The hickory is the slowest growing, takes the longest to start to bear,

is the nurseryman's headache (it taking about five years to grow stocks

large enough to graft or bud, during which time they should have been

transplanted at least twice to develop a better root system), they are

about (the hardest of the nut species to transplant and their nuts are

one of the smallest of the nut species only the filbert and the chestnut

being as small). Yet because of their delicious flavor and other good

qualities, hickories are probably the favorite nut of more people than

any other of the nut species that can be grown in the northern part of

this country.

(Applause.)

DR. MacDANIELS: I think we need more reports of that kind to get us

oriented with our hickory varieties. I think when we get through with

the walnut survey that the hickory nut survey would be next.

MR. CORSAN: Hickory was Dr. Charles S. Sargent's favorite tree, and he

planted poison ivy under all of them, and it's there yet and they can't

get rid of it. He wanted to keep the boys from gathering the nuts.

DR. MacDANIELS: I have poison ivy under some of mine, but not for that

purpose.

MR. McDANIEL: It grows under all good trees.

DR. MacDANIELS: The next paper is one which George Slate kind of foisted

off on me. He came around and said he thought something more should be

said about the butternut and asked if I would get out a report and

discuss the standards for evaluation. That is the reason for this paper,

which I will read. It will take only about ten minutes.

How About the Butternut?

DR. L. H. MacDANIELS, Ithaca, New York

The purpose in presenting this paper is to summarize what is known about

the butternut in the light of my own experience, and to find out from

you in discussion what additional facts are available and what some of

the problems in the culture of butternuts may be. A good summary by S.

H. Graham is to be found in the 34th Annual report of the Northern Nut

Growers Association, and short reports appear elsewhere. In general,

however, judging from the proceedings of this Association, the butternut

has not received much attention through the years. The lack of interest

in the butternut indicates unsatisfactory experience with this nut on

the part of those who have tried to grow and use it. An analysis of its

good and bad characteristics is in order.

Of all the species of nuts with which the Association is concerned, the

butternut is the most hardy and the most likely to succeed on poor soil.

In general, the trees are easy to transplant, are early bearing,

sometimes within two years from the graft, and are easy to grow. The

flavor of the butternut is very distinctive and palatable, and usually

much more flavorful than similar nuts derived from the Japanese

butternut and the heartnut. Some people consider the butternut flavor

the best of all nuts.

On the other hand, the butternut has a reputation for being short lived

because of susceptibility to various diseases. The seedling trees which

are usually sold are slow in bearing. The common wild nuts are hard to

crack with a hammer, and the better named varieties are not well known

or widely grown. The trees also have a reputation for being difficult to

propagate. Of these faults, probably the difficulty of propagation and

cracking are the most important in restricting its use.

Botanically the butternut (_Juglans cinerea_) belongs to a group of

species within the genus Juglans that bears its fruit in long clusters

or racemes, as contrasted with the walnut group which bears nuts singly

or in clusters of two or three. The butternuts also have the fruit and

leaves covered with sticky hairs instead of being smooth. The group is

further characterized by having a cushion of hairs above the leaf scars

and pointed terminal buds on the twigs. Other species within the group

are the Japanese butternut _J. Sieboldiana_, its variety _cordiformis_,

the heartnut, and several less well known species including _J.

mandshurica_ and _J. cathayensis_, both native to central Asia. These

closely related species apparently hybridize with each other, but

accurate information as to the nature and extent of such hybridization

is not available.

The natural geographical range of the butternut covers a broad area of

Northeastern North America, extending from New Brunswick southward to

the mountains of Georgia and westward to Western Ontario, Dakota, and

Arkansas. In this range it is most frequent in calcareous soils,

reaching its best development in rich woodland, but persisting on poorer

upland soils also. It thus has the most northern range of our native nut

species, along with the Pignut, _Carya glabra_, and one species of

hazelnut, _Corylus rostrata_. The other related species are of variable

and uncertain hardiness and are not reliable in this northern range.

It is recognized that the butternut has little commercial value except

as it is used in the New England states, particularly in Vermont, where

it is combined with maple sugar in making maple-butternut candy. Anyone

who has travelled through the New England states is familiar with the

roadside advertising of this excellent product. On the general market,

butternut kernels are not sold in quantity comparable to those of the

black walnut, but are somewhat comparable to the kernels of the hickory

which also do not have a commercial outlet except locally.

The greatest use of the butternut is, and will continue to be, for the

home grounds and local consumption. I think it is highly probable that

if the easy cracking varieties already named were better known, they

would be much more widely planted. The common wild butternuts are really

difficult to handle. They crack only after considerable hammering with a

heavy hammer and then, when cracked, the kernels shatter to such an

extent that recovery is very unsatisfactory for the labor expended.

After butternuts have been gathered from the wild with some enthusiasm

during the fall months, they often remain in the cellar or attic without

ever being used. Even the squirrels and the rats will not go to the

bother of extracting the kernels if other nuts are available.

For best results the nuts are usually cracked with a heavy hammer, the

nut being held vertically against a solid vice or block, so it can be

hit on the end. A glove to protect the fingers holding the nut is useful

if many are to be cracked. Good results can be secured by holding the

nut on its side and tapping it on the suture. This, however is

difficult, as it necessitates shucking the nut and even then it is

difficult to identify the suture.

Through the years many varieties of butternut have been named. Mr. R. L.

Watts in the 35th annual report of the Association lists 26 names, and I

am sure there are others. I personally have had experience with only

three or four varieties. One of these, the Crax-ezy, has borne good

crops and the nuts crack well. Another one, which I have named the

Johnson, coming from Tonawanda, New York, cracks well but is a smaller

nut. At one time I had Thill variety topworked on _Juglans Sieboldiana_

stock, but the stock was killed by cold winter. Samples of Kinnyglen and

Mandeville were furnished by Mr. Graham for testing. We do not, however,

have any comparative rating of many varieties based on comparative

tests, nor are there recognized standards of quality.

In order to set up standards of quality for butternuts, the following

tentative schedule for judging has been worked out along the same lines

as the schedule for judging black walnuts. Twenty-five nuts are used in

a sample and the score is made up of the weight in grams of the kernels

recovered on the first crack, plus total weight of kernels divided by 2,

plus 1/2 point for each whole half kernel recovered. A nut should not be

considered worthy of propagation unless practically all of the kernels

come out in whole halves.

Proposed Schedule For Testing Butternuts

25 Nut Samples

Score = Wt. kernels first crack + total wt. kernels ÷ 2 + no. whole

halves ÷ 2.

Weight Total

Kernels Weight

1st crack Kernels No.

Variety Grams Grams Halves Score Remarks

Kinnyglen 52.0 57.5 36 98.8

Crax-ezy 48.0 56.0 44 98.0

Mandeville 53.6 66.0 10 91.6

Johnson 38.5 45.5 40 81.3

Seedling No. 1 36.5 45.0 7 62.5

Seedling No. 2 26.0 43.0 22 58.5

Seedling No. 3 20.0 44.5 10 47.3

In this schedule the crackability of the sample is measured by the

weight of first crack and the number of halves. The yield of kernels is

measured by the total weight of kernels in the sample. The first crack

includes only those kernels that either fall out or can be removed

easily with the fingers. The remaining kernels are rescued with a pick

or by recracking. In my judgment, the score accurately measures the

merit of the samples. In the Mandeville, the large size is measured by

the weight of kernels which in part offsets poor cracking quality. Poor

cracking is usually caused by the edges of the halves being curved so

as to be bound in the shell. Much more testing should be done to

determine the value of the schedule.

Opinions regarding the ease of propagation of the butternut differ, but

mostly it is considered difficult to propagate, with often complete

failure. This merely means that the matter is not well understood. In my

own experience I have had just about as many failures as successes, and

must confess that I do not have much idea of what has been responsible

for either success or failure. Best results have been secured by using

inlay or bark slot grafts on stubs about 2 inches in diameter. This

agrees with the experience of Mr. Burgart, of Michigan, and Mr. Weshcke,

of Minnesota, who report that grafts must be made several feet from the

ground and not at the crown.

Shield budding has apparently not been satisfactory. Mr. D. C. Snyder

writes that chip budding is more successful. It is recommended by others

and I agree that grafting should be done early, just as growth starts

rather than later when trees are in leaf. Special care must be used in

tying the new shoots of the graft to braces to prevent breakage by wind

or birds. The butternut wood is very brittle and the grafts are often

lost by breakage. The whole matter of butternut propagation merits

further careful study.

Butternut varieties may be grafted on black walnut, butternut, or _J.

Sieboldiana_ stocks. Mr. Burgart, Mr. Weschcke, and Mr. D. C. Snyder

consider black walnut to be better than the others, giving a more

vigorous long lived tree. Varieties on butternut stocks are apparently

relatively short lived and _J. Sieboldiana_ stocks have a different

growth rate and are not hardy. Mr. Burgart uses bark slot grafts on

black walnut seedling stocks, 2-3 years old.

Butternut trees on their own roots transplant relatively easily because

there is no taproot as with the black walnut and the hickory, and there

are many fibrous surface roots that can be lifted when the tree is dug.

Black walnut stocks are not difficult to manage, particularly if the

taproots are cut on the seedlings. Culture is no special problem.

Mulching and supplying nitrogenous fertilizer is good practice.

The butternut has the reputation of being susceptible to disease and

hence being short lived as a tree. Whether or not this is actually the

case is perhaps questionable. Many butternut trees, particularly those

in favorable situations of soil and moisture, live to be of large size

and old age. Trees on poorer, thinner soils apparently die off earlier

than those under better conditions. In any case, it is well recognized

that the butternut has a shorter life span on the average than the black

walnut, which frequently lives to a large size and old age. There are

two common diseases of the butternut. One is leaf spot caused by the

fungus _Marsonia_, which defoliates the trees fairly early in the season

and probably predisposes them to injury from other fungous attack. This

is the same leaf spot that attacks the black walnut leaves. The other

disease, which may cause trouble, is a fungous walnut blight known more

specifically as Melanconis blight. It has not been established that this

disease is an active parasite. The evidence indicates rather that it

attacks trees that are already somewhat weakened by defoliation or other

injury. It is a fact that many of the dead limbs on butternut trees are

found to be affected with the disease. It is a matter of observation

that trees growing under favorable conditions are less damaged by the

disease than those growing under poor conditions of soil and water,

therefore, keeping trees vigorous is good practice.

As with other nut tree species, there are troublesome insects. One of

these, the butternut snout beetle or curculio, attacks both the

butternut and the Japanese walnut. Control has apparently been secured

by dusting foliage with DDT. Sometimes the leaves of butternuts are

badly distorted with galls caused by mites. The bunchy top or

witches'-broom caused by a virus, that is serious on the Japanese

walnut, _Juglans Sieboldiana_, does not appear to be so virulent on

butternut. This, however, is a matter of personal observation and is not

based on a thorough study.

In conclusion, let me say that in my judgment, the butternut is worthy

of more attention than it has had so far received, particularly by home

owners in the northern states who would like to have trees in their

yards that will bear nuts under conditions that are unfavorable for most

other kinds. If it were publicized that varieties are available that

will crack out in halves with relatively little effort, the chances are

that with these facts in mind those interested in nut trees would give

the butternut much more attention. The difficulty at the present time

seems to be related to a lack of knowledge as to the relative merit of

different varieties and a scarcity of trees because of difficulty of

propagation. If we have time and the chairman will permit, I would

welcome comments on the propagation problem and would also like to

obtain any information on the merit of the named varieties. Let me also

state that if any of you have a sample of 30 nuts of any named variety

in this or last fall's crop that you can spare, I would be much pleased

to have you send it to me for testing.

Discussion

MR. STOKE: It grows in New Brunswick, and I have had specimens from

north of Lake of the Woods.

MR. CORSAN: They grow at Brooks, Alberta. I have the Helmick and it

grows 14 to the cluster, has a thin shell and heavy meat, and the leaves

are persistent. They don't drop off the first of September. That's the

Helmick. It's grafted on black walnut stock, and the black walnut stock

comes up like that (indicating) and the Helmick recedes.

DR. MacDANIELS: The black walnut overgrows it. There are about 40

varieties, and I would like very much to get hold of any of the samples

I can get.

MR. CORSAN: Go up to Silver Bay, Lake George, and on the shore there the

Indians have bred the butternut, and it's 10 to the cluster among those

trees by Silver Bay, Lake George, New York. Ernest Thompson Seaton and I

examined that grove years ago.

DR. MacDANIELS: Wish we had them where we could get at them. Any other

comment on the butternut?

MR. McDANIEL: The Helmick is considered to be a "butter-jap" seedling of

heartnut, possibly the other parent was a butternut.

DR. MacDANIELS: That is something we will have to decide in the

Association, whether or not we are going to throw in these hybrids and

the heartnut along with the butternuts in standards or try to keep them

separate.

MR. CORSAN: Hybrid heartnut cross is very, very superior in every way to

the butternut in my estimation, except for hardiness.

MR. STOKE: That is a hybrid. I have it. The Mitchell hybrid.

DR. MacDANIELS: The ordinary run of seedlings are not worth keeping, no

question about that, and it's too much work to recover the kernels.

There are several announcements I'd like to make. One has to do with

this hall. It is the American Legion hall, which they do not charge rent

for. They do, however, and will expect some sort of a token of

appreciation that will be fairly substantial. There is no provision for

that in the budget, so any of you who are feeling a little mellow and

flush, if you want to approach the treasurer with a contribution towards

the use of this hall, that will be appreciated; otherwise, the matter

will have to be settled out of the treasury as such.

MR. CORSAN: How about a dance in this hall?

DR. MacDANIELS: If we stay over, we might do something like that.

Then there is the other matter, and that is the prize for the proposed

Carpathian walnut contest. There is no prize money available at the

present time. If any of you wish to provide a first, second, or third

prize, we might even tag it with your name, if that would be possible.

I think probably they will be able to get some publicity backing through

farm papers and what not, but still if we have a backlog of prize money,

why, that's much to your advantage.

Do you want to say anything further on that, Mr. Chase?

MR. McDANIEL: Mr. Sherman, I believe, has a word.

MR. SHERMAN: Not in this connection.

MR. PATAKY: Do any of the members here have shelled butternuts or

hickory nuts that they would sell? If they do, I'd like to get their

names and get in touch with them. I do have a demand for some shelled

butternuts which I have trouble getting, and I do have trouble getting

shelled hickory nuts. It is for the Wideman Company out of Cleveland. I

got shelled butternuts before the war, but since the war they don't have

the trade, but if they could get them, I think that would be the company

that would take them. The Wideman Company of Cleveland, Ohio. They are a

big wholesale house. Write to Christ Pataky, Mansfield, Ohio, R.D. 4.

MR. KINTZEL: Do you sell them in the shell?

MR. PATAKY: I do sell them in the shell, too, but there are a lot of

people who won't buy them in the shell. We do have a demand for them,

not too much on the butternut, but we do have for hickory nuts. I think

we could sell a lot more hickory nut meats than hickory nuts even at the

difference of the price. I know the price was quite high before the war.

They paid somewhere around a dollar a pound before the war for shelled

ones, and we even sold them at a profit for that, and we haven't been

able to get any since the war. I don't know what happened, whether the

kids are too busy playing basketball or football.

DR. MacDANIELS: They get too much for mowing lawns.

MR. WEBER: There is a nut crackery at Mitchell, Indiana. The man who

cracks them cracks hickory nuts and puts them out in his name, John

Eversol. Mr. Wilkinson can tell you exactly what his name is. He was

down there last year. He is cracking walnuts, and in addition cracks

hickory nuts and puts them in fine shape.

MR. CORSAN: Isn't it true that nuts have more Vitamin E than any other

food in the world, and isn't Vitamin E the greatest antidote against

anemia?

DR. MacDANIELS: I wouldn't know. You have a medical man here?

DR. WASHICK: I don't think you are right.

MR. CORSAN: In the West they say Vitamin E is a cure for anemia and they

are having wonderful success, and they claim there is more vitamin E in

nuts than any other food. I don't know, they are keeping me alive.

~Editor's Note~: Green walnuts are rich in Vitamin C. See 1942 Report,

page 95.

DR. MacDANIELS: You are Exhibit 1.

I think Mr. Salzer has slides he wanted to show this afternoon.

MR. SALZER: I had a few. Perhaps we can use those blankets and just fix

up, perhaps, a few of these windows in front, and I think we could

probably show the slides.

DR. MacDANIELS: If you can leave the blankets here for a short time, we

will get them later.

Any other questions?

I think our lunch is ready for us downstairs. We will come back up here

at one o'clock.

(Whereupon, at 11:50 o'clock, a. m., the meeting was recessed, to

reconvene at 1 o'clock of the same day.)

TUESDAY AFTERNOON SESSION

DR. MacDANIELS: Calling the afternoon session to order.

This afternoon I am going to turn the gavel over to our good friend,

Spencer Chase, to carry on.

MR. CHASE: Thank you, thank you.

All of us are interested in the various experiment stations doing more

work with nut trees, and we are very fortunate this afternoon in having

two experiment stations represented, and we will first hear from Bill

Clarke from Penn State, who will talk on, "Progress in nut culture at

the Pennsylvania State College." Mr. Clark.

Progress in Nut Culture at the Pennsylvania State College

W. S. CLARKE, JR., State College, Pennsylvania

Work in nut growing at the Pennsylvania State College was formally begun

in 1946, when a project on this subject was approved by the college

authorities. A few acres of land were set aside for this work, and the

following spring about half an acre was planted with a few nut trees of

different species. At the present time an area of about twenty acres is

set aside for nut plantings, although a few spots on this land are not

plantable on account of rock outcrops.

We now have out in the field sixty black walnuts, all but three of them

named varieties, which were received from Tennessee in 1949. Seventeen

varieties are represented in this collection.

In the nursery are more than 200 seedling black walnuts. These were

planted from nuts gathered from local trees in the fall of 1946. They

were transplanted at the end of their first season and have remained in

their present position for three years. They were planted largely for

the sake of experience in handling the nuts and the young trees. Some of

them have been grafted, and this year a few grafts of Thomas and Stabler

were successful. On account of their size, all these trees will have to

be taken out at the end of the present growing season.

About twenty Persian walnuts have been received from the United States

Department of Agriculture. These are all budded trees, the buds having

been taken from special selections with the best nuts from trees

originally introduced from northern Europe and central Asia. Three out

of four seedling Persian walnuts and one out of two Japanese walnuts

planted in 1947 have survived and are included in our planting. One

named variety of butternut is in our collection, and a number of

seedlings in our nursery.

It has been our experience that walnut trees can be moved rather easily.

The percentage of loss in transplanting has been negligible. On account

of an emergency, this spring we had to move several walnuts which were

already in full leaf. Some of the leaves were trimmed off, and the trees

have survived and have even made some additional growth.

On our grounds is one Chinese chestnut left from a planting of eight in

1930. It was killed back to the ground in 1934 after winter temperatures

of close to 30 degrees below zero, but it has since grown up to be a

tree of moderate size. It suffered considerable injury to buds and twigs

in 1948 from temperatures down to 23 degrees below zero, but has since

recovered. In several years it has borne a crop of burs, but no other

tree is available for cross-pollination, and the nuts have seldom

filled.

Twelve seedling Chinese chestnut trees from different sources have been

planted, and an area of several acres has been set aside to extend the

work on chestnuts.

A start has been made toward a collection of filberts. Five named

varieties of European filberts were planted in 1947. All have suffered

from winter injury, but only one tree has been killed outright. Very few

nuts have been produced. About 25 seedlings of European filberts and 25

of the American were received from Tennessee two years ago. About 90%

have survived and are growing nicely.

Several other species of nuts have been tried without success. Two trees

of the red hickory were set out several years ago, but they failed to

leaf out. Four young trees of the golden chinkapin of the Pacific Coast

were planted and grew well the first summer, but all four were killed by

the first freeze in the fall. About a pound of nuts of the Turkish tree

hazel were planted several years ago; these failed to come up the first

year. The next winter the mice and rabbits discovered them and ate up

most of the planting. A few germinated, but most of these were lost in

transplanting, and today only two are left of the entire lot.

MR. CHASE: Thank you, Mr. Clarke.

(Applause.)

Discussion

MR. SHERMAN: I'd like to say, just before you leave this subject, that

the speaker barely mentioned the fertilization experiment that was

started in Pennsylvania on black walnuts. I think the members of the nut

survey stuck their necks out and got their heads hit a little bit when

we said that the black walnut as an orchard industry in Pennsylvania was

sick. We hadn't been able to find crops of black walnuts. We found

individual trees, but we couldn't find orchards of black walnuts, and as

a result of that, this fertilization experiment was started, in a

55-acre black walnut orchard with Ohio, Stabler and Thomas varieties.

The owner, Truman Jones, said, "I don't care what you do with the

Stablers, you can't hurt them, anyway; they are no good to begin with."

But this orchard, evidently from all outward appearances, has been

growing very slowly for quite a number of years. It isn't the size it

should be, and we think the main trouble there is lack of fertility, and

that's the reason why this fertilization experiment was started.

It's quite an ambitious experiment. It takes in about 93 trees in the

center of a 55-acre planting of black walnuts. They haven't had a crop,

I think, for five or six or seven years. They don't have a crop this

year, but we are hoping that some of them next year will have a crop,

but if not then the year following.

They are asking about the cultivation. There has been no cultivation

there in the orchard for a number of years. It's down in a pretty heavy

bluegrass sod. In a portion of that we put the disc in on the tractor

and disced and redisced until we got what we thought was a pretty fair

seedbed. They found that vertical profile a mixture, and we are hoping

to have clover sod instead of bluegrass sod. That's combined with

fertility work. I won't take time to go into that, but I think this

group is interested in knowing that there is quite an extensive

fertility experiment on black walnuts to see why the large plantings are

not producing.

I might say in this connection, Mr. Hostetter isn't here this afternoon,

hasn't been here, but he has a dandy bang-up nice crop of nuts this

year, and Ohio and Thomas are his main varieties.

MR. CRAIG: Did he use any fertilizers?

MR. SHERMAN: Yes, the fertilizer was disced in, and he tried to disc

under that bluegrass sod and get that rotting under there. There are

quite a few ramifications to that program.

MR. CORSAN: Did you mention Turkish tree hazel?

MR. CLARKE: Yes, we have two trees of it left.

MR. CORSAN: It takes two years to sprout from the time you plant the

seed. Have you tried the European beechnuts in your locality?

MR. CLARKE: No, we haven't.

MR. CORSAN: It will produce far more than the American beechnut and is

more successful in every way. They can be gotten from Holland quite

cheaply. They sell the European beech, and they are beautiful and loaded

with nuts and the Europeans think far more of them than the Americans

do. The cut-leaf beech is an European beech, and I have seen the tree in

Southern Michigan and at the Old Soldiers' Home at Dayton, Ohio, loaded

with nuts. And frequently, not just once in every 13 years, like our

beechnut. And they are a bigger nut.

Nut Tree Culture in Missouri

T. J. TALBERT, University of Missouri, Columbia, Mo.

The wide interest now being shown in the planting of nut trees

throughout the State emphasizes the need of information on nut culture.

Although nut trees may be grown with less care and attention than fruit

trees, yet to be successful in starting plantings a knowledge of

successful practices developed by the Missouri Agricultural Experiment

Station at Columbia should prove of great value.

The information which follows applies particularly to the native black

walnuts, butternuts, hardy northern pecans, hickories, chinkapins, and

hazelnuts. All these nut plants are native to Missouri and may do well

if given proper attention in the various districts of the state to which

they are adapted.

NUTRITIVE VALUE OF NUTS

Nuts are now given in the diet a higher rating than ever before. This is

true because recent studies in nutrition show that they supply not only

the elements needed for health and growth, proteins, oils, and

carbohydrates but also an abundance of vitamins A, B1, and G. In fact,

the nuts compare very favorable with meats in rankings for the above

vitamins. Most of the nuts are especially noteworthy in high vitamin A

and B1 content. It is also believed generally that nuts contain nearly

all of the mineral essentials demanded for the promotion of healthy

nutrition.

Moreover, nuts are usually palatable in the raw stage and are prized

most highly for dessert purposes. The black walnut is particularly

outstanding because it retains its flavor after cooking. Nuts now have a

very extensive use in the preparation of confectioneries, cakes, breads,

and salads. They enhance the flavor of many other foods.

The value of nuts as food accessories has long been recognized. They

also supply so much body fuel in so compact a form that they are

particularly well suited for the use of mountain climbers, "hikers," and

even soldiers engaged in long marches and maneuvers.

USES FOR NUT TREES

~As Shade Trees~--If during the past 40 or 50 years, a large portion of

the shade trees planted had been nut trees like the native walnut,

pecan, hickory, chestnut, and chinkapin of the better varieties, it is

easy for anyone to see that great benefits would have resulted.

~For Highway Planting~--No other native trees lend themselves so admirably

to highway use as the so-called northern or native pecan, the black

walnut, and the hickories. These nut trees are all generally

well-shaped, reach considerable heights particularly on fertile soils,

are stately in appearance, and add beauty and attractiveness to the

landscape wherever they are grown.

SOILS AND FERTILIZERS

~Soils Needed for Good Growth~--The nut trees adapt themselves to a very

wide range of soil conditions. In fact, few other trees are capable of

such a wide range of adaptability to soil types. The uplands usually

planted to corn and wheat and the flood plains of the river basins may

both be well suited to nut growing.

For good growth and production deep well-drained soils are required.

Under proper conditions the trees develop rapidly, have an extensive

root system, and eventually may reach a great age. Furthermore, nut

trees cannot grow successfully on wet poorly-drained land where water

stands on or just beneath the surface a considerable portion of the

year. Lowlands which may be found well adapted to the growth of willow

and gum trees, may be too wet and sour for the growth of nut trees. It

would also be well to avoid dry, very thin, and very sandy soils.

In their native range the pecan, hickory, and walnut thrive on the

alluvial soils of the Missouri and Mississippi River Valleys. They grow

well also on the upland sandy loam soils adapted to the growth of corn,

oats, and wheat. All of these nut trees are usually influenced more by

the fertility, humus, and moisture content of the soil, than by any

particular soil type.

~Fertilizers for Nut Trees~--The deep rich alluvial soils of river and

creek valleys do not present the same fertilizer problems as light and

heavy upland soils. Manure supplemented with superphosphate at the rate

of about 20 to 30 pounds to a ton should prove to be a satisfactory

fertilizer on depleted soils. It is spread in a circle around the trees

extending out about twice the spread of the branches and plowed or

harrowed into the soil. A moderate application would range from 8 to 12

tons to the acre.

Leguminous cover crops are particularly valuable for building up the

nitrogen and humus content of the soil when plowed under. Their

judicious use with non-leguminous cover crops and supplemented with

commercial fertilizers to increase the tonnage for plowing under, will

usually bring good returns in growth and production.

CARE OF THE PERMANENT PLANTINGS

Since but few diseases and insects attack nut trees in Missouri, very

little if any spraying work will be required while the trees are young.

As the trees grow older, however, it may be necessary to give pest

control more attention. Caterpillars that infest the foliage of the

trees in late summer and early fall can usually be destroyed by cutting

off the comparatively few branches on which the worms have clustered and

burning them. The pest may also be destroyed on high branches by means

of torches. If the trees can be sprayed thoroughly, arsenicals and other

insecticides used in spraying apple orchards will be found very

effective while the worms are small.

As in the care of a young apple or peach orchard, it is important that

the young trees for at least the first two or three years be given

cultivation and some fertilization on lands of lower fertility if a good

growth is not being made. A heavy mulch of straw or litter around the

trees may prove very satisfactory.

Moreover, livestock should be kept away from the trees until they are

established and the branches of sufficient height to be out of danger of

injury. It is a serious mistake to plant or grow from seed small nut

trees and leave them unprotected from farm animals. If the land is to be

grazed, each tree may be guarded with strong posts and barbed or woven

wire spaced about 8 to 10 feet from the trees.

Once the young nut orchard is thoroughly established and growing

thriftily, grass may be grown beneath the trees and furnish nearly as

much hay or pasture as though the trees were not present. If livestock

is allowed to graze in the orchard, which is a questionable practice

while the trees are young, the trees should be pruned and trained to

fairly high heads.

~Spacing for Nut Trees~--The growing of nut trees for timber alone

requires a spacing of about 25 to 35 feet apart with other species of

trees common to the area growing up later between the nut trees to

facilitate the development of tall clean trunks. Under such conditions

nut production is inhibited and harvests may be comparatively small. Nut

trees grown mainly for nut production rather than for timber may be

planted 60 to 80 feet apart on the square plan.

The Thomas black walnut may bear a few nuts the second year following

transplanting. Different varieties and species of grafted walnuts,

pecans, and hickories often begin bearing from two to four years after

setting. Chestnut seedlings may also bear in the second or third year.

Black walnuts from seed sometimes bear a few nuts at 8 to 10 years of

age. Profitable bearing, however, may not be expected in the average nut

orchard until the trees are at least 10 to 12 years old.

PRUNING WALNUT, PECAN AND HICKORY NUT TREES

For the most part these nut trees do not require heavy pruning.

Superfluous branches, dead limbs, and unsymmetrical ones, should be

removed from time to time while the trees are young and becoming

established. A uniform top is desirable. The pruning is begun when the

trees are 2 or three years old by removing the lowest branches. The rule

is to cut away only one branch a year. But trees making a very strong

growth may stand more pruning and those making a poor growth may need

none.

Cultivation and other orchard practices may be greatly simplified in

commercial plantings by pruning and training the tree heads to heights

of six or eight feet. Even then the lower branches will ultimately be

pressed downward by the weight of nuts and foliage when bearing begins.

Regular annual pruning is required generally to prevent the limbs from

interfering with orchard practices. Furthermore, branches lower than six

or eight feet high, should be subdued by cutting back while the trees

are young. These limbs should be removed ~only~ when the trees have become

anchored strongly enough in the soil to prevent the directions of the

trunk being influenced by the prevailing winds.

THE BLACK WALNUT

There is something about the distinctive flavor of our native black

walnut kernels that appeals to the American people. And there is much

about the black walnut tree itself that makes it much admired and

respected.

It grows rapidly, and yet it is one of our most valuable timber trees.

It is an excellent tree for the grounds about the home. Not only does it

yield an annual crop, but it is a lovely shade tree--beautiful to look

at--and has the further advantage that the lawn grasses grow well

beneath it.

~Has Wide Distribution~--It is a very cosmopolitan tree in that it will

thrive almost anywhere if given half a chance. From lower Canada to the

Gulf of Mexico and from the Atlantic to the Pacific Coast, it may be

found in various states of production. On the fertile lands, however, of

the Mississippi and Ohio River basins it reaches perhaps its highest

development. The 10 high ranking states in walnut lumber production are

as follows, in order of their importance: Missouri, Illinois, Kentucky,

Ohio, West Virginia, Iowa, Tennessee, Arkansas, Indiana, and Texas.

~Valuable Timber Tree~--Some of the main or principal uses of the wood may

be enumerated as follows: For the making of gun stocks, it stands

supreme. Since walnut does not warp or swell when wet it does not

interfere with the action of the gunlock in gun stocks. The wood also

may be made into a sharp edge and fit snugly against the metal parts,

while the dark color and beautiful grain produces an attractive

implement. It is a standard and a favorite for musical instruments

notably pianos and organs; sewing machine tables, cases, small airplane

propellers, picture frames, caskets, cabinet work, moldings and many

forms of ornaments. The shells of the nuts were, during World War I,

manufactured into carbon and used for gas masks.

The wood possesses unusual and rare combinations of qualities which make

it superior in the manufacturing of the articles mentioned above. Its

freedom from warping, checking, or splitting when subjected to alternate

wetting and drying is an unusual quality. It works easily with all kinds

of tools, has remarkable durability in the presence of wood-decaying

fungi and insects. Moreover, it is hard, durable, heavy, stiff and

strong. The dark color of the wood does not allow soiling stains to show

and the grain of the wood and its texture make it easy to grip.

~Produces a Nutritious Food~--The kernels of the black walnut are now used

not only in candy making but to a large extent in breads, cakes, salads,

waffles, and other forms of food. In the cities the kernels are sold

yearly in increasing amounts not only from wholesale and retail grocers

but by street venders as well. One may often find the kernels for sale

at food stands and in other places where fruits and vegetables are sold.

~Changing Seedling Trees to Named Varieties~--On nearly every farm, walnut

trees are growing along ravines, fence rows, and on rough land which is

more or less out of the way and inaccessible. Most of these may be

top-worked by one or more methods to the named and more desirable kinds

of black walnuts without imparing the value of the timber. In 5 to 7

years seedling trees ranging in age from 15 to 40, if topworked, may

produce crops equal to untreated trees. Still younger and smaller trees

from one to 10 or 12 years old, may generally be top-worked with less

difficulty than older trees.

~Results from Top-working Experiments~--Cleft grafting work performed at

the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station has been very successful.

In fact, walnut top-working has been but little if any more difficult

than apple or pear top-working. With reasonable care and fairly good

technique the grafting operation is not difficult to perform. It is

believed, however, that the common practice in top-working pecan,

hickory, and walnut has been to dehorn too severely. This may induce

insect and disease injury which often results in a very poor tree after

10 or 12 years. For good results, six inches in diameter should be the

maximum size of the limb for top-working.

~Encourages New Industry~--A wider interest in black walnut kernels has

caused a new industry to spring up. This consists of nut cracking or

shelling establishments which have been located in the walnut growing

districts. The plants in many instances buy walnuts in large quantities.

The nut meats are removed and sold at wholesale, usually in barrel lots

containing 180 pounds of nut meats. In most districts the new industry

is in operation for most of the year.

Power driven machines feeding from large hoppers are used for cracking

the nuts. Nearly all the workers pick the meats from the cracked nuts.

Women are generally employed and are paid on a piece-work basis or by

the pound. Moreover, employees are often given a premium for nut meats

removed from the shells with the "halves" unbroken.

This new black walnut industry has increased and heightened the interest

in planting the trees for both nut and timber production. Consequently,

in the districts where these nut cracking mills have been established,

many producers are planting either small or large blocks of black walnut

trees. In some cases the plantings are made up of grafted or budded

trees of named varieties, while in others the nuts are planted and the

seedlings later top-worked to the kinds desired.

The named varieties and better seedling sorts bring the highest price in

the form of nuts and as kernels. In fact, the nuts of the named

varieties usually sell for twice the price paid for the average seedling

nuts. Some of the chief varieties most highly prized for their thin

shells, weight of kernels, cracking quality, and flavor are Thomas,

Stabler, Tucker, Ohio, and Miller.

To obtain a marketable and paying product, care in the gathering,

husking and extracting of kernels, is necessary. Culling the nuts and

cracking none but the good ones are also important. Through such

methods, many producers are able to supply city markets and roadside

stands with kernels which sell readily and at good prices.

~Returns from Trees~--Walnut trees will give returns in general in

proportion to the care given. They are fairly rapid growers under good

culture. At an age of 20 years the trees may reach a height of 35 feet

with 50 feet at 30 years and about 70 feet at 50 years. In other words,

a growth of about 2 feet a year for 20 years is not unusual. After this

age the trees slow down gradually to about a foot of growth a year.

It is estimated that walnut trees from 60 to 70 years of age will

produce on the average from 100 to 150 board feet of lumber. Trees of

such an age may also produce an average of all the way from four or five

bushels of nuts per tree each year up to as many as ten to fourteen or

more bushels per year.

THE BUTTERNUT

Among our native walnuts the butternut is valued highly especially for

home use. On the markets, however, the rough shell and comparatively

small size of the kernel have in general tended to keep prices low and

the demand limited. There are now prospects for the introduction and

growing of superior hybrid varieties. Grafted varieties which bear

particularly good nuts are becoming more available through nut

nurseries.

The trees may become very large in height, spread and trunk diameter.

They are attractive and stately in appearance and it is the hardiest

member of the walnut genus as its native range extends well into Canada.

The bark is gray in color and the wood is soft. Heartwood decay is

common in old trees, although they may reach great age. The species has

a rather restricted range within the Eastern states, but it occurs

naturally as far west as eastern Kansas and Nebraska. In Missouri, its

growth is confined largely to the central and northern areas where black

walnuts are plentiful.

The nuts are oblong, sharp-pointed at the apex, cylindrical, bluntly

rounded at the base, rough and jagged over the surface, and as a rule

thick-shelled. In spite of this, some varieties have good shelling

quality, and the kernels possess usually a rich, agreeable flavor. In

confections the butternut kernel may compete successfully with the

popular flavor of the black walnut kernels. The butternut may be

propagated and grown successfully by adopting the practices suggested

for the culture of the black walnut. As is true with the black walnut it

may be inter-grafted upon other walnuts or used as a stock for them, but

its propagation, particularly as an understock, is more difficult.

THE PECAN

The pecan is a member of the hickory group and its range in this

continent extends from Iowa to Mexico. Other hickories extend into

Canada. The hickories are valuable for both nuts and timber. Fifteen

different species of the hickory group have been recorded. Of these only

three or four produce nuts of outstanding value. In nut production, the

pecan hickory is the most important of all the hickories. For crop value

of nuts it rivals the Persian (English) walnut and the tree is one of

the largest east of the Rocky Mountains. The pecan tree is native to the

south and south central parts of the United States and it is found in

the forests as a native tree throughout Missouri.

Commercial production within the state may reach 800,000 pounds or more

in good crop years, and according to the State-Federal Crop Reporting

Service there are now about 88,000 pecan trees in the State of bearing

age. All of these consist of seedling groves except the comparatively

recent orchard plantings of the southeastern area. Commercial culture of

standard varieties in the United States is confined largely to Georgia,

Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana, Alabama, Mississippi and Florida.

The natural habitat is along streams and on river bottom lands. At the

present time the commercial varieties consist mainly of the large

so-called "paper-shell" sorts of southern origin. These require a

comparatively long growing season for their development. Consequently

the southern types may not be productive in the more northern regions.

The cultural range of the pecan may be divided into two rather large

belts, known as southern and northern. In fact, pecan culture is

sometimes designated as "southern" and "northern" due to differences in

size of nut, thickness of shell, and time required for maturity of nuts.

The approximate northern limit of the southern area is near the extreme

southeastern boundary line between Missouri and Arkansas. The northern

belt extends into Nebraska and Iowa and includes approximately the

entire state of Missouri.

The chief difference between these areas is the length of the growing

season. In general, the southern or "paper-shell" varieties require from

240 to 250 days to mature their nuts, while the northern varieties which

produce usually nuts of smaller size with somewhat thicker shells need

from 180 to 200 days.

VARIETIES

There is no factor in pecan growing of greater importance than the

proper selection of varieties for planting. Fertile soils and good

culture will not make poor varieties profitable or low yielding kinds

fruitful.

Only in southeast Missouri are the southern varieties such as Stuart,

Pabst, Moneymaker, Success, Schley, and others a success. This is true

because the fruit buds of these varieties in other sections of Missouri

are generally killed by winter cold. Furthermore even if they escape the

winter cold, the growing periods for all sections except southeast

Missouri may not be long enough for the full maturity of the nuts.

Since none of the sorts adapted to the southern belt are sufficiently

hardy to justify their planting in Missouri except in the southeastern

section, growers in other parts of the state should confine their

interests and selections to the so-called northern varieties. Some of

the best of these are the Major, Niblack, Giles, Indiana, Busseron,

Greenriver, and Posey.

Chance seedlings which have not been named are now and then found that

may be equally as worthy or better for planting locally than any of the

named varieties listed above. In fact, these suggested sorts were

derived from chance seedling trees. Producers generally, therefore,

should be on the lookout for seedling trees of merit. When so

discovered, the Missouri Agricultural Experiment Station at Columbia

will be glad to make tests free of charge and report upon the cracking

percent, amount of kernel, appearance, flavor, texture, quality, oil

content, etc.

The nuts produced by the hardy varieties adapted generally to Missouri

conditions are usually smaller in size and have somewhat thicker shells

but may possess equally as high or even higher oil content and kernel

quality than the southern sorts. The better varieties of this group,

however, rank high enough to compete favorably on the markets of the

country in both shelled and unshelled state with the southern varieties.

A full crop of pecans would run from 30 to 35 carloads, the majority of

which are produced along the Mississippi river in the bottom lands from

Ste. Genevieve southward. Heavy shipments are made in a good year

especially from Ste. Genevieve, St. Mary's, Menfro, Caruthersville and

Hornersville, and in these sections are some of the largest and best

nuts.

Pecans are found along the Mississippi river from St. Charles north to

Hannibal, but too generally in that area the trees are scarce and the

production smaller, with nuts of thicker shells.

Pecan trees are also found growing wild along the Missouri river bottom

as far west as Lexington, and up the Grand river bottoms to Chillicothe,

and the nuts in this area are about the size of those in the north

Mississippi valley section, but are sweet with high oil content.

There is a pecan production district along the Osage river and the

Kansas border, with heavy shipping section at Rockville and Schell City.

Missouri pecans are classed as Westerns in the commercial market. They

are favored by the confectionery trade. A great many native trees are

found in the south Mississippi section, but there is a growing interest

in budded pecan trees, especially around Caruthersville.

The total of the budded varieties of pecan trees in Missouri does not

constitute more than approximately one per cent of the total of growing

trees.

Many years ago a large acreage of the bottom lands along the Mississippi

river were thick with immense, heavy-producing pecan trees--but most of

this pecan timber was cut down either for fuel wood or saw timber.

Short-sighted people have been known to chop down trees simply to secure

the nuts.

THE HICKORIES

The native hickories of Missouri have been held in high esteem since

early settlements were established. They are notorious on account of

their slow rate of growth yet they offer greater possibilities to nut

growers than is usually believed. As shade trees they have a high

ranking.

Promising varieties may now be had by obtaining scions from superior

bearing seedling trees and from young named and grafted trees in the

nurseries of commercial concerns. Grafted trees may come into bearing in

three or four years after the operation.

Perhaps as many as five species are native of Missouri. The big

shellbark or kingnut is common to the south and southwest regions, but

its range is not as wide as others. The shagbark which is the most

valuable nut producer of all the hickories, is rather widely distributed

particularly in northern and central Missouri. Numerous varieties have

been described and named because of their particular merits. Shellbark

nuts may be large and attractive, but are often poorly filled.

The pignut, mockernut, and bitternut have a rather general distribution

especially in the central and northern parts of the state. These nuts

are not considered of great value except for their hybrids with other

species. Perhaps the most natural type of hybrid occurring among the

hickories is crosses between the shagbark and shellbark, one of the best

varieties of which is Weiker.

The pecan and shellbark hybrids include McAllister, Nussbaumer, and

Rockville, while the Burton is believed to be a pecan-shagbark cross.

The natural crosses of the pecan and hickory found in the wild have not

been entirely satisfactory. The trees vary greatly in fruitfulness and

the nuts in thickness of shells, size, shape, and kernel quality. A

strong tendency to produce nuts with imperfect kernels is common among

the pecan-shellbark crosses.

Local varieties selected from the wild may have merit for use in

top-working hickories or pecans. The pecan is suggested because it makes

a good stock for the hickories and as it grows more rapidly. Some of the

best of the older named sorts for planting or for use in top-working

appear to be the following: Barnes, Fairbanks, Stanley, Weiker,

Kentucky, Swain, Laney, Kirtland, and Rieke.

THE CHINKAPINS

The chinkapin is related closely to the chestnut and resembles it

strikingly in most of the important characteristics. It occurs in two

well known forms. West of the Mississippi River, the Ozark chinkapin

tree may reach a height of sixty feet in good soil, while the other form

(Allegany chinkapin) in the eastern range grows to a height of about 15

feet. Each may be grafted or budded upon the other without difficulty.

Named varieties of the chinkapin are not available at this time. The

Japanese, Chinese, and European chestnuts are introduced species.

The blight disease has almost wiped out the great American chestnut

forests of the East. As yet, however, the malady has not been

introduced into Missouri. (The oak wilt, however, has been found

there.--Ed.) The chinkapin of this area is highly resistant to the

blight and some of the hybrids carry the resistant quality and bear nuts

of good size and high quality. The native chinkapin forests especially

of southwest Missouri are valued highly not only for their nuts but

particularly for post timber.

The native chinkapin tree in Missouri grows to large size in good soil

and it may be found as one of the largest forest trees on the stony

ridge lands of southwestern sections of the Ozark Mountains. The nuts

are very much like those produced by chestnut trees except they are

smaller. In flavor and quality the nuts may be found equal or superior

to the chestnuts.

Both the chinkapin and chestnut may be grafted or budded one upon the

other. In fact, the western chinkapin may be used successfully as a

stock for the chestnut.

The European chestnut is very susceptible to the blight. A very large

coarse nut is produced by the Japanese chestnut and it does not blight

quite as readily as the American sorts. The Chinese chestnut is the most

resistant to blight and it is admired for its beauty as a lawn tree.

Promising varieties include Abundance, Nanking and Meiling.

Some desirable varieties of the American and hybrid chestnuts for

growing in Missouri are as follows: Boone, Fuller, Paragon, Progress,

Rochester, and Champion.

FILBERTS AND HAZELNUTS

The European filbert which is grown so successfully in Oregon and

Washington has not been generally successful in Missouri. This has been

due mainly to winter injury, resulting either in the killing of the

staminate catkins by cold, or of the developing catkins by late spring

freezes and frosts. For good fruiting they need cross pollination. Some

of the well-known and popular filbert varieties are Barcelona, Du

Chilly, Medium Long and Italian Red. Rush, Winkler, and others, are

partly or purely American hazelnuts.

The native hazelnut which may be found throughout the State is hardy and

generally a fairly regular cropper. Seedling nuts, while not as large

usually as the Northwestern filbert, are found now and then that

approach them closely in size and cracking quality. Furthermore, the

native seedling nut kernels may excel occasionally in flavor and

quality.

Interested nut growers are, therefore, urged to perpetuate the most

promising hazelnuts of the wild by simple layerage. Until hardier

varieties of the filbert are found, the chief attention may be well

spent on the propagation and culture of the native seedling sorts of

merit. As yet none of the Missouri native seedlings have been described,

named and propagated for sale and distribution.

Tip or simple layering seems to be the most satisfactory method of

propagating the hazelnut and filbert. Shoots or suckers, one-year old

and arising from the base of the plant are used. They are left attached

to the mother plant and are bent over until the ends of tips rest upon

the soil.

To encourage root growth, the underside of the branch to be covered with

soil is frequently notched or ringed. The part of the branch in contact

with the moist soil is then covered leaving a small portion of the end

protruding. The branches are sometimes pegged down with forked sticks or

weighted with stones. After one season's growth, the branch should be

established with roots and top. It is then cut from the parent and

removed for transplanting to its permanent location.

Well, now, my good friends, I have talked about five or ten minutes

longer than I intended to, but you just listened so attentively you

encouraged me, so it's your fault. I am happy to be here. Show me an

organization like the Northern Nut Growers Association, as full of vim

and vigor and vinegar and going ahead, and I will show you a successful

organization.

Thank you.

MR. CHASE: Thank you, Professor Talbert, for a very nice message.

I am still a little angry at Professor Talbert because I realize now

that if he had accepted my invitation to come to another good southern

state two years ago our meeting would have been a much better one at

Norris.

Now, we have several papers here which deal with chestnuts, and there

seems to be a good deal of interest among the membership concerning

chestnuts this year, and perhaps before we get into chestnuts for nut

production we might hear a short resume of Dr. Graves' breeding work for

timber type chestnut. This problem of chestnut for timber purposes, of

course, accounts for the presence of Chinese and Japanese chestnuts in

the country today, and yet most of our efforts to establish chestnut

plantings for timber purposes have been unsuccessful. You heard from Dr.

Diller last year concerning these efforts.

This paper will deal with the breeding work which is now under way by

Dr. Graves in Connecticut, and I have asked Dr. McKay to give us a brief

digest of this paper.

Chestnut Breeding Work: Report for 1950

ARTHUR HARMOUNT GRAVES

Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven, Conn.

and

Division of Forest Pathology, U.S.D.A. Plant Industry Station,

Beltsville, Maryland

In southern Connecticut the 1950 season for vegetative growth and

development was excellent except for the dry period in September. The

chief fault lay in much more cloudy weather than usual,[31] and the

deficiency in sunlight coupled with a slightly lower average temperature

in the spring, and cool nights, combined to delay the chestnut flowering

season for as much as ten days. The main body of our cross pollination

experiments did not begin until July 4, whereas last year it began on

June 23 and 24, and was nearly completed by July 4.

[31] For example, the report of the U. S. Weather Bureau at New Haven,

Conn., for May, 1950, says, "The feature of the month was the lack of

sunshine which retarded the growth of crops in this area." See also

report of the New York City Station for April, 1950.

This year 103 crosses were made, not all different combinations, but

each one with either different or reciprocal parents. The principal

combination was a cross of Japanese chestnut with Chinese-American or

American-Chinese, a mixture that in recent years has given excellent

results. This year also, as in the past, our CJA's were crossed with

American chestnut.

[Illustration: Fig. 1. Cross pollinating Chinese chestnuts. Sleeping

Giant Plantation, Hamden, Conn. Trees near left of center and at left,

with drooping catkins, are Japanese-American hybrids. Photo July 13,

1950, by B. W. McFarland.]

~Cooperation with Italy.~ A considerable part of the cross pollination

work this year has been undertaken for the benefit of the Italian

authorities, namely experiment stations at Florence and Rome. This has

been done at the suggestion of the Division of Forest Pathology,

Beltsville, Md., which has been working along the same line.

As is now generally known, the chestnut blight was discovered in Italy

in 1938, and has been making rapid headway in a country 15 percent of

whose forests are in chestnut. To the Italians the chestnut means much

as an article of food. They use the timber also, and the various ages of

coppice growth in many ways[32]. Particular effort this year has been

directed toward the breeding of promising nut-bearing types for them and

especially resistant strains that bear large nuts like the cultivated

European chestnut.

[32] Graves, Arthur Harmount. Breeding Chestnut Trees: Report for 1946

and 1947. 38th Ann. Rept. Northern Nut Growers Assn. p. 85. 1947.

Now, we have found that many of our Chinese chestnuts are practically

immune to the blight. Even if the disease does appear, in most cases it

is in the outer bark only, and is soon healed over. Moreover, the

Chinese chestnut has a large nut, comparable in size to the cultivated

Europeans with pollen from our best Chinese trees, and at the same

successful crosses of the European and Chinese are made.

Last fall, as a result of an article in the _New Haven Register_ by Mr.

A. V. Sizer, I learned of two European chestnut trees of bearing age in

New Haven back yards. So, this summer we have crossed these Europeans

with pollen from our best Chinese trees, and at the same time have taken

the pollen from one of them (in the other the pollen was sterile) and

applied it to the female flowers of our Chinese trees. Most of the

resulting nuts have been sent to the Italian scientists in the hope that

some of them will develop into desirable nut-producing,

disease-resistant hybrids. Some will be retained for testing here. If

the resulting trees are not sufficiently blight-resistant, they will be

crossed again with the Chinese.

In the summer we received by air mail from Dr. Aldo Pavari, of the

_Stazione Sperimentale di Selvicoltura_ in Florence, Italy, two tubes of

pollen of the European chestnut, _Castanea sativa_, of the varieties

_pistolese_ and _selvatico_. These pollens were also applied to our best

Chinese trees. They resulted in 12 good nuts which have been shipped to

Dr. Pavari.

Further, we have on our Sleeping Giant Plantation, Hamden, Conn.,

several hybrids, now 16 years old, of the Seguin and the Chinese

chestnuts, the former species being also a native of China, but dwarf

and everblooming and remarkably prolific. These hybrids are excellent as

nut producers, since they inherit the large-sized nut of the mollissima

parent, combined with the increased productivity of the Seguin parent.

Furthermore they are extremely blight-resistant.[33] These hybrids have

therefore been intercrossed among themselves this year, chiefly for the

benefit of the Italian people. One hundred and eight nuts from

reciprocal crosses of these hybrids were shipped to Italy. Also, in

response to a request, we sent nuts of our best Chinese and Japanese

trees and of the _mollissima-seguini_ hybrids to M. C. Schad of the

_Station d'Amelioration du Chataignier_, Clermont-Ferrand, France.

[33] These hybrids will shortly be put on the market, under the

sponsorship of the Conn. Agr. Expt. Sta. and the Division of Forest

Pathology, U.S.D.A. As regards the everblooming habit of the Seguin

parent, that character seems to be lost or at least partly suppressed. A

second flowering of one of the hybrids usually occurs in August.

~Other crosses.~ Two Chinese-American trees in our plantation at the White

Memorial Foundation near Litchfield, Conn., bore a considerable number

of female flowers this year for the first time. They have been crossed

with the fine Japanese tree of Mr. A. N. Sheriff at Cheshire, Conn.,

figured in my report for 1948-49. (P. 92, fig. 3, of 40th Rept. of

N.N.G.A.) From them, 75 nuts were harvested of the combination CAxJ.

Four crosses were made on the trees at Redding Ridge, Conn., in the

cooperative plantation of Mr. Archer M. Huntington, resulting in 73

nuts. Also, the resistant Americans on Painter Hill, Roxbury, Conn.,

were again crossed with CJA's and Chinese from our Sleeping Giant

Plantation and from these were obtained 247 nuts. Finally, we have this

year succeeded in making a cross between _Castanea henryi_, the Henry

Timber Chinkapin from southern and central China, which is said to

attain a height of 90 feet, and _C. mollissima_, the Chinese chestnut.

Since _henryi_ blooms very early, much before our _mollissima_, the

Division of Forest Pathology mailed us pollen of _C. mollissima_, which

reached us just in time to be applied to _henryi_. Seven good nuts of

this cross were gathered.

Altogether, as the overall result of our cross pollination work, we

harvested 1259 nuts, more than twice as many as obtained in any other

year since we began this work in 1930.

------------------------------------------------------

TABLE 1

Heights of Some of Largest Trees, as of Oct. 1, 1950.

All at Sleeping Giant Plantation, Hamden, Conn.

Species or Height

Hybrid Location Age in yrs. in ft. Remarks

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

J × A Row 4 Tree 10 19 30 Repeatedly inarched

J × A " 4 " 4 14 33 Grafted on Jap.

stock, Apr. 1937

J × A " 4 " 12 19 29 Repeatedly inarched

J " 7 " 5 20 23

C " 1 " 4 24 30-3/4

CJA " 60 " 39 13 29

CJA " 61 " 48 13 24

CJA " 8 " 8 4 14 Grafted on Chinese

stock, spring, 1947.

Fruited this yr.

1st time.

------------------------------------------------------------------------

J=_Castanea crenata_

A=_Castanea dentata_

C=_Castanea mollissima_

~Nuts, Scions and Pollen Received.~ During the fall of 1949 we received

nuts from New Hampshire, Mass., Conn., N. Y., N. J., W. Va., N. C.,

Ohio, and Ill. Scions were received in March and April from Mr. R. M.

Viggars of the Bartlett Tree Expert Co. station at Wilmington, Del. (_C.

dentata_); and from Messieurs Schad and G. A. Solignat, _Centre de

Recherches Agronomiques_, Clermont-Ferrand, France, (_C. crenata_ and

_sativa_.) During June and July, pollen of _C. dentata_ came from Mr. E.

J. Grassmann, Elizabeth, N. J., Mr. Paul Maxey, Montcoal, W. Va., Mr.

Malcolm G. Edwards, Asheville, N. C.; _C. mollissima_ and _dentata_ from

the Division of Pathology, U.S.D.A.; _C. sativa_, vars. _pistolese_ and

_selvatico_ from Dr. Aldo Pavari, _Stazione Sperimentale di

Selvicolture,_ Florence, Italy; and _C. pumila_ and _dentata_ from Mr.

Alfred Szego, Flushing, N. Y. This list is presented as evidence of the

widespread interest in our work. It is a pleasure to acknowledge this

cooperation and to thank the many donors. We are especially glad to

report that several "catches" have been made with the C. sativa scions

from France and those of the tall _mollissimas_ at Mt. Cuba, Del., from

Mr. Viggars.

May I again caution those who send us nuts not to allow them to become

dried out. The embryos, when dried, are killed. The nuts should be

wrapped in moist cotton, peat moss, or something similar, and mailed to

me not later than a few days after harvesting, at 255 South Main Street,

Wallingford, Conn.

~Insects, bad and good.~ The cankerworms were rather destructive in May at

our Sleeping Giant Plantation (not at the others) but fortunately later

than usual. The mite, _Paratetranychus bicolor_, attacked the leaves of

some of the trees on the Sleeping Giant Plantation rather late in the

season, so that on September 8 we sprayed with the Station's power

sprayer, using Aramite effectively. Shade and humidity seem to favor the

spread of this pest. Japanese beetles appeared but have never been very

destructive with us. As happened last year, we sprayed twice for the

weevils, August 14 and September 8, with excellent results.

This spring in early June, four hives of bees were placed in one of our

Sleeping Giant Plantations by bee experts of the staff of the Conn.

Expt. Station. Improved results in pollination and the resulting nut

harvest cannot be affirmed with only one season's trial.

A Method of Controlling the Chestnut Blight on Partially Resistant

Species and Hybrids of Castanea

ARTHUR HARMOUNT GRAVES

Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station, New Haven

and

Division of Forest Pathology, U.S.D.A. Plant Industry Station,

Beltsville, Maryland

This method has been in use since 1937 on our chestnut plantations, and

has been so remarkably successful that we believe all chestnut growers

should be thoroughly acquainted with it.

[Illustration: Fig. 1.]

Whenever chestnut trees are attacked by the blight fungus, suckers arise

below the lesion, and if the lesion is at or near the base of the tree,

as often happens, these suckers grow from the base of the tree, i.e. at

the root collar. It is then a simple matter to cut out the diseased bark

of the lesion with a sharp knife, paint over the wound, and graft the

tip of one or more of these suckers _above_ the lesion, into the healthy

bark. Of course the sucker must be long enough to reach the healthy part

of the bark above the lesion. It is measured roughly by the eye and then

cut off at a proper length, usually a little longer than seems

necessary. The tip is then sharpened into two beveled surfaces coming up

to a thin sharp transverse edge like a long wedge. (Fig. 1a.) The tip

edge must be very sharp in order to push up easily between the bark and

wood. Now, or rather, before trimming the sucker, in the healthy bark

above the blight lesion cut an inverted T, making the cut into the bark

as far as the wood and then cut a gradual slope from the surface of the

bark down to the horizontal part of the inverted T. Next, lift the bark

gently from the wood above the horizontal cut and insert the end of the

sucker. If the sucker, or scion, is slightly longer than the upper end

of the cut, it can be bent outward at the same time that the scion is

being inserted and thus a spring is secured making it easier to force

the scion up between bark and wood. I should add that if the lesion is

not at the base of the tree, suckers usually arise just below it in any

case, and these can be inarched in the same way as the basal shoots.

[Illustration: Fig. 2

Fig. 2 Showing inarching method of controlling the chestnut blight a

Chinese-Japanese hybrid chestnut, 13 yrs. old, infected toward base with

Chinese type of blight, i.e. in outer bark only. Right: sucker inarched

in spring of 1946; left, inarched spring of 1950. (The black figure

resembling an arrow, about half way up, is accidental, being a cluster

of labels.) b. Grafted tree (the large tree of Japanese-American

chestnut on Japanese stock); graft made in 1937 where finger is

pointing; left: inarch of 1947, itself inarched near base in 1950;

right, inarch of 1949. c. Japanese-American hybrid chestnut with

principal inarch made in 1943; other later inarchings showing in part.

All photos by Louis Buhle, Brooklyn Botanic Garden, and loaned courtesy

of the Garden.]

The next step is to bind together the parts being grafted, winding

strong, cotton string firmly around the cut with its scion enclosed,

covering practically all of the vertical cut of the inverted T. Finally,

melted paraffin--not too hot--is applied to the union, every part being

carefully covered in order to exclude air and thus prevent drying out.

We use Clarke's melter which, with adjustment of the flame, will keep

the paraffin at a temperature slightly above the melting point and thus

will not get too hot. Grafting wax may also be used instead of paraffin.

The best time to perform the operation in Connecticut is during April or

early May.

Our first scions or inarches, grafted in 1937, are now 6 inches in

diameter at ground level and constitute the main tree. If they become

blighted, other suckers are inarched into them, and so on. The purpose

of the inarching is to restore the communication between leaves and

roots, which is so essential to the life and health of the tree, and

which the diseased bark of the blight lesion interrupts, eventually

causing girdling and death of the trunk or branch attacked. A series of

these inarchings of different ages is shown herewith. (Fig. 2.) On our

plantations we no longer dread the chestnut blight, since we can usually

circumvent it by this method. However, with the American chestnut,

because the fungus advances rapidly in this species, the girdling is

often completed before the scions can take hold. Therefore, with that

species or with the least resistant hybrids the method is often though

not always ineffectual.

This method of grafting is not new. It is similar to bridge grafting and

has been known and practiced for centuries. The only credit we can claim

is for its application to the chestnut blight as a method of control.

MR. CHASE: We will now hear from Mr. George Salzer, Rochester, New York,

"Experiences with Chestnuts in Nursery and Orchard in Western New York."

Mr. Salzer.

Experiences with Chestnuts in Nursery and Orchard in Western New York

GEORGE SALZER, Rochester, New York

My work with Chinese chestnut trees during the past ten years has been

most interesting. The first trees were grown in our back-yard garden;

then, when more seed was available locally, a building lot was purchased

for use as a nursery. Seed is planted in the spring because when fall

planting was tried, the rodents took most of the nuts.

Up until last year, chestnut seed was stratified in perforated cans in

the open ground with fairly good results. Last fall, we tried the method

used and described by Dr. Crane and Dr. McKay in the 1946 report of this

Association. Crimp top cans were used with nail holes in the top and

bottom. Instead of using regular storage facilities, the cans were

stored in a concrete block storage pit built below the floor of the

garage. This proved very successful. Not only were the nuts in excellent

condition for eating in the spring, sweet and of good flavor, but a much

larger percentage of the seed germinated. This storage pit also serves

to hold trees dormant and in good planting condition from digging time

in March until early June.

Last year, many young seedlings were lost during the dry weather and

hand weeding between the trees was next to impossible. This spring, we

tried the method of planting used and described by Mr. Sam Hemming in

the 1947 report of this Association. We planted the seed in a narrow

trench two inches deep; then filled the trench with saw dust; level with

the surface. The saw dust serves as a mulch to hold moisture for the

young seedlings and hand weeding between trees is reduced to a minimum.

It is also possible to use the wheel cultivator between the saw dust

marked rows before the shoots appear. This was a great help in

controlling early weed growth.

We were troubled with cutworms cutting off the new seedlings close to

the ground, the same as they cut off young tomato plants. We controlled

them by using a poison-bran bait as described in Leaflet Number Two

issued by the Department of Agriculture.

All trees are grown from seed of trees growing in the Rochester area.

These had their origin from north of Pekin, China. Most of the trees are

three years old when sold and have been transplanted at least once. This

gives us a good sized tree that transplants well and should bear some

chestnuts in three or four years. Sales are to people in our locality,

although a few mail orders have been filled. So far, we have had no

complaints. These are all seedling trees and until grafting or budding

of named varieties becomes stabilized, I believe we should concentrate

on growing large numbers of seedlings at a price within the reach of all

who want chestnut trees.

This spring some large chestnut seed received from a southern grower was

planted for experimental purposes. I will bring them into bearing to

learn whether they will bear as large a nut in our climate as they do in

the southern states, and whether the kernel will be as sweet and have as

good flavor as those grown in upstate New York. I have yet to see a tree

growing in the Rochester area bearing as large a nut as those grown in

the southeast, and all the large nuts I have tasted did not seem to be

as sweet as ours. Probably the old saying "the smaller the nut, the

sweeter the nut" is true. Of course these are all seedling trees, but by

this time we should know whether size of nut and sweetness of kernel are

determined by climate or individual trees.

Our largest trees are eleven-year old seedlings of unknown origin. One

is, I believe, outstanding. It started bearing when four years old and

has consistently been a good producer. The nut is real chestnut in color

and good size, running about seventy to the pound. I have not found a

tree in this area bearing a larger nut. The kernel is sweet and the

flavor excellent. The tree has good shape and limb structure, always

sending up a central leader. This is the tree I would like to propagate.

Small Nuts Sell Better

Last fall, I tried a selling experiment with chestnuts for eating, and

sold small quantities of small and medium sized nuts at the rate of

$1.50 a pound. However, no one seemed interested in the larger ones.

They thought they were European chestnuts that sold here for $.25 a

pound. I did not have many for sale, but I am convinced there is a

market for good sweet chestnuts. It seems useless to compete with those

imported from Italy. Ours are far superior, and many who remember the

American chestnut, will, I believe pay a luxury price for good quality

chestnuts.

In 1946, we purchased a 10-1/2 acre piece of land, 16 miles southwest of

Rochester for the purpose of planting a chestnut orchard. This land had

not been worked for about twelve years. The soil is heavy and fertile,

typed as Poygan clay loam. Bed rock is sixty feet below the surface. The

following spring, we planted about 300 trees and each year more are set

out. There are now about 700 trees from two to five years old, and most

of them are growing well.

The rows are twenty feet apart and the trees stand fifteen to twenty

feet apart, in the row. I know this will be too close when the trees are

full grown, but we have the trees and I want to bring as many into

bearing as possible, searching for the ideal tree. We also expect to

lose some trees through wild life and other causes.

Many of the first trees planted were lost the following year due to

excessive rainfall, poor surface drainage, rabbit and meadow mouse

damage. In 1948 two 400 foot drainage ditches were dug across the

property. This made it possible to plant trees successfully on most of

the land. However, another ditch is needed to eliminate a low spot, then

all of the land can be used.

The meadow mouse that girded so many trees could not be controlled by

the use of poison bait and the rabbit also did considerable damage.

Through the wild life service of the Department of the Interior, we

obtained a repellant that was effective. It is distributed in the

eastern states by the Rodent Control Fund of the University of

Massachusetts. We have used it now for two years and have no more mouse

or rabbit damage.

The woodchuck does considerable damage even though we have eliminated

all their dens on our land. They come in to feed from the neighboring

areas and will have to be controlled by shooting. Deer are also present

but have as yet caused no damage. Probably, they are waiting for the

trees to grow larger.

Last spring, new growth on the trees was killed by a late freeze--a most

unusual occurance for this area. This was caused by an excessively warm

April, followed by below-freezing temperature in the middle of May. It

was the first time in the memory of the oldest residents that black

locust and native black walnut trees were damaged by a spring freeze.

However, most of the trees recovered, but their growth was retarded.

This spring several of the trees blossomed, but set no burs. In a few

years, I hope to have more to report on this orchard project.

(Here was shown a chestnut tree picture.)

MR. SALZER: If anyone has any comments, if they think it has good limb

structure, that's what we are looking for.

MR. SHERMAN: We could tell you better if we could see it when it's

dormant.

MR. WEBER: What sort of a cultivator do you use?

MR. SALZER: Wheel cultivator.

MR. WEBER: Why don't you get a Wheelmaster? You may not want to

cultivate as often as if you had a power one.

MR. CHASE: We shall now have another chestnut paper by Alfred Szego of

Long Island.

Chestnuts in Upper Dutchess County, New York

ALFRED SZEGO 77-15A 37th Ave., Jackson Heights, New York City

Pulvers' Corners, a collection of farmhouses, a gas station and ice

cream parlor is located about 8 miles from the northern Connecticut

border not too far from the southwestern tip of Massachusetts.

The Berkshire hills roll through here and at this point we find

ourselves at approximately the northern limits of the deciduous hardwood

forest belt.

Here the American chestnut is native formerly growing in great abundance

until stricken a mortal blow by the invincible chestnut blight.

Just a few hundred feet north of here on a hilltop, I started in 1945, a

different kind of nut tree plantation.

Placing main emphasis on the chestnut, a start was made on the

cultivation of the thousands of sprouts and seedlings on my 43 acre

coppice forest.

A cluster of ~Castanea dentata~ seedlings that appeared promising was

selected. The following practices proved fairly successful in keeping a

few trees healthy, and bringing one into bearing in 1950. For the

interest of fellow members working along a similar line, I enumerate the

following practices.

1. Clean and thorough tree surgery, cutting out blight cankers

immediately upon discovery.

2. Removal of all very blight susceptible nearby sprouts and the burning

of all infected branches and material.

3. Artificial watering during drought periods.

4. Application of superphosphate, muriate of potash and trace elements.

Es-Min-El was used in our case. Our soil tests high in nitrogen.

5. Removal of all overstory trees and other interfering growth.

It may be noted that the importance of hygiene and sanitation cannot be

stressed too strongly.

Our own native chinkapin, ~Castanea pumila~ when brought up north proves

itself a delightful subject. Outside of the weevil-infested area, it

becomes a hardy producer of superb little chestnuts. This species offers

great promise to the plant breeder because of its very early bearing

(3-4 years from seed). Perhaps hybridization with ~Castanea mollissima~

varieties may bring something very fine and valuable. This species is

tender during its first year but perfectly hardy afterwards. Northern

growers require special techniques to grow chinkapins from seed.

The strains of Chinese chestnut, ~Castanea mollissima~ in most cases do

not seem extremely happy here. The trees appear to sustain varying

degrees of winter injury. The tips of the branches often freeze. Usually

the branch comes into leaf on the lower part first and then upwards.

However, a few individuals appear perfectly hardy. The outlook is

excellent for the discovery of exceptional individuals suitable for the

northern zones.

The Japanese chestnut, ~Castanea crenata~ shows very good adaptation to

this region. Although my trees of this species are young, very vigorous

growth indicates some value here. Unfortunately, the nuts have a bad

after-taste when eaten raw thus limiting its commercial possibilities. I

have noticed this undesirable characteristic in tasting hybrid nuts

derived from trees possessing ~Castanea crenata~ parentage. I was informed

at Beltsville that the hybrid known as S8, a cross between ~Castanea

pumila~ and ~C. crenata~, was rejected for its poor quality nuts.

I have established many other species of chestnuts and their hybrids.

Some of these are from seed obtained from the Bell experimental plot of

the U.S.D.A. at Glenn Dale, Maryland. Seed from this source has produced

a much better grade of seedlings than those from anywhere else.

A somewhat different version of the tin can planting method is now being

used here. Number two size and larger tin cans have a few punctures made

with a hammer and nail in the bottom. These have their tops removed, of

course, and after being filled with loose soil, are used as pots in

which to start chestnuts.

In the early spring germinating chestnuts are removed from jars, kept in

my refrigerator. One is planted in each can flat side down, barely

beneath the soil level.

After the season has warmed up these "canned plants" are set out in a

trench, buried to the rim. Rock wool is placed around the stems of the

seedlings covering the soil and the nut. This has acted as a rodent

deterrent.

The "canned plants" are then, at leisure, set out in their permanent

places. Just before doing this an ordinary beer can opener is used to

enlarge the punctures in the bottom of the can to permit the roots to

penetrate better. In a few years the can should disintegrate entirely

and at no time will interfere with root growth.

By holding the chestnuts under refrigeration and not planting in the

fall I have kept my plantings free of the chestnut weevils.

I found that by planting the flat side down, the stem seems to go down

very easily, and the sprout coming up from it seems to go up more

easily, also.

Discussion

MR. RICK: Are they planted permanently in the can?

MR. SZEGO: Yes, they are planted in the can. The can will disintegrate

in two or three years.

MR. RICK: Don't you have those in rows?

MR. SZEGO: No, I sometimes place them on the grass. The morning dew

seems to provide enough moisture to carry through the dry spells. But,

again, I live in a mountainous area. This may not apply out in Oklahoma.

MR. CHASE: Next on the program is a demonstration of his method of

propagating nut trees in pots in the greenhouse by Mr. Bernath, who has

been very successful with this method. Mr. Bernath.

Demonstration of Method of Propagating Nut Trees in Greenhouse

STEPHEN BERNATH, Poughkeepsie, N. Y.

Here is the way I handle the nut trees when we propagate under glass in

the greenhouse. These are two-year seedlings potted up. That root is cut

away and any large lateral roots that are too large to bend well we cut

them off, and we take all the fibrous roots we can and put them in this

pot. Put your soil around it first, and when you have it nearly full,

just the same as if you take your son and lay him on your knee and spank

the butt good and put the soil around the roots. Then pack it with your

thumb and your potting is done.

(Taking scion) I use only one bud. One bud is good as a dozen.

(Cutting-with pruning knife.)

MR. WEBER: How do you cut above the bud that you use above the graft?

MR. BERNATH: If the nodes are far enough apart I put it farther, but I

like to put it as short as I can but allow not less than half inch or an

inch or more on top, and you cut it away after the union has taken and

the growth started. Sometimes some of them may have a growth of two

inches before you take them out of the case. They are not uniform. Some

of them are way in advance of some of the others. Some of them are

tardy, slow.

This is my budding knife, here, which is about 40 years old.

MR. CHASE: The question is asked, this isn't the time of year that you

would do this, is it?

MR. BERNATH: No, sir. I start in January. You can continue into April.

You can take a batch out and put another batch in.

MR. RICK: How many weeks, usually, before you graft, after these are put

in the case?

MR. BERNATH: I would say that with most of your varieties it's from four

to six weeks, with the exception of ornamentals. That will take six to

eight, sometimes longer, but nut trees generally come on quickly. I have

known them to have two inches of growth, I think, in three weeks.

(Sharpening knife.)

A MEMBER: You are like the violinist. You have to tune up first.

MR. BERNATH: Yes, and never forget to wipe your knife. And remember not

to put your finger on the fresh cut. (Cutting). Here is the cut before I

insert the scion. In cutting your scion wood, now here is the butt. Cut

on the inside. When you cut on this side it throws the bud a little bit

far out because it's on an angle. You know about the depth of the cut

here, and you go like this: (Cutting).

A MEMBER: Do you come down to a pretty good point?

MR. BERNATH: (Holding up scion.)

A MEMBER: Is that a side graft you are making there?

MR. BERNATH: Yes. (Inserting scion in cut.) Now, on this one I am going

to use a rubber strip.

DR. MacDANIELS: Hold it up so we can see the whole thing as you have it

stuck in there. That is a side graft with the bud next to the stock.

MR. BERNATH: That's right.

MR. RICK: The scion was cut on both sides, was it, or one side?

MR, BERNATH: Yes, on both sides.

MR. WEBER: Wedge shape.

MR. KINTZEL: An inch below the bud.

MR. BERNATH: (Wrapping graft) Here is where your thumb comes into play.

As you put this on, start right here (stretching rubber). See how far

that can stretch? You cross it and you can take your finger off. Now

release it. Have your finger on it. Put this finger right here. All

right, you see you get under, pull right up there. There it is, the

graft is done.

MR. EMERSON: You don't use any wax?

MR. BERNATH: No wax whatsoever. Never use any.

MR. CORSAN: Or any latex?

MR. BERNATH: No, nothing at all.

MR. RICK: How do you slope this?

MR. BERNATH: I have a little, miniature box here, and that would

represent a bench in the greenhouse. (Demonstrating).

Here is another one (taking another scion).

MR. CORSAN: That's used by dentists and plastic surgeons.

MR. BERNATH: Now watch the difference. If the scion wood happened to be

smaller than your stock, you cut accordingly. In other words, you are

not going in as far. See (showing). Or else you can cross it. Now, just

a minute, we will get that (making cut in stock; slicing scion off

diagonally). You don't go up as high on this side. Now, then, you take

it, if you are a pretty good hand with a knife. That's all right, even

if it's not shaped at all. There it is (inserting in cut). But one

thing--I want to warn you, if you want to follow this, be careful not to

rub the bud off in handling it. If you do, you might as well throw it

away, because you are licked.

MR. WEBER: That is one reason for having the bud face the stock?

MR. BERNATH: No, but makes a better growth.

Persian walnut, I find, unless it's way far down on the trunk of a tree,

will not form adventitious buds. Now, you can do it with a chestnut. You

can rub the main bud off and you will find two or three of them coming,

or more, right around that place. But one of these walnuts will not form

an adventitious bud, so you might as well throw it away, or if you knock

off even the new growth on it, you might as well dump it, because it

will not form a tree.

Now here is a tape that I use.

MR. KINTZEL: Rubber tape?

MR. BERNATH: No, no, cloth.

MR. STOKE: That's about the same as surgical tape?

MR. BERNATH: Made especially for grafting, Mr. Stoke.

Now, you have to watch it closely because this is a tricky thing.

MR. CORSAN: This is not called Scotch Tape?

MR. BERNATH: No, this is made especially for grafting. You can get this

from some of the boys.

MR. WEBER: A. M. Leonard and Son, Piqua, Ohio.

MR. RICK: That will require more attention than the rubber. The rubber

takes care of itself, where this one you have to take off.

MR. WEBER: No, this decays.

MR. BERNATH: You start right here on the stock. Now you make sure that

the scion--

MR. WEBER: You start at the top?

MR. BERNATH: The top, always on the top.

MR. WEBER: And that has a tendency to keep the scion worked down,

whereas if you started at the bottom you might push it up.

MR. BERNATH: You have quite a pressure right around there--watch it,

because it will tear, and if it tears with you, why, it's so hard to get

straightened out--and then press together.

MR. WEBER: And you don't wax either the top, or anything?

MR. BERNATH: No. Now, the reason for leaving this under stock that long:

if you are not careful, fungus growth will set in. If you cut right

here, then the whole thing is affected with it, see. Wrap it firmly and

that is there on both sides, and when the union forms and the growth

begins here, when you take them out of the case, for instance, now, you

take a sharp pair of shears and cut as close as you can. (Removes top of

understock.) Never mind if you cut the cloth, it doesn't make any

difference. Just cut it right there. Snip it right off. But that is when

you take them out of the grafting case.

A MEMBER: Wouldn't it also be all right to leave that stub on to tie

your sprout to so it won't want to break?

MR. BERNATH: No, you might be better off if you had a stake. Put a stake

on the side of it. When everything is right that surface will callus

over right quickly. It may not seem so. It does make a perfect union

unlike a graft of some other types.

MR. WEBER: When you make that cut of the excess understock, you don't

even wax?

MR. BERNATH: No. You can if you want to, but I don't wax. Just leave it

like that.

Now the next operation. Here is this miniature greenhouse. It's moist

peat. That's just about the right substance. Would anybody like to look

at this? Don't get it too wet. Just walk right up here.

MR. WEBER: It feels as if it's ground up.

MR. BERNATH: It is.

MR. CORSAN: Mr. Bernath, would that be the right stuff to put sweet

chestnuts in in the fall?

MR. BERNATH: You mean for sprouting?

MR. CORSAN: Yes.

MR. BERNATH: That would be all right.

MR. CORSAN: That's not too damp?

MR. BERNATH: No.

MR. CORSAN: I have put it in that and had the greatest success.

MR. CHASE: Now, folks, let's everybody sit down, and please keep quiet

and try to absorb what's going on here. We can't have 10 or 15

individual conversations going on.

MR. BERNATH: Now here we have two pots grafted. Now, of course, the

bench in the greenhouse is wider and longer. Here is what you do. You

start the first row, just move the peat back like that, and you lay them

in like that, one after the other, the pots on the side.

MR. WEBER: With the bud side up?

MR. BERNATH: That's right. Now, you go right along. When you come to the

next row, here is what you do (piling up peat) like that. If you want to

cover the scion, all right; if you don't, perfectly all right. You can

put electric heating coils under it.

MR. RICK: Is there any advantage in sloping the top? Would it matter if

it was flat?

MR. BERNATH: No, no, doesn't matter. This just happened to be an old

melon box. I had started melons early in the spring.

Now, while the grafts are in the process of forming the unions, that is,

when the cambium begins to form, you do not water until you take these

out of the case. Add no more water, but make sure your pots are moist

enough. For instance, in this one, there is plenty of moisture for the

period of incubation.

MR. KINTZEL: How long? Couple of weeks?

MR. BERNATH: No. Sometimes they start to grow in three weeks, but

generally four weeks, maybe a little over. Sometimes less; depends on

everything.

MR. SHERMAN: What temperature in the greenhouse?

MR. BERNATH: Well, if you note in the springtime when the trees are

beginning to grow, you know the night temperature goes down, while

daytime may go up to 75, 80 in the spring. All right, you follow nature,

and you'll never go wrong.

Now, the temperature, at night, if it does go down around the fifties,

or even less, doesn't do any harm. That's the house temperature. But

under the benches where you have your heat coils, that's of course, at

least 60, maybe a little better, and, of course, in daytime it

may--well, it's all right if it goes up to 70, 75. Then, of course, you

have to ventilate through the house, and as a matter of fact, under the

benches. Take a lot of bags and nail them along the walk to keep the

heat under the benches. That gives you the bottom heat.

Now, as I understand, some of our members have tried this method, but

they applied too much heat. They burned them. If they didn't burn them,

fungus growth set in, because there's high humidity in that box. You

will see the moisture condensation on the glass. Drops of water

accumulate, and that's a thing you will have to guard against. So every

morning give it at first about a 5-minute period when you take a dry

cloth and wipe the surface moisture off the glass, the under side, to

prevent the water from dripping on the unions here, to keep it dry. Then

as you go along you can increase that period, but not over 15 minutes,

until around the fourth week, you can generally put a stick under the

glass to give more ventilation. When you see that the union is formed

and everything is all right, take the glass off, take your grafts out

and stand them up straight, and from there on you can water them, but

not before.

And then you cut these stocks off right there as close as you can get

it, sort of an upward movement, like that (demonstrating with knife).

MR. WEBER: It doesn't make any difference if you cut the rubber band

that's on it or not?

MR. BERNATH: No, not too much, if it's callused up good, if the union is

hard enough. And then, of course, you put the glass on, and then you

keep these grafts in the greenhouse. But don't forget now, something

that is important, when you graft these. Here we have a greenhouse over

us. This little box represents the batch of grafts. Don't forget you

have to shade them. If you didn't shade these, they would burn to a

crisp. I have lost several hundred blue spruce grafts by going away on a

day when it was cloudy and I forgot to tell Mrs. Bernath, "If the sun

comes out, raise the sash." When I came home, this part of the

greenhouse was shaded; now, in this corner here I think it was around

250 beautiful grafts but the next day I was going to take them out. They

were burnt to a crisp. I saved a few trees right where it was shady.

MR. CALDWELL: The blue spruce are grafted by the same method?

MR. BERNATH: Yes, I use this method for inside grafting for everything.

MR. CALDWELL: Use this method for shagbarks the same way?

MR. BERNATH: Yes, same way with hickories and oaks.

MR. WEBER: What sort of shading element do you use? Anything real tight,

or how?

MR. BERNATH: Yes, air tight. The grafting case has got to be air tight.

MR. WEBER: The shade?

MR. BERNATH: Oh, any kind of cloth, cheesecloth, muslin. I know that

will do it.

MR. CHASE: Whitewash?

MR. BERNATH: That's all right, too. If you use whitewash, I would

recommend using white lead with gasoline and just spray it on. That will

help a lot, but I generally use a cloth for shade.

MR. O'ROURKE: Why do you place the scions so that the bud is on the

inside?

MR. BERNATH: It makes a straighter tree. The other way it's inclined to

grow out this way (indicating). It grows toward the stock, makes a

straighter tree.

MR. STOKE: I think there is one more advantage there. On the edge next

to the stock you get a better contact than you do on that lip on the

outside, and it leads more directly into the bud.

DR. CRANE: Less danger, too, that that bud will rub off.

MR. BERNATH: Keep them shaded, but only 50 per cent shade. And then in

about two weeks you take the shade off, let the sun shine on it. It

doesn't hurt--over the glass. And then you take these pots when danger

of frost is over, plant them out, in nursery rows, or, if you want to

put them in permanent places, it's perfectly all right. Take this, put

your finger under like that (demonstrating), give her a tap, and the

ball comes out of the pot in your hand. And if it's permanent, plant it

down to here; cover the union.

MR. WEBER: And the scion eventually forms its own root?

MR. BERNATH: It will. You will find that pot will be filled up with

fibrous root.

MR. SZEGO: When do you take the tape off?

MR. BERNATH: Don't take it off at all. It will decay.

MR. MILLER: But the same graft can't be used outside without grafting

wax, can it?

MR. BERNATH: Yes, you have to wax outside. That's right, you have to use

wax. Otherwise the grafting method is the same for top-working.

MR. MILLER: Because in there you have it air tight. Outside you have to

wax.

MR. BERNATH: You can't do it without wax, not outside. But budding you

can do without wax outside.

This is a whole plant right here. That's a whole plant root, and this is

right in this four-inch pot. That tap root is cut away and all the

lateral roots, finer roots, put right in there and put in soil like any

transplanted plant.

DR. ROHBACHER: When do you put that stock in the house?

MR. BERNATH: If you want to start work in January, towards the end of

December after the understock has had the rest period. You can store

them, unless you are in a place where you don't get much frost in your

ground.

DR. ROHBACHER: You have to dig those up in the fall?

MR. BERNATH: You have to dig these up about three weeks before you want

to graft. There is another point I should have been wide awake enough to

tell you in the beginning: when you put these in the bench put them in

peat moss like that, because otherwise it would be next to impossible to

keep those plants moist enough.

MR. WEBER: That's standing upright.

MR. BERNATH: Upright until you graft. That's only the understock. Watch

them closely, say about two weeks, and you may test it. In other words,

knock these out and examine the root system. When you see those little

white rootlets beginning to grow like thin macaroni, white, most of

them, that's a sign that you had better get busy grafting.

MR. WEBER: But not until you see the edges of those roots poking

through.

MR. RICK: And the stock isn't in the case until you are ready to graft?

MR. BERNATH: They are in the benches, but not in the case. No outside

cover except just the glass of the house.

That's about all there is to it. It isn't much.

MR. RICK: It's been a wonderful demonstration.

MR. SZEGO: When do you cut your scion wood?

MR. BERNATH: Oh, I get scion wood from December on, late December,

January and February.

MR. RICK: It would be all right just to go out to the tree and cut your

scions and bring them in and the next day graft?

MR. BERNATH: Yes. Well, no. I like to store them a little bit, for the

reason that the starches will form. It's amazing how wood will act after

you cut it, provided it doesn't dry out. All those cells, you know, in

that they form what we call a certain type of starch. You can do it all

right with apple trees and pear trees. You can put it right on the tree

right from the tree, but I wouldn't advise it on the nut trees.

MR. RICK: Do you keep your scions cool until you are ready to use them?

A MEMBER: My way of keeping it is in fresh sawdust. That's the best

means.

MR. WEBER: Do you dampen it any?

MR. BERNATH: Yes. And I have nothing but an earth cellar where I store

my scion wood, and they keep well until June.

MR. RICK: To prevent fungus would it be a good idea to dip them in a

weak solution of Bordeaux?

MR. BERNATH: I never tried it. I couldn't say. That's one reason why

sometimes some of our members here wonder why I write and say, "Please

do not wax." I do not want a waxed scion. As far as I am concerned, I

would throw them right out. I wouldn't bother to graft them.

MR. CORSAN: You just put them in damp sawdust?

MR. BERNATH: Yes, put them in damp peat or even damp newspaper, wrap it

and ship it.