I find the Ohio, Ten Eyck, Stabler, Allen and Wiard black walnuts
inferior and unsuitable. The Stabler has only a small crop every five
years. Very excellent varieties, I find, come from Thomas seedlings.
The black walnut makes an excellent stock for the Persian walnut in low
and slightly damp ground. I bud the Persian on the black during August.
The Japanese heartnut and the butternut x heartnut hybrid can be grafted
on black walnut. The Persian walnut when grafted on the black decidedly
outgrows the latter. The reverse is the case when Japanese heartnut,
Japanese butternut, or hybrids of either are grafted on the black.
So far I have not found one good butternut worthy of naming, but there
is one Japanese butternut that grows in clusters of 17 or even more that
has a very thin shell; it is the Helmick. I have, however, very many
named as well as unnamed black walnut seedlings that are very excellent
nuts.
This has been a very cold summer and I cannot state yet as to the
maturing of the larger black walnuts, as they require a long season to
mature properly. Pecan and hican trees grow well at Echo Valley and the
small twigs harden up so that there is never any winter killing but the
nuts do not fill well; in consequence I am using the trees as stocks for
grafting with good shagbarks. The Weiker hickory ripens nicely with me
and I consider it one of the best varieties in every way.