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|DISCLAIMER |
| |
|The articles published in the Annual Reports of the Northern Nut Growers|
|Association are the findings and thoughts solely of the authors and are |
|not to be construed as an endorsement by the Northern Nut Growers |
|Association, its board of directors, or its members. No endorsement is |
|intended for products mentioned, nor is criticism meant for products not|
|mentioned. The laws and recommendations for pesticide application may |
|have changed since the articles were written. It is always the pesticide|
|applicator's responsibility, by law, to read and follow all current |
|label directions for the specific pesticide being used. The discussion |
|of specific nut tree cultivars and of specific techniques to grow nut |
|trees that might have been successful in one area and at a particular |
|time is not a guarantee that similar results will occur elsewhere. |
| |
+------------------------------------------------------------------------+
NORTHERN NUT GROWERS ASSOCIATION
REPORT
OF THE PROCEEDINGS AT THE
SECOND ANNUAL MEETING
ITHACA, NEW YORK
DECEMBER 14 AND 15, 1911
PRESS OF THE ITHACA JOURNAL
ITHACA, NEW YORK
1912
+--------------------------------------------+
|Transcribers' note: |
| |
|The errors listed below have been corrected.|
+--------------------------------------------+
Errata
Page 3, under "Officers" transpose addresses of President and
Vice-President.
Page 23, line 5, for "Pennsylvania" read "Louisiana."
Page 103, line 2, for "Siebold" read "Nebo."
[Illustration: MR. HENRY HALES OF RIDGEWOOD, NEW JERSEY _And the
Original Hales' Paper Shell Hickory Tree_]
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Officers and Committees of the Association 3
Members of the Association 4
Constitution and Rules of the Association 6
Proceedings of the meeting held at Ithaca, New York,
Dec. 14th and 15th, 1911 7
Address of Welcome by Professor Craig 7
Secretary's Report of the Meeting for Organization held in New York
Nov. 17th, 1910 8
Secretary-Treasurers' Report for the Year 10
Discussion on Juglans Mandshurica 12
President's Address. The Hickories, Robert T. Morris, M. D. 14
Discussion 21
The Chestnut Bark Disease. J. Franklin Collins, Washington, D. C. 37
Discussion 43
Nut Growing in the Northern States. C. A. Reed, Washington, D. C. 49
Discussion 56
The Indiana Pecan. T. P. Littlepage, Washington, D. C. 62
Discussion 74
Executive Session 75
The Bench Root-Grafting of Persian Walnuts and Pecans.
C. P. Close, Washington, D. C. 79
Discussion 80
The Hales' Paper Shell Hickory. Henry Hales, Ridgewood, New Jersey 85
Discussion 86
Nut Promotions. W. C. Deming, M. D., New York 89
Some Facts Concerning Pecan Trees for Planting in the North.
W. N. Roper, Petersburg, Virginia 92
Discussion 95
The Scolytus Beetle. Prof. G. W. Herrick, Ithaca, New York 96
Discussion 99
The Persian Walnut in California. Prof. E. R. Lake,
Washington, D. C. 100
Discussion 102
Is There a Future for Juglans Regia and Hicoria Pecan in New York
and New England? Prof. John Craig, Ithaca, N. Y. 106
Resolutions and Executive Session 109
Exhibits 110
Appendix 111
Miscellaneous Notes 111
Report of Committee on Exhibits 111
Prize Nuts 112
Report of the Committee on the Nomenclature of Juglans
Mandshurica and the Shellbark Hickories 114
The Hickory Bark Borer. Circular and Correspondence 116
Resolutions of the Pennsylvania Conference on the Chestnut-tree
Bark Disease 122
OFFICERS
President Robert T. Morris New York
Vice-President T. P. Littlepage Indiana
Secretary and Treasurer W. C. Deming Westchester, New York City
COMMITTEES
_Executive_
John Craig
C. A. Reed
W. N. Roper
And the Officers
_On Promising Seedlings_
T. P. Littlepage
C. A. Reed
W. C. Deming
_On Hybrids_
R. T. Morris
Henry Hicks
C. P. Close
_On Membership_
W. C. Deming
E. R. Lake
J. G. Rush
W. N. Roper
_On Nomenclature_
John Craig
R. T. Morris
W. C. Deming
_On Press and Publication_
W. N. Roper
T. P. Littlepage
W. C. Deming
STATE VICE-PRESIDENTS
Connecticut Charles H. Plump West Redding
Florida H. Harold Hume Glen St. Mary
Georgia G. C. Schempp, Jr. Albany, Route 3
Illinois Dr. F. S. Crocker Chicago
Indiana R. L. McCoy Lake, Spencer Co.
Louisiana J. F. Jones Jeanerette
Maryland C. P. Close Washington, D. C.
Massachusetts Bernhard Hoffman Stockbridge
Minnesota C. A. Van Duzee St. Paul
New Jersey A. B. Malcomson West Orange
New York A. C. Pomeroy Lockport
Ohio J. H. Dayton Painesville
Panama B. F. Womack Canal Zone
Pennsylvania J. G. Rush West Willow
Virginia W. N. Roper Petersburg
MEMBERS OF THE NORTHERN NUT GROWERS' ASSOCIATION
Abbott, Frederick B., 419 9th St., Brooklyn, N.Y.
Barron, Leonard, Editor The Garden Magazine, Garden City, L.I. Benner,
Charles, 100 Broadway, New York City.
Button, Herbert, Bonnie Brook Farm, Cazenovia, N.Y.
Chute, Miss Bessie, 1024 University Ave. S.E., Minneapolis, Minn.
Clendenin, Rev. Dr. F. M., Westchester, New York City.
Close, Prof. C. P., Expert in Fruit Identification, U. S. Dept. of
Agriculture, Washington, D. C.
Coleman, H. H., the Northwestern Mutual Life Insurance Co., Newark, N.J.
Craig, Prof. John, New York State College of Agriculture, Ithaca, N.Y.
Crocker, Dr. F. S., Columbus Memorial Building, Chicago, Ill.
Dayton, J. H., Painesville, Ohio. Representing the Storrs & Harrison
Company.
Deming, Dr. N. L., Litchfield, Conn.
Deming, Dr. W. C., Westchester, New York City.
Deming, Mrs. W. C., Georgetown, Conn.
Dennis, Dr. Frank L., The Colchester, Colorado Springs, Colorado.
*Hales, Henry, Ridgewood, N.J.
Hicks, Henry, Westbury Station, L.I.
Hoffman, Bernhard, Stockbridge, Mass.
Holden, E. B., Hilton, N.Y.
Holmes, J. A., 127 Eddy St., Ithaca, N.Y.
Hume, H. Harold, Glen St. Mary, Fla.
Hungerford, Newman, 45 Prospect St., Hartford, Conn.
+Huntington, A. M., 15 W. 81st St., New York City.
James, Dr. W. B., 17 W. 54th St., New York City.
Jessup, Miss Maud M., 440 (40) Thomas St., Grand Rapids, Mich.
+Jones, J. F., Jeanerette, La.
Kiefer, Louis W., 901 N. Elm St., Henderson, Ky.
Lake, Prof. E. R., Asst. Pomologist, Dept. of Agric., Washington, D.C.
Littlepage, T. P., Union Trust Building, Washington, D.C.
Lovett, Mrs. Joseph L., Emilie, Bucks Co., Pa.
McCoy, R. L., Ohio Valley Forest Nursery, Lake, Spencer Co., Ind.
Malcomson, A. B., 132 Nassau St., New York City.
Mayo, E. S., Rochester, N.Y. Representing Glen Brothers.
Meehan, S. Mendelson, Germantown, Phila., Pa. Representing Thomas Meehan
and Sons.
Miller, Mrs. E. B., Enid, Oklahoma, R. 7, Box 47-1/2.
Miller, Mrs. Seaman, c/o Mr. Seaman Miller, 2 Rector St., N.Y. City.
Morris, Dr. Robert T., 616 Madison Ave., New York City.
Moses, Theodore W., Harvard Club, 27 W. 44th St., New York City.
Pierson, Miss A. Elizabeth, Cromwell, Conn.
Plump, Chas. H., West Redding, Conn.
Pomeroy, A. C., Lockport, N.Y.
Potter, Hon. W. O., Marion, Ill.
Reed, C. A., Div. of Pomology, U.S. Dept. of Agric., Washington, D.C.
Riehl. E. A., Alton, Ill.
Roper, Wm. N., Arrowfield Nursery Co., Petersburg, Va.
Rose, Wm. J., 413 Market St., Harrisburg, Pa.
Rush. J. G., West Willow, Pa.
Sensenig, Wayne.
Schempp, G. C., Jr., Route 3, Albany, Ga.
Shoemaker, Seth W., Agric. Ed. Int. Corresp. Schools, Scranton, Pa.
Smith, Goldwin, Highland Creek, Ontario, Canada.
Smith, Percival P., 108 S. La Salle St., Chicago, Ill.
Tuckerman, Bayard, 118 E. 37th St., New York City.
Van Duzee, Col. C. A., St. Paul, Minn.
Walter, Dr. Harry, The Chalfonte, Atlantic City, N. J.
Wentink, Frank, 75 Grove St., Passaic, N. J.
Williams, Dr. Charles Mallory, 48 E. 49th St., New York City.
Williams, Harrison, Erie R. R. Co., 50 Church St., New York City.
+Wissmann, Mrs. P. deR., 707 Fifth Ave., New York City.
Womack, B. F., Ancon Canal Zone, Panama.
*Honorary member.
+Life member.
CONSTITUTION AND RULES OF THE NORTHERN NUT GROWERS ASSOCIATION.
_Name._ The society shall be known as the NORTHERN NUT GROWERS
ASSOCIATION.
_Object._ The promotion of interest in nut-producing plants, their
products and their culture.
_Membership._ Membership in the society shall be open to all persons who
desire to further nut culture, without reference to place of residence
or nationality, subject to the approval of the committee on membership.
_Officers._ There shall be a president, a vice-president, and a
secretary-treasurer; an executive committee of five persons, of which
the president, vice-president and secretary shall be members; and a
state vice-president from each state represented in the membership of
the association.
_Election of Officers._ A committee of five members shall be elected at
the annual meeting for the purpose of nominating officers for the
subsequent year.
_Meetings._ The place and time of the annual meeting shall be selected
by the membership in session or, in the event of no selection being made
at this time, the executive committee shall choose the place and time
for the holding of the annual convention. Such other meetings as may
seem desirable may be called by the president and executive committee.
_Fees._ The fees shall be of two kinds, annual and life. The former
shall be two dollars, the latter twenty dollars.
_Discipline._ The committee on membership may make recommendations to
the association as to the discipline or expulsion of any member.
_Committees._ The association shall appoint standing committees of three
members each to consider and report on the following topics at each
annual meeting: first, on promising seedlings; second, on nomenclature;
third, on hybrids; fourth, on membership; fifth, on press and
publication.
The Northern Nut Growers Association
SECOND ANNUAL MEETING
THURSDAY, DECEMBER 14, 1911, 10 A. M.
ROOM 191, NEW YORK STATE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE, ITHACA, NEW YORK.
President Morris: The meeting is called to order and I will first ask
Professor Craig to make a few remarks on behalf of the College Director
and the President of the University.
Professor Craig: It is my privilege and pleasure to welcome the
representatives of the Northern Nut Growers' Association in this, their
second annual meeting, to the New York State College of Agriculture. I
regret exceedingly that Director Bailey, who has been avoiding out of
state engagements this winter quite generally, made one about two months
ago for this day, about a thousand miles away, which makes it absolutely
impossible for him to be with us. He regretted this very much, and asked
me particularly to impress upon you the idea that he was most anxious
that this Association should meet here, and that all the facilities of
the College of Agriculture should be placed at your disposal, for the
purpose of making your meeting as profitable and as pleasant as
possible.
President Schurman, whose time at this period of the year is much
monopolized and who is by previous engagements occupied very completely
this morning, has asked me to say to you that he hoped to be able to
come over and join us informally some time during the afternoon. I wish
then to impress the thought that, although the official representatives
of the University and College are not with us, they have not forgotten
this meeting. As a member of the Executive Committee, in charge of the
sessions, I have made up a tentative program for this morning for the
purpose of starting the meeting off; and as the President will
undoubtedly tell you later on, this program is subject to revision and
change according to the convenience of the members. It is proposed to
occupy this morning with regular program subjects, and it has been
suggested that this afternoon we take a couple of hours' leisure which
we may use in examining the exhibits or in viewing the University, if
you care to consider that an exhibit worth while. It will be our
pleasure to furnish guides for those who desire to make an excursion
around and through the University buildings.
Let me say in conclusion that I hope you will make use of the
opportunities and facilities that are at your full disposal. The
Department of Horticulture is located on the second floor. I would like
you to make that office your headquarters, and make use of our clerical
force, and such facilities as are available, to the fullest measure
possible, so that your visit will be pleasant, as I am sure it will be
profitable.
President Morris: The next order of business will be the report from the
Secretary-Treasurer, and the report of the last meeting.
* * * * *
Doctor Deming: A meeting for organization of Northern Nut Growers was
held, on the invitation of Dr. N. L. Britton, at the Botanical Museum in
Bronx Park, New York City, on Nov. 17th, 1910.
Dr. Britton called the meeting to order, stated its purpose and
presented specimens.
Those present were:
Dr. N. L. Britton, Director N. Y. Botanic Gardens.
Dr. Robert T. Morris, 616 Madison Ave., New York City.
Prof. John Craig, of Cornell University.
Mr. T. P. Littlepage, Union Trust Building, Washington, D. C.
Mr. A. B. Malcomson, Orange, N. J.
Mr. Henry Hales, Ridgewood, N. J.
Mrs. Joseph L. Lovett, Emilie, Bucks County, Pa.
Mrs. Yardly (with Mrs. Lovett).
Dr. Geo. Knapp, (at the request of Simpson Bros., Vincennes, Ind.) 21
Claremont Ave., New York City.
Mr. C. A. Schwartze, 92 Stagg St., Brooklyn, N. Y.
Mr. Nash, of the Botanical Museum.
Dr. W. C. Deming, Westchester, New York City.
On the retirement of Dr. Britton Dr. Deming acted as temporary chairman
and read a number of letters from persons interested in nut culture
encouraging the formation of an association.
The chairman appointed Prof. Craig, Dr. Morris and Mr. Littlepage a
committee to draw up a tentative constitution or set of working rules
until permanent organization could be effected. The committee made the
following report which was adopted with the understanding that the
executive committee should consider the question of constitution and
by-laws and report at the next regular meeting.
* * * * *
_Name._ The society shall be known as the NORTHERN NUT GROWERS
ASSOCIATION.
_Object._ The promotion of interest in nut-producing plants, their
products and their culture.
_Membership._ Membership in the society shall be open to all persons who
desire to further nut culture, without reference to place of residence
or nationality.
_Officers._ There shall be a president, a vice-president, a
secretary-treasurer and an executive committee of five persons, of which
latter the president and secretary shall be members.
_Meetings._ The association shall hold an annual meeting on or about
Nov. 15 and such other special meetings as may seem desirable, these to
be called by the president and executive committee.
_Fees._ The fees shall be of two kinds, annual and life. The former
shall be $2.00, the latter $20.00.
In addition to the large number of letters showing a wide spread
interest in nut growing, communications of especial interest were
received from Prof. W. N. Hutt, State Horticulturist of North Carolina,
Mr. W. N. Roper, former editor of the American Fruit and Nut Journal,
and from Mr. Henry Hicks of Westbury, Long Island.
The election of officers resulted as follows:
President--Dr. Robert T. Morris, New York City.
Vice-President--Mr. T. P. Littlepage, Washington, D. C.
Secretary-Treasurer--Dr. W. C. Deming, Westchester, New York
City.
Executive Committee: Prof. John Craig, Cornell University;
Henry Hales, Ridgewood, N. J.; Prof. C. P. Close, College
Park, Md.
Exhibits of nuts, nut literature, trees, grafting methods, a budding
tool, etc., were received and shown from nineteen different
contributors. A detailed account of these has been published and is on
file.
The following resolution, introduced by Mr. T. P. Littlepage, was
unanimously adopted:
Resolved, that the Northern Nut Growers' Association express its
appreciation of the attitude of the National Nut Growers' Association in
encouraging the organization of associations which have for their
purpose the development of the nut industry, and we hereby pledge our
support to, and our cooperation with, said National Nut Growers'
Association. And be it further
Resolved, that we hereby acknowledge our great obligation to the many
pioneer nut growers of the South who have done so much to put nut
culture on a scientific basis, and that we express to them our deep
gratitude for the fund of valuable information and data which they have
worked out and made available.
The meeting then adjourned.
The Secretary-Treasurer has received for membership fees $108.00, and
expended for postage, printing and stationery, telephone and telegrams,
$59.27. Remaining in treasury, $48.73.
The following leaflets were issued during the year:
A reprint of Dr. Morris's article "Nut Culture for Physicians."
A list of societies, books and other publications devoted to nut
culture.
A list of some of the chief nurserymen carrying nut trees in stock.
The President also published in the Garden Magazine for May an article
on nut culture, in which he referred to our organization, as a result of
which some 45 letters of inquiry were received by the secretary,
covering the country from Canada to Texas and from British Columbia to
Panama.
The leaflets, and notices of the annual meeting, have been sent to about
321 addresses, including the members, agricultural journals, nurserymen
and nut dealers, government and state officials, state horticulturists,
correspondents and persons who it was thought might be interested.
The following letter was sent to 21 leading nurserymen:
"The President of our association, Dr. Robert T. Morris of New
York, asks me to suggest to you that it might be well for your
firm, or some member of it, to join the association, to be present
at the meetings and to take up the matter of raising such nursery
stock as is in constant and growing demand by the members. We need
to be in touch with those who are growing things commercially and
if they are present at the meetings they will know what we want.
The national association is largely made up of professional
nurserymen."
Nov. 15, 1911.
Two nurserymen have accepted the invitation. Evidently the others do not
yet think the northern nut grower one whose acquaintance is worth
cultivating. We hope to convince them to the contrary.
The following letter has been sent to the state horticulturists of the
northern states and the provinces of Canada.
"The Northern Nut Growers' Association desires your interest, your
aid and advice, your membership and, if possible, your attendance
at the meetings.
It would also be of help to the association in its work if you
would give it information of those persons in your state who are
interested in nut culture."
Nov. 15, 1911.
Cordial replies have been received from M. B. Cummings, Secretary of the
Vermont Horticultural Society; from Le Roy Cady, Chief of the Division
of Horticulture, Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station; and from J.
H. Poster, Professor of Forestry, New Hampshire Agricultural College.
Fifty postal card reminders of this meeting were sent to members and
others a week ago.
The secretary has also made investigation by correspondence on the
hickory bark beetle and the identity of _Juglans mandshurica_.
The response from all communications to the various officials of the
Department of Agriculture at Washington has been prompt, cordial,
interesting and helpful. This should certainly be very encouraging, if
encouragement is needed, coming from men likely to be far-seeing as to
the needs for, and the possibilities of, nut culture. Prof. Frederick V.
Coville is conducting experiments in rooting hickory cuttings sent by
the secretary. Prof. Walter Swingle offers his cooperation in
experiments in propagation.
The general correspondence received by the secretary shows an interest
and an enthusiasm that reveals the growing appreciation of the
importance of the purposes for which this association stands.
(The following figures are brought up to date of going to press.)
Eighteen of our 60 members are from New York, 8 from Connecticut, 6 from
Pennsylvania, 4 from New Jersey and Illinois, 3 from the District of
Columbia, 2 each from Indiana, Virginia and Minnesota, and one each from
Massachusetts, Ohio, Georgia, Louisiana, Florida, Colorado, Kentucky,
Michigan, Oklahoma, Panama and Canada. Thus seventeen states, the
District of Columbia, Panama and Canada are represented in our
membership.
Eight of our members are women, one of them a life member, nine are
professional nurserymen, eight are physicians, six are connected with
educational institutions, three are lawyers, five agriculturists, two at
least are capitalists, and all expect to be, two are in literature and
there are one each of the following: clergyman, painter, insurance,
secretary, railroads, senator.
The national association has 273 members of whom 52 are from the
northern states. We ought to have all of these.
The secretary is keeping a record of the scattered articles,
communications to agricultural journals and other literature relating to
nut growing. He would consider it a favor if the members would send him
information of anything of this kind that may come to their knowledge.
Mr. Littlepage: I move that the report of the Secretary-Treasurer be
approved.
Professor Craig: I second that motion. I would like to add just a word,
to the effect that it seems to me that the Secretary has started out in
a very promising manner. He has not merely performed the routine duties
of the secretary, but he has studied the case, and has presented in an
analytical and striking form a good many facts not apparent on the
surface, had he only given us the stereotyped matter in the conventional
way; and it seems to me that this augurs well for the future of the
Secretary's office. I trust he can keep up the gait. (Carried.)
Professor Craig: May I say that it seems to me there are one or two
matters arising out of the Secretary's report which are worthy of
special action? One is the question of the invasion of the Scolytus
beetle; the other is the nomenclature of _Juglans mandshurica_. It
occurs to me that it might be well to appoint committees on these
subjects to report during the sessions of the society. I might say on
the Scolytus matter, that I have conferred with Professor Comstock, who
has been kind enough to say he would place the matter in the hands of
one of his assistants, who will present to the society the latest we
have on that subject; and in the event of a committee being appointed, I
would suggest that that person, Professor Herrick, be made the chairman
of that committee.
President Morris: I will appoint Professor Herrick and Professor Craig
on the scolytus committee, and on the nomenclature committee I will
appoint Doctor Deming and Mr. Barron.
In this connection, I will have to say, however, that I neglected to
bring my correspondence relating to the nomenclature of _Juglans
mandshurica_. I can say a word that the committee may wish to use. For a
long while, I have been trying to trace the origin of the name _Juglans
mandshurica_. It is applied to two different nuts. The one described in
the United States government bulletin is the nut originally described by
Maxim as _Juglans mandshurica_ more than thirty years ago. That
nomenclature has priority for two reasons: first, because of the date,
and in the second place, because of the recognized standing of Maxim as
a botanist. The Yokohama Nursery Company has been sending out a very
different nut which they call _Juglans mandshurica_, evidently of the
race of _Juglans regia_. The _Juglans mandshurica_ of the government
bulletin is like the butternut, the _Juglans mandshurica_ of the nursery
companies is evidently a race of _Juglans regia_. I have conferred with
Doctor Britton, Sargent, and other authorities, and we have never been
able to trace the name given to this walnut of the _Juglans regia_ type,
_Juglans mandshurica_, until by accident I happened to get word from the
Yokohama Nursery Company to the effect that they had made up that name
in the office a few years ago, not knowing that a previous _Juglans
mandshurica_ existed and had been named by Maxim. So that traces the
rodent to its hole. The name _Juglans mandshurica_ by Maxim is the
proper name for the worthless butternut-like nut from China. De Candolle
named the valuable walnut that has been sent out by the Yokohama Nursery
Company _Juglans regia sinensis_. So both of these nuts have been
previously named, and by authority.
Professor Craig: It is a question, then, of priority.
President Morris: Yes, a question of priority; but really the Yokohama
Company had no right to make up that name. It was simply made up in the
office as a matter of trade convenience, and they attached to this
_Juglans regia_ nut a name that had been applied to an entirely
different nut, not knowing that this name had been previously applied.
So there is a _Juglans mandshurica_ and a _Juglans regia sinensis_,
respectively.
Mr. Littlepage: Is the walnut, _Juglans mandshurica_, which you have
been discussing, similar to the ordinary butternut of the Middle West,
the Indiana white walnut?
President Morris: You can find nuts much alike on first inspection, but
the mandshurica nut has six ridges in addition to the suture ridges. The
leaf of _Juglans mandshurica_ is sometimes a yard in length, with
twenty-seven to thirty-one leaflets, sometimes--an enormous tropical
leaf. The nut is usually too small to be valuable.
Mr. Littlepage: I have seen the butternut of the Middle West nearly
similar, but it grows on the ordinary tree with white bark, and has
small leaves.
President Morris: The general outline of the nut is about the same in
both, but the air chambers are very much larger in the _mandshurica_
than they are in the butternut and there is a marked difference in the
flavor. You can distinguish them readily enough.
Mr. Littlepage: The butternut grows wild throughout the Middle West,
usually along small water courses and alluvial lands. There are perhaps
one hundred and fifty on a creek corner on one of my farms.
President Morris: They are very plenty here at Ithaca. In fact, you will
find them in Maine and Nova Scotia.
Mr. Littlepage: I saw them in Michigan.
President Morris: I will state, that from two until four the members
will view the collections, and make the tour of the Campus buildings.
During that time the report on competition, or at least examination of
specimens in competition, should be made, and I would like to appoint
Professor Reed and Mr. Littlepage on that committee, and I will serve as
_ex-officio_ member of the committee. The other committees I can make up
a little later. The next order of business will be the President's
address. Mr. Littlepage, will you take the chair?
THE HICKORIES.
ROBERT T. MORRIS, M. D.
So far as we know, the hickories, belonging to the Juglandaceae, are
indigenous to the North American continent only. Representatives of the
group occur naturally from southern Canada to the central latitude of
Mexico, in a curved band upon the map, which would be bounded upon the
east by the Atlantic Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico, and on the west
roughly by the Missouri River, until that river bends east from the
eastern boundary of Kansas. From the angle of that bend the hickory runs
approximately southwest into Mexico.
The exact number of species has not been determined as yet, because of
the open question of specific or varietal differences in some members of
the family. Sargent's classification at present includes eleven species:
Hicoria pecan, H. Texana, H. minima, H. myristicaeformis, H. aquatica,
H. ovata, H. Carolinae-septentrionalis, H. laciniosa, H. alba. H.
glabra, and H. villosa. To this list may be added H. Mexicana (Palmer),
which so far seems to have been found only in the high mountains of
Alvarez, near San Louis Potosi in Mexico; and H. Buckleyi from Texas,
which was described once by Durand, and since that time overlooked by
writers, excepting by Mrs. M. J. Young in 1873, who included the species
in her "Lessons in Botany." Professor Sargent tells me that the Buckley
hickory will be included in the next edition of Sargent's "Manual of the
Trees of North America." This brings the number of species up to
thirteen. In addition we have well marked varieties: H. glabra odorata,
H. glabra pallida, and H. glabra microcarpa, making sixteen well defined
hickories that have been described.
Nuts of all of these hickories are in the collection of "Edible Nuts of
the World" at Cornell University, with the exception of nuts of the
varieties H. glabra odorata and H. glabra pallida.
In addition to the sixteen described varieties and species of hickories
in America, we have an endless variety of hybrid forms, because
cross-pollenization seems to take place readily between hickories of
synchronous flowering time.
Five of the hickories: H. pecan, H. Texana, H. minima, H.
myristicaeformis, and H. aquatica belong to the open-bud group, while
the rest belong to the scale-bud group. The winter buds of the open-bud
group resemble the winter buds of the walnuts in a general way, and in
artificial hybridization experiments I seem to note a close relationship
between the open-bud hickories and the walnuts.
There is no more promising work for the horticulturist than crossing
hickories with walnuts, and crossing hickories with each other. Five
hundred years from now we shall probably find extensive orchards of such
hybrids occupying thousands of acres of land which is now practically
worthless. The hickories are to furnish a substantial part of the food
supply of the world in the years to come. At the present time wild
hickories held most highly in esteem are: H. pecan, H. ovata, H.
Carolinae-septentrionalis, and H. laciniosa. Several other kinds have
edible kernels, sometimes of excellent character, but not readily
obtained except by boys and squirrels, whose time is not valuable. In
this group we have H. alba, H. glabra, H. villosa, H. glabra pallida, H.
glabra odorata, H. glabra microcarpa, H. Mexicana, H. Buckleyi, and H.
myristicaeformis. In another group of hickories with temptingly thin
shells and plump kernels, we have a bitter or astringent pellicle of the
kernel. This group contains H. Texana, H. minima, and H. aquatica.
Sometimes in the bitter group we find individual trees with edible nuts,
and it is not unlikely that some of them represent hybrids in which the
bitter and astringent qualities have been recessive.
Among the desirable species of wild hickories there is much variation in
character, and selection of trees for propagation is in its infancy. One
reason for this has been the difficulty of transplanting hickories.
Another reason is the fact that hickories do not come true to parent
type from seed. A third reason is the length of time required for
seedling hickories to come into bearing.
Concerning the first reason, the enormous taproot of young hickories
requires so much pabulum for maintenance that when the trees are
transplanted, with destruction of root-hairs along with the feeding
roots, transplanted stocks may remain a year or two years in the ground
before they are ready to send out buds from the top. On this account,
the Stringfellow method has in my locality proven of value. This
consists in extreme cutting back of root and top, leaving little more
than a short club for transplantation. The short club does not require
much pabulum for maintenance, and new feeding roots with their
root-hairs get the club under way quickly, because there is little
useless load for them to carry. The Stringfellow method further includes
the idea that stock should be planted in very hard ground, and seems to
be practicable with the hickories. The root-hairs which take up
nourishment from the soil find it difficult to carry on osmosis in loose
soil. The close contact obtained by forcing a way through compact soil
facilitates feeding. On this account, autumn is perhaps a better time
for transplantation of hickories, in the northern latitudes, at least.
Callus forms over the ends of cut roots at all times when the ground is
not frozen, and the more complete the callus formation the more readily
are feeding roots sent out.
One of the main obstacles to propagation of hickories has depended upon
the fact that nuts did not come true to parent type from seed. This is
overcome by budding or grafting, and we can now multiply the progeny
from any one desirable plant indefinitely. In the South grafting is
nearly as successful as budding, but in the North budding seems to be
the better method for propagation. The chief difficulty in grafting or
budding the hickories is due to slow formation of callus and of
granulation processes which carry on repair of wounds.
The propagation of trees from a desirable individual plant can be
accomplished also by transplanting roots. A hickory root dug from the
ground, divested of small rootlets, cut into segments a foot or more in
length, and set perpendicularly in sand with half an inch protruding,
will throw out shoots from adventitious buds. In my experimental work
with hickory roots, in covered jars, surrounded by wet moss, but with
the entire root reached by light, adventitious buds have started along
the entire length of the root, and we may find this an economical way
for root propagation, dividing up sprouting roots into small segments.
The chief objection to this method of propagation as compared with
budding is the length of time required for seedling trees to come into
bearing, propagation from roots probably requiring the same length of
time as propagation from seed, whereas by budding or grafting the
bearing period begins very much earlier. Forty-six years ago Mr. J. W.
Kerr of Denton, Maryland, planted three pecks of large shagbark hickory
nuts, but of the progeny only about twenty were satisfactory, most of
the trees bearing inferior nuts. These trees required from thirteen to
eighteen years to come into bearing, and young trees that Mr. Kerr
purchased from nurseries and planted were twenty-five years old before
they began to bear. Others who have planted shagbark hickories and
pecans state that nearly twenty years are required for the trees to come
into bearing on an average. When budded or grafted the pecan sometimes
comes into bearing in two years, and frequently in four years. We may
anticipate that other hickories will act analogously.
The hickories prefer rich, well drained soil for best development of
nuts, and an abundance of moisture, provided the land is well drained.
Many of the hickories, however, are so adaptable to various soils that
they often thrive in lands that are sandy, and dry, and almost barren.
In the latter case, they have to maintain an enormous root system for
feeding purposes, and this is detrimental to good bearing qualities. The
mocker-nut, pignut, and hairy hickory, perhaps adapt themselves best to
sandy soils. This feature may make them valuable species for planting
when one has no other soil, because the stocks can be used for grafting
better kinds.
While the hickories prefer neutral or alkaline soil, most of them will
grow fairly well even in acid glacial tills. Their preference, however,
for neutral or alkaline soils would suggest the use of a good deal of
lime in acid soils, when hickories are to be grown in orchard form.
All of the trees in the hickory group are intolerant of shade and of
competition with other trees. The more sunlight they can have the
better. Most of us are familiar with the hickory tree standing alone in
the cultivated field, which bears a heavy annual crop, when the
neighbors at the edge of the forest bear sparingly. Hickories in forest
growth put their energies into the formation of wood chiefly, and in the
struggle for food and light devote very little energy to fruiting.
The best method for cultivation of hickories has been worked out only
with the pecan up to the present time. With this species, it has been
determined that clean cultivation with plenty of fertilization gives
best results, as with apples. It is probable that Stringfellow's sod
culture method will come next in order, and will perhaps be most
generally used by nut orchardists, because it is less expensive and
requires less labor. The sod culture method includes the idea of cutting
all grass and weeds beneath the trees, in order to take away
competition, allowing these vegetable substances to decompose beneath
the trees and furnish food. There is no objection to adding artificial
fertilizer, or a still greater amount of vegetable matter.
The enemies of the hickories are not many in the forest, where the
balance of nature is maintained, but when man disturbs the balance of
nature by planting hickories in large numbers in orchard form certain
enemies increase, and must be met by our resources. Fungous and
bacterial enemies are beginning to menace some varieties of the pecan in
the South, and both in the North and in the South certain insect enemies
are becoming important in relation to all valuable hickories.
The bark boring beetle (Scolytus) has been reported as destructive to
hickories in some sections, the trees dying as a result of depredations
of the larvae of this beetle.
I find a large borer at work on some of my hickories, but have not as
yet determined its species. It may be the painted hickory borer
(Cylene), or the locust borer. It makes a hole as large as a small lead
pencil, directly into the trunk or limbs, and excavates long tunnels
into the heart wood. The painted hickory borer is supposed to occur
chiefly on dead and dying hickories, but the borer of which I speak is
found in the vigorous young hickories in the vicinity of my locusts,
which are riddled with locust borers.
In some localities involucre borers make tunnels between the nut and the
involucre, interfering with the development of the kernel.
The hickory twig girdler (Oncideres) is abundant in some localities, but
not as yet very destructive.
Hickory nut weevils destroy many nuts in some localities, and their
colonies increase about individual trees markedly. In such cases, it is
important to collect the entire crop each year from a given tree, taking
pains to destroy all nuts which contain weevil larvae. These may be
selected in a general way by dumping the freshly gathered nuts into a
tub of water. Nuts containing weevil larvae will float for the most
part, and in order to make sure of the destruction of larvae in the
remaining nuts they may be placed in a closed receptacle, and carbon
bisulphide poured over them.
One of the bud worms is sometimes very destructive to individual hickory
trees which have developed colonies, the larvae destroying the axillary
buds, and burrowing into the base of the petioles of leaves.
A new enemy which I found this year for the first time is the
_Conotrachelus juglandis_. This beetle ordinarily lays its eggs in the
involucre of the butternut. With the introduction of exotic walnuts, the
beetle has changed its habits, and lays its eggs in the herbaceous
shoots of walnuts and hickories. The larvae tunnel into the center of a
shoot, and destroy it, or seriously interfere with its nutrition.
Among the enemies of the hickory we must not forget the common field
mouse, and the pine mouse, which burrow beneath the surface of the
ground, and in winter feed freely upon the bark of the roots of the
hickories. They have destroyed many thousands of young hickories of
various kinds in my nursery, and in digging up roots of old hickories
for experimental root grafting I find that mice have been living freely
for years upon the bark of some roots.
RANDOM NOTES
Aside from the facts which have been grouped together in this paper,
certain notes may be of interest, as introducing questions for
speculation.
Are we likely to find more species among the hickories than the ones
already described? If so well described a species as the H. Buckleyi has
almost escaped observation, and if H. Mexicana is confined, as it seems
to be, to a very limited area, and if most of the hickories grow in
regions where few botanists are at work, it seems to me probable that
several species remain as yet undiscovered. These are likely to be
species which lack means of defence, and which are restricted to certain
small areas. If we make a parallel with other observations of recent
discoveries, one thinks, for instance, in Ichthyology of the Marston's
trout, the Sunapee sabling, Ausable greyling, and the Kern River trout,
confined almost to a certain stream or lake, and remaining undiscovered
for years by naturalists, although familiar to thousands of local
fishermen.
Sometimes there is a very apparent reason for the check to distribution
of a species. The men whom I employed to go into the mountains of
Alvarez for the Mexican hickory tell me that the trees are so loaded
down with mistletoe that they rarely bear a crop, and there are few nuts
with well developed kernels to be found.
Distribution of a powerful species of hickory, like the pecan, seems to
be limited in the North by incomplete development of the pistillate
flowers. These are borne on the ends of the herbaceous shoots of the
year, and the pecan has such a long growing season that in the North the
pistillate buds, which are last developed, are exposed to winter
killing. Southern limitation of hickories which have a very short
growing period, like the shagbark, may be due to the fact that after a
period of summer rest, new growth begins in the autumn rains, and this
new growth may not lignify for winter rest.
By artificial selection we can extend the range of all hickories far
beyond their indigenous range, which is limited by natural checks.
Extension of range, adaptation to various soils, and changes in the
character of the nut are likely to occur from grafting hickories upon
different stocks of the family. Thus we can graft a shagbark, which does
not thrive in poor sandy soil, upon the mocker-nut, which does grow in
such soils. Some varieties of the species may grow freely far out of
their natural range if they are simply transplanted. For instance, the
Stuart pecan, which comes from the very shores of the Gulf of Mexico, is
one of the hardiest pecans at the latitude of New York. I don't know
about its northern fruiting as yet.
If the Satsuma orange grafted upon trifoliate orange stock gives a
heavy, well flavored fruit, while the same variety grafted upon sweet
orange stock gives a spongy fruit of little value, we may assume that
similar changes in character of fruit will follow nut grafting. Perhaps
the astringent feature of the pecan nut will be found to disappear when
the pecan has been grafted upon certain other hickories. Sometimes
undesirable results are obtained from such grafting; for instance, the
pecan grafted upon water hickory stock has been found to grow freely for
four or five years, and then to die back unaccountably.
Stocks of rapidly growing hickories, like the pecan and the bitternut,
may serve to shorten the bearing time of slowly growing species, like
the shagbark, when scions of the latter are grafted upon such stocks. At
the present time I have shagbark grafted upon stocks of the pecan,
shagbark, bitternut, mocker-nut, and pignut, but these are all young,
and I cannot at the present time discern much difference in effect of
stock upon scion.
In cross pollenization of hickories, I have not as yet discovered the
best way to prevent the development of aphides and of other insects
under the protection of the paper bags (which cover the pistillate
flowers) sometimes to the point of destruction of flowers before nuts
are started. It is probable that sprinkling the leaves with Persian
insect powder, and leaving a little insect powder in the bag, will
settle the question.
I have not as yet learned how to prevent squirrels from getting at
hybridized nuts while they are still upon the tree. Squirrels cut
through mosquito netting which is tied about nuts to prevent them from
falling to the ground, and if wire gauze is used, they cut off the
branch, allowing gauze and all to fall to the ground, and then manage to
get the nut out of the gauze. The red squirrel particularly is a pest in
this regard, and will even cut off the tape which is tied about the
branches for marking purposes, for no apparent reason aside from pure
mischievousness.
Nuts which are to be planted must be kept away not only from the
squirrels, but from rats and mice. One of my farmhouses got the
reputation of being haunted because of mysterious noises made by rats in
rattling hybrid nuts worth a dollar apiece about between the partitions.
The best way that I have found for keeping nuts for sprouting purposes
is to have a number of large wire cages made. These are set in the
ground, nuts are stratified in sand within these cages, and allowed to
remain exposed to the elements during the winter.
It is probable that some of the hickories will be grown in forest form
in future because of the increased value of the wood of the species. For
growing hickories in forest form, it is probable that they should be set
not more than six or eight feet apart at the outset. At ten years of age
the first thinning will give a valuable lot of hoop poles. The second
thinning will give turning stock. The third thinning will give wood for
a large variety of purposes. I know of no tree which promises to return
a revenue more quickly when planted in forest form than hickories like
the shagbark and the shellbark, mocker-nut and pignut. These trees will
not be expected to bear nuts, because in the struggle for food and light
their energies will be directed toward making trunks.
Hickories are undoubtedly to be used for decorative purposes in parks
and streets by future generations. The stately pecan, the sturdy
shagbark, can be made to replace, South and North, the millions of
useless poplars, willows, and other bunches of leaves, which please the
eye but render no valuable annual or final returns. The chief reason why
this has not been done is because people have not thought about it.
* * * * *
President Morris: This paper is not to be considered with the respect
that is ordinarily due to a presidential address, but is open for
discussion, and I would like to have any of my theories disproven.
Professor Craig: Doctor Morris has covered a very extensive field in his
presidential address, and has raised so many interesting questions that
I imagine the difficulty with you is to know just where to begin.
Personally, and because I am not as thoroughly aware of the field of
Doctor Morris' hybridization work as I ought to be, I should like to ask
him what combinations of the hickories he has effected thus far. The
field of hybridizing nuts is an exceedingly interesting one, and Doctor
Morris has been the foremost worker in it. I am sure it would be
interesting to you, as it is to myself, to know briefly what ground he
has covered in the extensive range of his experiments.