~Article 1.~ 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.
REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS at the Forty-First Annual Meeting of the
Northern Nut Growers Association, Inc.
Held at PLEASANT VALLEY, DUTCHESS COUNTY, NEW YORK on AUGUST 28, 29 and
30, 1950
TOGETHER WITH OTHER PAPERS ON NUT CULTURE
MONDAY MORNING SESSION
The meeting was called to order by the Vice-President, Dr. L. H.
MacDaniels, in the absence of the President.
DR. MacDANIELS: I have here the official gavel of The Northern Nut
Growers Association, which was sent to me by Mildred Jones Langdoc, who
unfortunately is not able to come to this meeting. She, of course, is
our president. She expected to come until fairly recently but on her
doctor's orders changed her plans and wrote to me a very short time ago
asking me if I would preside at this meeting.
Does anyone present know the history of this gavel?
MR. GEORGE SLATE: It was presented to the Association by Mr. Littlepage,
and was made from Indiana pecan wood.
DR. MacDANIELS: But anyway here it is, and we declare the Association in
session.
This morning the meeting is quite brief. We will start the meeting with
the report from the Secretary, Mr. McDaniel.
Secretary's Report
J. C. McDaniel
MR. J. C. McDANIEL: My report before the meeting will be very brief. It
may be extended a little later for the publication.
The last count for this Association's membership made last week shows
the Association has 575 paid members, plus 20 subscribers and one
foreign exchange membership, totalling 596. There have been a few more
members come in since then, so I might say we have in round figures
about 600 members to date in 1950, a few less than last year.
I probably owe the members an explanation on the delay in the printing
of the Fortieth Annual Report. That was finally taken up by the printing
company and should be printed by now. It was ready to put on the
press--in fact, some of it was on the press when I left Nashville two
weeks ago, and we have every reason to believe that it will be ready for
mailing in about another week. The Treasurer said he heard me say that
six months ago. That's six months nearer to being the truth now.
I requested that the printer send up two copies, whether they are bound
or not, so they may be in to show you later during the meeting.
I believe that's about all I will say at this time, Mr. President.
DR. MacDANIELS: This matter of the report not being here I know is the
cause of considerable dissatisfaction, and it arises out of our attempt
to get the report printed cheaply. We have had the same trouble before.
The Corse Press did this at one time and did it cheaply, because they
would work it in with the other business. The last time they did it, and
other business was so heavy that it was delayed.
The printers who do it at Nashville also did the Legislative printing
and other things cut in, so that it was not carried on. Now, I think
that we have some ideas in mind for printers for the next issue, so that
if we get the papers in on time, the report will be coming out fairly
promptly.
Is the Treasurer ready with his report? Mr. Sterling Smith.
Treasurer's Report
Sept. 1, 1949 to Aug. 25, 1950
RECEIPTS:
Annual Membership Dues $1,689.55
(Contributing Members: Arp Nursery Co. and
Mr. Hjalmar W. Johnson
$10.00 each)
Life Membership (Herschel L. Boll) 75.00
Contributions
Mr. A. M. Huntington 50.00
Mr. Geo. L. Slate 2.00
Sale of Reports 186.00
Interest on U. S. Bonds 31.25
Worcester County (Mass.) Hort. Society 25.00
Advertisement 5.00
Miscellaneous 18.00
-------
Total Income $2,081.80
DISBURSEMENTS:
U. S. Bond "G" $ 500.00
American Fruit Grower Subscriptions 224.00
Supplies, Stationery, etc. for Secretary 96.75
Secretary's 50c per Member 275.00
Secretary's Expense 88.00
Treasurer's Expense 66.52
Reporting Beltsville Meeting 60.00
Mr. Reed's Memorial 10.00
Bank Service Charge 3.33
Miscellaneous 21.00
-------
Total Disbursements $1,344.60
Cash on deposit at Erie County United Bank $2,292.97
Petty Cash on Hand 12.70
Disbursements 1,344.60
---------
Total $3,650.27
On Hand Sept. 1, 1949 $1,568.47
Receipts Sept. 1. 1949, to Aug. 25, 1950 2,081.80
---------
Total $3,650.27
U. S. Bonds in Safety Deposit Box $3,000.00
DR. MacDANIELS: Thank you, Mr. Smith. I think it is usual to accept the
report and then refer it, I believe, to an auditing committee.
A MEMBER: I so move.
DR. MacDANIELS: It is moved that the report be accepted and turned over
to the auditing committee.
MR. SZEGO: Second.
DR. MacDANIELS: Seconded. Any remarks? (No response.)
(A vote was taken on the motion, and it was carried unanimously.)
DR. MacDANIELS: I'd like to appoint Mr. Royal Oakes and Mr. Weber as
Auditing Committee, and I think they report at the final business
session, which comes at the banquet.
I will say that matter of $25.00 I didn't know anything about, except
now I recall the circumstances. At the convention I took over what was
left of the exhibits--nobody wanted them--and took them back to Ithaca,
thinking I would send them to the Massachusetts Horticultural Society. I
didn't have time to do that, but I did send them to Worcester (Mass.)
Horticulture Society, and apparently I was out of the country and they
sent the award to the Treasurer, and that accounts for the $25.00. It's
the first I have heard of it, but anyway, we have it.
The treasurer's report indicates we have some little surplus in the
treasury, but after our report is paid for, that will be reduced to the
amount of about $800.00. That is the net surplus at the present time,
and if we face the facts of the matter, it means that we are not living
within our income, that is, with printing costs going up. The reports
used to cost $600.00, instead of $1400.00, and what not.
The reason we have kept going has been the use of life memberships and
the extra contribution of Mr. Archer Huntington.
The matter of deficit financing seems to be good for the Government, but
I don't think it is any good for the society. I think, however, we can
adjust our affairs so as to get along. It is proposed we make a change
in the by-laws which will set up another type of membership. That is, at
the present time we have an annual membership of $3.00 and a
contributing membership of $10.00 and life membership for $75.00. Taking
the pattern from some other societies, it at least was discussed that we
put up a membership of $5.00, which was a sustaining membership, and
anybody who felt that he could do that easily could do so, not receiving
any additional benefits, except, perhaps, a star in front of his
name,--just considering it a contribution to the society.
What we had in mind is that we know that there are some of the
membership that find the $3.00 is plenty high enough. There are others
to whom probably it means another dinner, or something of that kind, and
it doesn't make so much difference. And what we propose to do is to make
it easy for those who can to give that additional support.
That amendment will be proposed at the last business meeting in some
form, and it will have to go over until the next meeting, according to
our constitution, which provides for the amendment of the by-laws.
Mr. Secretary, do we have a report of the editor?
MR. J. C. McDANIEL: Yes, I have that here, a short report from Dr. Lewis
E. Theiss, who will be at the meeting in the morning.
Report of Publications and Publicity
DR. LEWIS E. THEISS, Chairman
The annual Report, which should be issued very soon, will speak for
itself. Delay more than usual was occasioned by an effort to make the
publication fully complete. To that end, printing was held up so that,
for one thing, we could include Dr. J. Russell Smith's remarkable
summary or survey of nut experimentation in the U. S. and Canada.
We cannot overemphasize the great services of our secretary, Mr.
McDaniel, in the preparation of this work. He collected the material,
forwarded it to me for editing, did much editing himself, secured the
printing contract, and in general oversaw the production of the volume.
To edit the manuscripts for a book of this size is in itself quite a
chore. Proof reading is a great burden. In the preparation of this
Report, we have had the hearty cooperation and help of Mrs. Herbert
Negus (Md.); Professor George Slate (New York); Dr. A. S. Colby (Ill.);
Mr. Spencer Chase (Tenn.); and Mr. Alfred Barlow (Mich.). We are
indebted to all of these members for their fine support. We hope that
this present issue will be a worthy successor to the many fine ones that
have preceded it.
LEWIS E. THEISS, Chairman Publications Committee Read at meeting
8/28/50.
MR. J. C. McDANIEL: I might say, by the way, it will be 8 pages larger
than last year's, totalling 232 pages.
DR. MacDANIELS: Thank you, Mr. Secretary.
The question is going to arise as to the size of our report. That is,
the reports up to the last two have been something less than 200 pages,
I believe. This one is running over considerably, and the question comes
up as to whether or not we should economize by reducing the size of the
report. It was the general opinion of the Directors in discussing the
matter that perhaps somewhat closer editing should be done, but we
realize that for many members of the Association the report is the one
tangible thing that they get out of the whole picture and that the
reports should be kept, certainly, at a good length and high grade.
I think those are all of the officers' reports. Are there reports of the
committees? Program Committee, Mr. Slate, do you have a brief report?
MR. GEORGE L. SLATE: The report of the Program Committee has been
published, and the programs are on this table in the rear of the room.
DR. MacDANIELS: Brief and to the point. In other words, Mr. Slate has
written around to the persons who are going to be on the program, sort
of cranking them up. This society is in a situation where its members
don't just flock to the call of requests for papers, and they have to be
solicited. Well, Mr. Slate has done a very good job of soliciting
papers, and the report speaks for itself in the program which has been
prepared.
Reports of any special committees? Do we have a committee on
contests?--of the Carpathian walnut contest?
MR. McDANIEL: I believe that will be taken up in the afternoon program.
DR. MacDANIELS: The matter of old business. Do we have any old business,
Mr. Secretary?
MR. McDANIEL: I don't know of any that's carried over now.
Discussion on Time and Place of Meeting
DR. MacDANIELS: Coming to new business. There is always the time and the
place of the next convention. I think that that is usually in the hands
of a committee, but in the open meeting the matter is discussed, and we
are open for any suggestions.
I have heard that Dr. Colby of Illinois is going to have a suggestion
that we come to Illinois.
MR. McDANIEL: That's my understanding, and he should be here a little
later.
DR. MacDANIELS: Anybody else have any suggestions?
I think, with regard to our time and place of meeting, we have in mind
alternating between the East, and the Middle West. The center of
membership appears to be about Central Ohio, is that right? And I don't
think we have gone any farther west than Center Point, Iowa.
MR. WEBER: That was back in 1930.
DR. MacDANIELS: That probably is about as far West as we are going to
get, unless we get a lot of members out farther.
Now, suggestions that have been made have been that next year the
meeting would be in Illinois--at the University of Illinois--and the
year following somewhere in the East, possibly Pennsylvania, although we
haven't been invited to Pennsylvania. I don't know whether we can get
one or not. And the next year west again, possibly Michigan, and beyond
that we haven't thought. But I think there is a real advantage in having
time blocked out in advance for at least two years so that people can
make their plans as to where they will go. That is, I think often in
planning vacations and what not, it goes that far ahead.
MR. JAY SMITH: Mr. Chairman, the last week in August seems to be better
than the first week in September, from the point of view of the school
openings in early September.
MR. WELLMAN: I think we should wait a little while and see what kind of
attendance we get at this meeting this time of the year.
MR. RICK: If we could arrange it, we'd like to appeal to the membership
to have a meeting in Lancaster County. I think Mr. Hostetter has quite a
number of things that could be shown and perhaps some others in the
neighborhood that might make it quite interesting.
DR. MacDANIELS: We can refer that to the committee.
MR. ALLAMAN: Mr. President, I think that is a very fine suggestion. One
of our nut growers in Pennsylvania lives in Lancaster County, and he has
told me he has 29,000 nut trees, including filberts, and is still
planting.
DR. MacDANIELS: That sounds almost like the Government debt, only not
quite.
We will let that matter go until the committee reports when Dr. Colby
arrives.
Is there any other business which we ought to transact at this time? If
not, I think the next item is the president's address, which has just
arrived. Mrs. Bernath just brought it in. It just came in under the
wire, I guess.
DR. CRANE: Mr. Stoke has just come in.
DR. MacDANIELS: We will have the report of the nominating committee, Mr.
Stoke.
Report of Nominating Committee
MR. STOKE: We bore in mind when we were making nominations for the
presidency that we will probably hold our next meeting in the West, so
we have nominated Dr. William Rohrbacher of Iowa for president, and Dr.
MacDaniels, our perennial vice-president be nominated again and hope
that we get him across next year as president. He has served a pretty
good apprenticeship. Our secretary, J. C. McDaniel, has been nominated
for re-election and Sterling Smith as treasurer. The last two
ex-presidents will be on the Board of Directors. Those, with the other
officers named, constitute our entire Board of Directors.
DR. MacDANIELS: Thank you, Mr. Stoke.
You have heard the report of the nominating committee.
DR. CRANE: Move that they be accepted.
MR. ALLAMAN: Second.
DR. MacDANIELS: Are there remarks? (No response.) If not, we will take a
vote.
(Whereupon, a vote was taken on the motion, and it was carried
unanimously.)
DR. MacDANIELS: The election comes at the time of the banquet, and
nominations may be made from the floor at the time of election.
Dr. Colby, I believe, came in. Do you want to say something about
Illinois as a meeting place for next year. Dr. Colby of the University
of Illinois.
DR. COLBY: I don't know whether there was any malice aforethought in
that committee nomination! Before I left Urbana a few weeks ago, Dean H.
P. Rusk of our College of Agriculture asked me to invite you people to
come to Urbana, Illinois for your meeting next year. So that, Mr.
President, is an official invitation. We hope that you can all come. I
see some of our Illinois friends here, and we are all working together
to provide an interesting meeting at that time.
Now, as to the date, that will have to be settled a little later.
DR. MacDANIELS: Thanks very much, Dr. Colby. That makes it official.
MR. WEBER: Mr. President, I move we accept the invitation.
MR. JAY SMITH: I second.
DR. MacDANIELS: Moved and seconded we go to Illinois, the time to be
arranged by the committee. Any remarks? (No response.)
(Whereupon, a vote was taken on the motion, and it was carried
unanimously.)
DR. MacDANIELS: That fixes that, and the time will depend somewhat on
the availability of dormitories. If the meeting is held the last week in
August, the dormitories would be available, would they not?
Mr. Weber: Get away from the Labor Day problem, too.
DR. MacDANIELS: Any other business? Has anyone else come in in the
meantime who has a report?
If not, we will go ahead with the next item, which is the President's
Address, and I will ask Mr. Weber of Cincinnati to read this. I am much
pleased to do this because of Mr. Weber's friendship for the president.
President's Address
MILDRED JONES LANGDOC, Erie, Illinois
I have been a member of this organization for a good many years, and I
have always had a deep interest in its success. Our members are in a
position to encourage the planting of good varieties of nut trees which
may some day be appreciated even more for food and other uses as our
population increases than we as a nation appreciate them today. Tree
crops are a means of conserving our soils, both from the point of
erosion and moisture holding content. I like the opportunity we have to
be far-sighted in encouraging the planting of nut trees which will play
a large part in the future well-being of our country.
Our N.N.G.A., as it is today, has been built on the unselfish efforts of
a number of far-sighted men who had an ideal and a will to see that
ideal accomplished. I think I was fortunate to know a number of the
early founders of the organization either through their visits to my
home where my father and they would talk their favorite subject of nut
varieties known, just found, or the ideal variety they hoped they'd
locate--perhaps in the next nut contest. In lighter mood--usually around
the dinner table--they would sometimes reminisce about this joke or that
which some member played on another. Altogether our early founders and
officers were really great men, bringing experiences from various walks
of life. Today we have a still wider variety of occupations listed among
our membership, and an even greater opportunity to make acquaintances
and friends. I hope every member will make full use of his leisure time
here at this convention to make new acquaintances and to renew old ones.
Knowing the members as I do, I know you will treasure these
acquaintances during your entire lifetime.
The Association can serve its members in a number of ways, but I would
place special emphasis on our reports carrying from year to year a
progressive report on varieties. In other words, I think our survey
reports are one important part of our means of learning about the
performance of varieties in various sections of the country where they
are being tried. I would urge every member to make a definite effort to
co-operate with the survey committee in sending the information they
require, because these men making the survey are busy men, too, just
like the rest of us, and they have to make a real effort to find time to
tabulate the information they receive, and they want to receive more, so
they are willing to do their part to tabulate the information which will
help us as an organization to be more definite about encouraging or
discouraging the planting of a certain variety.
There is a question in my mind whether the very best nut so far as
cracking quality is concerned will be the best variety for the average
home planter. I think we should consider whether the variety will bear
good crops consistently, and if it doesn't bear well--why? Perhaps it is
a matter of soil condition which can be corrected, a matter of a variety
being planted in a climate where it cannot bear well, and perhaps
elevation above sea level is another factor. We may even find with the
hickories and walnuts that certain varieties will perform better with
certain other varieties as pollinators. When we think of these things
there is much to be done in the evaluation of varieties, although there
has been a start in the right direction.
It seems to me that nut contests at regular intervals help to stimulate
interest in better varieties of nuts and we do gain a certain amount of
free advertising through newspapers and magazines. The results of the
contest should state, in my opinion, the comparison of the varieties
selected as the best of the contest with the ratings of varieties
already named and now in propagation. This would mean using the same
score card always. Remembering that the very best rated cracking nut is
not always the best bearing variety, it would help to accompany this
variety report with data as to the location of the tree--soil it is
growing in--soil type--good drainage or a damp location--rainfall during
the year--days between frost--whether the tree has had good care or
not--whether it's a heavy bearer--and any other information which may
have a bearing upon the health and vigor of the tree. If notes can be
taken on the blooming and bearing habit of other trees of the same
species close by which may influence this particular variety through
cross-pollination, then we would have a good record immediately on each
variety.
I realize in stating the above that we must rely on the human mind which
colors and evaluates everything our senses perceive, so it's up to us as
individuals to try constantly to train ourselves to evaluate a variety
as it really is. I feel that much of the success of our organization in
the gathering of nut tree varieties has been due to an honest effort
towards reporting only facts and we will do well to enlist the aid of
our college trained scientific minds to help us individuals in asking
ourselves the necessary questions about our nut tree varieties.
According to the phrase "Life begins at 40," we are now just beginning
to live as an organization. Let us then examine every means to set our
course towards the definite goal of evaluating the worth of all the
named varieties of northern grown nut trees, let us report our findings
without prejudice, let us continue to make our annual reports so
necessary as a clearing house for the year's progress in nut culture, so
valuable, that anyone interested in nut culture can't afford not
belonging to and being an active part of our group. I would especially
like to see other active state groups as the Ohio group all bringing
together their yearly information in one book form--our Annual Report.
The Ohio group deserves special recognition on the wisdom of their
officers to work towards a unified northern nut growers group, each
helping the other where they can.
I want to express my appreciation to our Secretary, Mr. McDaniel, for
his work this year which can be doubly appreciated by those who know the
excellent job he has performed in spite of many adversities. I hope he
will continue as Secretary.
Our Treasurer, Mr. Smith, has been right on the job, and we can all be
of special help to him by sending or giving to him here and now our dues
for the coming year. We would not waste any time by paying our dues
promptly, but we would save a tremendous amount of time for him. We can
in this way make his association and work for us most pleasant and in
that way show him how much we appreciate his help. I express the hope
that Mr. Smith will be our Treasurer for a long time.
I want to thank the Board of Directors and all of the committees who
have labored so faithfully during the year. Our convention program for
this year is evidence that our Program Committee has spent much time in
thought, correspondence and work and we all appreciate and give them our
hearty thanks.
Since I cannot be with you this year, Dr. MacDaniels has consented to
occupy the Chair and the 41st annual meeting will now go forward under
his able direction. I am with you in thought.
Sincerely,
MILDRED JONES LANGDOC
* * * * *
MR. WEBER: By the way, since I am on the floor and I am on my feet, I
will pass this attendance record. Will you all please sign your names
and addresses. It doesn't bind you to anything.
MR. CORSAN: You might tell the audience--there are some strangers
here--who the president is whose address you just read.
MR. WEBER: I read her name, the former Mildred Jones, whose father was
the late J. F. Jones who was one of the pioneers in the propagating of
nut trees, and was formerly living in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania,
three miles south of Lancaster on U. S. 222. His daughter continued his
work after his death, has since married and is now living out at Erie,
Illinois, which is west of Chicago near the Mississippi River. Her name
now is Langdoc.
DR. MacDANIELS: Our president brought out two points in which I most
heartily concur. One is our search for new varieties and the evaluation
of varieties, and the other, the more extensive rating of the varieties
we already have. There will be this round-table this evening on
evaluation of varieties, of which Dr. Crane will be the chairman.
Association Sends Greetings to Dr. Deming
DR. McKAY: I'd like to bring up this matter--I'd like to make this in
the form of a motion, that in view of the long and active service of Dr.
W. C. Deming to this organization, I think it would be appropriate for
this organization to send him greetings. I would like to make that in
the form of a motion.
MR. BERNATH: I second it.
DR. MacDANIELS: Moved and seconded to send Dr. Deming greetings from the
meeting. We had hoped that he would be here. He may come yet, unless
somebody knows definitely to the contrary. George Slate saw him a while
ago and said he hopes to get here.[1]
[1] Dr. Deming was present at the lunch stop on the Wassaic State School
grounds during the third day's tour.--Ed.
MR. WEBER: I have just been informed that Dr. Deming will be 89 years
old on September first.
DR. MacDANIELS: That's something.
How old is Mr. Corsan?
MR. WEBER: The question arises: How old is Mr. Corsan? The gentleman is
here, and he will speak for himself.
Talk by the Oldest Member
MR. CORSAN: I don't know how old I am. I know I was born near Rockport,
New York, and my father brought me across the river to Hamilton,
Ontario, when I was seven, and according to my aunts and uncles and
people who told me, they say I was born June 11, 1857. So here I am
kicking around, but I am not blowing how long I will live. I don't know,
but I will try my best.
I have joined the Vegetarian Society many years ago, and I am still
hanging onto that idea, and I hope that we have a vegetarian banquet
some of these times, because nearly all vegetarian associations are very
deeply interested in the Northern Nut Growers Association. That's what
they all told me at the convention at Lake Geneva last August a year
ago. And I just came back from visiting Rodale. I thought I'd see
Rodale. He looks a good deal like this gentleman here (indicating Mr.
Bernath), our friend here, about the size and appearance of him. But he
is of the greatest ancestry in the world. He is Jewish, and he doesn't
know exactly how to eat, because he has jowls and dewlaps and he is too
fat, but he is a very fine man; beautiful, clear, honest eyes, he has,
and I hope to have him consider the planting of nut trees on his place.
He has a disgraceful looking place in comparison to mine.
This year my place is just loaded down with nuts, except filberts. Last
year I had so many filberts that I have half a ton left over yet. And I
want to see people beautify the country. I started off one day with a
thought that came to my head. I heard that there were a half a million
widows and orphans buried in the Hudson Hill Cemetery. And I thought:
Why, those dead people can be working; they can be doing something. Let
them feed the roots of the Japanese heartnut. And as a try, I sent them
1100 seeds just as a start. And the Japanese heartnut, a stranger to
this country, isn't anywhere near any other nut, and it grows true to
form, and a lot of the trees are much hardier up on Lake Ontario. It
does not grow well on the north of the lake, but south of the lake it
grows enormous crops every year, and the nuts come out whole. But there
is a better shaped nut without that kind of groove in the center, and
it's the father or the mother--father, probably--of the finest heartnuts
in the world, and there is nothing that beats a heartnut for eating.
Every time I sell heartnuts to eat I have ruined myself, because they
won't eat any other nut. So that shows just exactly what the general
public thinks of it. Even Italians. There I have a half a ton of
filberts. I bring the heartnuts down to Florida, the Fairchild and my
hybrid trees and butternuts and Japanese heartnuts, and I have a package
of almonds and another package of brazil nuts, and I let them taste
those. They are woody in comparison to our heartnuts and hybrids. They
are not anything, they are just like so much wood in comparison.
Now, I have received from John W. Fowler, Secretary to Albert Williams
of the Department of Corrections on 100 Center Street. New York, a
beautiful letter accepting those nuts, and I had my housekeeper--I was
down in Florida--send them to them early in February, and they are
planted. And the breezes going up and down the Hudson are going to wave
the two-foot-long leaves of the most beautiful deciduous trees in the
world, the Japanese heartnut, healthiest, hardiest nut in the world,
and these dead people will be feeding them. Just think! five thousand
children without a name or number. Now, they have erected a monument
just recently, but the real monuments are the living trees. I am going
to send them a lot more, because I want to see them working. I might
come back and eat some of these nuts myself.
* * * * *
DR. MacDANIELS: Thank you, Mr. Corsan.
(Applause.)
DR. MacDANIELS: Mr. Corsan is certainly well on his way to being a
hundred, and I think if eating nuts and other vegetables will do that,
more of us ought to pay attention.
I think we voted on that motion. I think it was unanimous that we send
this greeting to Dr. Deming in his eighty-ninth year.
(The following telegram was sent to Dr. Deming:
"AT THIS FORTY-FIRST ANNUAL MEETING OF THE NORTHERN NUT GROWERS
ASSOCIATION IN CONVENTION ASSEMBLED AT PLEASANT VALLEY, NEW YORK, THE
MEMBERS SEND YOU THEIR LOVE AND ALSO EXTEND THEIR BEST WISHES FOR YOUR
CONTINUANCE OF GOOD HEALTH.")
Any other business?
MR. McDANIEL: There is one elective committee that probably will need to
be acted on, which is always done at the meeting before, and that's the
nominations committee for next year. That's elective.
DR. MacDANIELS: The Resolutions Committee. Mr. Allaman, will you take
chairmanship for that? And Mr. Porter of Windsor, will you help Mr.
Allaman on the Resolutions Committee?
MR. PORTER: Do I act now, in this meeting?
DR. MacDANIELS: Yes, during the time you are here work out with Mr.
Allaman the resolutions that pertain to this particular meeting.
Anything else? If not, this first session is adjourned. Meet again
promptly this afternoon at one o'clock,
(Whereupon, at 10:40 o'clock, a.m., the meeting was recessed, to
reconvene at 1:00 o'clock, p.m. of the same day.)
MONDAY AFTERNOON SESSION
DR. MacDANIELS: I will call the meeting to order, the afternoon session.
This afternoon we have the session given over mostly to the Carpathian
walnut. The first paper, by Spencer Chase of Norris, Tennessee.
MR. CHASE: First, with the president's permission, I thought perhaps a
short report of the 1949 contest would be in order. As you probably
recall, we conducted a Persian walnut contest last year for Northern
Nut Growers members only. In this contest we had 31 entries submitted.
The 1949 Persian Walnut Contest with Notes from Persian Walnut Growers
SPENCER B. CHASE, Contest Chairman Tennessee Valley Authority Norris,
Tennessee
The Persian Walnut Contest of 1949 attracted 31 entries from Association
members. The following sent nut samples: E. W. Lemke (Michigan) (4), Ray
McKinster (Ohio) (1), S. Shessler (Ohio) (2), F. S. Hill (N. Y.) (3), R.
C. Lorenz (Ohio) (1), Benton and Smith Nut Tree Nursery (N. Y.) (16), A.
S. Colby (Illinois) (2), E. M. Shelton (Ohio) (1), and N. W. Fateley
(Indiana) (1). The Contest Committee appreciates their interest in this
informal contest.
It was not practical for all of the judges to convene at one place to
evaluate the samples. Therefore, the following system was used: One nut
from each sample was sent to H. F. Stoke (Va.), Gilbert Becker
(Michigan), G. J. Korn (Michigan), and J. C. McDaniel. These four judges
were asked to select the best five of the 31 entries. The Chairman then
made the final selections based on their findings. Therefore, the
samples were actually subjected to five evaluations. The results
indicate that this method was very satisfactory.
First place went to the sample submitted by Ray McKinster, Columbus,
Ohio., It is significant that four of the five judges selected this
sample as the best entry. Mr. McKinster reports that his tree is a
Carpathian obtained as seed from the Wisconsin Horticultural Society in
1939. The 11 year old tree has a circumference of 26 inches at the base
and has withstood 17 degrees below zero without injury. It began bearing
in 1944 and yielded approximately one-half bushel in 1949. The yield is
an estimate since squirrels play havoc with the crop. The nuts weighed
12.9 grams with 6.8 grams of kernel. Four judges considered this an
outstanding Carpathian.
Second place went to a sample submitted by Sylvester Shessler, Genoa,
Ohio. Three judges selected this sample for second place, one placed it
first and the other selected it for third place. Again it was
significant that the judges were in close agreement. The parent tree is
growing in Clay Center, Ohio, and is estimated to be 50 years old. It
began bearing in 1920. It yielded an estimated two bushels in 1947,
three pecks in 1948, and one bushel in 1949. It has withstood 15 degrees
below zero without damage. The source of this seedling is unknown. The
nut weighed 8.8. grams with 5.2 grams of kernel. The nut is round with a
smooth shell and has a very attractive kernel. This selection has been
named ~Hansen~.
Third place, after some disagreement, also went to Mr. Shessler for his
entry now named ~Jacobs~. This sample received one vote for second place
and one for third place. Two judges agreed on another sample for third
place but in a comparative test involving more nuts the Jacobs sample
was selected. The nut weighed 12.8 grams with 6.0 grams of kernel. The
parent Jacobs tree is located in Elmore, Ohio, and is estimated to be 70
years old. Bearing since 1915, it yielded an estimated 300 pounds in
1947, 100 pounds in 1948, and 200 pounds in 1949. The tree has withstood
15 degrees below zero. The seed which produced this tree came from
Germany.
Fourth and fifth places were awarded to samples S-66 and S-XD submitted
by Benton and Smith Nut Tree Nurseries, Millerton, N. Y. Three judges
selected these two entries for fourth and fifth places while the other
two judges selected other entries. S-66 weighed 13.3 grams with 6.2
grams of kernel. S-XD weighed 12.6 grams with 7.1 grams of kernel. Both
selections were raised from Carpathian walnuts obtained from the
Wisconsin Horticultural Society in 1935. The nuts entered in the contest
came from 9-year old grafted trees located at the Wassaic State School,
Wassaic, N. Y. They began bearing a few nuts at six years of age. Both
have withstood 34 degrees below zero.
In addition to the five prize winners other entries are worthy of
mention. Four additional Benton, and Smith selections (S-61, S-25, S-9,
S-32), selection Illinois 10 from Dr. Colby, and a sample from Mr.
Lorenz were all considered in the first five by at least one judge. The
Carpathian sample from N. W. Fateley was outstanding for size of nut and
kernel. Unfortunately, the kernels were shriveled. Since this sample
arrived late all of the judges did not have an opportunity to evaluate
it. Mr. Lemke also entered a very large Persian walnut. It was
considered for third place by two judges but was discarded in the final
judging because of shriveled kernels. Both of these large selections
should be tested further.
It must be borne in mind that in this, as in all similar contests, only
nut characteristics of one year's crop could be evaluated. Whether these
selections are adapted to our varying conditions will have to be
determined. In other words, this contest should be considered as a
preliminary exploration and not as a final selection of suitable
varieties.
Following is a summary table containing data on the prize winners:
Results of Persian Walnut Contest
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nut Kernel Kernel
Rank Entry Name and Address Weight Weight Per-
centage
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
1 No. 1 Ray McKinster, 1632 S. 4th St.,
Columbus 7, Ohio 12.9 6.8 52.7
2 Hansen S. M. Shessler, RFD, Genoa, Ohio 8.8 5.2 59.6
3 Jacobs S. M. Shessler, RFD, Genoa, Ohio 12.8 6.0 46.8
4 S-66 Benton & Smith Nut Tree Nursery,
Rt. 2, Millerton, New York
5 S-XD Benton & Smith Nut Tree Nursery,
Rt. 2, Millerton, New York 15.6 7.1 45.8
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
To obtain information on the culture of hardy Persian walnut a
questionnaire was sent to members known to have experience with ~Juglans
regia~. The following information, based on the reports of thirteen
growers, should prove valuable to those interested in testing Persian
walnut.
The members contacted are testing 35 named varieties in addition to many
seedlings. Of the varieties, Broadview appears to be represented in more
plantings than any other variety. Gilbert Becker (Michigan) has most of
the named Crath selections in addition to seedlings. H. F. Stoke
(Virginia) has a large assortment of Crath and other Persian varieties.
Fayette Etter (Pennsylvania) reports that he has approximately 150
Persian walnut trees while Royal Oakes (Illinois), Sylvester Shessler,
and Gilbert Becker each report 60 trees. Many others have from 25 to 40
grafts or trees while Ray McKinster has only one seedling Carpathian
which took top honors in the contest. Most of these members have been
testing Persian varieties for more than 13 years. Mr. Stoke has some
trees 20 years old.
~Yields~--Most trees reported on began bearing at five to eight years.
Topworked trees start bearing several years sooner. It is generally
agreed that Persian varieties bear annually. Many trees are bearing only
small nut crops. Lack of pollination is given as a reason for these low
yields. In addition, winter injury and spring frosts can seriously
reduce nut crops. Apparently, none of the trees have borne more than a
bushel of nuts at 12 years of age. Accurate records of nut crops were
generally lacking. Since this is a very important factor in the
selection of varieties, growers should keep accurate yield records for
each variety. Where pests are a factor in reducing final yield, a crop
estimate should be made early in the season.
~Varieties~--Mr. Stoke considers Bedford, Broadview and Lancaster best
under his conditions. Mr. Becker's choice is McDermid but he thinks
Crath No. 1 a potential commercial variety. Mr. Oakes likes Crath No. 1
and Ill. No. 3. Mr. Etter lists Burtner and Alleman as his best
varieties. Mr. Fateley especially favors one tree because of nut and
bearing qualities. Other growers have not as yet evaluated their
varieties.
~Hardiness~--Only several growers in the colder regions felt that lack of
winter hardiness was a serious limiting factor with their varieties.
Those with winter temperatures ranging from 10 to 23 degrees below zero
report little damage. Spring frosts are serious to many, especially in
the southern states.
~Pests~--Several insects causing damage to Persian walnut were reported.
The butternut curculio was most frequently mentioned. Others included
leaf hoppers, tent caterpillars, and husk maggots. Few effective control
measures have been developed. Squirrels are an ever present threat to
nut crops in some localities, as are blackbirds.
~Cultural Practices~--Most growers apply varying amounts of fertilizer or
manure to their trees in some form or other. Few mulch their trees. All
do some pruning, mainly of a corrective nature.
~Pollination~--Most growers agree that usually, but not always, pistillate
flowers are produced several years before the occurrence of catkins.
Generally, Persian varieties do not adequately pollinate themselves but
exceptions are reported. The problem is one of variable dichogamy. Some
varieties shed pollen before pistillate flowers are receptive; others
shed pollen when pistillate flowers are no longer receptive. This
unfortunate situation probably explains the low yields experienced by
some growers. Mr. Stoke lists the flowering dates of 13 varieties in the
1942 NNGA Annual Report which clearly illustrates dichogamy in Persian
walnut.
Some varieties are considered sufficiently self-pollinating to produce
at least light crops. However, this may be influenced by weather
conditions. During an unusually warm spring catkins develop more rapidly
than terminal growth containing the pistillate flowers. Mr. Stoke
reports that ~Bedford~ produces both flowers simultaneously and that
~Caesar~ is practically self-pollinating. Mr. Etter finds ~Burtner~ fully
self-pollinating and ~Alleman~ partially. Mr. McKinster's tree is
apparently self-pollinating.
To overcome dichogamy it is necessary to have varieties which pollinate
one another. Again Mr. Stoke's list referred to above is useful in
selecting varieties for cross-pollination. Mr. Becker finds that ~Crath
No. 1~ and ~Carpathian D~ pollinate each other under his conditions.
More information on the pollination of Persian varieties is definitely
needed. Members are urged to record the flowering date of their
varieties. Such information will be very helpful in variety selection.
~Handling the Nut Crop~--The nuts are harvested and dried promptly.
Methods of drying vary. Some have drying screens in which the nuts are
placed several layers deep. Some dry the nuts in the sun; others prefer
a shady place. Following drying, the nuts are stored in a cool place.
At least one grower has enough walnuts to sell locally; others feel that
local markets would take all they could produce. Many of the growers
sell the nuts for seed purposes. Of course, all have a supply for home
use.
~Future Prospects~--Growers see good prospects for Persian walnut in most
of their respective regions if improved varieties are developed. Many
growers are planning to increase the size of their plantings with
promising varieties. Others would like more trees but lack the necessary
space.
The 1949 contest uncovered several very promising selections. The 1950
National Contest should produce many more.
(Applause.)
DR. MacDANIELS: I believe, Mr. Chase, your second paper has to do with
the 1950 Carpathian walnut contest, which is just a matter of
explanation, I take it, as to what is going to happen.
Plans for the 1950 Carpathian Walnut Contest
SPENCER CHASE, Norris, Tenn.
MR. CHASE: The 1950 contest plans have not been fully formulated. Our
main problem will be one of advertising. Our good secretary has agreed
to help out on that. Mr. Sherman and Dr. Anthony have agreed to help out
in their region. I was successful in getting Mr. Neal of the ~Southern
Agriculturist~ to promise to give us a little Southern publicity on
contest.
MR. McDANIEL: I wrote him; also wrote Mr. Niven of the ~Progressive
Farmer~ at Memphis and Chet Randolph with the ~Prairie Farmer~ at Chicago.
MR. CHASE: As I say, we plan on handling it the same as we did the 1949
contest. It will be simply the submission of entries. We may want to
consider the method of judging a little further.
The problem of prize money needs to be resolved, how much the
Association is going to offer--feels that they could stand to offer--for
first, second, or how many prizes we are going to have. That's about all
that we have to report now concerning the contest. But we do need,
before we can proceed too far, some commitment on prize money. Last year
we did not offer prizes simply because it was for the membership, and
there has been some question whether prizes are necessary. Of course, it
wasn't necessary from the Association standpoint, but it probably will
stimulate some others not in the Association to submit samples from
their trees.
Do any of the contest committee or members have any suggestions? We'd be
very happy to have them.
DR. MacDANIELS: Will this include all Persian walnuts?
MR. CHASE: That was another problem that came up the last time, and we
talked about it as being a Carpathian contest, and we decided, who can
tell a Carpathian from another Persian, and we decided to make it a
Persian walnut contest.
DR. MacDANIELS: No Persian walnut will be refused?
MR. CHASE: Yes, sir.
DR. MacDANIELS: Should they be sent to you?
MR. CHASE: Yes.
DR. MacDANIELS: Mr. Spencer Chase at Norris.
MR. CHASE: Then, shall we exclude the Northwestern states?
MR. McDANIEL: Last year we limited it to those trees which stood at
least zero temperature. That would eliminate most of California, at
least.
DR. MacDANIELS: That makes sense.
MR. SHERMAN: How many nuts are expected?
MR. CHASE: Last year we asked and received fifteen. We'd like to have
twenty-five. That gives us a better opportunity for the tasting
department. We have a lot of tasters. We don't have many crackers, but a
lot of tasters.
MR. McDANIEL: I found that the mice in the State Capitol at Nashville
weren't very particular as to variety. They took to any that were open.
DR. MacDANIELS: Are we men, or are we mice?
MR. CHASE: In case you didn't notice, downstairs we have all the entries
in the contest with the exception of some which human mice got from me,
two samples, I believe. But all the rest I managed to save. And I, of
course, have not seen too many Persian walnuts, being down there where
the spring frost gets them. I was very favorably impressed by the
appearance of all these samples. We simply picked five, as I said, and
pointed out that this should be considered a preliminary finding and not
definite, but all those samples were fine. Some were, of course, more
bitter to the taste than others. That's where we lost a lot of nuts,
trying to find out the least bitter. But many were an improvement on the
commercial varieties, as far as I was concerned.
I think if we all get active on hunting out these Persians the way we
have blacks, we can make very good progress.
MR. McDANIEL: Even on appearance I think some of them beat what you see
in the stores.
MR. CHASE: Yes, on appearance. Of course, some of them were handed back
and forth and competing against each other, that's what happened.
DR. McKAY: I'd like to ask how much importance you ascribe to tree
characteristics and not the nut itself.
MR. CHASE: I asked for that information and tabulated it, and it didn't
mean much. We found we couldn't do it. So then we came back to the nut
first.
Carpathian Scions for Testing~
There is one other point I might mention. Last year you may recall that
I reported on our planting of Carpathian seedlings at Norris, some 500
of them, which were frosted every single year. We have babied them along
now for almost ten years, and I don't see any prospects of getting any
nuts on them.
Now, among those 500 there must be one good one, and I will be very
happy to collect scion wood of all those trees and send it to members
who are willing to top-work them and see what they will do. So if any of
you folks are interested in some of these varieties--not varieties yet,
but seedlings--I'd like to see them fruit, and I am sure we never will
at Norris.
DR. MacDANIELS: Where did you get the seed?
MR. CHASE: From the Wisconsin State Horticultural Society.
DR. MacDANIELS: In other words, it's just as good seed as any other.
MR. FRYE: You are in a frost pocket.
MR. CHASE: The whole place is a frost pocket. They are up on the
hill--the frosty spot.
A MEMBER: When were they planted?
MR. CHASE: In the spring of 1939.
MR. CORSAN: Let me understand that. You say there are 500 trees that did
nothing at all?
MR. CHASE: We have approximately 500 of the Crath seedlings, and each
year they are frosted.
MR. CORSAN: Let me explain that. I have had the same trouble. Mr. Crath,
not knowing the nature of my place, put some of the best nuts in wet
places, in frost pockets, but he had two rows of one kind of nut that
grew very rapidly the first year, but they are not any bigger now, and
that was many years ago, back in 1935 they were planted. And there were
about 80 varieties he got from Russia, he being able to speak four
Russian dialects, his father being the Burbank of Russia and the
gardener to the Czar, he had a lot of information, and he knew just what
he was doing. But he was too hopeful and got some varieties from the
foothills, some up a little higher, some up half way, some up towards
the snow line, and they are tremendously hardy.
Now, I have given these nut trees away to people south of Lake Ontario.
You see, I am north of Lake Ontario, and those are around St.
Catherines. There trees will grow and succeed. I have been told there is
no check by frost on them. I have given a lots of those away. But with
me they are absolutely worthless north of the Lake, and there is a vast
difference in them.
Now, I thought, looking at a great, big nut, the Rumanian giant, thought
sure a nut that big would be bitter. I thought sure that it wouldn't be
hardy, but at any rate, I planted a few, and I have a nearly perfect
reproduction of those nuts, and one is very hardy and very productive,
and the other is not quite so hardy. It's a huge nut and not so
productive. However, size has nothing to do with it. I noticed a certain
type and shape of nut was sometimes quite tender, and then again the
same shape of nut but different variety was quite hardy.
I sold a lot of trees in varying sizes, keeping the small and the runts
and those that were injured by the tractor and other trees for myself,
but I have enough varieties every year to come down and see some
wonderful results.
For instance, I slashed one up badly to dwarf it, and it had a little,
wee nut that big (indicating). When I cracked that nut, the shell was
crammed full of meat, and it was exceedingly sweet, and it tasted like a
hickory nut. So I cut my own throat, as it were.
* * * * *
DR. MacDANIELS: Mr. Chase's problem right now is to get these trees out
somewhere where they can be tested further, and he has asked any of you
if you want scions to get in touch with him.
MR. CORSAN: I say, send them south.
DR. MacDANIELS: The farther south you go the worse they are.
MR. H. F. STOKE: May I also say a word? Also send them north. Sometimes
the winter sun will start the growth activity, and then wind comes along
and kills it. The original Crath that was started in Toronto, I had it
killed back to five-year-old wood thick as my wrist one winter, when the
sun moved it to activity. It was hardy in Toronto, but it wasn't hardy
in Roanoke, Virginia.
DR. MacDANIELS: Let's have a showing of hands of those who have that
trouble, starting in the spring and freezing back. (Showing of hands.)
About five or six.
* * * * *
The next paper will be, "The Persian Walnut in Pennsylvania and Ohio,"
Mr. L. Walter Sherman.
MR. SHERMAN: Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. Chairman: First I'd like to tell
you who I am. Some of you have been to my place and know who I am, but
last fall Pennsylvania started something new--a little bit different.
They put on a survey of the nut trees of Pennsylvania. Two of us were
selected for the job, and I would like to introduce Dr. Anthony--stand
up so they can see. He and I were the two that were selected to put on
the tree crop survey of that State of Pennsylvania.
Pennsylvania is a big state, and there is lots to see. They not only
made it a survey of the nut trees, but any trees that are potential food
for wildlife. Well, that made it the acorns and the honeylocust and,
well, what have you, How big a job they hung on two fellows! Well, we
have done the best we can, and we want to bring you this afternoon just
a little of those results.
The Persian Walnut in Pennsylvania and Ohio
L. WALTER SHERMAN, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania Pennsylvania Department of
Agriculture Tree Crop Survey, Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
As members of the Northern Nut Growers Association, most of you are
familiar with the early history of the Persian walnut, its introduction
into the United States by the early settlers, and how it finally found a
home in California. You also know of the more recent introduction into
this country of nuts and other material from the Carpathian Mountains by
the Rev. Mr. Crath, who was assisted by members of your organization.
(1)
These recent Crath introductions are supposed to be much hardier than
the former ones, and probably able to establish themselves in northern
United States and southern Canada.
When the Pennsylvania legislature authorized a survey of the nut trees
of the state, very few people realize the foothold that the Persian
walnut already had in Pennsylvania.
Early in this survey, we visited Fayette Etter, who is Pennsylvania's
Luther Burbank with nut trees. He is well informed concerning the
Persian walnut in his section, and he surprised us by his estimate of
several thousand trees in his county of Franklin. The adjoining counties
of Adams, York, and Lancaster, along the southern border of the state,
have fully as many trees of this species, so it is a very conservative
estimate that there are ten thousand of these trees in Pennsylvania.
These are located, for the most part, in the southeastern corner of the
state below one thousand feet elevation.
Local grown Persian walnuts were found on sale last fall in the farm
markets of York, Lancaster, and Harrisburg and at many grocery stores.
Wherever we found such local nuts on sale, we asked where and by whom
they were grown. Many of them came from Halifax and Linglestown, in
Dauphin County; from Lampeter, Lancaster County; and from Seven Valleys,
York County.
Farther investigation revealed the facts that in all but one of the
centers of production, the trees were seedling trees and that there were
from four to 23 trees planted relatively close together. In one
instance, a lone tree produced the nuts being sold, and in another case
the nuts were from several grafted trees.
The lone tree, which produced three bushels in 1949, was of interest.
Investigation revealed that the nearest Persian walnut tree was at least
a city block distant. Was this lone tree self pollinating or receiving
pollen from a tree this far away? We still are not sure of the answer.
Jacob Houser, of Lampeter, was selling Pomeroy seedling nuts and nuts
from three Rush Persian walnuts grafted on black walnut stock. They were
growing close enough for cross-pollination.
Driving through the counties of southeastern Pennsylvania, we found many
thousand seedling Persian walnut trees as shade trees about the farm
homes. Investigations revealed that most of these trees never produced
any nuts. Repeatedly we are told that, "my tree never has any nuts, but
a certain tree on an adjoining farm always produces," or "I have two
trees, one of which bears quite regularly but the other never has
borne." They are the same age and both seem to be growing equally well.
Some produce only a few handfulls of nuts when they should be producing
five to ten bushels, judging by their size.
You as nut growers know the answer, but the general public does not.
Even some of you have made the mistake of planting one tree by itself
and expecting it to produce. This seldom happens. Mixed plantings of
several varieties or several seedlings planted close together is the
safe rule to plant by.
I know of one planting of ten grafted trees of one variety of Persian
walnuts, now twenty years old, that has never produced any nuts even
though they are planted so that cross-pollination would be expected. In
1950 only a few catkins developed. These produced pollen early and were
on the ground before the pistilate bloom opened and was receptive. I
never saw a nicer pistillate bloom on any Persian walnuts than these
trees had, yet not a single nut set. They are in the center of a
fifty-five acre black walnut orchard, and when the pistillate bloom was
at its peak, the black walnuts surrounding were shedding pollen. Do not
try to tell me that native black walnuts will satisfactorily pollinate
the Persian walnut. After this demonstration, I know different. Were all
the Persian walnut trees of Pennsylvania properly pollinated, the crop
of nuts, in my estimation, would be increased a hundredfold over what it
is normally. Lack of pollination is probably the greatest factor causing
non-production in our Persian walnuts. It is far more important that the
fertility factor which is so important in production of the common black
walnut. (2)
Fayette Etter and Milo Paden both feel that the Broadview variety is
self-pollinating, but even this variety may prove to be benefited by
cross pollination.
The Persian walnut has developed in Pennsylvania and Ohio in a rather
interesting pattern. Trees planted fifty to a hundred and fifty years
ago managed to live and produce nuts. From these trees, seedlings were
grown and planted by neighbors and friends. These trees and their
seedlings in turn have now grown to producing age. Some few that produce
good crops of nuts you hear about, but the vast majority are just
non-producing shade trees. Until you look for them you little realize
how numerous they are.
At Linglestown, Dauphin County, however, we find a striking exception to
this. Here all the trees are productive. The question there is not why
don't my trees produce, but is quite spirited as to who harvests the
largest crop and best nuts.
About seventy-five years ago Alfred Kleopfer planted some Persian
walnuts of unknown origin, but probably from Germany. He grew three
trees which were planted, one beside the village blacksmith shop, one
across the street, and the third at a neighbor's. One tree lived for
only a short time. The blacksmith shop has been replaced by a modern
dwelling but the walnut tree was saved and has grown to be a tree 6' 6"
in circumference and probably 60 feet high. The one across the street is
of nearly equal size but the top has been damaged by storm and the tree
is not as tall.
These two trees were able to cross-pollinate and one tree was especially
productive. Miles Bolton recognized its value and began growing seedling
trees and distributing them to his neighbors. Some of them were quite
skeptical and even refused to take them as a gift and plant them.
However, he got the village pretty well planted to Persian walnut trees,
so that today there are 145 nice trees within the village, and two small
orchards on farms nearby.
Standing in the village square, one can see at least six Persian walnut
trees higher than the house tops. Pollination is not a problem, and all
trees are good producers. Young trees are in demand for planting, and
seedling trees, coming up in the flower beds, compost piles, fence
corners, and other places where squirrels have hidden nuts, are
carefully transplanted to permanent locations.
The story of the development of the Persian walnut at Linglestown, with
minor variations of course, can be repeated many times in southeastern
Pennsylvania. In Linglestown, the development has been concentrated
within a village, whereas in most places it has been spread over a
farming community, with less opportunity for cross-pollination. The
result has been a very high percentage of barren trees. However, Persian
walnut seedling trees have taken over and are making good in this milder
climate area of Pennsylvania.
About the same can be said of northern Ohio, though the development is
probably 50 years behind that in Pennsylvania. The climate there
apparently is not so well suited to the Persian walnut, and fewer trees
have been able to thrive. A few, however, are growing nicely and their
seedlings are rapidly spreading. The Jacobs tree at Elmore, Ohio,
produced 300 pounds of nuts in 1947, at 30 years of age, and many nuts
from this tree are being planted. The Ohio Nut Growers are propagating
vegetatively from the outstanding trees and rapid development is taking
place. Named varieties are thus being developed from superior trees, and
future success will be based on these named varieties rather than on
seedlings.
During the last few years, some of the seedlings developed from the
Crath Carpathian importations are coming into bearing in parts of
Pennsylvania and Ohio, and wherever I have seen them they look very
promising indeed. The Crath Carpathians are doing well at Mt. Jackson,
Lawrence County, Pennsylvania, along with Broadview, for Riley Paden and
Howard Butler. A. W. Robinson, of Pittsburgh, has five trees of Crath
seedlings, two of which are in bearing. All these trees seem to be
perfectly hardy. The nuts of course vary, but all are good.
Riley Paden, at Mt. Jackson, is grafting Broadview on black walnut
stock, and for him this variety is doing well. He has about forty trees
of it from two to fifteen years of age. His prize fifteen-year-old tree
produced one bushel of nuts in 1949. A sample of these nuts is on the
table for your inspection. Paden says he can grow Broadview anywhere
peaches will do well. Fayette Etter at Lemasters, Franklin County,
considers Broadview too bitter flavored for him. He thinks Burtner,
which is a local seedling, superior for his section to all other
varieties that he has tested.
With an estimated ten thousand Persian walnut seedlings growing in
Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania nut growers are faced with a big task to
sort out the best and get them tested in different sections of the
state. We should find the best half dozen varieties for each section.
The Persian walnut is established in Pennsylvania and in northern Ohio.
There are not just a few scattered trees having a hard time to survive
but there are many thousands of them, growing vigorously, some producing
big crops of fine nuts, others not producing any. They are ready now for
the intelligent development you can give to them. Nature has gone about
as far as she will without your assistance. The job now is up to you nut
growers.
REFERENCES
(1) Northern Nut Growers Annual Report Vol. Page
Persian walnuts
history of in Penna. Rush 5 93
history of in Cal. Reed, C. A. 6 51
introduction of Carpathian. Crath 27 103
distribution of Carpathian. Rahmlow 27 112
survey in Penna. Fagan 6 23
(2) Persian walnut protandrous. Craig 2 106
Discussion
MR. FRYE: How about butternuts for pollenization?
MR. SHERMAN: I don't know. I have one hybrid, and that's a sample
downstairs that I think is an English walnut crossed with a butternut.
The nut looks like a butternut; the tree looks like an English walnut,
but it has the butternut bark. They will occasionally pollinate, I
think, but don't depend on them.
MR. CORSAN: I'll tell you how you can tell. That butternut-English
walnut cross is the most powerful tree I ever came across, especially
for good wood. I got a tremendous one.
MR. STOKE: I produced, I think, 22 seedling trees from the Lancaster
Persian walnut. About five per cent are hybrids. There was one
strong-growing black × Persian hybrid that I am sure of. There are three
or four very dwarfish trees that undoubtedly were crossed with the
heartnut. They were all dwarf. I haven't been able to get one to bear. I
have had one grafted five or six years on a black walnut, but that was
the heartnut and not the butternut.
MR. SHERMAN: That study of the hybrid is another story and really
doesn't belong in this discussion at all.
MR. CORSAN: Here is a point on that. When they are only that high
(indicating)--if they are only babies, I can tell them. You know,
occasionally. Look at the leaflets on the compound leaf, and if there
are over seven, they are hybrids, and if they are extra vigorous
growing, they are hybrids, because they occasionally pollenize.
MR. SHERMAN: Those are all characteristics of the hybrids, but here is
what I want to bring out now, and Dr. Anthony is going to stress it on
his chestnuts a little bit later: You people have a wealth of material
to select from. Nature has gone about so far, and I am just a believer
enough in what the Bible says, that God made the heavens and the earth
and put man here to tend and keep it, and made him master of everything
above the earth and every creeping thing on the earth and everything
beneath the earth, and it is up to you fellows to direct intelligently
this mass of material you have to direct. You have got nuts growing
where they are hardy, you have got big nuts, you have got little nuts,
you have got everything under the sun you can think of. What more do you
want for a nice job ahead? It's up to you fellows to do. It's going to
be not a one-year job, not a two-year job, not a five-year job; you will
be at this, and your children and your grandchildren.
MR. CORSAN: Make you live long.
MR. SHERMAN: Maybe you will live long enough, but it's a century's job,
and not the job for one man's lifetime.
(Loud applause.)
DR. MacDANIELS: Thank you, Mr. Sherman. Any questions?
MR. CHASE: Yes, sir. I want to ask Mr. Sherman, should I be thinking
about receiving 10,000 entries in this contest?
MR. SHERMAN: No, because there aren't 10,000 trees producing. Out of
that 10,000 maybe there are a thousand of them producing. The nine
thousand others are nothing but shade trees, and never produce any nuts.
You don't hear of them, but if you travel through York, Lancaster, and
Adams Counties down there and look for Persian walnuts, you will find
them on--I was going to say 50 per cent of the farm homes. You can see
them along the road everywhere.
My wife travels with me a good deal of the time. She will say, "Why
don't you stop and look at that Persian walnut? There are some over
there. Why don't you stop there?"
A MEMBER: Don't they bloom a month later than most of the others?
MR. CORSAN: Did you find a good French variety?
MR. SHERMAN: But those French varieties--I can't take you to a good
French variety in Southeastern Pennsylvania that has been producing the
nuts. They produce the nuts, but folks won't even pick them up.
A MEMBER: They are good for pollen.
MR. SHERMAN: If you want a good pollenizer go to Fayette Etter and get
his Burtner. It's a very late pollen producer. This year I took some
buds from his Burtner and put them in the top of those ten trees in that
55-acre black walnut orchard to see if I can't do something. Maybe it
won't stick--maybe I hadn't better tell you.
MR. CORSAN: Mr. Chairman, there is one point raised by the last speaker
that's not understood; that the young black walnut trees, when they
first blossom, they come out with a mass of male blossoms. Then the
English walnut, when it comes out, it sometimes comes out with a mass of
pistillate flowers which people might not know are the female flowers.
They make the nuts, but there is not even one catkin. I have seen that
time and again.
Those trees in Russia would be dependent upon larger trees to pollinate
them. But here you have young trees, and you have to wait till they get
a certain growth, and then they produce their catkins.
DR. MacDANIELS: Thank you, Mr. Corsan.
The next paper, by Mr. J. F. Wilkinson of Rockport, Indiana,
"Observations and Experiences with the Persian Walnut in Southern
Indiana." Mr. Wilkinson.
(Paper not available for this Report.)
DR. MacDANIELS: We have a choice of doing several different things.
There are several other papers we have here, the authors of which are
not present. Then the other possibility would be to go on and have some
papers that require the use of the lantern, as long as we have this all
fixed up.
Perhaps the thing to do is to have Dr. Anthony's paper on chestnuts,
using the lantern, and then have these other papers on the Persian
walnut summarized after that. Does that seem to be a reasonable thing to
do?
(Chorus of yeses.)
DR. MacDANIELS: We will go ahead on that basis, then. Dr. Anthony has
the talk on chestnuts.
(This talk, withdrawn for revision, may appear in next Report.)
MR. CORSAN: Dr. Anthony, I knew Captain Sober very well, and he showed
me quite a group--a double handful--of Korean sweet chestnuts. They were
a little thicker than the native Pennsylvania chestnut, they are rounder
and a little larger, but they weren't as large as some of the Chinese or
nearly as large as the Japanese. What about those nuts, because, you
see, the blight killed all his Paragon chestnuts--you know, the cross
between the European and the American chestnuts--killed them all off
completely, as it did with me.
DR. ANTHONY: In our detective work we were instructed to follow down
that plantation. Mrs. Sober is still alive, living in Lewisburg. The
planting has practically disappeared. I am going over there next week.
It is still with the man who wrote "Chestnut Culture in Pennsylvania."
MR. CORSAN: It broke his heart.
DR. ANTHONY: We are going over there next week, but I think that whole
planting has disappeared. When these things change hands, another man
comes in who is not interested, and things disappear very rapidly.
(Continue with paper.)
MR. CORSAN: I want to tell you how to keep the deer out of the chestnut
orchard. Plant filberts five feet apart all around the place, and after
while just put one single electrified wire five feet from the ground,
and the deer won't get in through that.
DR. ANTHONY: Glad to hear that, because deer is one of our problems.
(Continue with paper.)
DR. ANTHONY: There is a tree beside the blacksmith shop, and the old man
used to go there early in the morning as a boy to get chestnuts. Today
he has taken down the old blacksmith shop and built a home, but he
preserved that tree in Linglestown. It practically covers his house, six
feet six inches in trunk circumference, 60 feet high and a spread of 60
feet. It isn't too long before we will have chestnuts that big to eat
alongside the old blacksmith shop.
DR. MacDANIELS. It is about three o'clock. We will take a five-minute
recess.
(Whereupon, a short recess was taken.)
DR. MacDANIELS: For the first paper after the recess, we will call on
Sargent Wellman to speak to us about the Persian walnuts in England. Mr.
Wellman.
Notes on Persian Walnuts in England
SARGENT WELLMAN, Topsfield, Massachusetts
MR. WELLMAN: Members of the Association: I was fortunate enough to be in
England last summer, and I agreed that I would say a few words about nut
growing there. What I am really going to do is largely to read you a few
things from some articles that I found there.
I was very much impressed with the little interest that there is in nut
growing in England, and I was very much surprised at it. Of course, you
all know that the walnut grows there. The chestnut grows there. There
are some fine, marvelous trees in Kew Gardens, of course, that I saw,
and if you read the English poets, you will remember how they talk about
chestnut blossoms on chestnut trees, but curiously enough, there is now
very little interest.
MR. McDANIEL. When they speak of the blossom, they speak of the
horsechestnut, do they not?
MR. WELLMAN: Not always, but there are pink flowered horsechestnuts in
France, particularly, whole avenues of pink ones. The cob nut, as they
call the filbert, is very common there, grown in hedges. One year when I
was in England previously I brought home a few in my pocket, and I have
a seedling which grew from one of those, which is comparable to the
filberts I have, but apparently there is no interest in that, so far as
I can see--I mean, any investigation and any experimentation and
encouragement of its planting. But there is about the walnut. That's the
one nut tree in which they are interested.
I picked up two reports, both of them made by Elizabeth M. Glenn, who is
the woman connected with the East Malling Station down in Kent and is
the one person who is doing more with walnut work than anybody else, as
far as I could find out. Unfortunately, the day I was there she was on
vacation, so I couldn't see her, but they were very kind to me and took
me around and showed me everything.
As you know, the East Malling Station is the place where they have done
all that work with apple root stocks. This one is a reprint from the
annual report for the East Malling Station for 1946. And then "The Men
of the Trees," which is a forestry society there which some of you may
have heard of, have reprinted in the Autumn, 1949, number another
article by Elizabeth Glenn on "The Selection and Propagation of
Walnuts." And I think if I make a few comments and read a few things
from these, you will be interested.
She says, "The earliest record of a walnut tree in England is 1562, but
remains of walnut shells have been found in Roman villas, and it is
probable that the Romans planted some nuts and raised trees in this
country."
She says, "There is a large tree of it"--black walnut--"at Kew, near the
entrance to the Rock Garden." Of course there are some rootstocks, and
they are all specimen trees, but they are not used for nuts. She says
somewhere here, "In this country the nuts are of little value, although
in America they are used for confectionery purposes."
The East Malling Station is really a fruit research station, as I said,
and they are the ones who are primarily interested in walnut crops and
not timber production. "However, there is no reason why a tree shouldn't
produce both good crops and good timber."
"The French, have been grafting walnuts for well over 100 years, and the
famous Grenoble nuts all come from grafted trees of named varieties."
She emphasizes the fact that almost all of the English walnuts are grown
on seedling trees and are very much inferior to those that come from the
Continent and from this country. And of course that was the purpose of
their work, to encourage the use of grafted trees.
I was interested in this sentence: "The late Mr. Howard Spence began the
survey and collection of good varieties growing in this country and
abroad, and collaborated with East Malling in the trial of selected
varieties." He was always interested in our society and was an honorary
member of it for a good many years prior to his death.
I was interested in the fact that the problems that they have over there
in the way of climate and some other things are very similar to our
problems. She speaks a good deal about the matter of climate. I will
come to that as I go along.
"Work on walnuts, started at East Malling in 1925, soon showed that the
budding or grafting of walnuts out of doors was far too chancy in this
climate to be relied upon as a means of raising young trees," so that
all their grafting is done in the greenhouse, and they don't try to do
anything outdoors.
"Outdoor grafting can be done successfully only where the mean
temperature from May to September is above 65° F." Then she gives a
description of the greenhouse grafting, bringing in the seedlings and
potting them in November, in the fall, and then starting along in
February in grafting, and then taking them out and planting them in the
spring. I won't go into that; there is nothing particularly interesting
I think, for us about that.
Patch budding she also describes.... She says it's a much cheaper method
than grafting under glass but at the moment the results are far less
reliable.
"The walnut will tolerate a wide range of soils so long as the drainage
is good and the soil is not too acid. Lime should be applied before
planting, unless there is plenty present in the soil.
"The site should not be in a valley or frost hole, because, although the
dormant tree is quite hardy and can stand severe frost, the young
growths and catkins are very easily killed by spring frosts." They are
talking about the same problem we have. In fact, in spite of the fact
that the weather is warmer than in Boston and New England, they don't
have the severe winters, but they do have this late frost.
Manuring. They recommend mulching with farmyard manure or compost put on
the soil and worked in and no artificial nitrogen because that again
gives too much late growth, and you have trouble with killing back.
She goes over the problems that we have been talking about this
afternoon, about the time of leafing out in the spring and what the
difference in the varieties is and the effects of that on the winter
killing.
Now, I am not going to read much more. I will just read over the names
of the varieties which may interest you. This first article, the 1946
one, lists Franquette, Mayette, Meylanaise, Chaberte, Excelsior of
Taynton, Northdown, Clawnut, and Secrett. The latter article, which was
published last year, says that in 1929, with the help of Dr. Taylor, the
Royal Horticultural Society held a walnut competition. "Over 700 entries
were received and were subjected to severe tests. Most of the nuts were
far below the required standards, but five Were selected for propagation
and further tests. The owners of the trees from which these nuts came
supplied scion wood to raise grafted trees for trial at East Malling."
The best ones came from a tree which they called "Champion of Ixworth."
The second one was called "Excelsior of Taynton," which was in the list
I read previously. Another variety is called "Lady Irene." I am not
going into the description of these varieties here, because if any of
you are interested, you can get hold of these publications and get it.
She lists the Stutton seedling and then the Northdown Clawnut.
Also in this article she mentions the French varieties, of course, which
were mentioned before.
Well, I thought it might just interest you that in another part of the
world they are doing the same sort of thing we are, and they are having
the same sort of problems and working on it. (Applause.)
DR. MacDANIELS: Several of these papers which were scheduled will be
either summarized or read. One of them will be read now by Mr. Silvis of
Ohio. The paper is by Carl Weschcke.
Prospects for Persian Walnuts in the Vicinity of St. Paul, Minnesota
CARL WESCHCKE
Although I was asked to prepare a paper on the Carpathian walnut, I feel
that my other experiences with Persian or so-called English walnut (the
botanical name of which is _Juglans regia_) are also of some value to
those who might be tempted to try this species of walnut in cold
climates.
When I first started my experiments with nut bearing trees, I included
the English walnut among the possibilities for our section. Mr. J. F.
Jones of Lancaster, Pennsylvania, gave me much information and a great
deal of help in trying out what he considered hardy strains. There was a
walnut tree in Boston, known as the Boston walnut, of which he sent
scions, and which I grafted on butternut. This was about the year 1920,
and was included in my grafting experiments together with black walnut,
heartnut, hickories, and hybrids between hickory and pecan. Later on, he
sent me scionwood from other known hardy varieties which I placed on
butternut, and many of these made tremendous growths but were
winterkilled the very first winter. None of the English walnut with
which I continued experiments lived over the first winter until I
received scionwood from Prof. James Neilson of Canada, who sent the
Broadview. These Broadview scions were grafted on butternut and black
walnut, and a few of the scions survived for possibly three seasons,
even producing staminate and pistillate blossoms and small nuts which
grew only to about the size of a quarter and then dropped off.
Clarence A. Reed arranged to have some small seedling Chinese strain of
_Juglans regia_ sent from Chico, California; these were planted in
favorable places and survived a few winters. I also planted seeds of the
Chinese strains which gave me no better results than the seedlings.
Then I bought walnuts from A. C. Pomeroy, of Lockport, New York. These
were even more tender than other varieties with which I had
experimented, although they were very much publicized by Mr. Pomeroy in
the Nut Grower during that era as being extra hardy, because they were
growing near the south shore of Lake Erie.
I next went to Mr. Jones, who was then selling quite a quantity of Wiltz
Mayette and Franquette strains of English walnut grafted on black
walnut. These proved to be among the most tender varieties I have ever
tested here. Then he sent me scions of the Hall and Holden varieties,
which he felt were considerably more winter hardy, but here they failed
to survive even one winter.
We have not neglected the Rush English walnut either, which was tested
in a similar manner without any good practical results.
This now brings us to the convention at Geneva, New York, in 1936 when
the Rev. Mr. Crath and George H. Corsan presented a new strain of
English walnuts, known as the Carpathian strain, originating in the
Carpathian mountains in Poland. This so impressed me that after talking
it over with my father we decided to finance a trip into the same region
that Mr. Crath had been in, to locate new and better varieties for a
real test. The story of the Rev. Mr. Crath's and my adventure along
these lines, during the winter of 1936-37, has been printed in the
records of the Northern Nut Growers Association, and I will bring out
only the high spots that seem to be important 14 years later.
In the shipments of hardy material collected were some 4,000 scions of
possibly a dozen different good strains of what Mr. Crath considered
hardiest and best. In addition to that, there were around 500 trees
ranging in size from small whips of one foot long to some that were over
eight feet; also there were some 400 pounds of nuts to be planted to
produce seedlings.
These nuts had been gathered from superior hardy trees with the
expectation that the seedlings would produce nearly true imitations of
their parents in the quality of their fruit and hardiness. These
seedling nuts produced somewhat over 12,000 seedling trees, which were
planted in about six large strips of land so as to give room for
cultivation. The 500 trees received from Poland were planted in
favorable locations and many of them are still alive. The scionwood was
put on native butternut and black walnut. Some of it was grafted to
young nursery stock, but most of it was put on large mature trees, being
top worked. Grafting was started in April and continued into the early
part of June. The later grafts were much more successful than the
earlier ones, although some of the April grafts grew and flourished.
Many of these grafts bore flowers and had little nutlets but none of
them ripened nuts. After about three seasons some of the grafts that
continued to live produced a few nuts.
Three varieties were practically mature, and then the native insect
pests caught up with them. Also, there was a black rot or wilt which I
am fairly sure was walnut bacteriosis disease, although specimens sent
out to competent authorities did not corroborate this diagnosis. What
turned out to be the butternut curculio attacked all grafted and
seedling trees with such vigor that there was no way to combat it. I
sprayed some of the grafted specimens and kept it up for several years,
trying to hold on to them, but it became too much for me and my
equipment; I doubt now whether any amount of poison would have saved the
trees because the butternut curculio is difficult to kill with poison.
One of the varieties, known as the Kremenetz, grafted on black walnut,
was sent to Harry Weber. It thrives and bears nice crops at his country
estate in Cleves, Ohio, near Cincinnati. He has sent me scions of this
variety, and this spring I grafted them back on black walnut, as the
butternut curculio is not nearly as bad as it was when there was so much
English walnut foliage for them to feed on (this foliage is their choice
over all other foliage). These insect pests also wiped out several
heartnut varieties which came from J. U. Gellatly, of Westbank, B. C,
Canada; for next to English walnuts the curculio loves heartnut foliage
and its new branch growth.
We have about 60 to 70 acres of woods which contain a large percentage
of butternut, therefore it is next to impossible to wipe out their
native food. I doubt very much whether this would have benefited the
situation at all, as the curculio would have then centered all its
activities on the English walnut foliage and perhaps have attacked
hickories, pecans, and black walnuts, on which they sometimes try their
appetites. Hybrids between butternut and black walnut are viciously
attacked by this curculio. Hybrids between English walnut and other
species of walnut which I have here also become a prey to curculio. So
there is no trick species which would be immune to their attack.
The English walnut usually vegetates too early in the spring to escape
some of our late frosts. Because this new growth generally contains the
flowers, the fruiting of such trees would be very unreliable and only
occasional. We even have trouble with black walnut and butternut in this
respect. The hickory is much better, and the pecan is even later in
respect to vegetation. I mention this because even though everything had
gone well it is doubtful whether reliable crops of English walnuts would
ever have been produced from the so-called hardy Carpathian series.
A year or so following the experiment with the Carpathian walnut, I
imported about 100 pounds of seeds from Austria. They came in two
different lots: one of them was more expensive than the other seed, and
it proved to be much the hardier. The larger lot of smaller seeds was
not as hardy. Although we have several hundred trees of this better seed
lot which remain alive, they are no better off in any respect than the
Carpathian seedlings. In fact, I could not see much difference between
the behavior of these seedlings and the behavior of the Carpathian
walnut strain.
While in California in 1939 I picked up about five pounds of seeds from
a hardy tree growing in the Sierra Nevadas in Sonora, also some native
black walnuts. These survived a few years but finally were winter-killed
entirely, root and all. The Carpathians are never killed out entirely
but continue to grow from the root systems, even though they are frozen
back to the ground; but the insect and the fungus have destroyed many
thousands of the original group of trees so that there are today perhaps
between 1000 and 2000 living trees, which sprout up each spring and kill
back each fall with clock-like regularity. Among these; However, are a
few outstanding varieties which extend some hope that there may be among
these survivors one or more trees which resist the butternut curculio
and have become acclimated, to such an extent that they do not entirely
kill back but only a little of their new growth is killed. These
specimens usually are the ones that make a shorter growth during the
summer, in fact have more of a tendency to be a genuine dwarf type of
tree. Three such seeding trees were known to have sprouted from
exceptionally large and very thin-shelled walnuts, which I believe the
Rev. Mr. Crath calls the giant type.
I will now summarize and express my own private opinion regarding the
future possibilities of introducing the English walnut into such an
extreme northern latitude as we are in. First, experiments started
thirty years ago, which period gives a reasonable period of time that
any man should feel is necessary to devote to giving a species a
try-out. Secondly, we have used material from every reasonably known
source. Third, persons in charge had a reasonable amount of skill and
success with other varieties to have insured success if the material had
been responsive. My opinion, for what it may be worth, is that the
species is out of its range in this northern latitude, more particularly
because it is too tender to fight its own battles as to insect life
which attacks it, particularly the butternut curculio. Grasshoppers,
leaf eating insects, and worms of different sorts, also attack it more
than they do other nut tree foliage. The possibilities of a break in the
strong cycle of insect life is a hopeful prospect which we are helping
by breeding tens of thousands of toads and frogs. This might allow
some, of the more vigorous specimens to acquire sufficient size to
overcome this weakness. In my opinion, the climate itself is not the
main governing factor which would kill out all hope of raising English
walnuts here; but certainly, coupled with the disastrous attack of
insect life and susceptibility to blight, these three foes are almost
insurmountable. And then in view of the early vegetating habit of these
species, there is the possibility that even though you had a hardy tree,
immune to insects, you would never get much fruit.
Discussion
DR. MacDANIELS: Remember, the climate up around St. Paul is a bit
rugged, and I think that work of that kind is certainly of value to give
us an idea of the limits at which we can grow these trees, but I don't
think that we have by any means explored the whole field.
In the Morris collection at Ithaca there is a little Persian walnut
about the size of the end of this finger (indicating), a very small nut,
that was given to Dr. Morris by a consul from the interior of Asia up in
the Himalaya Mountains in Tibet, from of an elevation of about 10,000
feet. That little walnut had a hard shell, harder than some of our
shellbark hickory nuts, and a bound kernel that I would say was much
less promising than many of the nuts which we discard.
Somewhere, it seems to me, in this vast range of material we ought to be
able to find some variety or clone of these species that would be
adapted to practically every part of the United States. There at Ithaca
we have the difficulties with the Persian walnut mainly of winter cold.
That is the absolute low temperature that wipes out the trees, now that
I have seen them come and go in my place there and in the vicinity. The
old Pomeroy strain is killed at about 20 below zero Fahrenheit. It
stayed there in fairly good condition up in the Lockport region until
the extreme cold of 1933-34. Once the temperatures went down to nearly
30 below zero, except for a small region around the Niagara peninsula,
where it hit only 12. Those trees are still there in that little
circumscribed area around Niagara, and we saw a picture of one of them
in Mr. Sherman's collection. But the Pomeroy trees, I have learned--I
haven't seen them myself--were practically wiped out, as were the
others, in what was thought to be the protected area along Lake Erie.
I remember the trees on the Whitecroft farm along Keuka Lake. Some of
you saw those when the Nut Growers Association met at Geneva. They are
on a bench close to Keuka Lake, which up to 1933-34 had not been frozen
over for many years. They had grown, produced good crops, were in
excellent condition, but that year the temperature went down to about 30
below zero and stayed there for a number of days. The lake froze over,
and the trees were severely damaged. A California redwood which was
there--had been there for 80 years--was killed outright, and so it goes.
Now, just for these Carpathian strains it seems to me that we have
pretty well--perhaps you might say--licked this question of winter cold;
that is, at least down to perhaps 30, 35 below zero Fahrenheit, but we
certainly haven't licked the problem of early vegetation. That is, it
starts out with warm days in the spring, the shoots get about this long
(indicating), you get temperature going down to, say, 26, 27, 28, and
your shoots are all killed back and you have lost your year's crop. So
that's the problem which in the selection of varieties for this northern
country, we have got to keep in mind, as I think that's one thing to
look for among your Carpathian trees. It's one which will mature its
foliage in the fall fairly early and which does not start out too
quickly in the spring.
Now, we know there are some that don't start out in the spring, like
these Chinese types, but what we want is a combination of short-season,
late-starting, winter-hardy walnuts, and I think we can find them if we
keep at it.
I didn't start out to talk so long, but I thought that was perhaps a
sort of a summary of some of these things which we are looking for.
DR. CRANE: I'd just like to make a few comments. There is one thing that
you have got to be very careful about, I think, in watching for these
late-blooming Persian walnut trees that start in to grow, in Oregon,
particularly, although the same thing is true in some areas of
California where we are growing large quantities of Persian walnuts. You
know that a deficiency of boron will cause trees to go into a condition
which the growers out there now call "sleepers." They will stay dormant
for quite a long period of time in the spring before they start growth.
That's due to a severe boron deficiency.
Now, we have a lot of boron deficiency here in the East, and in areas in
which we have trouble with growing vegetables, like cauliflower that has
a hollow stem, or beets or turnips that split and crack, or where we
have so-called drouth spot or internal corking in apples, you can be
sure that you can't grow a Persian walnut, because the boron requirement
alone is many, many times that of an apple or of most vegetables.
In Oregon on the same soils where we are growing apples, we put on a
half a pound of borax per tree to control boron deficiency on apples. On
walnuts we have to use anywhere from five to ten or twelve pounds for a
tree of the same size. We have to have a boron content in walnuts very,
very much higher than that of apples. We have got to be careful about
that.
So if you do find late-sleeping walnut trees, or walnut trees that are
late in starting to grow, you will probably find that is a result of
boron deficiency.
MR. CORSAN: Mr. Chairman, I visited the Pomeroy Nursery in 1934. I had,
in my own planting, about a score of trees and they were a most amazing
sight. The big trees were all seriously damaged by that 1933-34 winter,
as were all Ben Davis apple orchards. So what amazed both of us was the
fact that Pomeroy's young trees weren't dead.[2] Of the Pomeroy, all the
big trees were dead. I ordered some more from him, and I planted them,
but the trees froze down to the ground. Just as a very few varieties of
the Crath Carpathians did. They froze twigs and they froze buds and
sometimes they froze the trunk. Only a couple of Carpathian varieties
froze down to the ground, but every one of the Pomeroy did. I was quite
sorry, because I had a Chinese English walnut from North China that was
extremely hardy and lived through that winter almost undamaged. The
nut, though, had a bitter tang, and Pomeroy's nuts were quite sweet and
delicious, but I haven't a Pomeroy on the place. They are all stone
dead.
[2] See Mr. Gellatly's paper in this volume.--Ed
DR. MacDANIELS: Thank you, Mr. Corsan.
Mr. Harry Weber will give us a paper by Gilbert Becker on Persian and
black walnuts in Michigan.
Grafted Black and Persian Walnuts in Michigan
GILBERT BECKER, Climax, Michigan
The performance of grafted Persian walnuts in southwestern Michigan has
been so satisfactory that I would not hesitate to recommend them, in
preference to grafted black walnuts. One of the nicest things about
grafted Persian walnuts is that when they start to produce nuts, they
bear _every_ year--there is not an off-season, as with the black walnut.
Our locality may be especially suitable to them. Our skies are cloudy,
and it is cool through much of the spring, thus preventing early growth
before conditions are right for the buds to develop unhampered by late
spring frosts. We have had an occasional late freeze that caused the
lower nuts to drop, while the higher ones remained on the tree,
unharmed.
In this article I would like to answer briefly our most often asked
question, as to which varieties do we think best from our experience
with them? Our climate must be quite different from that found around
Ithaca, New York, because we have never had winter injury in certain
Persian varieties, as occurs in that area. (And we had 26 below zero in
February, 1949.) An instance of this difference is in regard to the
McDermid variety, which happens to be our choice. We honestly believe
the Crath No. 1 variety to have great commercial possibilities, because
of its heavy production of large, thin-shelled nuts, of average quality.
The Broadview is another. The Carpathian "D", apparently, pollinates the
Crath No. 1 well. This one, however, is small, with a very white kernel
that is sweet. We have many other varieties producing, some with their
first crop this year; but we are not able to recommend any of them yet.
The black walnut varieties must be rather limited, because of the
brooming disease trouble; so we select from those that are quite able to
resist it, or that seem immune to the trouble. The Thomas and Grundy
varieties lead with us, and two other local nuts, the Adams and the
Climax, rate high in our estimation. We have some nice grafts of the
Homeland bearing their third crop, which we like very much, and they
appear disease free. The Elmer Myers, Michigan, and other varieties are
now badly affected with brooming disease.
Several years ago I reported on my observations on the brooming disease.
Now, I wish to report a little more upon the subject, especially in
regard to how certain varieties have withstood its ravages. I hesitate
to make any estimation as to how prevalent the disease is in the wild
black walnut today, for it could be quite a controversial subject, with
some claiming I was very wrong. Anyway, many of our native walnuts are
now affected. Outward appearances are often very deceiving; but, when
one cuts the top off a seedling and attempts to graft it, he may be
amazed at the broomy growth that soon appears from the stock, should his
graft fail to take. Trees that appear healthy, but have made slow or
poor growth are often affected. Short, twiggy, upright growth that soon
becomes dead or partly so, and arises from the main framework of an
apparently healthy tree, is one of the signs that disease is there.
I have claimed there are two, or possibly, three forms of brooming
disease, and I am still as convinced as ever. The so-called
"witches-broom," as commonly seen in the Japanese walnut, is the form
most people seem to think of. The second form is the rapid-growing type,
that lops, or arches downward, is gray or green in color of wood, is
very brittle and easily broken in the wind, ripping off good sized
limbs, and winter-injures badly. An investigation, will, however, show
much dead wood comes before severe weather. This form has some broomy,
upright growth, like the first, but it is never bunched. The other, or
possibly, the third form, is the latent type that doesn't seem to do
much harm, merely causing poorly filled nuts. The latent form is
difficult to note, and can be detected only by the many short, dead, or
partly dead, upright twigs scattered along the main framework of older
trees. Cutting off part of the top will cause the typical growth to
arise, thus identifying itself.
Early observation showed that certain walnut varieties were almost
unaffected, or could even be immune, to the brooming disease. Different
limbs of a large tree were topworked to the Thomas and the Allen
varieties of black walnut. The Allen "took" the disease at once, while
the Thomas grew thriftily and has always produced good crops of nuts.
Later, the Calhoun variety was grafted on some lower limbs, and has
remained healthy. The diseased Allen grafts are still in the tree, are
now 15 years old, and are more or less alive, but in very poor
condition, with the signs as found in what I call the latent form. In
1938, the McDermid Persian walnut was grafted into this same tree, and
its grafts produced good crops of nuts.
I wish to cite another instance of how little the Persian walnut is
affected, regardless of variety. In 1938 a large black walnut near the
house was grafted with Persian grafts, on stubs that had failed the
previous year. The tree had the second, or rapid growing form, of
brooming disease. I have pictures showing how badly the 1938 grafts took
the rapid growing form of growth; while two 1937 Persian grafts showed
no signs of trouble. The tree started to bear in 1941, and has made
remarkable growth. It is now one of the nicest Persian walnut trees I
have, bearing heavily every year. It is about 30 feet tall and 20 feet
broad, with no apparent signs that it was ever affected.
I feel we should recognize the fact that eradication of brooming disease
is impossible; but one should plant, or graft, those varieties known to
bear good crops in spite of this trouble. The Thomas and Grundy black
walnuts do very well here, as well as the two local nuts mentioned. I do
not know of any Persian varieties affected. I do not have any Persian
trees with the typical broomy bunch, as is so often seen in the Japanese
walnut, and its hybrids. The native black walnuts, when affected, seem
to fail to fill properly, are immature, and watery, black veined, and
worthless at harvest time, shriveling to a dark, hard, kernel when
cured.
I think this answers the oft-asked question, "Why do not my black
walnuts fill as they used to?" There is a strange relation to the
filling of the native black walnut and the days of 1934 and 1935, when
we had the great walnut caterpillar scourge!--when the trees were
stripped of all their leaves. Ever since, we have had the brooming
disease to contend with. One could jump to the conclusion that improper
filling and this trouble were caused by a lack of certain nutrients; but
seedlings in nursery rows are often affected, even where they are given
every care.
At one time this spring I thought I had found a new way of
"bench-grafting" walnuts. Seven grafts, on black root, were made in
December, and were planted directly in a frost-proof coldframe, as
lilacs can be grafted. All seven grafts made good growth, that is, over
three inches, by early May, but failed later. There is only one alive
today, I do not think this an impossible method, but there must be a
better way of handling to give success, such as attention to shading and
careful watering. One may find more on this subject in "Propagation of
Trees, Shrubs, and Conifers," by Wilfrid G. Sheat.
In our greenhouse work we have used several nutrient preparations, with
poor to good results. There is one that has proved quite remarkable, and
may be of use to the nut grower. Our concern has been to promote
greener, healthier leaves, and the product "Ra-Pid-Gro" is most
outstanding. Our tests in regards to nut growing are very limited. A pan
of Chinese chestnut seed mixed in pure sand was set under the greenhouse
bench last winter. The seed sprouted too early to be planted out, and
trees have been left inside. Since the sand had no food value,
Ra-Pid-Gro was applied to the leaves, allowing the drippings to go into
the sand throughout the summer. Today, the little seedlings are indeed
nice. Outside, a Persian walnut had yellow-toned leaves, and Ra-Pid-Gro
was applied--now the leaves are green! It is amazing how quickly yellow
leaves will become green. This appears to be a very useful product.
_I believe we can have scions too dormant to graft!_ Last winter I had
to make a new scion-box for storage, so copied it after the Harrington
method, sinking it in the ground north of some evergreens. Scions have
kept perfectly--maybe too perfectly--because they were absolutely
dormant at grafting time, and have given poor success. It was rather
late to save scionwood when I received an order to cut some of Mr.
Hostetter's "Special Thomas" wood, so I cut a little extra for myself,
and some wood from a little seedling Persian walnut that I wished to
hasten by topworking. The buds were very much swollen that day, and the
terminal buds were partly expanded. At grafting time I was quite
surprised to find the wood I had cut late to be in exactly the same
condition as it was the day I cut it. When grafted, every scion
grew--all nine grafts made of the little Persian walnut were smaller
than a lead pencil--and were _pithy_ as well! This experience is so
encouraging, I hope to have most of my wood in this advanced condition
another year. Absolutely dormant wood might well be brought out of
storage several days before grafting, in order to get it adjusted from
winter to summer conditions.
DR. MacDANIELS: I think Dr. Crane is going to talk about the bunch
disease tomorrow morning and will give us some indication about the work
that has been done with that.
This matter of dormancy of scions we could probably get into an argument
about, but that isn't the subject right now.
MR. CORSAN: I find that you mustn't go cutting back much. They don't
like to be pruned. They are an open tree that grows a branch here, a
branch there. They don't get anything like the dense branches of, say,
the Turkish tree hazel. They are the very opposite, and they don't want
to be pruned, and if you go pruning them, they are likely to have the
witches'-broom.