Shagbark, _C. Carolina septentrionalis_, is

reported only by Virginia, West Virginia and the Carolinas.

The White Hickory or Mockernut, _C. alba_, covers the South and is

reported as far north as Pennsylvania, Ohio and Indiana and, rarely, in

Michigan. It is found from the Atlantic coast to east Texas.

The widely distributed Bitternut, _C. cordiformis_, covers virtually the

same territory as the shagbark.

The Sweet Pignut, _C. glabra_, is reported from New Hampshire to

Wisconsin and southward to North Carolina. Its south-westward occurrence

has not been defined in reports received.

In addition to these better-known species, the Water Hickory, _C.

aquatica_, is reported from Louisiana, and the Black Hickory, _C.

buckleyi_, from Indiana and Texas.

In an unusually full report Indiana lists all of sixteen hickory species

and sub-species as appearing in The Flora of Indiana, a book by Mr.

Charles Deam, former State Forester. The list follows.

1. _C. pecan_

2. _C. cordiformis_

3. _C. ovata_

3a. _C. ovata_, var, _fraxinifolia_

3b. _C. ovata_, var. _nuttali_

4. _C. laciniosa_

5. _C. tomentosa (alba)_

5a. _C. tomentosa_ var. _subcoriacea_

6. _C. glabra_

6a. _C. glabra_ var. _megacarpa_

7. _C. ovalis_

7a, b, c. _C. ovalis_ var. _odorata_

7d. _C. ovalis_ var. _obovalis_

7e. _C. ovalis_ var. _obcordata_

8. _C. ovalis_ var. _pallida_

9. _C. ovalis_ var. _buckleyi_

Doubtless many sub-species and variants are actually hybrids of obscure

ancestry. Virginia has many such.

There is no reason to doubt that the hickories will grow anywhere

ecological conditions approximate those of their native habitat. This is

true in the Pacific coast states. Mr. Julio Grandjean, of Hillerod,

Denmark, reports that there are several white hickories, _C. alba_ or

_C. tomentosa_, growing in the Horsholm Royal Park that were planted

about 1790. There is no reason to believe that such northern species as

the shellbark and shagbark would not also succeed. He reports

winter-killing of pecans from southern sources. Inasmuch as extreme

winter temperatures in Denmark are less than in some places where the

pecan is grown here, it would appear that the more northern strains

should succeed there, though lack of summer heat would prevent the

maturing of nuts.

There appears to be much less interest in planting hickories on home

grounds than the value of the species justifies. Only five states,

Indiana, Ohio, Michigan, Pennsylvania and West Virginia, indicated any

local interest. In each case the shagbark was the preferred species.

Apparently we must still depend on the much-abused squirrel for the

future of the hickory.

R. E. Hodgson of the Southeast Experiment Station, Waseca, Minn.,

reports 15 named varieties of hickory under test, but no evaluation of

their worth can be made as yet.

Dr. R. T. Dunstan of Greensboro, North Carolina, has also a considerable

number of hickory varieties under more advanced test. Results have been

highly variable. He finds that Schinnerling has filled poorly; Whitney

and Shaul are "Excellent growers and highly satisfactory bearers."

Whitney, however, with a kernel of superb quality, cracks poorly and the

husk is thick and heavy. Shaul is reported as having a rather thin

kernel and cracking poorly, also.

Romig, that has been late in coming into bearing, is described as

producing a large, handsome nut of good quality that cracks unusually

well. Grainger, good in other respects, has borne light crops as also

have Glover and Weschcke. Fox is described as superb in every respect

except cracking quality.

Among the hicans, Burton is declared to be outstanding in vigor and

health of tree, and production of good regular crops of delicious nuts

that crack well.

It is interesting to note that in his extensive hickory experiments Dr.

Dunstan is using pecan stocks. He uses the bark-slot method of grafting

and hot wax compounded of 10 parts resin, 2 parts beeswax and one part

Kieselguhr. Both method and wax he finds highly successful.

Dr. Dunstan also reports a Mahan pecan grafted on a white or mockernut

hickory stock that produces heavy crops of well-filled nuts. This is an

exceptional performance for this variety.

Mr. Fayette Etter, of Pennsylvania, supports Dr. Dunstan in the use of

pecan stocks for hickories. He states that the young trees grow more

rapidly in the nursery, transplant better, and grow faster thereafter

than when on hickory stocks.

Mr. A. G. Hirschi, of Oklahoma reports that in the hilly "blackjack"

country of southeastern Oklahoma the scrub has been cleared away and a

40-acre project of grafting the native hickory (probably white or

mockernut) with pecan has been established. The land has been terraced

and is cropped with cotton. The results have been so satisfactory that

this plot in one year carried off more prizes on pecans than any other

entry within the state.

Mr. Harald E. Hammar reports from Louisiana that there has been some

grafting of pecan on hickory, species not specified. The older trees

show a decided overgrowth of the hickory stock by the more vigorous

pecan, in some cases the diameter being almost double above the graft of

that below.

In virtually all cases of topworking hickory on pecan, or vice versa,

the bark slot graft has been used.

In point of preference of named varieties, Michigan suggests Abscoda,

Ohio suggests Stafford, while Pennsylvania recommends Glover, Goheen,

Whitney and Weschcke, in that order.

In naming the insects and diseases that attack the hickories,

Pennsylvania offers the following rather appalling list:

Nut curculio

Hickory shuckworm

Galls

Spider mites

Twig girdlers

Fall web worm

Pecan phylloxera

Black pecan aphids

Flathead apple borer

Other unnamed borers

Those that know Mr. Etter will understand that this formidable list is

due to his excellent powers of observation and his integrity rather than

to the likelihood that the state of Pennsylvania is worse plagued with

insects than others. Dr. Dunstan lists leaf-spot along with some of

those listed above, but adds that none are generally serious. This is

corroborated by other reporters.

Wild nuts are generally harvested for home use. Commercial marketing,

reported by Pennsylvania, Indiana, West Virginia, Virginia and North

Carolina, is in all cases local. Usually the nuts are marketed whole,

but occasionally home-picked kernels are sold.

Good stands of second-growth shagbark hickory are reported in

Pennsylvania. Kansas reports limited shellbark and bitternut stands.

West Virginia reports considerable stands of young shagbark and pignut,

while North Carolina reports small stands of mockernut.

The industrial use of hickory reached its height in the horse and buggy

days. Nothing equalled its strong, tough wood for the wheels and running

gears of horse-drawn vehicles. Old-timers will recall "hoop poles", tall

slender young saplings of shagbark hickory that were split and fashioned

with the "drawshave" into barrel hoops.

The market for hickory still remains, however. It is universally used

for hand tool handles, if obtainable. In the mountains of the South

hickory "splints" are still woven into imperishable baskets and chair

seats. Louisiana insists it is still the only fuel for roasting barbecue

and there is, indeed, no finer wood fuel of any species.

Those propagating hickory trees for sale and distribution should be

given every encouragement. They are contributing a real patriotic

service. No tree is more characteristically American. Except for a

related species in China, it is found nowhere else in the world. In

beauty, utility and durability no tree has greater appeal. Who plants a

hickory plants for generations unborn.

MR. STOKE: If there are any misstatements, I'd be glad to have them

publicly corrected.

PRESIDENT MacDANIELS: Thank you, Mr. Stoke. The comment that you made

that there wasn't as much enthusiasm about the hickory as about the

black walnut, although true, is not the way I personally feel about it.

I have at Ithaca a number of trees of various kinds of nuts, and I think

that the enjoyment I get out of the hickories, which we grow, is as

great or greater than that from the black walnuts. The Davis hickory is

one of the best that matures, the Wilcox--that's an Ohio nut--probably

has a bushel and a half of nuts in the shuck this year, and the Kentucky

will give a pretty good record. Of about 20 varieties, those are the

only ones which amount to anything, and we have a fairly good selection.

There was a good deal said about stocks in Mr. Stoke's discussion. We

have a short paper here by Gilbert Smith on his experience with stocks,

and I have asked Mr. Chase to read it. Mr. Smith began topworking

seedling trees on a side hill many years ago and has trees of good size

at the present time.

MR. CHASE: This is a short discussion of several species of hickory

which Mr. Smith has used as stocks to graft named varieties.

A Discussion of Hickory Stocks

Gilbert L. Smith, _Rt. 2, Millerton, N. Y._

This is a discussion of several species of hickory as stocks on which to

graft the named varieties of shagbark, shellbark and hybrid hickories.

We have never had any experience grafting pecan as we are too far north

for it. This paper is limited to the species with which we have had

experience.

SWEET PIGNUT, _Carya ovalis_

This species will be discussed first because it is the poorest stock of

any of the hickory species which we have used. This is probably because

it is a tetraploid while the shagbark, shellbark and hybrids are

diploids.

We have grafted many of the named varieties of hickory onto pignut

stocks, using several thousand scions. We have found only one variety

(the Davis shagbark) that will grow on pignut stock. We have heard of

one or two others but have never tried them.

Nearly all varieties grow well the first season but fail to leaf out the

following spring. They appear to winterkill. Davis has continued to grow

on it for over fifteen years but growth is slower than on shagbark or

bitternut stocks.

PIGNUT, _Carya glabra_

I have never been able to positively identify this species of pignut.

Pignuts growing here vary considerably in roughness of the bark, some

being smooth while others are as rough as the shagbark. In other

respects they are essentially the same, all having seven leaflets per

leaf. However, I have observed a very few pignut trees having smooth

bark and five leaflets per leaf. The leaves are finer and smaller than

on the seven leaflet trees.

These may be the _glabra_ species, but if so, grafting results have been

no better on these than on the seven leaflet trees.

As nursery stock the pignuts are worthless. However if one has some nice

young pignut trees growing where he wants them, it is feasible to graft

them to Davis or some other variety which has proven its ability to grow

on pignut stocks. It is not advisable to graft hickory trees growing in

dense woods.

MOCKERNUT, _Carya alba_

While the mockernut is also a tetraploid, it is a somewhat better stock

than the pignuts, in that more of the named varieties will grow on it

and as the mockernut is faster growing than the pignut, such grafts will

usually grow faster.

It is of little value as a nursery stock, but if one has young mockernut

trees growing where hickory trees are wanted, they would be somewhat

better to graft than would pignut trees. One would at least have a

larger selection of varieties and the grafts would grow faster.

PECAN, _Carya illinoiensis_

While we have read many favorable reports on the use of the pecan as a

stock on which to graft shagbark, shellbark and hybrid hickories, our

own experiences with it have not been very favorable. This may be due to

the fact that we have used only two varieties of shagbark on

pecan-stocks and may have happened to use two varieties that are not

well adapted to pecan.

Pecan seedlings are much faster growing than are shagbark seedlings and

for this reason would be valuable as a nursery stock if satisfactory in

other respects.

BITTERNUT, _Carya cordiformis_

All of our experiences with bitternut as a stock, both in the nursery

and as young trees growing in permanent locations, have been very

favorable.

We have heard reports of grafts failing on bitternut stocks after a few

years growth. All such reports have come from regions considerably

farther south than our location. It may be that the bitternut does not

thrive as well in the South as it does here.

Bitternut seedlings are much faster growing than are shagbark seedlings.

This is of considerable value in the nursery.

SHAGBARK, _Carya ovata_

The shagbark makes the best stock on which to graft the named varieties

of shagbark, shellbark and hybrid hickories. However it has one very

serious drawback in that young shagbark seedlings are so very slow

growing. It usually takes five or more years to grow a shagbark stock

from seed to a size large enough to graft in the nursery row.

However, when shagbark stocks are large enough to be grafted, all of the

named varieties we have grafted onto it have grown well.

SHELLBARK, _Carya laciniosa_

We have never had any experience with shellbark seedlings as stocks, but

as it is so similar to the shagbark, I expect that it would make a good

stock.

The production of grafted hickory trees is a serious problem in the

nursery, taking many years to grow the stocks and the grafted trees are

difficult to transplant, resulting in a high rate of mortality.