diff options
Diffstat (limited to '24629.txt')
| -rw-r--r-- | 24629.txt | 6325 |
1 files changed, 6325 insertions, 0 deletions
diff --git a/24629.txt b/24629.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d61bf3b --- /dev/null +++ b/24629.txt @@ -0,0 +1,6325 @@ +The Project Gutenberg EBook of Northern Nut Growers Association Report of +the Proceedings at the Eleventh Annual Meeting, by Various + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + + +Title: Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Eleventh Annual Meeting + Washington, D. C. October 7 AND 8, 1920 + +Author: Various + +Editor: Northern Nut Growers Association + +Release Date: February 16, 2008 [EBook #24629] + +Language: English + +Character set encoding: ASCII + +*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NORTHERN NUT GROWERS *** + + + + +Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + + + + + ++------------------------------------------------------------------------+ +|DISCLAIMER | +| | +|The articles published in the Annual Reports of the Northern Nut Growers| +|Association are the findings and thoughts solely of the authors and are | +|not to be construed as an endorsement by the Northern Nut Growers | +|Association, its board of directors, or its members. No endorsement is | +|intended for products mentioned, nor is criticism meant for products not| +|mentioned. The laws and recommendations for pesticide application may | +|have changed since the articles were written. It is always the pesticide| +|applicator's responsibility, by law, to read and follow all current | +|label directions for the specific pesticide being used. The discussion | +|of specific nut tree cultivars and of specific techniques to grow nut | +|trees that might have been successful in one area and at a particular | +|time is not a guarantee that similar results will occur elsewhere. | ++------------------------------------------------------------------------+ + + + + +NORTHERN NUT GROWERS ASSOCIATION + +REPORT OF THE PROCEEDINGS AT THE ELEVENTH ANNUAL MEETING + +WASHINGTON, D. C. OCTOBER 7 AND 8, 1920 + + + + +CONTENTS + + + Officers and Committees of the Association 4 + + State Vice-Presidents 5 + + Members of the Association 6 + + Constitution and By-Laws 11 + + Proceedings of the Eleventh Annual Convention 13 + + Report of the Secretary-Treasurer 13 + + Chestnut Work at Bell Experiment Plot, + Dr. Walter Van Fleet, Glendale, Maryland 16 + + Report of Prof. Close and Discussion 22 + + Constitution and By-Laws Amended 26 + + Report of Committee on Importation, Mr. Littlepage 27 + + Excursion to Dr. Van Fleet's and Mr. Littlepage's Places 29 + + Nut Culture in the United States, C. A. Reed, Washington, D. C. 33 + + Address of Dr. David Fairchild 42 + + President's Address 56 + + The Place of Nut Trees in Our Northern Nut Culture, + Dr. William A. Taylor, Washington, D. C. 66 + + Address by Charles Lathrop Pack, + President American Forestry Association 70 + + A Nursery of Improved Filberts, + Conrad Vollertsen, Rochester, N. Y. 73 + + Nuts Needed as Supplementary Foods, + Dr. J. H. Kellogg, Battle Creek, Michigan 83 + + Propagated Hickories, Willard G. Bixby, Baldwin, N. Y. 93 + + Selecting and Handling Scions, J. F. Jones, Lancaster, Pa. 99 + + Address of F. E. Brooks on Some Insects that Injure Nuts 101 + + Top Working Hickories, Dr. Robert T. Morris, New York 105 + + Selection and Propagation for Improvement of Pecans, + Theodore Bechtel, Ocean Springs, Mississippi 112 + + Georgia's Pecan Industry, A. S. Perry, Cuthbert, Ga. 118 + + Appendix 131 + + + + + OFFICERS OF THE ASSOCIATION + + + _President_ WILLIAM S. LINTON Saginaw, Michigan + + _Vice-President_ JAMES S. MCGLENNON Rochester, New York + + _Secretary_ WILLIAM C. DEMING Wilton, Connecticut + + _Treasurer_ WILLARD G. BIXBY Baldwin, Nassau Co., New York + + + COMMITTEES + + _Auditing_--C. P. CLOSE, C. A. REED + + _Executive_--J. RUSSELL SMITH, W. C. REED AND THE OFFICERS + + _Finance_--T. P. LITTLEPAGE, WILLARD G. BIXBY, W. C. DEMING + + _Hybrids_--R. T. MORRIS, C. P. CLOSE, W. G. BIXBY, J. G. RUSH + + _Membership_--JAMES S. MCGLENNON, H. R. WEBER, R. T. OLCOTT, + W. O. POTTER, W. G. BIXBY, W. C. DEMING. + + _Nomenclature_--C. A. REED, R. T. MORRIS, J. F. JONES + + _Press and Publication_--R. T. OLCOTT, W. G. BIXBY, W. C. DEMING. + + _Programme_--W. C. DEMING, J. RUSSELL SMITH, C. A. REED, R. T. + MORRIS, W. G. BIXBY + + _Promising Seedlings_--C. A. REED, J. F. JONES + + + + +STATE VICE-PRESIDENTS + + +Alabama H. M. Robertson 2026 1st Ave., Birmingham +Arkansas Prof. N. F. Drake University of Arkansas, Fayetteville +California T. C. Tucker 311 California St., San Francisco +Canada G. H. Corsan 63 Avenue Road, Toronto +China P. W. Wang, Kinsan Arboretum Chuking Kiangsu Province +Colorado C. L. Cudebec Boulder, Box 233 +Connecticut Francis A. Bartlett Stamford +Dist. of Columbia B. G. Foster 902 G. St., Washington +England Howard Spence Eskdale Knutsford Cheshire +Georgia A. S. Perry Cuthbert +Illinois E. A. Riehl Alton +Indiana J. F. Wilkinson Rockport +Iowa D. C. Snyder Center Point +Kansas James Sharp Council Grove +Kentucky Sam C. Baker Beaver Dam, R. F. D. 2 +Maine Alice D. Leavitt 79 High St., Bridgton +Maryland C. P. Close College Point +Massachusetts James H. Bowditch 903 Tremont Building, Boston +Michigan Dr. J. H. Kellogg Battle Creek +Missouri P. C. Stark Louisiana +Nebraska William Caha Wahoo +New Hampshire Henry B. Stevens, College of Agriculture Durham +Nevada C. G. Swingle Hazen +New Jersey C. S. Ridgway Lumberton +New York Dr. G. J. Buist 3 Hancock St., Brooklyn +North Carolina Dr. Harvey P. Barrett 211 Vail Ave., Charlotte +Ohio Harry R. Weber 123 E. 6th St., Cincinnati +Oklahoma Dr. C. E. Beitman Skedee +Oregon Knight Pearcy Salem, R. F. D. 3, Box 187 +Pennsylvania Elam G. Hess Manheim +South Carolina Prof. A. G. Shanklin Clemson College +Texas J. H. Burkett Clyde +Vermont F. C. Holbrook Brattleboro +Virginia John S. Parish University +Washington William Baines Okanogan +West Virginia Fred E. Brooks French Creek +Wisconsin Dr. G. W. Patchen Manitowoc + + + + +MEMBERS OF THE NORTHERN NUT GROWERS ASSOCIATION + + + ALABAMA + + Robertson, H. M., 2026 1st Ave., Birmingham. + + + ARKANSAS + + * Drake, Prof. N. F., University of Arkansas, Fayetteville + Dunn, D. K., Wynne. + + + CALIFORNIA + + California, University of, Berkeley + Cress, B. E., Tehachapi + Thorpe, Will J., 2198 Geary St., San Francisco + Tucker, T. C., 311 California St., San Francisco + + + CANADA + + Bell, Alex., Milliken, Ontario + Corsan, G. H., 17 Rusholme Park Crescent, Toronto + Sager, Dr. D. S., Brantford + + + CHINA + + Kinsan Arboretum, Chuking, Kiangsu Province, P. W. Wang, Sec. + + + COLORADO + + Bennett, L. E., Cory + Cudebec, C. L., Boulder, Box 233 + + + CONNECTICUT + + Barrows, Paul M., Stamford, R. F. D. No. 30 + Bartlett, Francis A., Stamford + Benedict, Samuel L., 98 So. Main St., So. Norwalk + Bradley, Smith T., New Haven, Grand Ave. + Cajori, F. A., 2 Hillhouse Ave., New Haven + Craig, Joseph A., 783 Washington Ave., West Haven + Deming, Dr. W. C., Wilton + Filley, W. O., State Forester, Drawer 1, New Haven + Glover, James L., Shelton, R. F. D. 7 + Hilliard, H. J., Sound View + Hungerford, Newman, Torrington, R. F. D. 2, Box 76 + Ives, Ernest M., Sterling Orchards, Meriden + Lewis, Henry Leroy, Stratford + McGlashan, Archibald, Kent + * Morris, Dr. Robert T., Cos Cob, Route 28, Box 95 + Pomeroy, Eleazer, 120 Bloomfield Ave., Windsor + Sessions, Albert L., 25 Bellevue Ave., Bristol + Southworth, George E., Milford, Box 172 + Staunton, Gray, 98 Park St., New Haven + White, Gerrard, North Granby + + + DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA + + Close, Prof. C. P., Pomologist, Department of Agriculture, Washington + Foster, B. G., 902 G Street, N. W. Washington + * Littlepage, T. P., Union Trust Building, Washington + Reed, C. A., Nut Culturist, Department of Agriculture, Washington + Taylor, Dr. Lewis H., The Cecil, Washington + + Van Fleet, Walter, U. S. Department of Agriculture, Washington + + + ENGLAND + + Spence, Howard, Eskdale, Knutsford, Cheshire + + + GEORGIA + + Bullard, William P., Albany + Patterson, J. M., Putney + Perry, A. S., Cuthbert + Steele, R. C., Lakemont, Rabun Co. + Van Duzee, C. A., Judson Orchard Farm, Cairo + Wight, J. B., Cairo + + + ILLINOIS + + Buckman, Benj., Farmingdale + Casper, O. H., Anna + Heide, John F. H., 3917 Grand Blvd., Chicago + Librarian, University of Illinois, Urbana + Poll, Carl J., 1009 Maple St., Danville + Potter, Hon. W. O., Marion + Riehl, E. A., Godfrey, Route 2 + Sundstrand, Mrs. G. D., 916 Garfield Ave., Rockford + Uran, B. F., Mattoon + Wells, Oscar, Farina + + + INDIANA + + Crain, Donald J., 1313 North St., Logansport + Jackson, Francis M., 122 N. Main St., South Bend + Reed, W. C., Vincennes + Redmon, Felix, Rockport, R. R. No. 2, Box 32 + Simpson, H. D., Vincennes + Staderman, A. L., 120 S. Seventh St., Terre Haute + Wilkinson, J. F., Rockport + + + IOWA + + Bricker, C. W., Ladora + Finnell, J. F. C., Hamburg + Skromme, L. J., (Skromme Seed Company), Roland + Snyder, D. C., Center Point (Linn Co. Nurseries) + + + KANSAS + + Bishop, S. L., Conway Springs + Sharpe, James, Council Grove, (Morris Co. Nurseries) + + + KENTUCKY + + Baker, Sam C., Beaver Dam, R. D. 2 + Livengood, Frank M., Berea + + + MAINE + + Leavitt, Alice D., 79 High St., Bridgton + + + MARYLAND + + Hoopes, Wilmer P., Forest Hill + Keenan, Dr. John F., Brentwood + Littlepage, Miss Louise, Bowie + O'Connor, P. J., Bowie + + + MASSACHUSETTS + + * Bowditch, James H., 903 Tremont Building, Boston + Cleaver, C. Leroy, 496 Commonwealth Ave., Boston + Poynter, Horace M., "The Farrar House," Andover + Scudder, Dr. Charles L., 209 Beacon St., Boston + + + MICHIGAN + + Beck, J. P., 25 James, Saginaw + Cross, John L., 104 Division St., Bangor + Graves, Henry B., 2134 Dime Bank Bldg., Detroit + Henshall, H., 1276 Brush St., Detroit + House, George W., Ford Building, Detroit + Kellogg, Dr. J. H., 202 Manchester St., Battle Creek + Linton, W. S., President Board of Trade, Saginaw + McKale, H. B., Lansing, Route 6 + Penny, Senator Harvey A., 425 So. Jefferson Ave., Saginaw + Schram, Mrs. O. E., Galesburg, Box 662 + Smith, Edward J., 86 So. Union St., Battle Creek + + + MISSOURI + + Hazen, Josiah J., (Neosho Nurseries Co.) Neosho + Mosnat, H. R., 3883 East 62 St., Kansas City + Spellen, Howard P., 4505a W. Papin St., St. Louis + Stark, P. C., Louisiana + Ward, Miss Daisy, 2019 Allen Ave., St. Louis + + + NEBRASKA + + Caha, Wm., Wahoo + + + NEW HAMPSHIRE + + Stevens, Henry B., N. H. College of Agriculture, Durham + + + NEVADA + + Swingle, C. G., Hazen + + + NEW JERSEY + + Brown, Jacob B., Elmer, Salem Co. + * Jaques, Lee W., 74 Waverly St., Jersey City Heights + Landmann, Miss M. V., Cranbury, R. D. 2 + Marshall, S. L., Vineland + Marston, Edwin S., Florham Park, Box 72 + Phillips, Irving S., 501 Madison St., West New York, N. J. + Price, John R., 36 Ridgedale Ave., Madison + Ridgeway, C. S., Floralia, Lumberton + Westcoat, Wilmer, 230 Knight Ave., Collingswood + + + NEW YORK + + Abbott, Frederick B., 1211 Tabor Court, Brooklyn + Adams, Sidney I., 418 Powers Bldg., Rochester + Andrews, W. S., Newburgh, R. D. No. 2 + Ashworth, Fred L., Heuvelton + Atwater, C. G., The Barrett Co., 17 Battery Place, New York City + Babcock, H. J., Lockport + Bixby, Willard G., 32 Grand Ave., Baldwin, Nassau Co. + Brown, Ronald K., 320 Broadway, New York City + Buist, Dr. George J., 3 Hancock St., Brooklyn + Crane, Alfred J., Monroe, Box 342 + Diprose, Alfred H., 468 Clinton Ave., South, Rochester + Ellwanger, Mrs. W. D., 510 East Ave., Rochester + Gillett, Dr. Henry W., 140 W. 57 St., New York City + Goeltz, Mrs. M. H., 2524 Creston Ave., New York City + Hall, L. W. Jr. (L. W. Hall Company), 509 Cutler Bldg., Rochester + Harper, G. W., Jr., 115 Broadway, New York City + Hicks, Henry, Westbury, Long Island + Hodgson, Casper W., World Book Co., Yonkers + Hoffmann, Arthur S., 36 Church St., White Plains + * Huntington, A. M., 15 West 81st St., New York City + Kains, M. G., Pomona + McGlennon, James S., 528 Cutler Building, Rochester + Meyers, Charles, 316 Adelphi St., Brooklyn + Olcott, Ralph T., Editor American Nut Journal, Ellwanger and + Barry Building, Rochester + Pomeroy, A. C., Lockport + Solley, Dr. John B., 968 Lexington Ave., New York City + Stephen, John W., New York State College of Forestry, Syracuse + Tallinger, J. F., Barnard + Teele, A. W., 120 Broadway, New York City + Vollertsen, Conrad, 375 Gregory St., Rochester + Whitney, Arthur C., 9 Manila St., Rochester + Whitney, Leon F., 65 Barclay St., New York City + Wile, M. E., 955 Harvard St., Rochester + Williams, Dr. Charles Mallory, 48 E. 49th St., New York City + * Wissman, Mrs. F. deR., Westchester, New York City + + + NORTH CAROLINA + + Barrett, Dr. Harvey P., 211 Vail Ave., Charlotte + Hutchings, Miss Lida G., Pine Bluff + Matthews, C. W., North Carolina Dept. of Agriculture, Raleigh + Van Lindley, J., J. Van Lindley Nursery Co., Pomona + + + OHIO + + Burton, J. Howard, Casstown + Dayton, J. H., Storrs & Harrison Co., Painesville + Fickes, W. R., Wooster + Jackson, A. V., 3275 Linwood Road, Cincinnati + Ketchum, C. S., Middlefield + Ramsey, John, 1803 Freeman Ave., Cincinnati + Truman, G. G., Perrysville, Box 167 + Weber, Harry R., 123 East 6th St., Cincinnati + Yunck, E. G., 706 Central Ave., Sandusky + + + OKLAHOMA + + Beitmen, Dr. C. E., Skedee + + + OREGON + + Marvin, Cornelia (Librarian), Oregon State Library, Salem + Pearcy, Knight, Salem, R. F. D. 3, Box 187 + + + PENNSYLVANIA + + Allaman, R. P., Bedford, R. R. No. 4 + Bolton, Chas. G., Zieglerville, Pa. + Clark, D. F., 147 N. 13 St., Harrisburg + Druckemiller, W. H., Sunbury + Fagan, Prof. F. N., Department of Horticulture, State College + Fritz, Ammon P., 35 E. Franklin St., Ephrata + Heffner H., Highland Chestnut Grove, Leeper + Hess, Elam C., Manheim + Hile, Anthony, Curwensville National Bank, Curwensville + Irwin, Ernest C., 66 St. Nicholas Blvd., Pittsburg + Jenkins, Charles Francis, Farm Journal, Philadelphia + * Jones, J. F., Lancaster, Box 527 + Kaufman, M. M., Clarion + Leas, F. C., Merion Station + Murphy, P. J., Vice President L. & W. R. R. Co., Scranton + O'Neill, William C., 328 Walnut St., Philadelphia + Patterson, J. E., 77 N. Franklin St., Wilkes-Barre + * Rick, John, 438 Pennsylvania Square, Reading + Rife, Jacob A., Camp Hill + Rose, William J., 413 Market St., Harrisburg, "Personal" + Rush, J. G., West Willow + Russell, Dr. Andrew L., 729 Wabash Bldg., Pittsburgh + Smedley, Samuel L., Newtown Square, R. F. D. 1 + Smith, Dr. J. Russell, Swarthmore + * Sober, Col. C. K., Lewisburg + Taylor, Lowndes, West Chester, Box 3, Route 1 + Walther, R. G., Willow Grove, Doylestown, Pike + Weaver, William S., McCungie + Wilhelm, Dr. Edward A., Clarion + * Wister, John C., Wister St. & Clarkson Ave., Germantown + + + SOUTH CAROLINA + + Shanklin, Prof. A. G., Clemson College + + + TEXAS + + Burkett, J. H., Nut Specialist, State Department of Agriculture, Clyde + Trumbull, R. S., Agricultural Agent, El Paso & S. W. System Morenci + Southern R. R. Co., El Paso + + + VERMONT + + Holbrook, F. C., Brattleboro + + + VIRGINIA + + Parish, John S., University + + + WASHINGTON + + Baines, William, Okanogan + + + WEST VIRGINIA + + Brooks, Fred E., French Creek + Cannaday, Dr. John Egerton, Charleston, Box 693 + Hartzell, B. F., Shepherdstown + Mish, A. F., Inwood + + + WISCONSIN + + Lang, Robert B., Racine, Box 103 + Patchen, Dr. G. W., Manitowoc + + + * Life member. + + Honorary member. + + + + +CONSTITUTION + + +ARTICLE I + +_Name._ This society shall be known as the NORTHERN NUT GROWERS +ASSOCIATION. + + +ARTICLE II + +_Object._ Its object shall be the promotion of interest in nutbearing +plants, their products and their culture. + + +ARTICLE III + +_Membership._ Membership in the society shall be open to all persons who +desire to further nut culture, without reference to place of residence +or nationality, subject to the rules and regulations of the committee on +membership. + + +ARTICLE IV + +_Officers._ There shall be a president, a vice-president, a secretary +and a treasurer, who shall be elected by ballot at the annual meeting; +and an executive committee of six persons, of which the president, the +two last retiring presidents, the vice-president, the secretary and the +treasurer shall be members. There shall be a state vice-president from +each state, dependency, or country represented in the membership of the +association, who shall be appointed by the president. + + +ARTICLE V + +_Election of Officers._ A committee of five members shall be elected at +the annual meeting for the purpose of nominating officers for the +following year. + + +ARTICLE VI + +_Meetings._ The place and time of the annual meeting shall be selected by +the membership in session or, in the event of no selection being made at +this time, the executive committee shall choose the place and time for +the holding of the annual convention. Such other meetings as may seem +desirable may be called by the president and executive committee. + + +ARTICLE VII + +_Quorum._ Ten members of the association shall constitute a quorum, but +must include two of the four elected officers. + + +ARTICLE VIII + +_Amendments._ This constitution may be amended by a two-thirds vote of +the members present at any annual meeting, notice of such amendment +having been read at the previous annual meeting, or a copy of the +proposed amendment having been mailed by any member to each member +thirty days before the date of the annual meeting. + + + + +BY-LAWS + + +ARTICLE I + +_Committees._ The association shall appoint standing committees as +follows: On membership, on finance, on programme, on press and +publication, on nomenclature, on promising seedlings, on hybrids, and an +auditing committee. The committee on membership may make recommendations +to the association as to the discipline or expulsion of any member. + + +ARTICLE II + +_Fees._ The fees shall be of two kinds, annual and life. The former +shall be two dollars, the latter twenty dollars. + + +ARTICLE III + +_Membership._ All annual memberships shall begin either with the first +day of the calendar quarter following the date of joining the +Association, or with the first day of the calendar quarter preceding +that date as may be arranged between the new member and the Treasurer. + + +ARTICLE IV + +_Amendments._ By-laws may be amended by a two-thirds vote of members +present at any annual meeting. + + + + +PROCEEDINGS AT THE ELEVENTH ANNUAL CONVENTION OF THE NORTHERN NUT +GROWERS ASSOCIATION + +Washington D. C. October 7 and 8 1920 + + +The Association was called to order at 10 a. m. Thursday October 7th by +the President, Hon. William S. Linton, of Saginaw, Michigan, in the +auditorium of the New National Museum. + +THE PRESIDENT: It has been something of an effort for me to reach here +at ten o'clock in order to meet the obligations of the program as it was +only a few days ago that I was in lower California very near the Pacific +Ocean in old Mexico. As I turned about to come back toward the East the +thought came into my mind that I must be in Washington D. C. at the +annual meeting of the Northern Nut Growers Association at ten o'clock on +Thursday morning October 7. Traveling over three thousand miles I was +fortunate enough to get here just two minutes before the ten o'clock +hour so the connections you will see were close. The paper that your +president is to present comes at a later place on the program so we will +proceed with the business session at once. The first thing on the +program is the report of the Secretary and Treasurer. + + + RECEIPTS + + -------------------------------------------------------------------------- + |Dec. 1,1919|Jan. 1,1920| | + | to | to | Total |Balance + |Dec.31,1919|Sep.30,1920| | + ----------------------------------+-----------+-----------+-------+------- + Balance on hand date of last | | | | + report, Dec. 1, 1919: | | | | + Special hickory prize $25.00, Life| | | | + membership $25.00, For regular | | | | + expenses $106.53 | | | |$156.53 + From annual members including | | | | + joint subscription to the | | | | + American Nut Journal | $ 25.25 | $368.10 |$393.35| + | | 9.00 | 9.00| + Reports | | 25.00 | 25.00| + Contributions for prizes: | | | | + Contribution for special hickory | | | | + prize | | 25.00 | 25.00| + Bulletin No. 5 | | 57.60 | 57.60| + |-----------+-----------+-------| + | $ 25.25 | $484.70 |$509.95| 509.95 + | | | |------- + | | | |$666.48 + + EXPENDITURES + + ----------------------------------------------------------------------- + American Nut Journal, their portion| | | | + of joint subscriptions | $ 22.00| $ 98.00| $120.00| + 1919 Convention | 8.75| 137.68| 146.43| + Printing Bulletin No. 5 | | 63.50| 63.50| + Clasp envelopes for Bulletin No. | | | | + 5 and for reports | | 30.20| 30.20| + Stationery, printing and supplies | | 116.45| 116.45| + Postage, express, etc. | | 46.04| 46.04| + Prizes 1919 contest (not all sent | | | | + out before Oct. 1) | | 13.00| 13.00| + Special hickory prize Eugene J. | | | | + Clark, Ludlow, Mass. | | 25.00| 25.00| + Advertising 1920 Nut Contest | | | | + (not all paid before Oct. 1) | | 30.60| 30.60| + |--------+--------+--------+-------- + | $ 30.75| $560.47| $591.22| 591.22 + | $ 30.75| $560.47| $591.22| + Balance on hand Oct. 1, 1920 | | | | 591.22 + Special hickory prize | | | | 25.00 + Life membership | | | | 25.00 + For regular expenses | | | | 25.26 + | | | |-------- + | | | | $666.48 + + Verified by + + C. P. CLOSE, + C. A. REED, + Auditing Committee. + +The above are records of receipts and expenditures for 10 months and are +about 82% of those for the period covered by the previous report, 2 +years 3 months. There has been an earnest attempt to carry on the work +of the Secretary-Treasurer in a more aggressive manner than before. A +bulletin aiming to give up to date information on nut growing, Bulletin +No. 5, has been issued and has gone well. While it has been sold, no +attempt has been made to make money on it but simply to make it pay its +way and apparently it is going to do that and assist in spreading +information about the work of the Association. + +Sixty-six new members have joined the Association since the date of the +last meeting, making 476 since organization, of which we have 199, and +of whom 277 have dropped out. A few former members have joined since the +date of the last report which apparently accounts for the strange fact +that increase in membership (128 to 199) is greater than the number of +new members. + +Following out the plan outlined at the Battle Creek Convention, the work +of the Secretary-Treasurer has begun to be divided, the undersigned +taking the duties of Treasurer and the Nut Contests and Dr. Deming +taking the Conventions and the work of the Secretary proper until the +expected action of the present convention shall formally divide the work +of the Secretary-Treasurer and create the offices of Secretary and +Treasurer. + + Respectfully submitted, + + WILLARD G. BIXBY. + Secretary-Treasurer. + +THE PRESIDENT: This is a very good report, complete in every detail, and +unless other action is desired, it will be received and recorded in the +minutes of the meeting. + +Mr. Reed, you are chairman of the committee that had in charge the +tree-planting bill in order that it might be made uniform throughout the +country. Have you a report to make? + +MR. REED: Mr. President, the committee members have been over that +individually but have not had an opportunity to discuss it together. If +a full report can be had a little later I think that would be more +satisfactory. So far as I have been able to go into it the law seems to +about cover the ground. I could not make any suggestions as to how it +could be improved. I happen to know that the author of the bill, who is +our president, has been called upon by several other states to discuss +such a law for those states, and I think he is in the best position to +tell us if there are any holes in it. If we can have the consent of the +house we will defer a full report until we can discuss the matter with +our president and with our committee as a whole. + +THE PRESIDENT: We will take that course unless there are objections. + +The communications received by the acting secretary will be filed and +printed in the proceedings. If there are no vice-presidents present who +are prepared to make reports that order will be passed. At this time +should come the appointment of committees but I think it would be well +to defer that business until we can consult as to the membership of the +committees. The next in order will be some remarks by Mr. Littlepage +about the proposed afternoon excursion. + +THE ACTING SECRETARY: The speakers are Dr. Van Fleet, Mr. Littlepage and +Professor Close. I have here the resume of Dr. Van Fleet and I think +that it would be better perhaps to read the report of Dr. Van Fleet at +once as it may have some bearing on the remarks of Mr. Littlepage and +Professor Close. + + + + +CHESTNUT WORK AT BELL EXPERIMENT PLOT + + +DR. WALTER VAN FLEET, GLENDALE, MARYLAND + +Our breeding work with chestnuts began as far back as 1894 when +pistillate blooms of the Paragon variety, then a novelty just coming +into use, were dusted with pollen from a native sweet chestnut bearing +good-sized nuts. The Paragon stigma were protected from the influence of +other pollen by bagging and gave a good set of fruits. The idea was to +improve the quality of the Paragon nuts even at the expense of size. The +resulting seedlings were grown at Little Silver, New Jersey, and rapidly +ran up into good-sized trees, coming into bearing twelve years later. In +fruit and tree characters they proved a complete blend of the parent +species, the nuts being double the size of the wild parent and of sweet, +rich quality. The trees were very shapely and bid fair to become +extremely productive but a year or two later were all attacked by the +dreaded blight or bark disease, then spreading from its original +starting point in Long Island. The work of destruction was very rapid +and by the third year all were hopelessly crippled, but a few +individuals continued to send up suckers as late as 1916. + +The success of this pollination experiment encouraged the writer to +attempt breeding the dwarf early-bearing chinquapin with the +large-fruited foreign varieties in the hope of securing hybrids with +nuts of fair size and good quality that might come quickly into bearing. +As the chinquapin does not naturally grow in Northern New Jersey, and +plants were rarely offered by nurserymen, recourse was had to growing +them from seed and a quantity of newly collected nuts were furnished by +a friend in Washington in 1899. It required three years time to bring +the seedlings into fruit and it was not until 1903 that a start was +actually made in the work of hybridization. A selection was made of a +compact dwarf bush that bore very sweet nuts of a good size for the +species and gave promise, which was later fulfilled, of becoming very +prolific. The male, or staminate tassels were carefully removed each day +before maturity and, to ward off undesired foreign pollen, a cloth tent +was used to cover the bush in addition to bagging many of the flowering +branches. Pollen for crossing was secured from Paragon and Numbo, of the +European species, and of several named varieties of Japan chestnut +including Parry's Giant, Killen and Hale, and in addition a few blooms +were intentionally fertilized with pollen from local sweet chestnut +trees. Nearly one hundred hybrid seedlings resulted from the work in two +succeeding seasons, some of which came into bearing in 1908, just as the +_Endothia_ blight began to invade New Jersey. The hybrids between the +chinquapins and native and European chestnuts were quickly infected, but +those with Japan varieties appeared far more resistant. All work with +the susceptible native and Europeans ceased, but crosses with Japans and +the Chinese chestnut, _Castanea Molissima_, have been continued until +now there are over eight hundred in existence. In late years we have +used the Southern creeping chinquapin, C. alnifolia_, as a seed parent +to some extent, as it appears more resistant than the common species, +_C. pumila_, though it cannot be considered immune. The southern +chinquapin is hardy in the North, bears good-sized, sweet nuts for its +type, but is very late in ripening. + +The Rush chinquapin, and other large-fruited, tall growing varieties +have also been used to some extent. The resulting hybrids make handsome +trees of rapid growth and bear profuse crops of very attractive nuts, +but are greatly injured by blight. As experience accumulated it was +found that the extreme caution used in the earlier trials to keep out +foreign pollen were scarcely needed and that merely covering the +pistillate blooms as soon as they could be distinguished with cotton +batting is all that is necessary, and also that hybrids may be produced +with considerable certainty in open pollination if the tree or branch is +kept entirely free from staminate tassels and the selected pollen is +promptly applied as soon as the stigmas become receptive. + +Quite a number of chance or self-pollinated seedlings from choice +hybrids have been raised in the hope that their good qualities might be +perpetuated and the trouble and expense of grafting largely obviated +but, as with most other hybrids between distinct species, the seedlings +lacked sufficient uniformity to be of especial value. A few individuals +turned out superior to the parent but on the whole degeneracy, from the +nut-producers standpoint, appears among seedlings of hybrid chestnuts. + +In 1909 the unfruited chinquapin hybrids, 68 in number, were transferred +to Arlington Farm, Virginia, and two years later Bell Experiment Plot +was established near Glendale, Maryland, largely for the purpose of +developing blight-resistant varieties of chestnuts as far as this can be +done by breeding and testing of wild forms. There are now over 2000 +hybrids and seedlings of species at Bell ranging from one to ten years +of age. Of the original trees planted at Arlington about 20 remain. +They have formed handsome trees twenty feet high with tops almost as +wide in diameter and have borne many profuse crops of nuts mostly of +good quality and from three to six times as large and heavy as those of +the parent chinquapin. All have been attacked by blight, the most +promising one only this spring, after thirteen years of resistance to +this virulent disease. All the hybrids carrying blood of native or +European chestnuts were quickly killed, but those with the Japanese +species as a pollen parent are still growing vigorously and bearing +well, though considerably disfigured by blight. + +Of the various species used the native sweet chestnut, _Castanea +Americana_, and the European, _C. vesca_, appear entirely useless in +breeding for disease resistance, as the hybrids are destroyed by the +blight fungus as soon as, or even before, they reach bearing age. The +tall, or tree, forms of native chinquapin, sometimes grouped under the +botanical name of _Castanea arborea_ but which appear to be only natural +hybrids between the sweet chestnut and the bush chinquapin, may also be +regarded as useless for the purpose. The hybrid progeny show slight +powers of recuperation but, in our plantings, do not sufficiently +recover to make useful trees. The Rush chinquapin sometimes resists +infection under natural conditions for several years but quickly +succumbs when attacked, but its hybrid seedlings develop practically no +resistance. The common bush or dwarf chinquapin, _Castanea pumila_, +widely distributed over the Atlantic States, is not as readily infected +by blight as the chestnut, many individuals under cultivation and in the +wild resisting attack for an indefinite time, while the creeping species +of Florida and South Georgia, _C. alnifolia_, appear practically immune +in nature but succumb to artificial inoculation with the blight virus +The smooth bark and shrubby forms of these dwarf chinquapins probably +account to a very great extent for the limited damage caused by blight +under natural conditions. + +Next in degree of resistance comes the wooly-twigged Chinese chestnut, +_C. molissima_. There are established at Bell Experiment Plot over nine +hundred Molissima trees grown from nuts collected near Tien-Tsin, China, +in 1911. These trees in their eighth year of growth have borne excellent +nuts, rather larger than those of our native species, in some quantity +for three successive years though, owing to extensive locust injury last +season, there is practically no crop this year. The trees average twelve +or more feet high and are thrifty growers when not too greatly afflicted +by blight. No summary of disease injury has been taken, but probably +over 80 per cent of the trees show infection many of which are making +attempts to heal which are often very successful. This species is native +to Eastern China and has long been accustomed to the _Endothia_ fungus, +developing in the course of time a very considerable degree of +resistance to it. From present appearances the Chinese chestnut may be +grown in orchard form with no greater loss from disease than the pear +from its particular form of blight. It hybridizes well with the Japan +chestnut and both of the dwarf chinquapins, but this progeny is not yet +sufficiently developed to warrant judgment. + +_Castanea crenata_, the familiar Japan chestnut, appears everywhere to +show greater blight resistance than any other species that has been +tried out and is therefore the most hopeful parent to be used for +developing a useful race of disease-resistant hybrids and cross-breeds. +It has the further merit of bearing very profuse crops of large nuts at +an early age, but they are often lacking in quality, being usually harsh +to the taste in the raw state though palatable when cooked. A few +varieties bear well-flavored nuts, but these appear to be hybrids with +our native species and are notably less resistant to blight. Pure Japan +varieties grown from imported nuts are rarely injured by blight, and by +many are regarded as immune, but those grown from nuts produced in +situations exposed to the effects of native pollen are occasionally +attacked and even killed outright by the _Endothia_ fungus. It has +considerable power to transmit its resisting qualities to its hybrids +with the chinquapins, and a few individuals among the latter appear to +retain resistance to such a degree that we may yet find among them some +of the best nut-producing chestnut varieties of the future. + +From the purely horticultural standpoint these hybrids between +chinquapins and chestnut species must be considered as most striking +successes. If this terribly destructive disease, probably the most +virulent that afflicts any tree in the temperate climate, could be +controlled there would be little need to look further for varieties +suited for commercial and home culture, some of which can be as readily +grown as peach trees and come into bearing as young. As the situation +stands we must search further for individuals that combine good cropping +capacity with practical disease-resistance. + +At this writing the most promising outlook appears among selected +seedlings of pure _Crenata_ blood, or hybrids of this species that have +again been pollinated with resistant Japan varieties. There are at Bell +many seedlings of both these types of great attractiveness and promise. + +Five successive generations of selected _Crenata_ seedlings have been +grown since 1904, quite a number producing their first nuts the year +succeeding germination. This unusual precocity is no indication of +merit, as it tends to stunt the trees. The most promising individuals +seldom bear until three or four years old by which time the trees have +attained fair size. No high quality has yet been attained among the nuts +of the pure strains, but it is quite evident where there is a dash of +chinquapin blood. The nuts are, however, large, attractive and excellent +for cooking or roasting, and moreover, ripen uniformly in September and +early October, practically without the aid of frost. As opportunities +for natural infection lessen from the dying out of our stands of native +chestnut the Oriental chestnuts and their hybrids will be more +extensively planted and may experience little difficulty in combating +disease. Owing to the readiness with which seedlings can be grown +abundant new varieties will arise in time, even though they do not now +exist, that will meet all reasonable requirements of the planter and it +is to be anticipated that the production of edible chestnuts will at no +distant day be placed on a stable basis. + +Aside from its usefulness as a nut tree the value of our stand of native +chestnuts, though already half destroyed, can scarcely be estimated. +Every one knows the ease with which a healthy chestnut woodland +reproduces itself by sprouts and the extreme value of its timber for +posts, telegraph and telephone poles, for furniture and for tanning +extracts, now made from both bark and wood. We scarcely have a forest +tree as useful, but if some natural handicap, not yet in sight, does not +stay the spread of the blight fungus, our much valued chestnuts appear +to be doomed. A few small colonies of diseased, but living sweet +chestnut trees, numbering scarcely fifty, have been located in New York +City parks and neighboring localities in Long Island, carrying infection +at least eighteen years old, where the accompanying stands have +completely vanished. This affords the single ray of hope amid the +otherwise complete destruction marking the spread of blight. In the hope +that the marked resistance shown by these scarred veterans can be +transmitted seedlings have been raised and scions established at Bell +from the most promising individuals, and on this slender chance for +perpetuating this prized species in its native habitat we must, for the +present, rest content. + +Recently there has been brought to light in the interior of China a +chestnut species that may restore our timber production of this most +desirable wood if it should prove immune to disease. Unlike other Old +World chestnuts, which form relatively small trees, this species, known +as _Castanea Vilmoriniana_, grows eighty to one hundred feet high with a +straight, symmetrical trunk well adapted for all timber uses. The nuts, +according to the scant herbarium material that has reached this country, +are of little consequence, except for propagation as they are only +slightly larger than those of our wild chinquapins. This species is now +established at the Arnold Arboretum near Boston, Massachusetts, and +scions worked on _C. Molissima_ stocks are now vigorously growing at +Bell Experiment Plot, making fine upright shoots. The reaction of _C. +Vilmoriniana_ to blight has not been tested owing to the scarcity of +material in this country, but it is fervently to be hoped that the +species will resist the disease. No infections have occurred in several +years exposure either at Boston or at Bell. Should the much desired +resistance be established rapid propagation of the species by seed and +scions, and an extended test for forestry purposes, would be in order. + +The breeding experiments at Bell must be regarded as about the only +constructive attempt in existence to replace a most highly prized nut +and timber that is being swept from the face of the earth. Unless +unforseen natural conditions should stay the ravages of blight our +chestnut stands will vanish, most likely within the view of the present +generation. Although our progress in finding and developing +blight-resistants is not as striking as might be hoped something has +been accomplished, and the idea of salvaging useful nut and timber +chestnuts from available material and developing better ones than now +exist should not be abandoned. + +THE PRESIDENT: Unless other action is desired this interesting paper +will be received and recorded in the proceedings. + +MR. T. P. LITTLEPAGE: Mr. President, Members of the Association. I will +attempt in a few words to give you some suggestions about your afternoon +rambles. There will be a special car assigned exclusively to the nut +growers on the tracks at 14th St. and New York Avenue at 12:45, which +will take you to Bell Station where you will see Dr. Van Fleet's roses +and chestnut orchard. A short walk from there is the old place of Judge +Gabriel Duvall, a former Associate Justice of the United States Supreme +Court, member of Congress and a great friend of Thomas Jefferson. The +unpublished manuscripts of Jefferson show that he took to Judge Duvall a +bundle of "paccan" trees, as he called them. Jefferson was one of our +great horticulturists and gave the first complete botanical +classification of the pecan. Those three big trees that Jefferson gave +Judge Duvall are growing out there today and from them are scores of +other small trees. I was very much surprised when I read these notes of +Jefferson and in looking through Washington's dairy about the same time +I read where he said that Thomas Jefferson gave him a bundle of "paccan" +trees. Now those of you who are to visit Mount Vernon on this trip look +and you will find that three of the most beautiful trees there are pecan +trees. Two of them this year have nuts on them one with a rather full +crop and one with a light crop. They are undoubtedly the western or +northern pecan. They show that in the character of the nuts and bark. +When Jefferson was over in Paris he wrote to his friend Hopkins to send +him a box of pecans and told him to send them in sand. Those of you who +are going to Paris next summer look around and you may find some of +Thomas Jefferson's pecan trees. It was perfectly apparent that he wanted +those nuts for planting. + +After visiting at Bell Station we will take the car up to my place where +there really is not much to see. I have thirty acres there of northern +pecan trees, twelve acres two years old and they run all the way up to +six years of age. Most of the six-year old trees this year set pecans +which dropped off about the middle of the summer. They were all full of +catkins. One Busseron tree had fifty pecans on it and a number of Major +and Butterick trees had pecans but I do not believe they stuck. I had a +Stuart which had a sprinkling of pecans on it and they also fell off. I +can show you how not to grow trees. Some of them had no care whatever +and some had pretty fair care. You can see dead chestnut trees up there +showing that the blight is as bad as Dr. Van Fleet says. We find where +they stand in the woods for ten years surrounded by trees with the +blight and do not blight and the next year die. So the fact that a tree +stands in a nursery row and does not blight does not indicate anything. +The only hope we have is the work Dr. Van Fleet is doing. + +THE PRESIDENT: Upon the same subject we will be glad to hear from +Professor Close. + +PROFESSOR CLOSE: I will just take a few minutes in telling some of the +things I have been trying to do at home. My work is necessarily on a +very small scale. I am away from home so much of the time that some +things I start I cannot follow through properly. In grafting, for +instance, I get the grafting done as I can do it from time to time in +the spring and then I have to leave on a Government trip and am not at +home to take care of the growing grafts as I would like to be. While my +extension work for the Government is primarily connected with fruit I +look into nut work as much as possible. Dr. Van Fleet has given me a +number of hybrid chinkapins and this year three of them have fruited for +the first time, one being of fairly good size. I have a couple of Japan +walnut trees and the surprising thing is that although they were planted +in 1910 they are fruiting this year for the first time. Usually those +trees begin bearing very early. They have grown rapidly, are probably +twenty feet high and have a breadth of equal distance but have been +disappointing in that they have been so late in fruiting. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE. Do they winter-kill any? + +PROFESSOR CLOSE: No, they have not winter-killed at all. One was +supposed to be a heart nut but both are Sieboldianas. I think the most +satisfactory and interesting thing I have is one of these large filberts +or hazel nuts. It is a pretty good size for an eastern-grown nut. This +is a seedling from New Jersey. I received the scions four years ago and +was successful in having three or four of them live and last year they +produced for the first time, three years from the graft. They are well +filled and of pretty good quality. I have them grafted on some bushes of +European type secured from a nursery about 1910, and which until grafted +did not fruit at all. After the grafts began blooming last year these +bushes have been producing nuts of small size. While the nuts are small +they are right interesting. + +In connection with the blight resistant chestnuts I will say that last +Friday I visited Mr. John Killen of Felton, Delaware. Some of you know +that Mr. Killen has been working with nuts for a good many years and has +many very interesting things there. He finds that the blight has taken +everything except his Japanese seedlings and here (showing specimens) +are specimens of two of the Japanese seedlings. This you see is a very +large nut. I presume the tree must be twenty years old or more. It is +productive and he says it is commercially successful, which means that +it blights a little but not very seriously. He has another seedling, a +smaller one, that is up to the present time absolutely blight proof. He +has planted twenty-five or thirty pounds of these nuts for growing trees +for sale and he believes that the seedling from this parent tree will be +absolutely free from blight. You will be interested to know that up to +the time I was there last Friday he had shipped seven hundred pounds of +chestnuts and was receiving twenty-five cents a pound wholesale. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: What is the variety? + +PROFESSOR CLOSE: They are all seedlings. In fact all of his varieties +are dead. He has nothing but seedlings. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: Has that been called to Dr. Van Fleet's attention? + +PROFESSOR CLOSE: Not that I know of. I doubt if Dr. Van Fleet has seen +this blight proof one. I will be glad to tell him about them when I have +an opportunity. Mr. Killen has one Japan walnut tree that is +interesting. It must be 25 or 30 years old. I do not know where he got +it. One limb we measured extends out 36 feet. The limbs on the other +side of the tree are not quite so long but the tree is nearly 70 feet in +diameter. Two years ago he sold the crop for $54.00, and he thinks he +will get more this year. He has contracted the crop to a nurseryman. Mr. +Killen has quite a number of seedling Persian walnuts and some of them, +perhaps all, blight more or less. He is very much exercised over the +blight. He worries more over this than he does over the chestnut blight. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: Does the blight attack the nuts or the twigs? + +PROFESSOR CLOSE: Both but mostly it attacks the nuts. At Beltsville 4 +miles north of College Park there is one of the best seedling walnuts I +have run across. It fruits every year and sometimes a part of the crop +is injured by blight. + +MR. POMEROY: The husks turn black? + +PROFESSOR CLOSE: Yes. + +MR. POMEROY: That is not blight; that is a fly injury + +PROFESSOR CLOSE: Mr. Killen thinks that this year he partially +controlled walnut blight with Bordeaux spray. One particular tree stands +near where the spray tank was filled and one side of it was sprayed +every time the spray rig passed it. The nuts from the sprayed side were +really better than those from the other side. + +Just below Dover, Delaware, at Woodside, I was at Mr. Sam Derby's place +last Saturday and found something very valuable in the line of Persian +walnuts, I think one of the best I have seen at all in the East. One +particular tree was purchased for a Franquette but it is not. It +probably is a Mayette seedling. Some of the men who tested the samples +think this was one of the most desirable they had seen in the East. Mr. +Derby bought about a dozen trees eight or nine years ago from some +nurseryman. The trees are not alike in shape and size of nuts. They +evidently are from the same bunch of seedlings but were sold for +Franquette and Mayette. They are probably all Mayette seedlings. + +Now, coming back to College Park, four years ago Mr. Littlepage was good +enough to give me some pecan scions which I grafted into a seedling tree +in a neighbor's chicken yard. The grafts practically all lived and last +year, three years from the graft, about a dozen Major nuts were +produced. These are probably the first Major pecans produced in +Maryland. This year the Busseron and Major grafts bloomed but we had so +many late frosts that the blossoms were killed and now there are only +two Major nuts on the tree. My own trees are not old enough to bloom +except one Mantura which bloomed this year but did not set fruit. I +presume it was largely due to the late frosts. + +In the fall of 1910 Professor Lake gave me some buds of Persian walnut +and I put three buds into a young black walnut tree. During the +following February we had a drop in temperature to 25 below zero, +something almost unknown in this section of the country, but two of the +buds lived through it. After growth started in the spring I cut one out +and the other grew into a tree which produced three nuts in 1915. My +area for nut trees is small so I am planting pecans, black and Persian +walnuts, and hickory twenty feet apart with the idea of keeping them +pruned. I have ten varieties of pecans and several of walnuts. Between +these I have chinkapins and hazelnuts. There are eight or ten varieties +of hazels and about sixty seedlings for grafting later on. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: Did the young pecan trees bloom. + +PROFESSOR CLOSE: Only the Mantura and it must be about ten years old. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: What kind of bloom? + +PROFESSOR CLOSE: Both kinds. + +DR. MORRIS: Which hazels are these? + +PROFESSOR CLOSE: They were undoubtedly European. + +DR. MORRIS: I think that is a very important point. Some time ago I said +that our wild hazel drove the cows out of the pasture. It is a worthless +weed with us in Connecticut and it is an important thing for us to +transform our hazel pasture lands that are full of thickets of this weed +over into good bearing propositions. I grafted a lot of hazelnut bushes +with European scions. There are Chinese hazelnut trees that grow to be +more than a hundred feet in height and six feet in trunk diameter. The +Jacquemont goes to one hundred feet, and the Colurna frequently grows to +fifty feet. I believe it is going to be a very important matter to top +work these large kinds of hazel trees which do not send runners out from +the root and which are not inclined to send large suckers up from the +stock. So the kind of stock upon which hazels are to be grafted is a +very important matter for nurserymen. But we can also use the worthless +pasture bushes profitably. + +THE PRESIDENT: In order that we may keep the business of our program up +to the minute we should complete the naming of the Nominating Committee. +In order to quickly bring it about and in order that all may have a +voice in the matter I would suggest that five be nominated from the +floor for the positions, that the nominations then close and that the +Secretary cast the ballot for the members of the nominating committee. + +The names suggested were: Mr. Olcott, Mr. Littlepage, Dr. Morris, Mr. +Reed and Professor Close. + +The nominations closed and the Secretary cast the ballot for the above +named persons. + +THE PRESIDENT: We still have a few minutes and might take up the +proposed changes in the constitution that were suggested at the Battle +Creek meeting almost one year ago. I will request Mr. Bixby to state to +you what the proposed changes are. + +THE SECRETARY: At the meeting at Battle Creek last November notice was +given for proposed changes in the constitution, as follows. + +At this meeting it was voted that Article IV, OFFICERS, be presented to +the members at the next meeting for the purpose of voting on a change to +read: + +There shall be a President, a Vice-President, a Treasurer and a +Secretary, who shall be elected at the annual meeting; an Executive +Committee of six persons of which the President, the last two retiring +Presidents, Vice-President, Treasurer and Secretary shall be members. +There shall be a state Vice-President from each state, dependency or +country represented in the membership of the Association who shall be +appointed by the President. + +Article VII. QUORUM, to be changed to read: + +Ten members shall constitute a quorum but must include two of the four +elected officers. + +By Laws: + +Article III. MEMBERSHIP--All annual memberships shall begin either with +the first day of the calendar quarter following the date of joining the +Association, or with the first day of the calendar quarter preceding +that date as may be arranged between the new member and the Treasurer. + +THE SECRETARY: I make a motion that the changes in the constitution as +read be acted upon now. + +PROFESSOR CLOSE: I second the motion. + +MR. FOSTER: May I offer a suggestion in connection with the proposed +change. It is relatively an immaterial one and I presume will be +included. As a member here from the District of Columbia I think the +District of Columbia should be included with the states. + +THE SECRETARY: I think that has been done. Grouped among the states +appears the District of Columbia. + +THE ACTING SECRETARY: That is, you would have the words "District of +Columbia" inserted in connection with state, dependency or country? + +THE SECRETARY: I accept that. + +The change in the constitution, as recommended, was carried. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: As we have another minute or two there is one matter +that we might dispose of. There was a committee appointed once upon a +time on incorporation. It was thought by some of the members that if +this association were incorporated, making it thereby a perpetual, +tangible organization, it might be to its advantage. There might be some +man who would be good enough to bequeath some funds to the Association +for investigational work. As we are just a voluntary organization +without any particular responsibility, it was thought by some that an +incorporation would be desirable. I was appointed as a member of the +corporative committee. The committee consisted of Mr. Webber of Ohio, +and I do not recall the other member but Mr. Webber and I had several +conferences. It seems to me that perhaps the best and most feasible way +would be to incorporate under the laws of the District of Columbia. The +code of the District of Columbia provides for incorporations of this +kind for educational, scientific and benevolent purposes at a very +nominal expense. For commercial corporations they must, of course, have +a capital stock and ten per cent of it must be paid in in cash, but +there is no such requirement under the code of the District of Columbia +for scientific and benevolent corporations. There is a provision in the +code for an incorporation of this kind by having the proper articles +drawn up, setting forth the purpose of the organization, its line of +work and its membership, naming for the time being three trustees, two +of which at that particular time must be residents of the District of +Columbia, and filing those articles with the Recorder of Deeds. It is +approved and that becomes the charter. The Association is then a body +corporate with all of the rights and privileges of any other +organization of that kind. + +A great many organizations have been formed in the District of Columbia +under that provision of the code. It seems to me about as simple and as +comprehensive as any of the laws of any of the states, and about as free +from any burdens or obligations of reports or matters of that kind. If +it is the sense of this meeting, and I think you have quite a +representative membership here, that this organization be so +incorporated I shall take pleasure, after this meeting, in drafting +proper papers, presenting them to some of the members for signature and +perfecting a corporation. + +THE PRESIDENT: That seems to be an excellent suggestion. + +DR. MORRIS: I move that this recommendation be adopted. + +MR. FOSTER: I second the motion. + +The motion was carried. + +The convention adjourned at 12 o'clock. + + + + +AFTERNOON EXCURSION OF THE NORTHERN NUT GROWERS' ASSOCIATION + +OCTOBER 7, 1920, 12:45 + + +The members of the Northern Nut Growers' Association, in convention at +Washington, D. C., October 7, 1920, made an excursion which included +visits to the thirty-acre bearing northern pecan plantation of T. P. +Littlepage; Dr. Walter Van Fleet's Government Station for the production +of blight-resisting chestnuts and chickapins and other new hybrids, at +Bell Experiment Plot, Glendale, Maryland; and the old Jefferson pecan +trees at Marietta. The following notes were taken at points along the +route: + +DR. VAN FLEET: These are hybrids between the chinkapin and the Japan +chestnut showing the blight even after thirteen years immunity. We do +not do anything to check the disease at all. + +There is a Japan variety said not to take it but you see how it affects +it. It girdles it and the new wood builds it up. The tree is doomed. It +is gone now but it has made a tremendous attempt to recovery. You see +the new growth that has tried to come out there trying to bridge it and +make it up. Of course even that is hopeful. In view of that we feel +justified in breeding. The Chinese resist it much better. They take it +more readily but they resist it far better. The efforts at self-bridging +are quite successful. + +This is one of the hybrids we have at Arlington. The parent tree got +along for thirteen years without a sign of blight. By artificial +inoculation we have given it the disease but it does not get it in the +trunk. This is a Chinese chestnut seven years old and has had three +crops. We took the most virulent virus and made a few inoculations and +with absolutely no care the wound is closing up. The tree is apparently +quite healthy. This is the Chinese Molissima, not of real good quality. +These are only seven years old and have already borne three very good +crops. The nuts are somewhat larger than the wild native and ripen about +six weeks earlier. + +There are 1,100 trees here and I think about a hundred have been killed +outright and probably 75 per cent of them show infections but there are +a few individuals that do not seem to get it. It seems almost impossible +to inoculate them. We are letting the disease run its way purely +through elimination. It is only those that can stand it through a series +of years that are supposed to be worth anything at all. + +Probably no species is immune from it; I do not think we can use the +word "immunity" in connection with it. + +The party then visited the old Jefferson place at Marietta, and viewed +the immense pecan trees which were given to Judge Duval by Thomas +Jefferson. Thence to Mr Littlepage's plantation. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: These trees are set 100 by 120. The Butterick is a good +grower. There is a great difference in the growth of the cultivated and +the uncultivated ones. I would quit working about the first of August. +The first of August here they are growing actively. + +Question: Is that the habit of the pecan to set a crop and then drop +off? + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: Yes, young trees will do that. This is a typical +Busseron. They were all sprinkled with nuts; this tree had fifty nuts on +this spring. There are some caterpillars on the Stuart. This is the work +of the caterpillars on the Stuart. It set a number of nuts. This +Greenriver is a little larger than the Major. It is one of the prettiest +nuts, one of our medium sized northern pecans. The Greenriver grows in a +forest in the Green River district in Kentucky. This is the first +transplanted pecan tree this far north that has grown nuts. + +DR. MORRIS: In two or three years you will have a crop on them. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: That is a Major, they grow like the Cedars of Lebanon. +You don't see a winter-killed twig on a tree. They were full of nuts +this spring. + +MR. MORRIS: That is so thrifty and so hardy that it might have some +species of hickory in it. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: The Stabler black walnut is much better than the Thomas. +All black walnuts are reasonably easy to propagate. I have them all +around over the farm; I stick pecans around the fences, or wherever I +have a space. This chestnut is a European variety. It bears a big +striped nut. It tastes a little better than the sweet potato. + +DR. MORRIS: It is good for cooking. It is the same as the Marron. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: They are the Indiana hazels, and this is an European +filbert. + + + + +EVENING SESSION + +THURSDAY OCTOBER 7 1920 8 P. M. + + +The convention was called to order by the President, Mr. Linton, at 8 +o'clock. + +THE PRESIDENT: The presentation of the next speaker will be made by Mr. +Littlepage. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: I want to take just one or two minutes in introducing +Mr. Reed, the next speaker on the program. The Department of +Agriculture, as we all know, is an aggregation of many of the very +brightest men in this country. Those of us who are here in Washington +know that at times it is sadly in need of organization. It is perfectly +apparent to anybody who has judgment enough to make observations that +there is a great deal of very valuable material down there going to +waste for the lack of organization. Perhaps it will always be so. I do +not know. Institutions are not perfect because the individuals +constituting these institutions are not perfect. The Department of +Agriculture is, taken as a whole, a most wonderful institution. I do +wish, however, that the Department officials would not always wait until +they think they know exactly all the facts about a thing before they +publish it. I sometimes wish they had enough nerve to say: "Now, this is +what we found out today. We may change our minds tomorrow and if we do +we will tell you so," the same as any other honest citizen. Why in the +world they collect all the data they do, file it away day after day, +month after month and year after year, and publish it after it is of no +use to anyone on this earth, I never could figure out! I know it is a +difficult problem because if the Department of Agriculture should say +today that Winesap apples grow beautifully on Maryland hills some fellow +would promptly capitalize that and go to selling the Maryland hills, the +water underneath, the air above them and everything around them for the +modest sum of ten times what it was worth. So that is the other side of +it. It makes it necessary for the Department of Agriculture, of course, +to be cautious. I know, however, that you all think as I do because you +have said so to me but you do not all have the nerve to get up here and +say as I do that the Department of Agriculture ought to give us more of +these data; that they ought to give it to us for what it is worth today +and in this lifetime, leaving it to us to have a little common sense to +know that what they say must be taken as they say it. However, I did not +get up here to say all of those things. My purpose is to introduce the +speaker. + + * * * * * + +Now, I happen to know a great deal about Mr. Reed's work. I know that he +is one of the most active men in the Department and one of the men who +has, as much as anybody in the Department of Agriculture, the confidence +of those of us who know about the project that he is working on. Mr. +Reed has more work in the Department of Agriculture than he can do and I +have been trying to lay out some additional work for him. For example, +we have found in Southwestern Illinois a larger pecan than any +propagated in the North. I saw it in a bunch of Schleys which is the +premier pecan of the South. It was larger than many of the Schleys. We +don't know anything more about the pecan but I would like to know about +this and several others. That is one little job that comes under Mr. +Reed's supervision and he ought to have more time and more help. As a +matter of fact everybody in the Department thinks he should have more +money for his particular project. Those of us who are interested in nut +work think the nut people should have more money. The Department was +very fortunate in receiving Mr. Reed who came from Michigan. I have +talked to him many times and I have never found him yet to make a +statement about anything in the nut world that he could not back up. In +an illustrated lecture of this kind you have the good fortune to get a +great many data that you cannot get in any other way. I wish the whole +country that has an interest in these matters could hear it. If I could +think of anything else good to say about Mr. Reed I would say it. He is +entitled to it. (Applause.) + + + + +NUT CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES. + +C. A. REED, Washington, D. C. + + +We are annually importing into the United States from $30,000,000 to +more than $52,000,000 worth of nuts. In this country, production is of +leading importance with but three species,--the Persian (English) +walnut, the pecan, and the almond. Of these together, we are producing +in the neighborhood of $26,000,000 worth of nuts. In addition to these +three species, two others now bid fair to become of considerable +importance within the next decade. These are the filbert of the +Northwest and the Eastern black walnut. In the Northwest, the filbert is +receiving intensive attention at the hands of a considerable number of +skilled horticulturists. The species is making rapid strides and in a +short while will probably rank fourth in importance with reference to +the extent to which it has been developed horticulturally. Possibly +because of the extent to which it is common over the United States, the +black walnut might properly now be rated as fourth as that nut has as +great, if not a greater, range and is of interest to more people in this +country than is any other one species of nut. It remains, however, to be +seen how rapidly it will be developed by the pomologists. + +The view before you is one which some of you have seen before. It was +taken in the famous Vrooman orchard of Persian walnut trees at Santa +Rosa, California. This is the largest and most noted orchard of +Franquette variety in the country. It is from this orchard that scions +have been obtained for the propagation of a great part of the Franquette +orchards in this country. + +In the Willamette Valley of Western Oregon, the walnut has received a +large amount of attention during recent years; its development there has +made rapid strides, and in the better soils, the trees grow rapidly and +ordinarily bear very well. The photograph before you was taken in +February, 1920, in an orchard near Hillsboro. It was situated on low but +rich land and I regret to say that it was practically wiped out of +existence by an unusual cold spell occurring from the 12th to the 15th +of December in 1919. During that spell, the temperatures went down in +some points of the Willamette Valley to 24 degrees below zero. As nearly +as could be told at the time the picture was taken the trees were all +killed to the snowline which was from a foot and a half to two feet +above ground. The owner has since reported that he cut the trees down to +that line. + +To some extent, the Persian walnut is grown in the eastern part of the +United States. It was introduced here long before it was on the Atlantic +Coast, but this side of the Rocky Mountains, it has nowhere become of +great commercial importance. The photograph before you was taken in +1911. It shows a seedling orchard of twenty-three Persian walnut trees +in Bucks County in the northwestern part of Pennsylvania. The orchard +then appeared to be in first-class condition with no sign of +winter-injury, but so far as we have been able to ascertain, the trees +have never borne important crops of nuts. + +This tree before us is the parent, or original tree of the Nebo variety +from Southern Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a variety first propagated +by Messrs. Rush and Jones. It is one of the old historical trees of that +section, and while the nut it produces is very good in many respects, +for various reasons, the variety is no longer being propagated to great +extent. + +This is the parent Rush tree, another variety now not propagated as much +as formerly, but one which, nevertheless, is a good sort and regarded as +being well worthy of planting about the home grounds in sections of the +eastern part of the country to which the species is adapted. + +The Persian walnut is evidently quite at home from the eastern shore of +Maryland up through Delaware and New Jersey to Long Island and lower +Connecticut. From this strip west inland to well toward York and +Harrisburg in Southern Pennsylvania, it is by no means uncommon. To some +extent, it is grown in Western New York and close to Lake Erie in +Northern Ohio. There are some trees in Eastern Michigan and a very few +in what is known as the Niagara Peninsula of Ontario, but with few +exceptions, the crops they bear are uncertain. + +The tree before us is the parent of the Aurand variety named in honor of +Mr. Geo. D. Aurand of Lewistown, Mifflin County, Pennsylvania. The +gentleman in the foreground is Mr. Aurand in the act of examining a +split in the bark caused by winter-injury. This trouble is fairly +prevalent over a great part of the east. + +Leaving the walnut industry for the time being, we will take a fleeting +glance at the pecan industry. The greater part of our pecan crop comes +from wild trees in the Southwest. The view before us is typical of +Texas scenes especially in such towns as San Saba, Brownwood and others +where nuts are brought from the country in wagon loads much the same as +are cereals in the northern states. Pecan orchard development has taken +place almost wholly in states east of the limits of the native range. In +sections to which the pecan has been indigenous development has been +very slow. The greatest and most extensive development of any section +happens to be in Southwestern Georgia. + +The view before us was taken in an orchard of Frotscher trees in +Thomasville some 20 miles north of the Georgia-Florida state line. The +trees were planted in 1905, set fifty feet apart, and last spring, +because of crowding, the alternate trees were removed. The lower limbs +had begun to die and the nuts from the lower branches had, for several +years, been inferior in both size and filling quality. + +The trees in the orchard before you were three years planted when +photographed. This is an orchard in the Albany district of southwestern +Georgia. It is in the immediate Albany district that more pecan planting +has taken place than in any other one district of the whole South. It is +possible to go from Albany in most any direction and to pass through +orchards on both sides of the road with rows of pecan trees extending as +far as the eye can see in each direction. + +There is more or less, of a prevailing idea that the pecan is a +California product but it is the exception rather than the rule to find +thrifty and productive trees in that state. The tree before you is one +which bore enough nuts during a recent year to bring $125 in the market, +at 20 cents a pound. + +Coming considerably nearer home, we find the parent tree of the +Butterick variety situated on the Illinois side of the Wabash River a +short distance below Vincennes, Indiana. The range of the pecan, as the +most of you probably know, extends well up into Iowa along the bank of +the Mississippi River and also into Central Illinois along the Illinois +and other rivers and north to Terre Haute, Indiana, along the Wabash. +The Butterick has been regarded as one of the most promising northern +varieties. Reports which seem to be fairly well authenticated are to the +effect that this fine tree has since partially died because of having +its roots cut in the digging of a ditch. + +Two years ago, Dr. J. B. Curtis (who is present in the audience) and +myself spent a week's vacation in Eastern Maryland. At Easton we were +greatly surprised to find what we agreed was the largest planted pecan +tree we had ever seen. During the past summer, this tree has been +photographed and its measurements taken: It has a girth measurement at +breast height of 15 feet. Its spread is 129 by 138 feet. Its height was +estimated at approximately 135 feet. It is not one of the largest pecan +trees of the country as larger trees are not uncommon in many sections +from Southern Indiana, south and west to Texas but they are native and +not planted trees. We know this to be a planted tree as there are no +native pecans in the state of Maryland. This tree bears with a fair +degree of regularity. We are told that in 1917 it yielded approximately +twelve bushels of nuts which, although small, were exceedingly good and +a delight to the children of the whole neighborhood. + +Taking up the almond industry, the view before you is of interest +because of historical reasons rather than otherwise. It is one of the +few remaining large orchards planted by the late Mr. A. T. Hatch known +as father of the principal varieties of California today. Mr. Hatch +planted several hundred acres of almonds in the vicinity of Suisun about +midway between Sacramento and San Francisco but cold winds from San +Francisco Bay prevent almond trees in that section from being +commercially productive, and as result, the section has been abandoned +as an almond center. Nevertheless, this picture is of interest because +it was in these very orchards that were originated the famous Hatch +varieties, the Ne Plus Ultra, Nonpareil, I. X. L. and the Drake. A great +part of this orchard has since been topworked with prunes. + +Almond orchards in bloom afford some of California's most beautiful +sights during February. The two trees in the foreground are typical +specimens of I. X. L. while in full bloom. The almond begins bearing at +about the same age as does the peach; at 5 or 6 years from the time the +trees are planted, they begin to pay a little more than the cost of +up-keep, and at 8 years, they are regarded as being in full bearing. + +This scene was taken in one of the oldest orchards in the state of +California. The trees were planted in about 1870. The picture affords a +typical illustration of one of the methods of harvesting. The nuts are +being thrashed or "knocked" from the trees to heavy canvas sheets spread +upon the ground which are drawn from tree to tree by horse power. The +nuts are loaded loose in wagons or in sacks and taken to some central +plant where they are run through hulling machines and the nuts +separated from the hulls after which they are spread out in trays and +left in the sun to dry. At that season of the year, there is practically +no danger of dew or rain and, after being exposed for several days and +nights during which they are frequently stirred, they are taken to the +nearest exchange point, bleached and put forth into final shape for the +market. + +A very important factor in the success of almond production is the +honey-bee. Bee keepers shift their hives from orchard to orchard during +the blossoming period making a profit out of the honey and at the same +time charging a rental to the orchard owners. The bees, of course, +attend to the matter of interpollination. + +In some sections, it is necessary to equip the orchards with smudge or +fire pots which are kept filled with crude oil and fired at the moment +the temperature goes down to below the freezing point during the +blossoming period. In one district these pots were this last year fired +again and again but after all the temperature went down to a point such +that a great part of the crop was lost. We are told that it is possible +to raise the temperature 26 to 34 degrees. It is tedious work and a +dirty job. The oil is placed in the pots in the daytime and the firing +usually takes place in the latter part of the night, very often after 5 +o'clock in the morning. + +We come now to the filbert industry. One of the reasons why filberts +were planted in the northwest was because the native hazels grow there +with great vigor. This picture shows a typical stool of the native hazel +as it is commonly seen in the western parts of Oregon and Washington. +Not infrequently it attains a height of 30 or 35 feet and when trained +to single stems, the trees not infrequently develop trunk diameters of +from 6 to 8 inches. + +The Mr. Vollertsen of the Northwest is Mr. A. A. Quarnberg of Vancouver, +Washington. In 1893 Mr. Quarnberg read an article by the late Professor +H. E. Van Deman in which the latter urged the experimental planting of +the filbert in the Northwest. Mr. Quarnberg ordered two trees of the Du +Chilly variety from Mr. Felix Gillett, a Frenchman and then proprietor +of the Barren Hill Nurseries, Nevada City, California. These were +planted in February of 1894 and are believed to have been the first +trees of that variety shipped to the Northwest. They are so close +together that they are considerably crowded but still they have done +fairly well, bearing in some years as much as 45 pounds together. + +This is a view of the first filbert orchard planted in the Northwest. It +consists of three hundred trees mainly of the Barcelona and Du Chilly +varieties obtained from Mr. Gillett in January of 1901 by Mr. Quarnberg +and planted by him for a neighbor, Mr. John E. Norelius. + +In this connection, it is interesting to note that the Barcelona variety +had already become fairly well established in the Northwest when Mr. +Quarnberg first introduced the Du Chilly to that section. The picture +before you is of one of the oldest Barcelona trees that has come to my +personal attention. It shows a tree in Portland measuring 45 inches in +circumference one foot above ground. It is perhaps the largest filbert +tree in the United States. When visited during the past September, the +limbs were bending down with nuts and an estimate was made that it would +have from 50 to 70 pounds of mature nuts. + +The tree before us was another Barcelona of good size. In 1919 it +matured a crop of 45 pounds of nuts. However, unfortunately it was +caught by the cold spell already referred to and the tree about half +killed. It stands in a low place in an orchard of some fifty trees and +was one of the most seriously affected. + +Returning to the East, we have before us a picture of an Italian Red +filbert tree in the orchard of Messrs. Vollertsen and McGlennon north of +Rochester, New York. It is a young tree not over two years old. Each +terminal has a cluster of nuts. Mr. Vollertsen is observing it closely +and thus far regards it favorably. + +Mr. J. G. Rush of West Willow, Pennsylvania has brought out a native +hazel which offers considerable promise to nut planters. It is a +remarkably prolific variety and the nuts are both large and +thin-shelled. This picture illustrates something of its heavy bearing +tendency. + +We come now to the black walnut. One of the first varieties propagated +was the Thomas. This picture is one of several hundred grafted trees of +that variety owned by Mr. E. A. Riehl of Godfrey, Illinois. As here +shown, they are very prolific and these hundred trees grown mainly on +hillsides and untillable lands are furnishing Mr. Riehl with a very fair +income. On the whole, the Thomas is a good variety. It cracks much +better than does the average black walnut but still there are some +others which are a shade better in the matter of cracking quality. The +picture before you shows the parent tree of the variety first known as +Rush but later changed to Herman in order to avoid confusion of names +with the Rush Persian walnut. This variety has been propagated to some +extent but according to recent accounts, the parent tree has been cut +down. The tree now before you is the parent of a well known variety, the +Stabler. It is situated in Montgomery County, Maryland, some 20 miles +from the city of Washington. Reports have it that this tree bore 30 +bushels of nuts in one mythical year, but the present owner states that +the maximum yield of any year since he has known the tree has been 10 or +11 bushels of hulled nuts. The variety is being propagated by several +nurserymen and trees are available for planting. + +Another variety now being propagated by the nurserymen is the Ohio, the +parent tree of which is some 20 or 30 miles out of Toledo in the state +after which it was named. This picture, (showing seven nuts) illustrates +a remarkable tendency on the part of young grafted trees to bear at an +early age. This tree in the nursery of Mr. Jones of Lancaster, Pa., was +grafted in May and photographed in September one year following. Of +course early bearing is not wholly desirable but in a way it will refute +the common belief that black walnuts are necessarily tardy in coming +into bearing. + +Col. J. C. Cooper, McMinnville, Oregon, President of the Western Walnut +Growers Association has on his home grounds two black walnut trees grown +from nuts obtained in the East which were 6 years old when this picture +was taken. Each of these trees which you will notice are from 20 to 30 +feet high bore approximately a peck of nuts during the year when +photographed. + +The native butternut is a species which has been quite neglected by our +horticulturists but through the efforts of Mr. Bixby, a few varieties +have been brought out and are now being propagated by the nurserymen. In +spite of its thick shell, the flavor of the butternut is preferred by +many people to that of any other nut on the market. It is our most hardy +species of nut tree. It grows as far north as Maine and Nova Scotia. Two +or three recognized varieties are being propagated. Probably those which +will soonest be available for dissemination to the public are the Aiken +from New Hampshire and the Deming from Connecticut. + +One of our most decorative native trees is the American beech. As fine a +specimen as is often seen is this one not far from Easton, Maryland +photographed during the past summer. It is an enormous tree and very +productive. It is one of forty or fifty trees on the grounds of one of +the numerous large estates of Eastern Maryland and was planted, so we +are told, in 1830. The lady giving this information said that her mother +had the trees dug up in the forest by slaves and hauled to their present +location in ox carts. Now, ninety years later, they form a magnificent +avenue of trees. Fine crops of nuts are borne each year. The nuts are +small and most too tedious to extract from the shell to be useful for +human consumption, but they go a long way in the finishing off of the +turkeys and other poultry in the fall. + +Another species of nut which is quite neglected is the Japanese walnut. +It has been on trial in this country for perhaps fifty or seventy-five +years. It has indicated its adaptability to a wide range of the country; +it succeeds on a great variety of soils and it is both hardy and early +to come into bearing. It has this disadvantage, however,--the nuts are +small; but in flavor the kernals can hardly be distinguished from those +of the butternut. Very often it forms a most attractive tree and it +should be used to a much greater extent than it is on home lawns. + +In Michigan, hickory and black walnut trees have been used along the +highways as avenue trees for a considerable period. In Pennsylvania +occasionally the Persian walnut is used as an avenue tree. One of the +beauty spots along the roadway of Lancaster County is this stretch of +roadway under the spreading branches of Persian walnut trees. Senator +McNary of Oregon thought so well of the beauty of the filbert that he +induced his brother to plant several trees on his lawn in the city of +Salem. It is no exageration to say that there are no prettier trees in +the city then are these before you. + +To a considerable extent, nut raising is being combined with the poultry +industry in the Northwest. The poultry raisers claim that some kind of +trees are essential to furnish shade in the poultry yards. They say that +fruit trees are not desirable for the reason that at harvest time the +chickens not only pick and ruin the fruit but themselves get internal +disorders. Nut trees, they argue, fit in very well, as the chickens +cannot hurt the nuts nor the nuts the chickens. Furthermore, the trees +in chicken parks salvage a great deal from the chicken manure which +would otherwise be lost. The use of nut trees in this way is a practice +which it would seem could well be introduced to good advantage in the +eastern states. + +Among the ornamentals, it is difficult to imagine a species which could +more effectively be used than the pecan. The picture before you was +taken of a comparatively young tree perhaps 30 or 40 years old on the +home grounds of a private citizen near Easton, Maryland at practically +our own latitude. It is a most beautiful tree. + +Rightly used, the black walnut is also one of our most effective species +in the landscape. The picture before you is of a tree 51 years old. It +stands in front of the home residence of a sister to United States +Senator Charles L. McNary of Salem, Oregon. When photographed, this tree +measured 10 feet, 6 inches in girth at breast height. It would be hard +to imagine a more noble and graceful nut. + +Along the roadways of California, we not uncommonly find the native +black walnut used as an avenue tree. It is very refreshing and cooling +on a hot day to drive under trees of the sort illustrated in the picture +before you. This avenue of trees is along the Lincoln Highway less than +a mile west of the University grounds at Davis. + + * * * * * + +THE PRESIDENT: The next speaker on the program will be presented by Dr. +Morris. + +DR. MORRIS: They say that a biographer unconsciously writes his +autobiography. That is not tautology. Some one writing of the late Frank +N. Mayer said: "The plant hunter and explorer is the unsung Columbus of +horticulture." Our next speaker was the one who wrote that in Mr. +Meyer's biography. We all recognize it as autobiography. Emerson tells +us that every successful institution is the lengthened shadow of one +man. There were heroes before Agamemnon and botanists before Dr. +Fairchild, but with the beginning of the new century there came into +existence the development of a new idea, that of exploration in foreign +countries for the purpose of bringing to us their valuable plant +products. It was one of those things which we may say makes the whole +world kin because the economists tell us that basically the food supply +is fundamental to all subsequent human activities. Dr. Fairchild +organized the machinery of exploration for purposes of introduction into +this country of valuable plants from foreign lands. There is perhaps at +the present time no one who serves better as peace maker than does the +one who gives the world more food. From the economist's standpoint the +food supply subtends all advances in civilization. Now the hour is late +and we all know what Dr. Fairchild has done. Any remarks on my part are +made because they belongs to the form of polite procedure rather than +because of need for telling of things which Dr. Fairchild has +accomplished. + +DR. FAIRCHILD: Ladies and Gentlemen of the Northern Nut Growers +Association. When I face men and women who are doing things in +agriculture I feel a peculiar degree of embarrassment. I do not know why +but I suppose it is because what I have done, what little I have done in +bringing in these new things, has never enabled me to get to the bottom +of any of the things that I have brought in. In other words I feel that +I am in the presence of a number of men who know down to the very +smallest minutiae the business that they are engaged in. Now I do not +know these minutiae about plants. I wish I did. There is nothing more +fascinating in the world than to take one crop and learn to know it +"down to the ground." It is coming to be one of the greatest things in +the imagination of man, this grappling with the fundamental problems of +agriculture which are wrapped up in the varieties of the plants that we +grow. I have had a very severe education in that matter of varieties and +I want to congratulate you as a body of men and women who are +individually going to find out what these best varieties are. + +I suppose that the talk that Mr. Reed and I had in a bamboo grove out in +Chico., California, when we were trying to find out uses for the bamboo +and Reed said: "Well, the pecan and almond growers want to knock the +nuts off their trees with these bamboo poles," is what led up to this +talk, and I want to thank Mr. Reed for the opportunity to show slides of +a few of the new plants which we are working on in the Department of +Agriculture. + +We brought in so many of them, (47,000 different kinds) in these 22 +years that the office of Plant Introduction has been in operation that +Mr. Reed suggested that the nut growers would like to have thrown on the +screen pictures of the nuts of foreign countries. I said that we did not +have any. Then I began to dig into our own literature, project reports, +experimenters cards, correspondence and the other recording machinery +that we have and I found that we had a good many. I want to make it +perfectly plain to you that what I am going to do tonight is simply to +open a door and show you the possibilities of some of these foreign +nuts. There are a great many more that we have not succeeded in landing +on the shores of America, and if any one of you will come to my office +on 13th and F streets I will throw all the correspondence and +photographs on the table and let you look through it. + +It has been said that the Department's work is badly organized. Yes, it +is badly organized. But I do not know how you are going to very well +organize with a small body of men a group of projects every one of which +is a life job for a man, especially when you cannot get the men, and +when you do get them they do not stay on the job for life. So there is +the great difficulty. Mr. Littlepage has hit the nail on the head. The +Department of Agriculture is not well organized but it is not an easy +thing to organize experimental work on at least 150 different kinds of +industries with the money and the men we have. The fact that the +investigations require the men to be on the land close to their work and +that we are all in city buildings, is a great handicap. We have scarcely +a tree or shrub or plant of any kind that bears on our work within two +or three miles of the Department of Agriculture building. We need the +land. We need a great many more men, and we need more money. + +I landed in Greece in 1901. In Athens I saw them selling on the streets +these pistache nuts which I opened with my fingers. The kernels are a +brilliant green. I had never seem them before. I had heard of them. They +were sold around the streets by the Greek peddlers and called +pistachios. The pistache or pistachio industry is one which I wish some +young, energetic man of seventy would take up. I say 70 because it +requires a young man of seventy to take up one of these nut industries, +the boys of 26 are too old. Some young fellow of seventy should go into +the pistache industry and find out what there is in it and develop it +into a great industry. The American Consul in Palestine told me six or +eight years ago that there was no plant culture in all Palestine that +paid so well as a pistache orchard. Trees have been known to yield as +much as 40 to 50 dollars apiece. The Grecian pistaches are different +from those of Tunis and Algeria and others of the Mediterranean +countries. There are a good many different varieties. + +This picture shows a piece of praline made of pistaches. This is sold on +the streets of Athens and compares very favorably with our pralines made +in New Orleans from the kernel of the pecan. + +Mr. Chisholm, who was connected with the Consulate in Athens and who +spoke Greek very well, took me out and showed me what these pistache +trees looked like and when I found this miscellaneous lot of grafted +pistache trees I made an arrangement to purchase the whole collection +and send it to this country. I had great difficulty in getting the +American Consul in Piraeus to help me ship them. I could not wait +indefinitely and it took a good while to have them dug and packed. I +asked him if he would send them and he said he was very busy. I told him +this was a matter which concerned the people of the United States and if +he did not have time to do it I would telegraph to the Secretary of +Agriculture and tell him that the Consul in Athens was too busy to ship +these plants. Finally he consented to ship them and this was the first +shipment of grafted pistache trees to arrive in America. They were badly +grafted, badly packed and badly prepared and I think only one of this +whole collection survived and is now growing in the Gallespie grounds at +Montecito, California. + +Mr. Kearney ought to be here tonight and Mr. Swingle and Dr. Rixford. +These three men have given more attention to the pistache than I have. +Mr. Kearney was studying the date palm industry of Southern Tunis and in +connection with it he made a study of the pistache industry of the +desert region of the coast of Tunis. This picture represents an Arab +standing beside an old pistache tree that probably is forty or fifty +years of age. It represents the pistache in its winter dress. They are +deciduous trees. They plant one male tree to about twenty females. We +have had a great real of difficulty in propagating these pistache trees. +We have five different species of stock on which to grow them, and we +ought to learn all the best varieties in the world. But unfortunately +some of the best varieties in Sicily are infested with a moth which lays +its eggs in the twigs just below the leaf scar and it is impossible for +the entomologist to detect these eggs without destroying the buds. That +apparently trivial circumstance has made it impossible for us to get +these cuttings in from Sicily without sending a trained horticulturist +there for them. We never have had the money to send a man there who +could do it, a man who had had the necessary experience. As a +consequence we have not as big a collection of these pistache varieties +as we ought to have. + +These men in the photograph are getting the scions for Mr. Kearney, and +I am glad to say that these particular scions which they cut are now +growing in California. Mr. Kearney also on this same trip visited the +Duke de Bronte estate on the slopes of Mount Etna. It was an estate +bequeathed by the King of Italy to Lord Nelson, who was made the Duke de +Bronte and it is still the property of the Nelson family. Mr. Beck, who +was the manager for this estate and with whom we have had correspondence +for nearly 18 years, gave us perhaps more information than we have +gotten from any other foreign source on the cultivation of the pistache. +The Trabonella, which was one of the best commercial varieties, came +from the Bronte estate on the slopes of Mount Etna, where pistache +growing is a paying industry. In Europe the nuts are very largely used, +outside of the Mediterranean region for making the pistache ice cream +because of the green color in the seed itself, and in the Mediterranean +region both the yellow and green varieties as we are coming to use them +in this country, as table nuts. The highest price is paid for the green +pistache nuts which are used in ice creams and confectioneries. Here are +two Sicilian horticulturists, one of them holding a bundle of bud +sticks. This Trabonella variety is now growing in America. We have +collected pistache nuts from many parts of the world. A very interesting +man by the name of Jewett who became acquainted with the late Ameer of +Afghanistan procured for us the Afghanistan pistache. I got in +correspondence with him through the Consul in Calcutta. Through a +mistake made in sending some of this correspondence direct instead of to +Calcutta it nearly cost him his life. I did not know the conditions +there and asked Jewett in my letter what the possibilities were of +sending an Agricultural explorer there. The letter fell into the hands +of the Ameer and aroused his suspicions. Jewett was one of the two +English speaking persons at that time in the country. One Sunday morning +my door bell rang, and Jewett came to my house in Connecticut Avenue +with two big saddle bags filled with seed sent by the Ameer. This +collection of pistache seeds with its Afghanistan label composed part of +the collection of seeds. Very few of the seeds grew however and the +seedlings, which like many nut trees do not come true to seed, have not +produced any varieties of particular value. + +A year ago I had the pleasure of making a motor tour through California. +I went to see Leonard Coats, one of those real pioneers of 65 or 70 +years of age, who has perhaps done as much for California horticulture +as any other one nurseryman, and he took me up into his orchard on the +hill side overlooking his nursery where no drops of rain had fallen +between the months of March and October when I was there and where they +only have 22 inches of rainfall anyway, and I found growing there this +collection of pistache trees which we had sent him about ten years ago. +The nuts are borne towards the ends of the branches. The tree is able to +withstand any amount of drought and as I sat there and he told me how +prohibition had wiped out the vineyards of the surrounding country, how +the Italians had deserted them and gone back to Italy, I could not help +feeling that in this beginning on his hillsides we had the possibility +of covering those thousands of acres of hillsides which exist in +California today, from which the grape vines have been taken out, with a +nut crop of the very first importance. These little beginnings are +really the most interesting things in life. I read in the paper today +that this is the ninety-fourth anniversary of the first railroad in +America and my mind went back to a conversation I had with Edward +Everett Hale when he told me that his father was the first man to bring +over an English locomotive to America. What do you suppose was the +principal objection that the people had to railway exploitation in this +country? They could not see how two trains could pass each other on the +same track. So his father brought over from England a little model +switch and put it down in his parlor and took people in there and showed +them that two trains could pass if one ran off on a siding. That story +of Edward Everett Hale has helped me to understand why it is that most +people hesitate to go ahead into any new industry always seeing some +impossibility in its development. I could probably prove to you beyond a +shadow of a doubt that not a single one of these nut trees I am showing +you tonight could ever be made a success. Notwithstanding that they are +successful. + +This is one of the Sfax varieties from Tunis growing in our plant +introduction gardens at Chico. We had to establish gardens where we +could grow these trees and send out the young plants to growers and in +these gardens we have test nurseries or test orchards as we call them +where we grow these fruits. This is an Assyrian variety brought in by +old Dr. Fuller who spent some time as a missionary in Asia Minor and +became convinced of the importance of the pistache industry, and has +been one of the pioneers in these small beginnings. This is a six years +old tree. This is 15 years old a seedling tree near Fresno. It has borne +a good many crops of fair sized pistache nuts as large as the +Trabonella, the Sfax, the Tunis and the Alleppo and those forms which +are going to be the real pistaches of the future in this country. The +pistache in fruit is a most interesting sight. The nuts are pinkish. +They have the pinkness of the peach, almost, without the fuz and they +are covered with a thin skin which is taken off usually with the +fingers. The nut inside has a texture that makes it very attractive. +When they are first gathered it is very difficult to crack them with the +fingers but if they are put in the oven and roasted they open up and +leave a little suture into which you put your thumb nails and pry the +ends open. + +This picture gives you some idea of the yield of the pistache. It is a +fair yielder, as much as fifty pounds of nuts having been borne by eight +or nine year old trees. Ours have not done as well as that. The price of +course ranges like the price of all other nuts. They sold last year for +75 cents a pound here in Washington. The kernels sell for $1.50. + +This gives you a good idea of the pistache fruit with its outer shell, +the nut and the green interior. If any of you are going to California +and do not like the idea of taking up hazel nuts, walnuts and pecans, if +you will take up this industry we will help you all we can. It will grow +in Arizona, New Mexico, and we have records of them growing in Arkansas. +They will stand a temperature below zero. Trees have been known to live +through several winters even in Southern Kansas. + +In all these investigations we have found the stock problem is very +important. Here we have the _Pistachia atlantica_ which has much smaller +seeds. It is this that we are using most commonly as a stock for the +pistaches that are being grown in California. Frank N. Meyer brought +back from China the seeds of the Chinese pistache, the hardiest of all +pistaches, a tree which has been almost hardy even as far north as +Washington and central Kansas. It is not only a nut tree but a +magnificent ornamental tree and grows to a very large size. We have used +it as an avenue tree leading to our plant introduction gardens in Chico +because it colors up so beautifully in the autumn and the spring. In the +spring the tips of these leaves and branches are a brilliant pink and in +the autumn it turns a gorgeous scarlet. It is destined to be one of the +best landscape trees of California in our opinion. It grows to be +centuries old. + +Frank Meyer standing beside a tree which has stood three centuries at +least. Imagine what pleasure he would have had had he only lived to walk +under this great avenue in his old age. + +The question of congeniality between the true pistache and the Chinese +pistache is shown here. We rather jumped to the conclusion, when we +found that the ordinary pistache overgrew the Chinese pistache, that +perhaps it was not so good a stock as we first thought, but I notice, +looking back at my photograph taken in Greece in 1901, that the regular +stocks used by the Greeks for the pistache are overgrown in the same way +by the true pistache. We have much larger trees than these now in Chico +and as the Chinese pistaches are very old and large trees we have come +to the conclusion that in all probability the pistache will be +successful on this Chinese stock. + +I was walking through a market in Hong Kong in 1902 and I saw a few +bushels of nuts that I had never heard of or seen before. The nuts +looked like acorns but when I picked them up I found them as hard as +hickory nuts. I cracked one of them with a brick and it was almost as +hard to crack as a hickory nut. It was unmistakably an acorn, I thought, +and I bought a bushel of the nuts and sent them to this country. It is +called Pisania by botanists and it has many of the characteristics of an +acorn. The kernel of this nut comes out whole and for that reason it +would be very easily cracked by mechanical means. It has a sweetness +which does not suggest an acorn. It does not remind you of the acorn. It +is a commercial product in Southern China shipped down the West river +and it seemed to me well worth while trying to grow it in the United +States. We have had a great deal of trouble with it. We did not find the +right place for it at first. It was hardy here in Washington, even, for +a few seasons but the temperature at seventeen, eighteen and twenty +below zero finally killed it out. It is now growing down in Mississippi. + +Here is a photograph sent me from Honkong, the only one I have of the +tree as it appears on the hills of Honkong. This tree which is now 11 +feet tall on the place of Mr. Joe Williams at Langdon, Mississippi, is +one of the few that is now growing in the United States. There is one in +Southern California. It probably would be perfectly hardy along the Gulf +coast. Just how good a bearer it is going to prove I do not know but it +is very interesting even to register the fact that the plant is +established in the Southern States. + +The _Macadamia ternifolia_, or Queensland nut, is not quite so well +known in Queensland as I thought it was. A very brilliant young man from +Australia, by the name of Johnston, passed through my office the other +day and I showed him the photograph of the Macadamia and to my chagrin +he did not know much about it, although he was a very good botanist and +a very keen man. He said "We do not pay much attention to these things +over there." That is really characteristic of many of the foreign plants +that we have brought in. They are not developed in their own countries +any more than some of the fruits which we have in this country are not +developed by us. Mr. Littlepage and I are going out in a day or two to +see if we can find some larger papaws. Now the papaw has been just as +badly neglected by the Americans as the Macadamia by the Australians and +it may be that the only way to get the papaw developed is to send it to +some other country and get them to develop it. We do not always develop +our own possibilities. + +This is a tree grown in Avon Park, Florida. It interests me very much +because it looks as if it would be a good bearer, is suited to the sandy +lands of southern and central Florida, seems to be quite hardy and is a +beautiful nut. It will vie with any other edible nut that I know of. +This tree is in the Royal Palm Gardens in Palm Beach. The trees were +brought in by us about 1905 or 1906. + +This is a tree in Cuba where it is perfectly at home. + +This gives you an idea of the character of the nut in a bunch. This is +the nut. The shells when opened are as attractive as anything I know of. +This is a very thick walled variety. We have much thinner walled forms +that have come from Hawaii where it is now being grown. The dark part is +a maroon brown and the lighter part is a brilliant creamy yellow. +Altogether it is an extremely attractive nut, an excellent eating nut +and has very good food qualities. We have had them analyzed, and all the +data are at the disposal of you gentlemen at any time you wish to +consult our files. + +One of the first pieces of foreign work I was asked to do for the +government was to get and import the hard-shelled almonds of Spain. Most +of you have eaten the Jordan almond and I imagine most of you think it +comes from California, but there are very few Jordans grown in +California and, so far as the investigations go which I have been able +to make in California in co-operation with the candy manufacturers, I +have discovered that the California growers are not growing the best +almond in the world. That the IXL and the Nonpareil and other almonds +are not considered sufficiently good for such men as Lowney to use in +the manufacture of their almond candies was a surprise to me. And the +reason? In the first place the skin of the kernel itself is too thick, +the nut is too brittle and it has not the flavor of the imported nut. I +was shocked the other day to read from cover to cover a bulletin on the +subject of Almonds, and to find that not one word was said of flavor. It +had to be a good cracker; but the marketable qualities did not take into +consideration the question of the _flavor of the kernel, its hardness or +the thickness of skin_. + +This picture on the screen was taken in southeastern Spain. These are +the almond crackers of Spain and a poorer lot of people I have never +visited in my life. The little children, not over four years old, +instead of playing as ours play, carry around with them in their hands +little bundles of wheat straw which they braid with their hands as they +play, making sombreros which are shipped to the Argentine. It is a very +poor country where these grow. The soil Is very thin and very dry and +these almond trees grow on the hillsides. It was with an unpleasant +feeling that I took these cuttings from southeastern Spain, and brought +them to America. I got them from the trees that were bearing these +almonds, they were budded in California and we know where the trees are +growing in California from these buds. + +This is a view in one of these hillside plantations of southeastern +Spain with two of the almond growers. + +This is a view in the plains region near Valencia showing both the hard +shelled almonds and the soft shelled ones. The soft shelled are those +which are easily cracked with the fingers while the hard shelled have to +be broken with a hammer or an instrument. It is these hard shelled +almonds that we have been interested in getting. + +I have not kept in touch with this almond situation as I would have if I +had been a specialist on almonds instead of spreading my energies out +over the whole field and it is time someone really got into the almond +business. I once traveled fifty miles from Bobadilla, Spain to the next +railway station between solid walls of seedling almonds in bloom. No +American has ever been to these seedling orchards to see what they are. +It should be possible to find in those rows that are now 25 years old +late flowering varieties which would be adapted to the conditions in +California or early flowering varieties which would cross pollinate the +Jordan almond. But we have not had the extra man with which to do this +and carry out the other things we have been obliged to do. The +interesting thing about this Jordan almond is that it behaves +differently in our country than it does over in Spain. You notice how +smooth each one of these almonds is. There is no sharp keel on the +Spanish grown Jordan almond at all. It is smooth all around. Here are +the almonds grown in California from the scions which I brought in. You +see how these "keels" are developed and the nut has also become more +pointed. We have not had an opportunity to investigate this thing +thoroughly, but I am convinced that this is an environmental effect. Dr. +W. A. Taylor has suggested that the fact that the Jordan flowers before +any other variety comes out may mean that the California nuts are the +result of self fertilization and this self fertilization may be the +cause of their different shape and texture. Either that or the bud wood +which I brought over from Spain was not representative of the Jordan +variety although I picked it from trees that were bearing these nuts and +I saw the nuts and they were typical. Of course it is possible that on +the bud stocks which I brought over there was this hereditary tendency +to produce these keels. However, we have made importations of the Jordan +almond since then with the same result. One of these was grown in +California in the desert region and one in Niles where John Rock, the +great pioneer horticulturist of California, had his orchards. Both of +them behaved in the same way. I sent some of the best kernels from these +imported Jordan almonds to Mr. Lowney, the candy manufacturer who +imports large quantities of Jordan almonds from Spain, and he reported +that he could not use them for his candy manufacture because they were +too hard and the skin too tough. + +One of the most interesting experiences of my life was in 1903 when I +visited a French barber in a little town called Nevada City, California, +in the foothills of the Sierras. He had come over to this country +without a penny and had set up a barber shop in this little mining +village of Nevada City. He had saved from his fees for cutting people's +hair and shaving them, $3,000. He had bought a piece of barren hillside +which everybody laughed at him for buying; and he sent an order for +$2,500 worth of nut trees and fruit trees to a nursery firm in his old +home in France. He did this without even having an irrigating system +with which to irrigate those plants when they arrived. He told me with +tears in his eyes how he had worked night and day, carrying buckets of +water to save this collection of plants when it arrived from France. +When I visited Felix Gillett in his plantation there, which he called +the _Barren Hill Nursery_, I felt that I had never seen a more +delightful spot in my life. It was a kind of a paradise which he had +built up by his love for plants and his wonderful knowledge of the +varieties which he handled. He certainly was one of the great experts of +this country in the nut and fruit industry, particularly the nut +industry. It is his collection of hazelnuts which Mr. Reed spoke of as +having found its way into Mr. Quarnburg's hands. In fact I was at Mr. +Quarnburg's place a year ago last summer and learned that he got his +first start from this little French barber in the mountains of Nevada. + +This is Felix Gillett standing beside the first Jordan almond tree in +America. The difficulty with the Jordan tree in this section was that it +flowered too early and too few crops were produced. We have tried a +good many sections for the almond and one of the problems, in my +opinion, is the development of stocks for it. Here is the IXL on one of +Meyer's Chinese stocks (_Amygdalus davidiana_). It does very well on +this stock in the region of San Antonio, Texas. But the future of this +almond business ought to have been told you by Meyer after he came back +from his trip in Western China. These bushes are of the Tangutian +almond, a little bush almond; growing occasionally 15 or 18 or 20 feet +in height and hardy. It was Meyer's plan, had he lived, to find some +place in Southwest Colorado in which to breed hardy almonds that would +cover those hillsides with a food producing plant. I believe had he +lived he would have done that for we have gotten together already for +the breeders a number of forms of great promise. Mr. Wight of the Office +of Pomological Investigations is now in California doing breeding work, +and I hope his life will be spared so that he can produce a practical +bush almond. My object in throwing this photograph on the screen is to +show you a hillside covered with a food producing plant which has never +yet received the attention of human beings, and yet if studied might +lead to the production of an entirely new type of almond which will +probably grow as far north as the Dakotas. + +Jumping from the Dakotas to Florida I want to introduce to you the +Candle Nut or Kukui nut of the Hawaiian Islands which is growing in the +sandy regions of the tropical belt of Florida. If you will read the +literature you will find that it is referred to as a cathartic, +resembling in this respect the castor bean. The problem is whether the +candle nut as grown in Florida is poisonous or not. Prof. Simpson is +growing in his yard in Florida a tree of this Kukui nut and has eaten +these nuts for years, and he just sent me a couple quarts of them from +his tree and I have tried them on my friends with no injurious results +whatever. The thing to look out for is this fetish, this superstition of +poison. This is a very hard-shelled nut, very oily and resembles +somewhat the Brazil nut. If a market can be made for it, and there does +not seem to be any reason why there cannot, there is no reason that they +cannot be grown and they will be grown in southern Florida. That country +which in 1898 was a wilderness is now developing very rapidly as a +region of homes and what they want is plants that they can grow down +there that they can live upon. + +On the left is one of these trees which has a good many nuts on it. It +is in Miami, Florida. This is a branch of one of these Kukui nuts in +Miami. + +This is probably the least known of any of the nuts. It is the Yeheb +nut. It belongs to the order of Leguminosae and they tell us it is so +sweet, having between 21 and 22 per cent of sugar, that the native Arab +will desert his dates and rich diet, which is the ordinary diet of that +region, and take to the Yeheb whenever it comes into fruit. This Yeheb +shrub grows in the deserts of Italian Somaliland and ought to succeed in +our southwestern country. During the war there was attached to the +Italian Embassy the Italian Explorer Captain Vanutelli, who had the +distinction of having been captured by a savage chief in Abyssinia and +bound for over two months to a black Abyssinian slave. When I spoke to +him about this Yeheb nut he said, "Yes, I have eaten it. It is a +wonderful nut. Some day I will get you some of it." When the shipment +came there were two tons of nuts and I was a little surprised to say the +least. They were brought on camel back over the deserts. During the war +they took eight or nine months to get to Washington and when they +arrived they were all dead. Notwithstanding many attempts this nut is +not grown in the United States but we will have it. It is very +thin-shelled, the kernels come out whole and have a very sweet, delicate +flavor. + +You have just come from Dr. Van Fleet's chestnuts. You know that this is +the Chinese chestnut (_Castanea mollissima_) which Meyer found in China. +Dr. Van Fleet would probably tell you this is not the way to prune them +if you want to increase the chances of these Chinese chestnuts +withstanding the bark disease. You are probably familiar with the fact +that Meyer discovered over in China on this species the original +chestnut bark disease which has destroyed our chestnuts in this country. +He found that this variety was highly resistant but not entirely immune +to the disease. Dr. Galloway, who is handling the propagation and +distribution of these Chinese chestnuts, for our office, wishes to have +it understood that in the distribution of these which we will make in +the spring we desire to have them sent out in blocks; we would rather +not distribute these Chinese chestnuts in single specimens but would be +very glad to consider offers from people who have a quarter or a half of +an acre that they want to plant. We want to get some idea of the +behavior of this species as an orchard crop. + +This illustrates the way, as I understand it, that Dr. Van Fleet thinks +the trees should be treated, on the left; the way they should not be +treated on the right. They seem to be much more susceptible to the +disease when pruned up in this neat orchard fashion. + +One of Meyer's photographs taken at Fanshan, northeast of Pekin, where +he found the chestnut bark disease. This is the way the trees appeared. +This gives you some idea of the size of Chinese chestnuts which he got. +Those back on the hills are all Chinese chestnuts on rather poor soil as +he explains in his description of the photographs. + +This is an orchard of Chinese chestnuts as planted by the Chinese on the +richer soils of the low lands which show larger trees. Even when full +sized they do not compare with our American chestnut but are old enough +to show you that they have not been killed by this bark disease. + +These trees show signs of the disease but that they have a high degree +of resistance is apparently beyond dispute. This shows the black scar +near the top which Meyer diagnoses as the remains of the chestnut bark +disease. + +The scar there in the crotch of this chestnut tree indicates the degree +of resistance of this species. Just how it is going to behave here in +America no one can tell but that it would be possible to grow orchards +of these Chinese chestnuts with the care which you exercise in growing +pears or even peaches I think is a pretty safe guess. + +Meyer remarks that this tree is probably a century old and with signs of +this disease on it. Here is one that he marks as between two and three +centuries old. + +This, gentlemen, is the newest arrival in this country coming from East +Africa near Zanzibar. In Curtis's magazine there is published an account +of this nut after Mr. Playfair a British subject who had lived on the +island of Zanzibar. This is one of the most curious and most interesting +nuts that has been brought to our attention. + +It is borne by a climbing vine the stem of which sometimes reaches six +or seven inches in diameter. The fruit is between two and one-half and +three feet long and eight inches in diameter, and bears between 250 and +264 of these large seeds about the size of chestnuts and with a delicate +flavored. In 1884 this Mr. Playfair sent some of these nuts to England, +but we have just discovered them so to speak. They will probably grow in +our tropical possessions and we must not overlook the fact that after +all there is a distinct drift in our agriculture towards the development +of that part of the globe which has been so overlooked by +horticulturists in the past. It is not at all impossible that some of +you who are here in this audience today will buy that Playfairia on the +markets. + +I thank you very much indeed for your attention. + + * * * * * + +THE PRESIDENT: The hour is late. What Dr. Kellogg may have to say I know +will interest you all greatly but it might better be said tomorrow when +we are fresh and the attendance will probably be larger than it is this +evening. If there is nothing further to come before the meeting tonight +we will take a recess until 9:30 in the morning. + +The convention adjourned until 9:30 a. m. Friday, October 8. + + +MORNING SESSION FRIDAY OCTOBER 8, 1920 + +The session was called to order by President Linton at 10 o'clock. + +THE PRESIDENT: I wish first to beg the pardon of the membership of the +Association for the little time that I have been able to give to the +preparation of this particular paper. To illustrate how limited that +time has been, starting from Michigan prior to our meeting yesterday I +had less than twenty-four hours to get to Washington. It was necessary +that I should call a meeting together at a little town in Michigan where +the regular train did not stop. In order to get that train it was +necessary to send a man to buy a ticket to that particular point and as +he climbed off that train I climbed on. The conductor thought we should +be held up for a conspiracy for stopping a train of that character. On +reaching Detroit there were a few minutes between trains. After landing +in Buffalo I found that there were fifteen minutes to make connections, +and after getting on that train I found our good Brother Pomeroy aboard +and he had some fine drinks and other things from his home farm so that +it was really the midnight hour before I could commence on this +document. + + + + +PRESIDENT'S ADDRESS + +HONORABLE WILLIAM S. LINTON, SAGINAW, MICHIGAN + + +LADIES AND GENTLEMEN: + +I well realize that it is an extreme honor that has come to me in having +been named as your President, conferring the privilege also of presiding +at this important meeting, your Tenth Annual Session. It has been my lot +for almost three score years to mingle largely in civic affairs through +organized efforts, for man's betterment along many lines. But with all +this experience I do not recall any single group, or undertaking of +greater possible and probable value to the people of this country and +especially the next and all future generations than the purpose for +which we gather today. It is of such vast importance that earnestly and +enthusiastically we find foremost in the work, "the best equipped, most +intelligent, progressive and successful Agricultural Department" of any +government on earth. We are signally honored by the co-operation of one +of the most important members of the President's Cabinet, the Secretary +of Agriculture, assisting in our program by the presence of leading +officials of his staff, all endeavoring in every possible way to supply +excellent sustaining foods to mankind, and to add from many choice +products of field or of forest, to the joy and comforts of living. + +The particular line of effort in which this organization is enlisted is +worthy of at least some time and thought upon the part of all persons +interested in promoting the welfare of the community, state or county in +which they live. Those who will do their share, and there are thousands +of them if the subject can be properly presented, can add largely to the +food supply of the nation, and provide real delicacies for every table +in the homes of the poor as well as in the mansions of the rich. It +would be but a few years before we would have in size, and quality the +aristocrats of the nut family, in walnuts, hickory nuts, butternuts, +even beech nuts, the same as in fruits we have the Bartlett pear, the +Northern Spy apple, the Naval orange, the Crawford peach, or the +Brighton grape. + +Work of inestimable value is being done by our membership in propagating +improved varieties that will be rich and lasting in results. We cannot, +however, afford to halt for this development of species as our own time +is too short, but we can cause to be planted millions of seedlings out +of which will come many choice varieties of the future. We would have +had them now had our forefathers realized what could be accomplished +along this line and the necessity for doing it. + +Therefore I would urge with all earnestness that the work be not further +postponed, but that we bend every energy to bring about an awakening in +this matter that will cause general activity throughout the entire +United States. There are several ways of doing this, any one of which +should bring results. The only question about any of them being, who can +spare the time necessary for this work. My pleasant acquaintance with +the members of this Association proves you all to be one hundred per +cent Americans, standing well up in your business and professions, and +leaders in the civic life of your communities. These excellent points to +your credit, really deter each and all from giving time throughout the +year to the Association's work and permit only the annual gathering and +the events connected therewith that are largely spasmodic only in action +and effort. + +The Association should be made large enough and strong enough +financially to provide a Secretary with proper clerical assistance and +fair compensation for work well done. + +From fifty to two hundred members can be easily secured in every state +in which the Northern nuts grow. Officials of government, States, +counties and cities are ready to join in the movement. Road builders, +owners of cut-over and other lands only need to have their attention +called to what can be accomplished and the great majority will unite +with us. The work of the American Forestry Association has promoted our +cause also, and the establishing, and naming of historic trees +throughout the land can well be made a feature of our plans. Only a day +or two ago a Michigan paper carried the following item: + + MOUNT VERNON WALNUT TS THRIVING IN INGHAM + + Mason. Sept. 26.--Summit R. King, a pioneer of Mason, who was + present when the Republican party was born "under the oaks" in + Jackson county, has evolved a plan for raising historic trees in + Ingham county. + + In 1906 he visited the tomb of Washington at Mount Vernon and while + there gathered some black walnuts from a tree on the grounds. He + planted those and his trees are now in bearing. + + He has placed a quantity of the nuts in the hands of the county + school commissioner, Miss Daisy Call, to be given to the rural + schools that the grounds may be beautified with trees planted in + memory of George Washington. + +Why not have Mount Vernon walnuts thus distributed throughout the Union. +Every school boy and girl in the land would be delighted to get them for +planting. + +The supply would not equal one hundredth part of one per cent of the +demand for them. Then select throughout the country other special or +historic trees of various kinds or varieties of nuts and still I am sure +the supply would not begin to equal the demand. Long ago I began to +arrange for nut crops from some of these historic trees, planted by +Washington at his beautiful Mount Vernon home, now the Mecca for prince +or pauper and all those millions who love the freedom of glorious +America. + +Those nuts will be planted in the parks and on the grounds of the people +of my home city this very year by the children of our schools who are +now in their moulding being taught to revere the name of the father of +our country. + +This very act of patriotism will cause thousands of boys and girls to +have fixed in their minds for youth or age the value of planting the +useful trees that will in later years produce food of the very best +character for the human race. Carry this message into every city, +village and school district and the good work will be duplicated +thousands of times and then the movement in which we have so earnestly +engaged will have brought forth fruit in great abundance so that even +the great majority of those living today, and certainly the generations +to come must give this organization and its founders great credit for +real and lasting benefits that will prevail for centuries to come. + +We all desire at this very important period in our existence as an +Association, to strengthen our forces and enlarge the scope of our work. +To do it at once let me suggest the early choosing and naming of live +vice-presidents in every state that may be united with us in membership; +also a general committee on legislation. This committee can do much the +coming year when legislatures throughout the country will be in their +regular session, to cause the adoption of laws similar to the Michigan +Statute known as the Penney Act, which provides for the planting of nut +and other food bearing trees along the public highways. + +It is one of the most progressive enactments in recent years and its +good features should be adopted by every State, and the Federal +Government as well, by applying its provisions to National highways +also. + +In conclusion I wish to thank each and every officer and member for +uniform courtesies and favors extended to me throughout the year. My +only regret being that official duties, extended traveling, and other +unforeseen demands upon my time have prevented me from giving the close +personal attention to every detail of the Northern Nut Growers +Association business that it otherwise would have been my great pleasure +to have done. + +My gratitude is cordially extended to each and every member. + + * * * * * + +MR. B. G. FOSTER: Mr. President and Fellow Members: I realize that +children should be seen and not heard and I am merely a child in this +organization. At the same time I believe under modern conditions +children are being more and more heard and the older people are being +put more and more in the background. So I am going to take the liberty +of making a few remarks particularly with reference to the president's +address. This is my first attendance at a meeting of the Northern Nut +Growers' Association and I have profited very greatly by it. I have +become very much interested in nut culture. In a small way I am +stumbling along and learning something of the work and the development +of this industry. At present it is merely a fad with me but I do not +know but what it may become something more as I get into it. I have been +particularly impressed this morning with the address of the president. +There were one or two suggestions that he makes that I wish to refer to. +I think it is an excellent suggestion to get the children interested in +nut culture through historical nut trees if nuts can be secured from +such trees and delivered to different school authorities. + +Another is the question of having a representative from every state. I +would like to inquire from the secretary if some such provision has been +adopted. + +THE ACTING SECRETARY: We have always had a list of state vice-presidents +which you will find in each one of the reports. Those state +vice-presidents have been selected because of their being the most +active members in each particular state but they have never been +especially active more than to turn in some communication about their +work. I have never been able to get any of them to make any special +campaign for new members. + +MR. FOSTER: Then, as I understand it, the president's idea is to urge +these vice-presidents to take a more active interest in the affairs of +the association. + +THE PRESIDENT: That is the point I desire to make. + +MR. MORRIS: When the constitution of the United States was drawn up it +was said to be "insanely ideal." We do not have to stretch our +imaginations this morning to the point of a question of our sanity when +our president's compositions are put before us. His paper seems sanely +ideal. There is only one thing that interests a child more than history, +(unless it is Sunday school), and that is a dollar bill. Now if we are +going to approach the children let us introduce the pragmatic side of +giving the child an object lesson showing where the planting of a nut +tree will bring a return in dollar bills that will ripen along with the +leaves every autumn instead of just leaves alone. We should have in +connection with various educational institutions a few object lesson +trees. It seems to me that this is a responsibility of the state. A +number of responsibilities have been put upon the state in the past and +a number of responsibilities have been put upon the educational +department in every state. So many of them, in fact, that hardly any +legislature will stand without hitching when there is a question of +diversion of "pork barrel" funds away from river and harbor +appropriations toward education. We can show that very much larger river +and harbor requirements will follow if our children raise so much of +this great new feed supply that we have more things to transport. The +question may be taken almost seriously from that point. In fact if you +give further consideration to the matter it seems to me that this +statement of mine, made somewhat in the spirit of levity, is like many +other statements made in the spirit of levity. It has a basis in real +fact. The development of that basis I will leave to your imagination. + +MR. MCGLENNON: In regard to Dr. Morris' remarks relative to the +financial consideration, that appeals to me with peculiar force and I +think we can very materially provide for it in an enlarged membership. +For some time I have been giving very serious thought to the subject of +enlarging the membership of the Northern Nut Growers Association. I +think quite a substantial gain was made last year and I believe that a +very large gain can be made this year. I think we ought to have a +membership in the neighborhood of a thousand anyway. I believe we can +increase it this year to at least 500. Probably I am particularly +fortunate in having a source of supply of membership that perhaps the +rest of the members have not, through the L. W. Hall Company. This +company is handling our improved filberts and is getting a large number +of orders and the people who have received plants during the past couple +of years seem to be very much pleased with them. In many instances they +have already borne fruit. The Hall company has received splendid letters +in regard to them. In the fall and in the spring the Hall company sends +out a large number of catalogues. This fall they will send something +like a thousand, in the spring from five to seven thousand and in each +of these catalogues the literature of the Northern Nut Growers +Association can be included. We experimented a little last year along +this line and I believe Mr. Bixby will bear me out in saying that there +was quite a tangible response. I got a few members in and about +Rochester through friends but I believe that I can almost guarantee at +least a hundred members myself this year and probably more, particularly +through the medium of the Hall agency. But, as Dr. Morris says, or +practically said, there is nothing in this world that talks louder than +a dollar so I thought I would come here prepared to back up my position +and to guarantee at least 25 members for this year. + +There is another matter to which I think we ought to give serious +consideration and that is the matter of the American Nut Journal. It is +the only nut journal, as I understand, in the country and I believe +there is an inestimable future for it if we seize our opportunity or +enable Mr. Olcott to seize his. At this time, I believe, he is not +getting the support that he ought to have from this Association and the +other nut associations of the country. He is a very able man, at one +time the editor of the Post Express in Rochester, the classiest paper in +Rochester, and we have some classy ones there, he is an educated man of +large experience and very versatile and it seems to me he ought to have +substantial support. So I came here with a certified check for 25 +memberships to the association and 25 subscriptions to the American Nut +Journal as a guarantee of good faith. I believe I can add 75 more. + +There are some other things that I think we ought to give consideration +to and that is the work that is being done by Dr. Deming and Mr. Bixby. +I think these men should have special and substantial support, real +support, money support, so that they can do things as they ought to be +done at the time they ought to be done. I think we are selfish in asking +these men to give so much of their time and attention and money to the +affairs of this association without giving them better support. If we +have more members we will have more money and more members will bring +more members. This propaganda will be spread far and wide. The interest +in nut culture is growing by leaps and bounds. I think this is the time +to strike as a scientific organization. I think the Northern Nut +Growers' Association is the most scientific of all of the nut growing +associations. That is something of a guess, of course, but if they were +put to the test I believe it would come out on top. Anyway put me down +for the very best efforts that I can render to the end of building up +membership and financial support of this association. It seems to me +that with men like Deming, Bixby, Morris, Littlepage, and others whom I +could mention, the scientific and practical ends of this association are +being pretty well taken care of. We meet here in association and it is +very lovely, something of a mutual admiration society; we go away and +are likely to forget until it is about time to get busy with another +meeting. Now it seems to me we ought to be busy all the year doing +something so that when we come to the meeting like this we have +something to report in the way of membership and money. That will make +possible these plans that Dr. Morris suggested. I was unable to hear the +president's address but it seems to me that more attention should be +given to the matter of finances of this association and the membership. + +I just want to add a remark or two in regard to Mr. Vollertsen who is +going to read a paper on the filbert. We have found, and we certainly +believe, he and I,--and he knows more than I do because he is on the +ground all the time--I look after the sales end of it,--we have found +that several of our smaller varieties of nuts are, in our estimation, +decidedly superior to some of the larger varieties. While we believe +that the consumer is going to give first thought to size he will be +making a mistake if he passes by some of our smaller varieties which are +splendidly filled, filled to capacity, very rich, and thin-shelled. I do +not want the smaller varieties passed by. + +MR. JONES: I think the nurseries would be glad to co-operate in the +getting of new members and it has occurred to me that they might like to +donate trees to new members or plants or something that would attract +them. That might be worked up with the secretary if it would be any +great attraction for getting new members. + +THE PRESIDENT: I think that is a very good suggestion. + +THE SECRETARY-TREASURER: Mr. McGlennon spoke of the amount of time that +the secretary had to give to the work. I can speak from experience and I +can speak frankly because the secretary and the treasurer are different +persons, although the office of the secretary treasurer has not yet been +officially divided. The treasurer is supposed to have not much to do and +the secretary to get the bulk of the work. While the finances of the +association at the present time are not such that we can recommend the +paying of a salary to the secretary, yet there should be a salary paid +to the secretary sufficient so that he could employ someone to relieve +him of a good portion of the detail which comes on him. I know by +experience what that is. I would like to ask the association to +authorize the treasurer to pay the secretary a salary not exceeding $500 +a year. That is what it ought to be or whatever portion of that the +finances will permit for this purpose. In offering that I do not want +the secretary to think that he must begin to spend the money right away, +because it is not in the treasury, but I have a lot of faith that we +will get more money and will be enabled to pay that. So I want to ask +your authority to do it. + +MR. OLCOTT: I would like to second that motion and also to endorse what +Mr. McGlennon said, and Mr. Jones, in regard to new members. I think +that is one of the things we need as much as anything right now and that +we can get them if we go after them. I know that our secretaries, both +Mr. Bixby and Dr. Deming, have done a great deal of work and that it +takes a great deal of work to get new members. There are a good many +other things on the schedule for the treasurer and secretary to do +besides that. We have a system of vice-presidents for each state and one +of my recent ideas has been that he might form the center for an +increase of membership in his particular state through co-operation with +the secretary of this association. If we do not keep after this matter +after we adjourn we shall be just about where we are now a year from +now. It is activity that counts. I am sure that if we provide for a +salary for the secretary we will get busy and provide for that salary, +so I make the motion that the treasurer be authorised to pay $500, or +any portion of that amount that the association can afford, to the +secretary. + +DR. MORRIS: I second the motion. + +The motion was carried unanimously. + +THE ACTING SECRETARY: You will notice that, in the question box, +question number 12 is in relation to roadside planting of nut trees. +More people, it seems to me, are interested in the roadside planting of +nut trees than in any other one phase of nut planting. I get many +questions about what is desirable to plant on the roadsides and many +suggestions that the Association particularly interest itself in +encouraging roadside nut planting. Therefore it seems to me that it +would be advisable that this association should appoint a committee +which should consider all the factors concerned in roadside planting of +nut trees, and should draw up a bulletin which can be sent out to +officials and people who make inquiry and to all people who are +interested, giving them exact and specific information on the subject of +road planting in each state, considering each state separately and +suggesting what nut trees had best be planted in that particular state. + +MR. JONES: I think Dr. Deming's suggestion is a good one but I do not +like the idea of waiting another year. I think we ought to do that right +now. There is a big opportunity for producing new varieties. For +instance, get each state to take up planting of the very best nuts they +can get and then plant the seedlings on the roadside and we will get new +varieties that will be better than anything we have now. If you plant +common nuts you will get common nuts but if you plant fine nuts while +you will still get a large number of ordinary nuts you will get some +that will be fine and some that will be better than anything you plant, +if you plant enough of them. I think that is the greatest opportunity we +have in roadside planting. + +THE ACTING SECRETARY: I think this is the proper course to follow, that +the committee appointed should have power to issue a bulletin without +waiting for the next convention. I would like to see our president at +the head of the committee. + +MR. JONES: I would like to see them get the nuts this year. There is a +good crop of nuts this year, black walnuts, hickory and other nuts. + +THE ACTING SECRETARY: I move that a committee be appointed by the +president, the number to be determined by the president, and our +president, Mr. Linton, to be the chairman of the committee, to consider +the compilation and issue of a bulletin on roadside planting of nut +trees. + +MR. BIXBY: I second the motion. + +The motion was carried unanimously. + +MR. POMEROY: You will find this argument probably will be used by some +that the trees will be destroyed by automobile parties and children +hammering the nuts off with sticks and stones. I have a few nut trees +planted along the roadside now that are in bearing. They have been in +bearing, some of them, six or eight years and they are within forty feet +of a school house with a large attendance of children. I have had no +trouble at all with the children gathering the nuts or tampering with +the trees. Of course they take a few--I would take them if I were in +their place,--but none of any consequence. Automobile parties passing +along there seldom bother them--although they are worse than the +children to tell the truth. You will hear that argument, that a food +producing tree along the roadside will be injured by travelers. + +DR. MORRIS: Mr. Pomeroy's remark relates either to one of two things, to +bad nuts or good children. We will not have that feature throughout the +country at large. It is an important point, however, but if this is to +be committee work it seems to me that perhaps Mr. Pomeroy and others +might offer their testimony at the time there is a committee meeting for +bulletin purposes and we ought not to go on with this discussion at this +time. + +THE PRESIDENT: The next thing on the program is an address by Dr. +William A. Taylor, Chief of the Bureau of Plant Industry, on "The Place +of Nut Trees in our Northern Horticulture." + + + + +THE PLACE OF NUT TREES IN OUR NORTHERN HORTICULTURE + +WM. A. TAYLOR, WASHINGTON, D. C. + + +We are somewhat inclined in America to consider none but the big things +worth while. + +We like to do the big things and the quick ones. To organize billion +dollar corporations; grow billion bushel wheat crops; to have the +swiftest motor boat or auto; to receive the largest income per man, per +year, or per acre. Concentrating our attention on cap sheaves and +superlatives rather generally we very easily lose sight of features less +conspicuous though highly important. + +Such an one is the rational development of nut culture in our Northern +States. Since the scouring of our chestnut forests by the Asiatic +chestnut blight has practically eliminated that nut from consideration +for orchard planting in the infected territory until resistant varieties +yielding good crops of nuts of acceptable quality are obtained or +developed, we can hardly say with assurance that we have any nut of +proved adaptability in sight which is worthy of planting on an extensive +scale for its crop alone, on productive agricultural land in the +Northern States. + +Along the southern fringe of "the North" as in Delaware, Maryland, +southern Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Missouri exception in favor of the +hardy varieties of pecans should probably be noted but in the light of +present knowledge orchard planting of the commercially important almond, +Persian walnut, and pecan must be left to the Pacific Coast and in the +South. + +This fact has been so generally recognized that we have been inclined to +give up all thought of attempting nut production in the North merely +because large scale operation is not attractive. There is much ground +for belief that this view is erroneous and that there is need for +localized planting. + +If the world war taught any economic lesson to civilized men which they +should remember and act on, it is that low cost food reserves should be +provided against possible exigencies. They are not needed every year but +when needed their value can hardly be estimated. Only to a limited +extent can such reserves be accumulated out of the production of our +ordinary cereals and commonly cultivated crops. Potential reserves in +the form of fruitful nut trees can be established at relative light +initial investment or of continuing care and labor on almost every farm +and by many a roadside in much of our farming territory. Black walnut, +butternut, shag bark, shell bark, beech and other hardy, long-lived +native trees can be established at low cost in large numbers for beauty, +shade, and food production. Nor should the possibilities of Persian +walnut, Japanese walnut, and native hazel be disregarded in favored +sections. + +While none of these are entirely free from plant diseases or insect +pests, they are, when once established, capable of maintaining +themselves fairly clean and sound with little expenditure for spraying +or other attention during the growing season when the peak load +activities of the farm are on. Why should not their planting receive +more attention and encouragement from our horticultural and other rural +societies? For rough land and roadside planting they are decidedly more +practical in most sections than any of our fruit trees, substantially +all of which require spraying and tillage to maintain productiveness, or +in fact to avoid becoming nuisances by harboring pests to contaminate +the commercial orchards of the neighborhoods. While much has been said +in America in commendation of the roadside planting of fruit trees so +common in portions of Europe, and while there are possibilities of +useful development along this line, most American efforts in this +direction have proved disappointing because of the impracticability of +giving the trees the care and attention they require. While often +promising at the start they have quickly become infested with San Jose +and other scales, borers, blights and rots which can only be prevented +or controlled by systematic and thorough remedial measures, rarely +possible on rough lands, in fence rows and on roadsides. + +If this type of nut culture is sufficiently promising to be worth while, +do we not need to attack its problems from a somewhat different angle +than has become our custom with the trees which are to be grown under +intensive cultural conditions at high maintenance cost, such as more and +more characterizes our orcharding? + +It has seemed to me for some time that in this field we need to return +in our study of varieties and strains of nut trees to the standards and +ideals of the earlier and ruder period of American Pomology when +rusticity of tree, including storm endurance, freedom from troublesome +diseases and insect pests, as well as productiveness and dessert quality +were the primary consideration next after satisfactory productiveness +and quality of crop. + +This and other like societies might well devote much effort to the +securing of performance records of promising individual nut trees, +whether wild or grown by man, with a view to locating those which, +whether bearing nuts of the largest size and finest quality or not, +possess the inherent ability to bear regular crops of fair quality under +the rough and humble conditions of the average fence row or roadside of +the region to which they are adapted. Can a more alluring and +fascinating field for search throughout the growing season be suggested +or one more likely to interest the growing army of nature lovers, +whether dwellers in country or town? + +Once located and proved worth while through a sufficient period of +cropping such trees, especially of black walnut, could be made available +through nursery propagation for rapid dissemination for experimental +planting throughout the areas of their probable adaptability. + +Do not understand me as in any sense discouraging the continuance of +painstaking experimentation with a view to finding or developing +varieties suited to orchard planting in those scattered, favored spots +where conditions make success reasonably probable. My point is rather +that in our northern states by far the largest potential production of +nuts is through waste land utilization and dual or triple purpose +planting, such as nuts and shade and in some cases ultimate yield of +highly valuable timber. + +In short, widespread recognition of the importance of nut-tree planting +as a side line. This deserves attention during the next few years +because of the practical certainty that as our nationwide development of +permanent highways proceeds, roadside trees planting on a large scale is +sure to follow. When undertaken it should be on a solid foundation of +experience especially with regard to the climatic adaptation, soil and +drainage requirements, varietal characteristics, such as habit, vigor, +pest resistance, and productiveness, all of which are fundamentally +important where the use of the land for a century or more is involved. +What has been said with regard to highway planting is still more +important with regard to the planting of the farmstead where ill-suited +trees become a source of grief rather than of satisfaction. + +Side-line planting of nut trees in our northern states is practically +sure to develop on a large scale during the next twenty-five years. + +How can the essentials to its rational development be most promptly and +accurately determined and most effectively disseminated among the +people? + +DR. MORRIS: Apropos of side line planting, Mr. Jones some three or four +years ago gave me a very handy little orchard saw. He said that when I +went around the orchard on Sunday morning before church time if I had +this saw with me I would find something to do. Well when I have this saw +in my hand before church I find so much to do that I cannot go to +church. Now if we take up tree planting as a side line it is going to be +the little cap that will fire off the big gun. I think we may safely +urge side line planting of nut trees believing that men who take up the +side line will be drawn into putting them out on the very best land they +have. + +THE SECRETARY TREASURER: Dr. Taylor said "if the trees were suited to +the climatic conditions." I would like to ask him about that. I get many +requests from people from various parts of the country as to what trees +would succeed in their sections. As a matter of assistance in the future +I would like to ask Dr. Taylor how he would go about finding that out. + +DR. TAYLOR: Mr. President, my first step I think would be to put that +question to my neighbor who had been there longer than I, who had had +his eyes open and who had had opportunity to observe. There is great +risk in undertaking to project into investment propositions theoretical +considerations with respect to particular varieties of trees. Our guide, +our only guide, must be actual, observed behavior of the trees that we +have under consideration. Of course we can draw some broadly general +lines. We do well in a matter of this character to draw those lines +rather conservatively and make clear that he who passes beyond the line +does so at his own risk. He does it deliberately experimentally rather +than upon what you might call an investment basis. The important thing, +it seems to me at this stage is to observe and record the facts with +respect to the trees now growing. That, of course, is particularly true +with regard to the native trees which, without doubt, must take the lead +in side line planting throughout the northern states. That is to my mind +the important thing. Trees exist in large numbers. They need to be +located and studied not merely observed on one bright sunny afternoon +when everything tends towards satisfaction and optimism, but through the +eyes in a way that will make available not only to the observer but to +the rest of us the facts in regard to those trees. + +THE PRESIDENT: The next number on our program is Tree Planting for +Definite Purposes, by Charles Lathrop Pack, President of the American +Forestry Association. Mr. Pack has notified us that he is unable to be +present, but has forwarded his paper. + + + + +GREATEST POWER PRODUCING ENGINE IS THE NUT TREE--MAKE NUT TREES YOUR +MIDDLE MAN IN FIGHTING FOOD COST + +CHARLES LATHROP PACK, PRESIDENT, THE AMERICAN FORESTRY ASSOCIATION + + +On every hand we hear the call for power and more power. Every +scientific genius in the world directs his attention to increasing power +units in the struggle for world trade on which we are entering following +a World War. Business calls for quicker transportation and the motor +world answers with master motors; railroads are being or have been +electrified; water power developments are being pushed in many parts of +the country. The business world calls for more power and the aeroplanes +answer with the delivery of mail and soon we are told it will enter the +strictly commercial field. But what of man? What is being done to make +him stand up under this terrific strain; this keener competition? What +of the food that must keep him going? What of products that must be put +before him with the middle man standing between? + +A nut bearing tree is the most powerful engine in the world if its +fruits be properly used. If the people of the United States could have +nut bearing trees for their "middlemen" in the fight to bring down the +High Cost of Living it would come down quickly. + +Nuts are the most important of all tree crops because they are the +richest natural food substance known. A nut is Nature's supreme effort +to pack as much nourishment as she can into the smallest possible space +for the nourishment of the future young plant. That some people are +aware of these food values is evidenced in the nationwide tree balloting +now being conducted by the American Forestry Association for the +selection of a national tree. In this voting nut bearing trees are in +the lead. Many nuts contain as much musclebuilding food as rich cheese, +a third more than beef steak, twice as much fat as cheese, five times as +much as eggs. Chestnuts contain 70 per cent of starch, nearly as much as +the best wheat flour and four times as much as potatoes. Peanuts and +hickory nuts are three times as nourishing as beefsteak. When you think +of it that way it hardly seems to be the thing to casually munch triple +extract of beefsteak from a street nut stand or after a hearty dinner. +Say a fifty-pound bushel of black walnuts costs two dollars. It yields +12-1/2 pounds of meats whose fuel, or food value is 37,500 calories. The +same number of calories in beefsteak at fifty cents a pound would cost +more than fifteen dollars. A bushel of hickory nuts at three dollars +yields as many calories as sixteen dollars' worth of round steak. + +Out in Kansas the other day a single walnut tree stump, grubbed out on +the banks of a creek in Geary County brought the farmer $250. When the +call of war came we found we had to hunt for black walnut to make gun +stocks and aeroplane propellers. In some towns in Ohio, citizens cut the +walnut from their streets so high was the price offered for this wood. +So let us make trees, particularly nut bearing trees, the memorials or +the proper setting for memorials to the men who offered their lives to +their country in the World War. Let us line our highways with trees and +make them Roads of Remembrance. In this way the trees will impress their +value upon millions of our people. Put these trees where they can spread +the message of production and beautification combined. Take their seeds +and pass them on to other places where the message will be spread still +further. + +Michigan is planting apple trees along a Victory Highway. Tourists will +pick those apples some day. That is just what Michigan wants them to do. +Michigan wants the tourists to carry the fame of Michigan's apples to +the southern tip of Florida and to the northern tip of Montana. Why do +not your members of this Association of nut growers follow the example +of Michigan by planting nut trees along the highways of the state they +represent. The American Forestry Association is glad to co-operate with +anyone who wants to spread the message of the tree. The people of this +country have a responsive ear to campaigns of education. The American +Forestry Association's call for memorial tree planting has demonstrated +this. Trees are being planted by the American Legion, the Service Star +Legion, schools, church congregations, all sorts of organizations and +individuals throughout the country. The tree is the one thing with its +ever renewing life symbol that meets the requirements of a memorial. The +tree is the memorial the individual can erect, care for and protect. +Then just consider what the tree gives the planter in return--an +affection that only comes from the bosom of the earth, to which the +loved one for whom the tree was planted, has returned. + +You gentlemen are missing a great opportunity if you do not get squarely +behind the American Forestry Association and help it spread the message +of the tree, Nature's masterpiece and greatest gift to man, and in doing +so urge the value of planting trees that produce food wherever such +trees can give better service than those which do not produce food. + + * * * * * + +THE PRESIDENT: The next number on our program is A Nursery of Improved +Filberts, by Conrad Vollertsen, of Rochester, N. Y. + + + + +A NURSERY OF IMPROVED FILBERTS + +CONRAD VOLLERTSEN, ROCHESTER, N. Y. + + +Again I have prepared a paper on the growing of Improved European +hazelnuts, but through practical experience perhaps a little more +positive in my statements. + +It is well known, a well established fact, that our common native +American hazelnuts both Corylus rostrata the beaked hazel, and Corylus +Americana the American hazel in their present state of appearance are +for various reasons not very well adapted nor desirable for cultivation, +particularly Corylus rostrata, a very slow growing variety with unusual +small and hard shelled nuts, so small and hard that even the rodents of +field and forest refuse to gather and eat them. The only value I can see +in this variety is that it may prove to be a good pollenizer. Corylus +Americana is a better grower with nuts a little longer than the +preceding variety, but a short life plant and therefore not even fit to +use for stock to graft on and should never be used for that purpose. +There is in fact by both varieties lots of room for improvement, which +only could be gained through scientific hybridization and which we hope +will be realized to a certain extent at least in a comparative few +years. + +It is true a few better varieties of the American type like the Rush +hazel and one or two others have been discovered or produced, but even +they do not favorably compare with the better European varieties and the +consequences are: If we want to grow hazel-nuts, we are at the present +time and until such time has arrived, when through scientific +hybridization substantial improvements over the present state and +condition of our native hazel-nuts has been gained, actually compelled +to rely on some of the European varieties, compelled to grow and +cultivate a large assortment, from which to select the proper varieties +for the different sections of our country. + +I therefore have chosen as a title to my paper The Growing of Improved +European Hazel-nuts in Nursery and Orchards in the State of New York and +other Eastern and Northeastern States. I have chosen this title, because +it indicates that a nursery of European hazel-plants is in existence and +that orchards are planted, which is really equivalent with growing of +European hazel-nuts for commercial purposes, otherwise there would be +no need of such nurseries and no need of hazel-orchards. + +I have alluded to this very subject in an earlier paper, but was at that +time not as convinced of the final success as I am today. + +We have since not only experienced a very severe and constant winter but +a winter in a great many ways rather peculiar and unusual with early and +heavy snowfall, which prevented in some sections of the eastern states +the freezing of the ground in spite of the bitter cold. We have since +seen another season of buds and blossoms and balmy breezes passing away +never to return and a season of harvesting our fruit is rapidly +approaching its end, but, ladies and gentlemen, during this now +vanishing and for some sections of our country rather peculiar season, +great opportunities were offered the close observer to study and +investigate the different problems concerning the growing of European +hazel-nuts in the northeastern states of our country. + +Let us hope that not all of these opportunities and chances offered us +have passed unobserved, but that some of those perplexed questions of +filbert or hazel-nut growing in the east have been solved. To me this +past season, though somewhat unusual, was very interesting and above all +very instructive to growers of hazel-nuts. + +It is my opinion that the peculiarity of this season has wonderfully +aided to solve many of those unanswered questions about the growing of +European hazel-nuts for commercial purposes in the Eastern States. +Through practical experience and close observation throughout the whole +season it certainly has convinced me beyond the slightest doubt in my +mind that some varieties of European improved hazel-nuts properly +selected for the different states or parts of the Eastern States can be +profitably grown for commercial purposes. It will of course require time +and work to find out the right and proper varieties for the different +sections of our country. For Western New York I could select eight or +ten varieties from my nursery that would prove A No. 1 for that part of +the state of New York, probably a number of the same varieties would do +equally as well in parts of adjacent states, but of that we are not sure +until actual planting has been done and thoroughly tried out. The +question now is how and where can we obtain the necessary varieties of +hazel-plants, as the importation of most kinds of nursery stock, +including all nutbearing trees from foreign countries is at the present +time very much restricted, practically prohibited. To my judgment there +is but one way out of this, if we want to grow hazel-nuts of foreign +origin. + +We are under the existing circumstances, as stated before, simply +compelled to grow our own plants. And this is being done. And to prove +that it can be successfully done I will try to describe and demonstrate +the method I am using or employing in my nursery for propagating the +hazel- or filbert-plants. I still adhere to layering as the best method +of propagating the hazel, large numbers can be produced in a comparative +short time, if sufficient stock-plants are at hand; and plants on their +own roots have many advantages over grafted or budded stock, as there is +no wild growth to combat with, so deceiving and aggravating to the +people who plant hazel-nuts and liable to choke or kill the growth or +bud, that eventually nothing but the wild stock will remain. + +The general assertion or claim, that grafted or budded hazel-plants are +more productive, more prolific, than plants on their own roots does not +hold good to all varieties, as I have both grafted plants, as well as +plants on their own roots of bearing age and have so far not been able +to see any difference in bearing, now in the size of the fruit or nuts, +but would like to have it strictly understood that this opinion of mine, +gained through experience and observation in my nursery only should not +be taken as final, as I only have a few grafted varieties to watch and +to compare. In fact I have every reason to believe that grafted +hazel-plants of some varieties, will be more prolific and bear more +regular, but have had so far no proof of it, but will do more grafting +of other varieties to establish the fact more positive and report the +result later. For the buying public at the present time, plants raised +from layers on their own roots should be preferable and layering as a +method of propagating the hazel-plants resorted to until the general +public gets more and better acquainted and familiar with the growing of +hazel-plants. + +The layering of hazel-plants in my nursery is done from imported stock +or parent-plants planted on ordinary farm land thoroughly worked and +well manured 12 feet apart each way. Two year old plants are selected +for such planting, they are allowed to grow about two seasons before we +layer them, which would be about in the autumn of the second year, at +that time there should be besides the ordinary growth of the original +plant, some fine young shoots growing from the root, which could be, if +go desired, layered together with other branches of the plant, but is +not always advisable, neither is it necessary, as the plants selected +for parent stock should be well branched and well able to furnish wood +enough for the first layering without those one year old shoots. + +I will now try to show to you, as an illustration and at the same time +try to explain the reason why they should not be layered, simply because +they are there. It is all well and good to layer them, if the scarcity +of wood of a choice variety demands every branch obtainable and they +will grow all right, but will never produce as nice a root as layers +from a two year growth. These are the young so-called one-year-old +shoots I have referred to, really just this season's growth, perfectly +straight without any laterals. Now in layering them a little opening +long enough for the branch and about 3 to 4 inches deep, the same as for +layering other branches should be made in the ground and the young shoot +or branch carefully bent and placed in the opening and well anchored or +fastened before the ground is filled in again, otherwise our changeable +winters may heave and loosen them, we will then at the best of it +eventually grow but one plant from each of such shoots and generally +poorly rooted at that, that is a root rather long and crooked not very +easy to plant and still harder to dig, very much like this specimen a +layered one year old shoot, just taken from a parent plant. + +We cannot improve much on this awkward root as it is impossible to +shorten the bend in layering them, but we can improve on them, if we +allow the one year shoot or growth another season to grow, we will then +at the end of the second season have an altogether different branch +before us, a branch in appearance about like the one I have here. You +will notice the terminal bud of the last year's growth has made a growth +of about 12 to 15 inches during this second season, besides that, you +will see from 4 to 7 fine laterals all of them including the growth from +the terminal bud fit for layering and all of them will bend easily and +can be placed almost perfectly straight in the ground, which will +invariably insure finer and better rooted plants and more of them, than +a one year growth can produce, as is shown in this specimen from +a-two-year-old branch I have brought with me, this demonstration plainly +shows that there is nothing lost in waiting two years with the layering +of young branches, as our reward will be more and better plants possibly +a little smaller, but better growing plants than the longer layers from +a one-year growth, besides that, a branch with 4 to 7 laterals can be +layered about as quick, as a one-year growth, as the same opening in the +ground made for one layer is fully sufficient for 6 or 7 on a two-year +old branch. All layered branches or little shoots should be cut back to +about 3-4 eyes above the ground and remain in the ground about one year, +the earth around the parent plants and between the layers must be well +worked throughout the whole season and if necessary mulched with half +rotten manure. After the layers are well rooted, they should be taken +up, cut apart and properly trimmed and planted in the nursery row, where +they remain until large enough for market or orchard planting. There is +but very little pruning of the young hazel-plants necessary until they +are planted in the orchard. I will therefore not dwell on the subject of +pruning just now, but will leave the propagating and growing of the +hazel or filbert-plants in the nursery and try to make a few remarks +about the hazel or filbert orchard. I should perhaps have mentioned the +growing of seedlings for stock to graft or bud upon before I begin my +talk on the hazel-orchard, but as there is but very little to be said +about it, I may as well refer to it right now. + +It is very difficult at the present time to import the ordinary wild +hazel (Corylus avellana) from Europe for grafting purposes. We therefore +are obliged to raise our own stock. This can well be done by sowing the +seed or nuts or by layering of European varieties, we are in possession +of. I have among my imported varieties several of which the fruit or +nuts are too small and not at all satisfactory for commercial purposes, +those varieties I am layering with that point in view to use them for +stock to graft upon only. Such stock can also easily be grown from seed +or nuts. It has for me so far not been necessary to grow seedlings, as I +had stock enough from layers to graft upon, but have found any number of +seedlings on my ground from nuts dropped from the plants and not +gathered or destroyed by mice or squirrels so I know the seed or nuts +will readily grow. Nuts can be sown in the fall quite successfully +providing they are safe from mice, otherwise they should be stratified +and kept from freezing during the winter. I will leave this subject now +and call attention to the hazel or filbert orchard. If the planting of +such an orchard is planned, the soil and location should be well +considered. Ordinary farm land well worked and fairly well manured and +not too wet will answer the purpose, providing it is an open piece of +land well exposed to sun and air, as the hazel-nut requires both and a +good deal of it in order to perfectly mature its' fruit. + +In planting the orchard, three or four varieties should be used on +account of better pollenization and plants about three to four years old +planted. Varieties that naturally grow more conical or pyramidal shaped +could be planted about 12 feet apart each way, but the more spreading +varieties like the Lamberts and others I would advise to plant 15 feet +apart each way, as part of the land between the rows can well be +utilized for low growing crops for several years to come and thereby +prevent the waste of land. It is not necessary to plant an equal number +of each kind, if three or four varieties are chosen for the orchard, we +may select say two very prolific kinds and add a few plants of other +varieties to mix in for pollenization, which will fully answer the +purpose. Before going any further with my talk on hazel or filbert +orchards, I should emphatically recommend the thoroughly working and +preparing of the ground, as it is a very essential part of the operation +and a necessity to the final success. It is a mistaken idea that a hazel +orchard will take care of itself, the ground should be well cultivated +and kept free of grass and weeds. Barnyard manure or other fertilizers +should be resorted to whenever the ground shows a necessity thereof, +neither trees or fruit can be grown successfully on poor and exhausted +soil. All filberts or hazel plants are naturally inclined to produce a +number of suckers or young shoots grown from the root, they should be +removed as soon as they appear, it will stop when the plants grow older. +Standard trees with a short stem say 10 to 15 inches should be planted +in the orchard, if such plants could be had. It should be our aim to try +to grow and prune them with that point in view to raise such plants, as +they are then easily taken care of. This actually brings us to the +operation of pruning our hazel plants, which is in every way quite an +important part of the growing of hazel nuts. At the time of planting all +plants should be cut back, the same as is done to any shrub or tree when +newly planted, but after that the hazel being more a shrub than a tree +should be pruned every year with the center well kept open all the time, +all weak and unnecessary wood or branches in the middle of the plant +should not be cut back but entirely removed, also the young growth of +most of the branches should be removed to just below the terminal bud of +the previous years growth, as I will show you on a branch I have brought +with me. + +If we will treat the plants in our hazel orchards as herein described we +should not experience any difficulty in raising a fairly good crop of +nuts, if the proper varieties are selected. Insects have so far not +troubled in the least, a few tent caterpillars appeared in its season, +but were soon destroyed by birds. We should not allow our hazel plants +to grow too tall, 12 to 15 feet should be the maximum height, after that +the tall growing branches should be greatly reduced, or gradually +removed, as there is generally young growth enough to take their places. + +During the severe winter of 1919 and '20 most all catkins or staminate +blossoms above the snowline in our nursery were frozen, also part of the +wood of a few varieties were more or less frozen, of which due notice +has been taken. They will be closely observed during the coming winter. +Only a few of the staminate blossoms that were well covered under snow +developed perfectly and the result was a very small crop of nuts on most +of the varieties, but all the varieties had some, even those more or +less frozen plants. It plainly shows that but a very few catkins are +necessary for pollenization, even over a wide area. There will be +failures caused by climatic or atmospheric disturbances in our hazel +orchards as well as in all other orchards which we cannot control nor +prevent, but that should not discourage us as long as the prospects of +fair crops are otherwise all right, the selecting of varieties, the +proper pruning of our plants, the control of insects and the location of +our hazel orchard is all in our power and should, if properly exercised, +almost guarantee a fair crop and insure a fair profit from each acre so +planted, providing the proper varieties are selected. Before coming to a +close with my paper it seems to me justice is not quite done to the +hazel proposition if I would not mention the beauty and pleasure +thereof, the beautiful appearance of an hazel orchard and the pleasure +and enjoyment it affords us, not from a financial point of view only in +gathering the nuts, etc., but from other sources as well. No other +orchard will in a comparatively short time appear more like a natural +grove than the hazel on account of its characteristic compact growth and +dense foliage, so attractive and inviting to our song and other +insectivorous birds for hatching and rearing their young, the constant +warbling of the different birds from early spring until late in summer, +the building of their nests, the feeding of the young, all affords +endless pleasure and enjoyment to the close observer. Now October is +here, quietness reigns in field and forest, also in the hazel orchards +birds are silent, a number of them departed for warmer climates, others +ready to leave us, butterflies and other insects have disappeared, nuts +have been gathered, and the leaves are falling, death, decaying and +destruction seems to be dominating all around us, but our hazel +orchard, though remarkably changed, still retains a certain part of its +former beauty as the little catkins the staminate blossoms now become +more conspicuous, an ornament to any catkin bearing tree throughout the +winter, and a pleasure to look upon. There is no reason for +discouragement, nature is not dead, only at rest, where we see death and +destruction, nature in reality celebrates a new beginning. + +The close examination of our hazel orchard at this time will fully +convince us that vegetation is still alive and active. Examine the +leafless limbs, notice the beautiful staminate blossoms, notice back of +the falling leaves the life, the thrifty little bud, a sure and positive +promise of a coming spring with the early pistillate hazel blossoms, a +great consolation and a great source of pleasure and enjoyment to all. +Why not combine profit, beauty and pleasure? Why not plant a hazel or +filbert orchard? + +MR. JONES: I would like to ask Mr. Vollertsen if he has tried layering +the two years growth and rooting the one year branches thereon instead +of layering the one year growth. The one year shoots would no doubt make +larger plants at one year but you get a larger number of plants by +layering the two years growth and rooting the branches. + +MR. VOLLERTSEN: I have found that these smaller plants will be better +plants. + +MR. JONES: What About rooting these and then transplanting. Don't you +suppose you gain by rooting those and transplanting in a year. + +MR. VOLLERTSEN: If these were all apart each and every one would make a +good plant. I know from experience that they will grow faster a great +deal faster than these long roots. There is a plant that has been +planted one year from a layer. It is a one year growth. This is a +two-year. + +THE SECRETARY: I would like to ask Mr. Vollertsen if the soil makes a +difference in the way in which they grow. That is if a sandy soil or a +clay soil is better adapted. + +MR. VOLLERTSEN: Well I must say if we had sandy loam the plant would +grow better and it is more easily worked. Too heavy a soil is not so +good. + +PROF. CLOSE: I would like to ask Mr. Vollertsen what method of grafting +he prefers and just when he would like to do it; if he has any choice of +time and also the method of budding and the method of treating the bud. + +MR. VOLLERTSEN: We really should have the common European variety to +graft on. Though these are a little small we do graft on them and they +do grow well. + +PROF. CLOSE: Do you whip graft or cleft graft? + +MR. VOLLERTSEN: Either way they grow easily. + +DR. MORRIS: I would like to make one remark. I have grafted hazels using +the paraffine method from April until September, every month between +April and September and have had them grow. The ones I grafted in +September were winter killed but up to the sixth of September we have +had them pull through the winter. + +THE PRESIDENT: I do not desire to be placed in the bragging class but as +a Michigander several things have been brought to my notice very +recently that cause me to take pride in Michigan. As I landed in the +fine central station in Washington it occurred to me that a senator from +Michigan, James McMillan, had caused the old railroad stations in the +District of Columbia to be cleaned out and the fine new depot +established in place of them. For his good work one of Washington's +parks bears his name. The plans for the new Union Station were prepared +by Mr. Spencer, an engineer from Michigan. Passing the Senate Office +building I realized that another Michigan Senator, Senator Charles E. +Townsend, was at the head of the national road movement in the United +States, being chairman of the Committee on Post Offices and Post Roads, +fully in accord with the tree planting plan that we have mapped out to +be carried on on the public highways throughout the United States. +Picking up the program showing what our work might be at this +convention, I find five Michiganders noted thereon, a fair proportion of +the program. Picking up the morning paper, if you please, you will find +that Michigan has been advanced in population beyond the other states. +You will find that our city of Detroit has passed a number of other +great cities, going from tenth place to fourth, becoming one of the four +cities of the United States with a million inhabitants. So you see we +have a prosperous state. And we have good men in Michigan that have +helped to make it so. Going into a railroad station in a Western city +within the past two or three weeks this occurred. The morning paper had +stated that the candidate of a great political party to the presidency +of the United States was on a train that had been ditched, that the +engineer had been severely injured and a number of others on the train; +that the distinguished candidate himself had been badly jarred and might +possibly have been injured. An hour or two after this first report came +from this accident the news boys were calling on the streets: "Extra, +extra." Naturally we thought it would be a continuation of news relative +to this railroad accident and immediately I purchased a paper. What do +you suppose its heading was? In great type three inches high: "Henry +Ford has reduced the price of automobiles." Henry Ford perhaps is the +best known Michigan citizen today and when we get the river and harbor +appropriation that my good friend Dr. Morris referred to not long ago +you will see the Washington steamers going up the St. Lawrence River and +loading at the seaport of Detroit, carrying out the products of +Michigan, we will hope the cargoes of nuts to which he referred. But +next to Henry Ford I am sure that the best-known citizen of Michigan +today is the next speaker upon the program. He needs no introduction to +you. He is one of the pioneers of this movement and in my opinion has +done more than any other man in this day and age to promote health, to +promote good morals and to benefit the race in many ways along the lines +that he has chosen. I take great pleasure in presenting Dr. Kellogg of +Battle Creek, Michigan. (Applause). + +DR. KELLOGG: Mr. President, Ladies and gentlemen, I fear I cannot +qualify in all of the good things which your chairman has said about me. +I am glad to be from Michigan. I assure you I am greatly interested in +the work of this association. I admire immensely the perseverance of the +members of this association. I am not to any extent a nut grower +although I have nuts planted in my garden and hope that my heirs will +reap the fruit of my trees. I went into the business rather too late. I +have been so busy all my life that I did not have time to do some +things. But I am very greatly interested in increasing the consumption +of nuts. I have been popularizing the idea of nut consumption and making +it a staple article of food for almost fifty years, and I have been +continually faced with this objection that if we get all the people +eating nuts there would not be enough nuts for them to eat. That is +really the situation. There is not much use to increase the demand for a +thing unless we can supply the demand. So I am very much interested in +the production of nuts. + + + + +NUTS NEEDED AS SUPPLEMENTARY FOODS + +DR. J. H. KELLOGG, BATTLE CREEK, MICHIGAN + + +The nut is the oldest and best of Nature's products intended as food for +man. The paleontologists tell us that early man was a nut eater as are +the gorilla, the orang-ou-tang, and the chimpanzee, his modern +prototypes. + +Elliot, an eminent English anthropologist, tells us in his interesting +volume, "Prehistoric Man," that "there was not, so far as we are aware, +any carnivorous creature in the Eocene period." + +Elliot also tells us that walnuts, almonds and palm nuts were produced +in great quantities in the forests of the ancient world +contemporaneously with the lemur-monkey man, who had then made his +appearance in what is now northeastern North America, the first land to +rise out of the ancient ocean. From the facts set forth by Elliot +showing that all the higher mammals were originally vegetable feeders, +as well as from his biological affinities with the anthropoids with +which man forms the family of primates, it is evident that man is so +constituted that he may if he chooses, select his entire bill of fare +from the vegetable kingdom. That this may be done successfully, that is, +that a man may live on a diet, no part of which is drawn from the animal +kingdom, has been abundantly proven. The experience of many millions of +human beings in India and other Oriental countries who abstain from the +use of flesh on religious grounds, and to whom cow's milk is almost a +novelty, is a practical demonstration of the fact that the vegetable +kingdom is able to supply to human beings everything required for +complete nutrition. + +It is true that some years ago Slonaker, of Leland Stanford University, +in an animal feeding experiment in which one group of rats was fed a +mixed diet and the other exclusively on food stuffs of vegetable origin, +found that his vegetable feeding rats, although for a few weeks showing +themselves superior to the mixed feeders later developed unmistakable +evidence of malnutrition and physical inferiority. + +Some years later, however, McCollum of Johns Hopkins, then of Wisconsin +University, demonstrated conclusively that by making a proper selection +of vegetable foodstuffs, rats may live and thrive indefinitely on a diet +wholly derived from the vegetable kingdom. In connection with this and +other similar experiments, McCollum made the interesting discovery that +when an animal's bill of fare is to be wholly drawn from the products of +plant life it is necessary, in order that the animal shall be fully +nourished, that all parts of the plant should be eaten. His experiments +demonstrated that if animals are fed upon seeds, alone they undergo +physical depreciation, do not obtain full growth, are unable to +reproduce or nourish their kind, and ultimately perish. In like manner, +roots are found to be incapable of bringing an animal to full +development and sustaining its life indefinitely. It was found that to +be well nourished the animal must eat in suitable proportions, variable +within considerable limits, seeds or fruits and leaves. The great +importance of the green leaf as a complement of other foods has been +clearly shown. + +Experiments by McCollum, as well as those of Osborne, Mendel, and +numerous other investigators in the same line of research, have made +clear several new and highly important facts in the physiology of +feeding. + +They find that foods contain certain subtle elements known as vitamines +which are absolutely essential to the full development and prolonged +life of an animal. These elements are not found equally distributed in +the parts of plants and animals. In seeds they are found chiefly in the +outer layers or envelope which is commonly rejected as bran. A certain +vitamine especially concerned with growth and development, the fat +soluble B, is found in the green leaf along with lime and iron, all of +which are deficient in seeds. Roots especially supply an abundance of +alkaline salts which are highly necessary to balance up an excess of +mineral acids found in seeds. + +Ignorance respecting these highly important facts has been responsible +for a great number of failures in attempts to adopt a non-flesh dietary. +A diet consisting of cereals and fruits, as for example a bread and +fruit diet, while apparently satisfactory for a brief period, must +inevitably result in failure because of lack of lime, iron and special +vitamines found in the green leaf. The same deficiency exists in flesh +foods. The soft parts of an animal, fat and lean meat, are almost wholly +lacking in lime and vitamines. They contain a great excess of mineral +acids. Even a carnivorous animal fed on such a diet soon shows evidence +of failure. The lime in the animal body is found almost wholly in the +bones, and the vitamines are concentrated in the liver and other glands, +so that in the case of flesh foods, as well as vegetable foods, for +complete nutrition it is necessary that the whole animal or its +essential parts should be eaten. Wild carnivorous animals do this as do +also wild men who live largely upon flesh foods. The cave men crushed +and ate the bones of the animals upon which they fed, and the Indian +tribes of Texas and the Northwest have long practiced the grinding up of +the bones of fishes to eat with their food. + +Dr. Treves, one of London's most eminent surgeons was called upon by the +head keeper of the animals of the London Zoological garden for advice +respecting the condition of the lions. It was noted that the cubs bred +in captivity were club-footed and variously deformed, and in many cases +were either born dead or survived but a few weeks. His investigation +showed that the fault was wholly in the diet. The lions received only +the soft parts, lean and fat, of animals. When given bones and bone meal +the difficulty speedily disappeared. Stefansson reports that, when +living upon an Eskimo diet it is necessary to take the whole bill of +fare, including the raw frozen liver of the seal, otherwise serious +illness intervenes. + +Hindhede, by arranging a dietary based upon these principles, has +demonstrated that a man may be perfectly sustained on a diet which +contains no animal product of any sort. In a letter received by the +writer from this able Danish physiologist, the statement is made that a +strong laboring man was maintained for 23 months in perfect health and +vigor on a diet into which no animal products entered. + +Another important fact developed by Rubner, Mendel, McCollum and other +investigators which is of fundamental importance in animal nutrition, is +that proteins differ in their value as tissue builders. Proteins differ +from the starches and fats in the great complexity of their composition. +Instead of being simple compounds or mixtures of a few simple compounds, +proteins, as found in nature, consist of several sorts of highly complex +molecules which vary greatly in their composition. + +The protein molecule is made up of a number of organic units known as +amino acids. There are 30 or 40 different kinds of amino acids of which +less than 20 enter into the formation of the proteins of the human body. +These 18 or 20 different amino acids are absolutely essential for the +formation of body proteins, and are produced by plants, hence if they +are not found in the food the body cannot produce them and the material +necessary for tissue building or repair will be lacking. + +Proteins which contain all the amino acids essential for tissue building +are known as complete proteins. Other proteins, lacking in certain +essential constituents, are designated as incomplete: Flesh foods +necessarily furnish complete proteins. The proteins of milk and eggs are +also complete proteins. The proteins met in the vegetable world are +exceedingly varied in character. Each species of plant produces its own +kind of proteins. Vegetable proteins differ greatly among themselves. +Complete proteins are comparatively rare. The proteins of cereals, for +example, have been shown to be deficient in some of the essential amino +acids. The deficiency is still greater in the proteins of beans. In +fact, the proteins of vegetable foods in general may be said to be +deficient. + +The necessity for providing the body with complete proteins was +doubtless the original cause which led men under circumstances of +privation and emergency to resort to the use of animal flesh for food. +The cows of Nantucket, the ponies of Alaska, and I have recently been +informed by Mr. Goddard, curator of anthropology in the American Museum +of Natural History, the rabbits of northern Canada, in times of great +scarcity of food, also resort to the eating of flesh. The necessity for +complete protein to maintain physical fitness is so great that animals +by nature the farthest removed from the carnivorous class resort to +flesh eating when this is the only source of the needed element. + +But what bearing has all this upon the dietetic use of nuts? The +relation is very direct and very important. The situation developed as a +result of the World War made very clear to everybody how close the world +has arrived to the point where the careful economizing of our food +resources will be absolutely necessary. The rapid increase of the +world's population which has occurred, especially within the last two +centuries, is a hew world experience. Two hundred years ago the average +length of human life was less than 20 years, as it still is in Mexico +and some other parts of the world where the life-saving influence of +modern sanitation and health conservation have not had an opportunity to +exercise their influence. In former times great epidemics devastated +whole continents so frequently that the world's population barely held +its own from century to century. In many instances whole tribes were +wiped out. Such catastrophes are now almost unknown, although we still +have with us the plagues of influenza, tuberculosis, syphilis, and +pneumonia. Even these, however, are being conquered, so that their +destructive influence is being stayed. + +At the present rate at which the population of the world is increasing, +the time is certainly not far distant when it will be necessary to +utilize in the most economical manner possible every acre of soil +capable of producing food. During the war the attention of +agriculturists was very forcibly called to the enormous waste involved +in our so-called animal industry. The first measure of food economy +adopted in Germany at the beginning of the war was the slaughter of a +large part of livestock. The same measure was adopted in Scandinavian +countries and in all parts of central Europe. This was absolutely +necessary, as Lusk and numerous other authorities have shown, for the +reason that to produce one pound of water-free food in the form of beef +or mutton requires the consumption more than 30 pounds of digestible +food material. The cow is a much more economical means of food +transformation, requiring the consumption of only a little more than 5 +pounds of food for each pound produced, so that the waste of food in the +production of milk is less than one-fifth as much as in the production +of meat. This has led the food economists to recommend the reduced use +of meat and the increased use of milk as a source of the complete +protein required for sound nutrition. McCollum and other authorities, +including representatives of the United States Department of +Agriculture, have within the last four years persistently urged upon the +public the importance of using more milk and less meat, and not simply +as a matter of economy but as a matter of health as well, for it has +been shown that the protein of milk is even superior to that of meat. It +was found, indeed, that by the use of a few ounces of milk daily, a pint +and a half, in connection with a dietary otherwise consisting wholly of +foods derived from the vegetable kingdom, the body will be amply +supplied with complete proteins, the milk not only furnishing protein of +a superior character but serving also to supplement the proteins of the +cereals, roots and other vegetable foods, supplying the amino-acids +which they lack so as to render them also available for tissue growth +and reconstruction. + +This discovery respecting the important place which milk is capable of +filling in the solution of the great and pressing problem of human +nutrition is a highly important one, and its value has led to very +active efforts on the part of the U. S. Department of Agriculture to +enlarge the dairy interests and increase the milk production of the +country as one of the best means of food economy which could be adopted. +But even this is not a complete solution of the difficulty, for the +keeping of milch cattle involves still a very large waste of food +material, five pounds being consumed by the cow for each pound produced. +The evident reason for this is the fact that the cow requires the large +part of the foods she eats for her own use in maintaining heat +production, supplying energy for exercise, supporting the work of the +heart, lungs, digestive organs, etc. The food value of the milk produced +represents simply what is left over after the cow has made use of what +she needs for herself. + +There can be no doubt that as meat production diminishes, as it is +certain to do, milk production will likewise decrease. There is even at +the present time a notable shortage of dairy products, and the average +per capita production will undoubtedly continue to decrease for the same +causes which inevitably lead to a lessened meat production. Some other +source for the complete proteins needed to supplement the incomplete +proteins of cereals and roots must be provided. Fortunately, Nature has +supplied us with this all-essential foodstuff in that choicest of all +our products, the nut. This is a vitally important fact which sometime +will save the race from protein starvation. + +A study of the relative protein content of nuts, milk, and meat shows +that, pound for pound, the almond, beech nut and walnut contain on an +average as much protein as does meat and five times as much as is found +in milk, and protein which from rat feeding experiments appears to be of +equal value. The chestnut, the chinquapin, the filbert, the hickory, +pecan and pine nut contain on an average as much protein as is found in +fish, while the butternut, the peanut and the pignolia contain twice as +much or 50 per cent more than is found in the best of meat. + +The following table shows the number of pints of milk equaled by one +pound each of the several nuts mentioned, together with the calory value +of the nuts per pound and of the amount of milk containing an equivalent +amount of protein and the amount of each kind of nuts needed to supply +supplementary proteins for one day: + + Pints of Milk + containing as Calories Calories Amt. needed + much protein Milk Nuts for one day + as one pound + + Acorn 2.4 780 2620 8.3 + Almond 6.1 2080 3030 3.2 + Beech nut 6.6 2145 3075 3.0 + Butternut 8.5 2762 3165 2.4 + Chestnut 3.2 1040 1876 6.4 + Chinquapin 3.8 1072 1800 6.4 + Filbert or Hazelnut 5.0 1625 3290 4.0 + Hickory nut 4.6 1495 3345 4.8 + Pecan 3.6 1170 3455 5.6 + Peanut 9.2 2090 2600 2.2 + Pinon 4.4 1430 3205 4.8 + English walnut 5.4 1555 3300 3.7 + Black walnut 8.5 2762 3105 2.4 + +From animal feeding experiments it has been determined that about 20 oz. +of milk will furnish sufficient complete protein to supplement a +vegetable diet otherwise deficient in complete proteins. This amount of +milk will supply one-third to one-half the total daily protein +requirement for the average person. Nuts are so rich in these precious +proteins, practically identical with those of milk, that the protein +found in 20 ounces of milk may be furnished by 2 ounces of peanuts, +2-1/2 ounces of butternuts, 3 ounces of almonds or beechnuts, 4 ounces +of English walnuts, or filberts, 5 ounces of pinenuts (pinons) or +hickory nuts, 5-1/2 ounces of pecans, 6-1/2 ounces of chestnuts or +chinquapins, or half a pound of acorns. + +The nut is one of the most important and interesting of all foodstuffs +for the reason that it presents in concentrated form the most valuable +and easily digestible of proteins. It is for this reason that the +farmers of Northern Italy are able to thrive on a diet of which the +chestnut is the staple. For the same reason 300,000 Pacific Coast +Indians prospered for centuries on a diet consisting chiefly of acorns +and pinenuts. In recent times, one of these Indians was known to be +living at the age of nearly 140 years, and the farmers of the West and +South before they had destroyed with axe and fire the splendid oak +forests of pioneer days, depended chiefly on mast to fatten their hogs. +The acorn was their chief source of protein, which is as necessary for a +hog as for a college professor. + +From the standpoint of cost, nuts, even at the present extraordinary +prices, compare favorably with milk as a source of protein, because of +the small quantity required to furnish the needed supplement of complete +proteins. For example, shelled almonds, at a cost of $1.00 a pound +(retail) supply for 19.2 cents the same amount of supplementary protein +furnished by milk at a cost of 24 cents. Black walnuts supply the same +amount for 15 cents, pine nuts (pinons) for 20 cents, hickory nuts 15 +cents, and peanuts 4 cents. + +The late Dr. Austin Flint more than fifty years ago prepared from +almonds a milk for use by certain classes of patients. The writer, about +thirty years ago, prepared from the peanut and other nuts a preparation +known as malted nuts which much resembles malted milk in appearance and +flavor, and which has been successfully used in place of milk by persons +sensitized to cow's milk in hundreds of cases. + +The preparation of milk substitutes from vegetable sources is not a new +idea. When in Russia a few years ago, I found on sale in delicatessen +shops a paste prepared from honey and almonds which with the addition of +water made a very palatable emulsion much resembling milk in appearance +as well as in flavor. I have been informed that the natives of the +Philippines prepare from the litchi nut a vegetable milk for feeding +infants deprived of their natural nourishment. These natural products +have the advantage over the infant foods of commerce most of which are +better fitted to destroy than to preserve life. They are complete foods, +supplying the essential vitamines as well as other necessary elements. + +The nut is not only the most concentrated form of nourishment known, +but, contrary to the general view, is one of the most easily digestible. +The supposed indigestibility of the nut is due to two things, eating +when already satiated with food; that is, taking the nut as a surplus +food, and second, neglecting to masticate the nuts thoroughly. Watch a +monkey eating nuts and see how thoroughly he masticates each particle. +Any particle not well crushed and emulsified is passed through the +intestinal canal undigested and of course unabsorbed. But when crushed +and converted into a smooth cream, the nut is one of the most easily +digestible of all foods. Most nuts consist almost exclusively of two +food principles, proteins and fats. The protein is one of the finest +sort and more easily digestible in the raw state than is cooked protein +of any kind. The fat is finely emulsified, and thus prepared for prompt +digestion and absorption. + +Experiments on human subjects conducted at the Battle Creek Sanitarius +by an expert from the laboratory of Yale University, showed that the +proteins of nuts are as easily digested and as fully utilized as the +proteins of other foodstuffs. + +The peanut produces an average crop of at least 40 bushels, or 900 +pounds of shelled nuts to the acre, equivalent to 8,280 pounds of cow's +milk, to produce which would require 4.6 acres. A grove of black +walnuts, 40 trees to the acre, producing one hundred pounds of nuts to +the tree, or one thousand to the acre, would afford as much protein as +8,500 pounds of milk, to produce which would require 5.3 acres. It is to +be noted, also, that one pound of peanuts has a nutritive value nearly +one-third greater than that of the 9.2 pints of milk containing an +equivalent amount of protein, while the calory content of the one pound +of nuts is more than ten per cent greater than that of the milk +furnishing the same amount of protein. In the case of many nuts the +disproportion is greater. For example, one pound of filberts has a food +value double that of an amount of milk containing the same amount of +protein. + +The nut is evidently superior to milk as a source of protein. Like milk, +nuts are rich in lime, doubtless due to the high protein content with +which the lime is associated in vegetable products. Nuts, like milk, are +deficient in iron, although in this respect they are considerably +superior to milk. Hence when nuts are freely used as a source of protein +care should be taken to supplement them by a liberal quantity of greens, +which are rich in iron and lime as well as in the fat soluble vitamine +which is also found in abundance in milk but in which nuts are rather +deficient. + +It thus appears that nuts, because of the superior quality of their +protein, may not only take the place of meat in the dietary, but when +properly combined with other vegetable foods, may to a large extent, at +least, take the place of milk. In this respect they constitute a unique +class of foodstuffs. + +The soy bean, which like the peanut is a legume rather than a true nut, +resembles the peanut in composition and like it affords a protein of a +quality so closely resembling that of milk that a very excellent milk +has been prepared from it. Its protein is also complete in character and +may replace the protein of meat. The soy bean has, in fact, for many +thousands of years been the chief source of complete proteins for the +Chinese and the Japanese. + +Aside from the soy bean and the peanut, nuts have no rivals in the +vegetable kingdom. They are real plant aristocrats, the value of which +will be more and more appreciated as scientific research and practical +dietetic experience make clear their numerous points of superiority. + +The meat industry and the milk supply are so closely related that both +are influenced by the same causes. Both meat and milk are certain to +become scarcer and more costly. And while it is most desirable that milk +should continue to constitute a part of the human bill of fare and that +its use should be encouraged and if possible increased, it is certain +vegetable substitutes for both meat and milk will be increasingly in +demand as pasture lands shrink in area and the world's population and +consequent demand for food cereals increase. + +It is certainly greatly to be desired that such efforts should be put +forward to convince members of congress and of state legislatures of the +importance of nut culture as will induce them to institute efficient +measures for encouraging the wide spread culture of nut trees and thus +make provision in time for the pressing need of the superfine material +afforded by them which coming years will certainly develop, for it +cannot be doubted that as the earth's population increases and as the +science of nutrition is perfected, we shall return more and more to the +dietary of primitive man, in which nuts were the chief staple, with +fruits, succulent roots and tender shoots as supplementary foods for +bulk, vitamines and food salts. + + * * * * * + +THE SECRETARY-TREASURER: I have been asked to prepare a paper on the +"Propagated Hickories." I have passed around a printed slip giving the +results of tests of some hickory nuts which will be useful in connection +with the paper. + + + + +PROPAGATED HICKORIES + +WILLARD G. BIXBY, BALDWIN, NASSAU CO., N, Y. + + +The title of this paper is a little misleading. In the nut contests the +word "propagated" is restricted to those nuts which any nurseryman lists +in his catalog and of which he is prepared to furnish grafted, budded or +otherwise asexually multiplied trees. There are few hickories which are +"propagated" in this sense and perhaps a better title would be "What We +Know About the Hickories That Are Propagated Experimentally." + +In a paper which Dr. Morris is to deliver he will tell us about top +working hickory trees. This is a matter of great interest for top +working existing trees is the method which at the present time promises +to be the means of getting our first orchards of fine hickories in +bearing condition. + +The earliest instance of which we know anything of grafted hickories is +that of the Elliot hickory owned by the late Whitney Eliot, of North +Haven, Conn. This was awarded a prize offered by the late A. J. Coe of. +Meriden Conn., for the best hickory nut exhibited at the December +meeting of the Connecticut Agricultural Society in 1892. According to +the Bulletin of the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture on "Nut Culture in the U. +S.," 1896, this was the product of a grafted tree. I have never seen a +specimen of the nut although I understand that the tree is still +standing. I have been unable to get any definite information as to when +the grafting was done, methods used, etc. + +The next instance of successful hickory grafting and the one which is +best known is the work of the late Henry Hales of Ridgewood, N. J. When +he purchased his place some fifty years ago, he found on it a fine +shagbark hickory tree. This had been standing longer than the oldest +inhabitant could remember and it is supposed to have been one of the +original forest trees of that section and spared on account of the +excellent nuts it bore. It came to the attention of the late Andrew S. +Fuller, author of the "Nut Culturist" published in 1896, and was +described by him in 1870 in the Rural New Yorker. Shortly after this +description, Mr. Hales received many requests for scions to which he +generously responded and any propagator who thought he could propagate +this hickory was given a chance to try, the conditions being that +one-half of the successfully grafted trees should belong to Mr. Hales +in payment for the scions sent. During the next ten years orders for +scions were so numerous that the old tree was kept pretty well pruned. +Mr. Hales received during the period only about two dozen trees from the +thousands of scions which he sent out. According to Fuller's "Nut +Culturist" these were largely grafted by Mr. J. R. Trumpey of Flushing, +N. Y., now a part of New York City. Information which I received at the +Hales place was that the trees growing there were grafted by Jackson +Dawson of the Arnold Arboretum about 1891. Inasmuch as there appear to +be trees of two different ages there it is probable that some trees were +from one propagator and some from the other. The trees grafted by +Jackson Dawson we know were on bitternut root and it seems likely that +the others were also for one tree is not like the others and I was +informed that that was a grafted tree, but the graft died and a shoot +came out at the base of the graft which was thought to be from the graft +but, after the tree had grown it became evident that it was not. The +buds of this tree show evidence of the bitternut. The nuts, however are +not pure bitternut and the tree is seemingly a bitternut x shagbark +hybrid. All of the trees grafted by Jackson Dawson were bench grafted in +the greenhouse on especially grown stocks. I have two trees on my place +from Thomas Meehan & Sons, Germantown, Pa., propagated in the same way +and, when received, the long tap roots were coiled up like springs +showing that the trees had been grown in pots. These trees, however, +have grown well since I planted them out though they were very small and +feeble when set out. These grafted Hales trees at the Hales place bore +nuts in eighteen to twenty years after grafting. They bore for about +five years and then ceased bearing. I went to see them for the reason +that I was informed by Miss Hales that the trees were not looking +satisfactorily and she was afraid there was some disease on them. I +requested the U. S. Dept. of Agriculture to allow Mr. S. M. McMurran, +who has made a study of pecan rosette, to come and look at the trees for +it seemed to me that they were similarly affected. He took specimens of +the leaves and reported that he could find no evidence of insect or +fungus trouble. He also made a careful examination of the soil, and the +farm was gone over carefully looking at the pecan and hickory trees +growing there of which there are a large number. Most of these did not +seem to be in good condition although a few did. Tests made of the soil +seemed to show that it was not the kind of soil in which hickories and +pecans do their best. It was also ascertained that while Mr. Hales +senior was living the trees had received an application of manure every +year. Since his death they have not. This, in connection with the +poorness of the soil for hickories, seems possible may be the reason for +the cessation of bearing. It also seems likely that bitternut root is +not a good stock for the shagbark. I have on my place two grafted +Cedarapids trees, each of which when received was four years from the +graft and four feet in height above the graft. One was on bitternut +stock and one on shagbark. The one on shagbark stock had made about six +inches the first year, a foot the second year, a foot and a half the +third and two feet the fourth while in the case of the one on bitternut +root the growths were reversed, two feet the first, a foot and a half +the second year, a foot the third year and six inches the fourth year. +Mr. Jones has also had the experience of grafting the Vest hickory on +the bitternut, had it bear in two years, and then die. While the +evidence we have on this subject is not conclusive as there may have +been other factors which might have caused the trouble outside of the +stock, it shows that the stock on which the different hickories are to +be grafted is a matter of importance. Mr. Henry Hicks of Westbury, L. +I., who a number of years ago became enthusiastic on the Hales hickory, +has four grafted trees or those which he purchased for grafted on his +place. One he has had twenty-seven years and it has not borne. It has +been twice transplanted. He has two or three others which have not yet +borne. Inasmuch as the buds of these trees are not all alike, it is very +evident that they cannot all nave been grafted from the original Hales +tree. The finest looking Hales hickory of which I know is on the place +of Frederick E. Willets, Glen Cove, L. I. Mr. Willets could not tell me +how many years it had been set out but it was quite a good many. It +bears a few nuts but the tree has been disappointing in its performance. +I examined it during the past summer and the nuts, of which there were +not many on the tree, were dropping off. It was evident that some insect +was attacking the husks which may account for the rather unsatisfactory +bearing record. + +In distinction from this rather unsatisfactory record of Hales trees we +have great promise of something worth while in the only other bearing +grafted transplanted hickory of which I can give information, Mr. Rush's +Weiker tree. This was produced by. Mr. J. F. Jones when he was living in +Monticello, Fla. A southern pecan nut was planted in 1902. It was +root-grafted below the surface of the ground in 1903, sent to Mr. Rush +in the spring of 1904 and planted out at that time. Mr. Jones says that +the tree was not over eight inches high when sent. It bore its first +nuts in 1917 and has borne a few every year since. This year the tree +set full and had a good crop when I saw it last. The nuts borne by this +tree are considerably larger than those of the parent Weiker tree. +Inasmuch as the original Weiker tree has given us our best hickory +bearing record, it seems not unlikely that this grafted Weiker tree may +also be an unusually good bearer. + +Against this slow record of grafted transplanted hickory trees, we have +some remarkably quick results with top worked hickory trees. Mr. Jones +has a bitternut tree now about five inches in diameter which was top +worked in the Spring of 1916 to Fairbanks variety, ten grafts being put +in, two of which blew out that summer or fall and were replaced the next +spring. In 1919 all the grafts, the two year ones as well as the three +year ones bore nuts, about 120 maturing. The tree set full of nuts in +1920, but caterpillers got on it, unnoted, and practically the entire +crop dropped off. Mr. Jones also has a smaller bitternut tree top worked +at the same time to Siers. It bore two nuts in 1919. He also has a +mockernut tree top worked at the same time with Kirtland and which set +some nuts in 1919 but which dropped off before maturity. It set quite a +number in 1920. Mr. D. C. Snyder, Center Point, Iowa, has a shagbark +hickory some twenty-five or thirty years old which was top worked +shortly after it had begun to bear. In 1913 the four top limbs were top +worked to Fairbanks hickory, the rest of the tree being undisturbed. In +1915 these grafts bore nuts and have borne every year since. In 1919 +they bore two quarts. Inasmuch as this was a year when the hickory crop +in that section was a failure it was thought to speak well for the +bearing of the Fairbanks hickory. In 1916 four grafts of Dennis hickory +were put in and three of Cedar Rapids. The Dennis grafts bore four nuts +in 1918 and over a dozen in 1919. The Cedarapids bore one dozen in 1919 +besides a number more which a squirrel got before Mr. Snyder did. Mr. +William A. Baker of Wolcott, N. Y., top worked a bitternut tree to +Fairbanks in 1917 and the tree bore ten nuts in 1919. Mr. Harvey Losee, +Upper Red Hook, N. Y., grafted the young shoots of cut back hickories +and out of three shoots so grafted had them bear in three, four and five +years respectively. Dr. Morris has grafted a Taylor hickory on a small +tree which bore five years after grafting. Dr. Deming on his place at +Georgetown, Conn., has probably a greater collection of top worked +hickories of various varieties than anybody else. These trees are +growing finely and give promise of bearing early. A Taylor hickory on +stock 1-1/4" diameter grafted, April 26, 1918 had ten nuts on it on June +27, 1920. A Griffin hickory grafted in 1915 which is now 2-1/2" in +diameter had 81 nuts on it on the same date. There seems to be no +question but that anyone who has land with hickory trees one to four +inches in diameter can easily and quickly change them into orchards of +hickories bearing fine nuts by top working. + +We next come to the relative merit of the various hickories of which we +know. I was fortunate in securing for the 1919 contest enough specimens +of the greater portion of those hickories which have been propagated +experimentally to a considerable extent so that some information on this +point can be given. The printed slip which I will pass around gives the +results of these tests and will give a better idea of the different nuts +than can be done in any way except by passing around samples. It will be +noted from the slip that the nuts run very close indeed and it is very +probable that another year these nuts would not show exactly the same +results for it has been clearly shown that nuts vary greatly from year +to year. There are other characteristics of hickory nuts which are of +great importance which are not shown in the annual contests. These are +the bearing records of the tree, its ability to stand various diseases +and most of all how it will work out when grown in orchard form. This +can only be told by experience. From the fact that, in the 1919 contest, +of the ten varieties of the experimentally propagated hickories there +was only a difference of five points between the highest and the lowest, +it shows that the merit of each nut is sufficient so that all of these +should be tested out in orchard form. In other words we should not for +example select the Vest and Manahan as the best that we have and +propagate them to the exclusion of the others. It is probable that there +will be great differences in the orchard behavior of these various +hickories shown as this is done and that then we shall be able to select +the most desirable varieties. Some tests made recently on nine standard +southern pecans the Schley, Burkett, Moore, Alley, Delmas, Moneymaker, +Pabst, Stuart and Vandeman show a great difference between the highest +and lowest in the number of points awarded, this difference being 10 +points as against 5 in the cast of the hickories. The Hatch bitternut +and Stanley shellbark noted on this slip are here not because it is +believed that, as market nuts, they will compare with the first ten +mentioned but because they are the best nuts we now have which are not +shagbarks or of which the shagbark is not one parent. It is believed +that those nuts will be valuable for hybridizing purposes. + +There is one matter suggested by the slip on which I will touch although +it is not properly within the scope of the subject set for this paper +and that is the possibilities of hickory breeding. Of the ten hickories +noted on the slip as receiving 70 to 75 points, four, it is agreed, are +hybrids. The examination which I have made of the others leads me to +believe that more of them are, but four out of ten with the possibility +of more is sufficient to cause us to take notice. There are some nine +hickory species native in the north eastern United States and they +hybridize to a considerable extent. Some of these species show most +remarkable differences in characteristics. The shagbark is unexcelled +for quality of kernel. The shellbark bears nuts as large as the largest +black walnut. The bitternut bears nuts with a thinner shell than any of +the finest southern pecans and with a larger proportion of kernel. What +we know about practical plant hybridization leads us to believe that we +can combine the good qualities of these various species of hickories. +Think of what it would mean to have hickories equal in quality of kernel +to the best shagbark, of the size of the largest black walnut with a +shell thinner than the thinnest shelled pecan we have even seen, and +with a larger proportion of kernel. + +While the hickory is the nut which has given as the most trouble in +propagation and gives us the most trouble in transplanting and grows the +slowest, it is certainly difficult to find one which gives more promise +either in growing the fine hickories we now have or in breeding up +better ones. I am convinced that as soon as we can furnish the fine +hickories we now have in commercial quantities they will command prices +equal to those paid for the finest pecans. + + * * * * * + +THE PRESIDENT: I will call upon Mr. J. F. Jones, of Lancaster, +Pennsylvania, who has the subject of "Selecting and Handling Scions." + + + + +SELECTING AND HANDLING SCIONS + +J. F. JONES, NUT SPECIALIST, LANCASTER, PENNSYLVANIA + + +In the selection of scions of nut trees for grafting the propagator +should keep in mind the fact that the wood selected must be full of +vitality and must be of solid, well matured growth, that will stand the +maximum amount of exposure and hardship after being grafted, as the +grafts and stocks of nut trees callous or heal very slowly in comparison +to fruit trees, and the scions must be of solid, well matured growth if +good results are to be obtained. These requirements usually go together +however and if we select scions of solid, well matured growth, we +usually get scions in which the tree has stored the maximum amount of +"starch" or vitality. + + +HOW TO JUDGE SCIONS + +The experienced propagator of nut trees can quickly distinguish between +good and poor scions for grafting, but the beginner, not knowing the ear +marks of good scions, often fails to select the best scions for +grafting. The common mistake made by the beginner in the selection of +scions of nut trees, is in selecting the smaller growth. The smaller +growth is usually more pithy and lacking in vitality and gives poor +results in grafting. Poor scions are usually characterized by pithy wood +and a light colored, thin bark. The buds are usually farther apart than +they are on good scion wood, though this is not always true, as good +scions sometimes have the buds set well apart, except near the +terminals. The distinguishing marks of good scions are solid, well +matured growth, and a thick, dark colored bark. The buds are also larger +and usually set closer together. + + +WHEN TO CUT SCIONS + +Scions must be cut while the tree is still dormant and, in the case of +trees that the wounds bleed when the tree is cut, as do the English and +Japan walnuts, under certain conditions, we must guard against cutting +scions soon after severe freezing weather and before the tree has fully +recuperated. This semi-sappy condition of the trees following low +temperatures that freeze the wood, seems to be a provision of nature to +restore the moisture or sap lost from evaporation, and although more +noticeable in some species of trees, notably the English walnut, this +condition undoubtedly exists in other species of trees to a greater or +less extent and we always try to avoid cutting scions of any kind soon +after hard, freezing weather. I have found scions of the English and +Japan walnuts, cut from trees in this condition, to be practically +worthless for propagation, although the scions may have been cut in late +winter, long before the sap gets up in the tree, naturally. + + +HANDLING AND KEEPING SCIONS + +Scions of nut trees for grafting should be handled carefully to avoid +rubbing off the buds, although this is not so important with nut trees +as with fruit trees, for the reason that the more important nut trees +such as the various walnuts, pecan and hickories have compound buds and +if the larger buds should be destroyed the secondary buds may be counted +upon to grow. The scions should be tied in bunches of a convenient size +to handle and, after being well tied and carefully labeled, should be +packed in paper lined boxes that will prevent evaporation of moisture in +the parking material. Any material that will absorb and hold moisture +and that will not heat when bulked, will answer the purpose for packing +scions, but we have found sphagnum moss to be the best material for this +purpose. This material can be obtained from the local florists or +dealers in cut flowers usually. Sphagnum will absorb a good deal of +moisture without actually becoming wet and will also hold this moisture +and give it off more slowly than any other packing material with which I +am familiar. This is especially important in keeping scions of nut trees +in good condition for grafting, because, if packed too damp, the scions +are soon spoiled for grafting, even if kept at a low temperature. + +As a precaution against fungi, we usually use bordeaux mixture, two +thirds standard strength, to dampen moss for packing scions, especially +if they are to remain in storage several months. + +Our rule is to use moss only slightly damp to the touch and if used in +sufficient quantity, say two or three times as much bulk as we have of +scions, we find no trouble in keeping scions in perfect condition for +months. In fact, as an experiment, we have carried pecan scions in cold +storage and without re-packing for fifteen months and then get a fair +stand of grafts to grow. + +We usually advise putting scions in cold storage where convenient, +especially if they are for use in late May or June, but this is not at +all necessary if the scions are packed in moss only slightly damp. In +fact scions kept in an ordinary cellar at a temperature around 50 +degrees have given us better results on the average the past two years +than have those from cold storage. + + * * * * * + +The association adjourned until 2 p. m. + + + + +AFTERNOON SESSION, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1920, 2 P. M. + + +THE PRESIDENT: We very fortunately have with us a gentleman from the +Bureau of Entomology, Mr. F. E. Brooks, who will talk to us about nut +insects for a time and we will be very glad to listen to him. + +MR. BROOKS: I believe your program is full for this afternoon and I +shall keep you but a few minutes. + +A little more than a year ago the problem of insects affecting the nut +crop of Northern United States was assigned to me by the Bureau of +Entomology. I wish to say the work has been very delightful to me from +several standpoints. In the first place, it has brought me into +association with a delightful group of workers. I want to express to you +the pleasure I have had in meeting the various nut growers of the +northern part of this country and noting the hearty way in which they +are ready to co-operate in solving the nut insect problems. The field of +work is interesting because there appear to be in sight no insect pests +that promise to embarrass or overwhelm the nut grower. We have a few +quite serious insect problems, perhaps none more serious than that +occasioned by our old acquaintance, the "chestnut worm." That problem, +however, is being solved rapidly in many localities by the chestnut +blight. + +Thus far in the work, I have devoted most of my time to a study of the +species attacking the fruit of nut trees, and I may mention three groups +that have been given special consideration. First, the group to which +the chestnut worm, or chestnut weevil, belongs. There are two very +similar species of these weevils which attack chestnuts, one which +attacks hickory nuts and pecans, one which attacks hazel nuts and +numerous species which attack acorns. The adults of these weevils are +medium-sized beetles, yellow, brown or gray in color, and all have +enormously long snouts. The mouth is located at the point of the snout +and the beetles use these snouts to bore through the covering of the +nuts after the kernel is partially or fully formed. When the puncture +into the nut is completed one or more eggs are inserted by means of an +extensile, thread-like tube, or ovipositor, of the same length as the +snout. The eggs hatch into the familiar worms found in ripe chestnuts, +hickory-nuts and hazel nuts. The large hole in the shell of the nut is +made by the full grown worm as it escapes to enter the ground, where it +completes its transformation into a beetle. An interesting thing in +connection with these weevils is that each species confine its attacks +to one particular kind of nut. Even those species that attack acorns +show a decided tendency to distinguish between oak species and confine +themselves as groups very largely to particular species or botanical +groups of oaks. There is, therefore, no danger that any of these weevils +will multiply, for example in an oak forest, and then migrate into +nearby plantations of chestnut, hickory or hazel. Hazels might be used +for interplanting among chestnut or hickory trees with no danger that +the hazel nuts would become infested by the weevils that develop in the +chestnuts or hickory nuts. This habit of the weevils is greatly to the +advantage of the person who would plant a particular kind of nut outside +its natural range, or at a considerable distance from any other trees of +its kind. He could do so with reasonable assurance that the weevil +attacking his species of nut would not occur upon his trees until +brought into the locality by artificial means. + +There is another group of weevils, nearly related to the common plum +curculio, the species of which attack immature nuts. In this group the +snout is much shorter than in the group just described, and the insects +are considerably smaller. There is one species, _Conotrachelus +juglandis_, that confines its attacks to the young fruits and shoots of +walnuts of the butternut group, another, _Conotrachelus retentus_, that +seems to attack exclusively the black walnut fruits from the time they +set until they are half grown, still another, _Conotrachelus affinis_, +that appears to attack only half-grown hickory nuts. Another species, +_Conotrachelus aratus_, feeds abundantly in some localities within the +leaf petioles of hickory. At least two other species of the group +commonly attack acorns. Those injuring walnuts lay their eggs on the +concave side of crescent-shaped punctures which they eat in the husks of +the young nuts. The larvae developing from the eggs cause the nuts to +drop within a few weeks and the larvae enter the ground to complete +their transformation. There is a divided tendency with some of these +species to attack the young wood and leaf stems of the introduced +species of walnut. Dr. Morris states that he has had young Japanese +walnut trees killed by _C. juglandis_ feeding in the grub stage within +the branches. He has, however, found that the pest succumbs to an +arsenate of lead spray. + +Species of this group are apt to have alternating periods of increase +and decrease and a year of great abundance may be followed by a year of +comparative scarcity. This variation is due, at least in part, to the +fact that the larvae, as they feed within the tissues of their host +plants, often become rather heavily parasitized by certain two-winged +and four-winged flies, the parasitized larvae dying before they reach +the adult stage. Nature in this way does considerable toward holding the +pests in check, but artificial means of control will often need to be +considered. + +The third group referred to is represented by a two-winged fly, about +the size of the common house fly, known technically as _Rhagoletis +suavis_, and commonly as the walnut husk-maggot. The fly is light brown +in color, with broad, irregular, dark brown bands on the wings. It +appears when walnuts are nearly grown and deposits clusters of small, +white eggs within punctures in the husks. Maggots hatch from the eggs +and at the time the walnuts drop these maggots are often found +converting the inner parts of the husk into a blackened, pulpy mass. +Infested nuts are disagreeable to handle and the husk does not part +readily from the shell. I have found the fly attacking black walnuts, +butternuts, Persian walnuts and Japanese walnuts, within the states of +West Virginia, Maryland, Pennsylvania, Ohio, New York, Connecticut and +Massachusetts. It probably occurs over the natural range of the black +walnut and butternut. It is proving to be a rather serious pest, +especially of the Persian walnut. Some of the infested walnuts appear to +drop prematurely and others adhere to the branches beyond the regular +harvest time. The shell of infested Persian walnuts parts poorly from +the husk and the nut is discolored, soiled and unmarketable. + +The fly has rather interesting habits. I found that by pricking a nearly +mature black walnut with a pin, the wounds would almost invariably be +used in a little while by the female flies for depositing their eggs. In +one such wound, 180 eggs were laid within 24 hours. When the husk was +pricked a slight flow of juice would take place and the male flies would +soon find the spot, and, recognizing, I suppose, a suitable place for +the females to come to oviposit, they would stand guard at the puncture +awaiting the coming of the female. On one occasion I made minute +punctures in the husk of eight black walnuts and in a little while a +male fly was located at each puncture. Pairing took place usually as +soon as the female came and began to lay eggs. Sometimes a male would be +found at a puncture in the early morning and would hold its position +against all coming males throughout the entire day. When another male +would come to the nut the two flies would rear up facing each other and +engage in a brief sparring bout with their front legs. Usually, the +original occupant of the nut would be the victor. In some experimental +spraying of Persian walnut trees in Maryland and Pennsylvania the past +season with a sweetened arsenate of lead spray apparently good results +were obtained. In one case it seemed that the spraying was about 75 per +cent efficient in controlling the pest. In in another case, whereas last +year 75 nuts in 100 were infested, this year, after spraying only four +nuts in 100 contained the maggots at harvest time. + +I desire to state to the nut growers that I am interested in any nut +insect problems that you may encounter and shall always be glad to +receive reports and specimens. Your co-operation in this work is greatly +appreciated and I hope we may continue to work together and that before +long we may have more definite knowledge of the means of preventing, to +some extent at least, the various forms of injury by insects to the nut +crop. + + * * * * * + +MR. RUSH: I cannot help but express a word of gratitude and appreciation +to my friend Mr. Brooks in helping me out of a serious difficulty that I +had in connection with walnut culture at Lancaster. A year ago I was +ready to throw up the sponge. In fact I might say that my whole crop +last year was destroyed by this husk-maggot. This year I have a very +fine crop. Last year it was practically worthless. This year I have very +few walnuts that were affected by the maggots, largely owing to the +successful spraying that he gave the trees at the proper time. I think +the future has a bright prospect for making walnut culture more +profitable. + +THE PRESIDENT: We are certainly under obligations for the very +interesting talk and glad that Mr. Brooks could be with us. + +The first thing on the program for the afternoon session, according to +the published program, I know will be of a most interesting character, +Top-Working Hickories, by Robert T. Morris. + + + + +TOP WORKING HICKORIES + +ROBERT T. MORRIS, NEW YORK + + +At the present time when our views on the subject of top working trees +are based upon incomplete knowledge and experience perhaps it is unwise +to present a paper upon the subject which might be taken as +authoritative. On the other hand my experience to date is worth +recording for its face value, subject to change of view subsequently. + +Different species of hickory act differently when subjected to top +working methods. The bitternut may be cut back severely without giving +evidence of any great degree of shock. The shagbark on the contrary +makes slow recovery and many years are required for a cut-back shagbark +hickory to regain normal equilibrium between top and root. The pignut +and mockernut apparently stand midway between the bitternut and the +shagbark in respect to the trimming of the top. My experience with +shagbark includes the top working of trees ranging from a few inches in +diameter up to fifteen or twenty inches in diameter, and the cutting +back has included all stages from actual felling of the tree to cutting +off half of the top or less than half of the top. The idea of felling +trees completely was to graft stump sprouts or to insert the slot bark +graft into the stump near the ground. When this has been done the larger +hickories do not send up stump sprouts at all and the root dies +excepting in cases in which a slot bark graft has been introduced. The +graft grows slowly without a great degree of vigor and requires so many +years for balancing the root that the method has not been practical up +to the present time. The same statement is true of the shagbark hickory +which has been trimmed back very severely leaving nothing but the stubs +of large branches to be grafted immediately or for the purpose of +grafting sprouts in the following year. The bark of the shagbark hickory +is so hard that new shoots are choked severely and many years are +required before they have a secure hold upon the stock. My final +conclusion is that we may cut shagbark limbs having a diameter of three +inches or less for the purpose of leaving grafting stubs. If a large +number of grafts are inserted in such a topworked tree or in stock +sprouts which start and are grafted in the following year the work is +successful. In order to avoid the labor of topworking a large shagbark +tree in its entirety we may graft only one or two limbs and allow stock +sprouts to grow on other limbs until both stock sprouts and graft +sprouts have become well branched. Branches carrying stock sprouts may +then be removed a few at a time year after year, leaving the graft +sprouts in charge finally. + +By means of the bark slot method of grafting grafts may be inserted in +any part of a hickory tree. The bark slot method consists in using a +chisel and mallet for cutting parallel lines the width of the scion in +the bark of the stock. The tongue of bark between the parallel lines is +pried outward with the point of the chisel until the scion has been +inserted next the wood and the tongue of bark is then allowed to return +to place, leaving the scion interposed between the tongue of bark and +the wood. Rules which apply to the shagbark may be applied to all of the +hickories with which I have experimented. When cutting back the limbs in +preparation for topworking it is well to leave as many as possible of +stubs or branches of small diameter. Branches of small diameter may be +grafted by ordinary cleft grafting methods but branches of larger +diameter should be treated by the bark slot method. At the present time +and in the locality of my country place at Stamford, Connecticut, melted +paraffin suffices in place of grafting wax and melted paraffin is +brushed over the entire scion, buds and all, as well as over the wound +in the stock. + +The time for cutting back hickories in preparation for topworking is +probably important and in my experience to date, autumn cutting is +preferable. The reason is that a good deal of activity is going on in +the tree before it enters into a state of winter rest and wounds are +pretty well repaired. In winter cutting there is some danger of +incomplete repair and in the springtime the free flow of sap invites the +entrance of various enemies, bacterial and fungous. Summer cutting +according to the laws of plant physiology would cause more shock to the +tree than cutting at any other time, although practically I have done +this successfully. Without regard to season for cutting in preparation +for topworking it is very important to trim cut ends very smoothly with +a sharp knife in order to remove ragged tissue left by the saw. It is +difficult to persuade employees to do this and it will not be done as a +rule unless the owner looks after the matter personally. The smoothly +trimmed end of the cut branch should immediately be protected with white +paint, melted paraffin, or some other protective covering. + +What are the disadvantages of the slot bark method of topworking +hickories? The scion does not have such a secure hold upon the stock as +it does in cleft grafting and it will blow out in a high wind unless it +is protected by braces. I have found it not harmful to a tree to fasten +laths to the stock for holding the growing scion, driving galvanized +iron nails through the lath directly into the stock. Unless growing +grafts are well braced by some method the entire season's work may be +lost in two minutes of a gale preceding a thunderstorm in summer. By the +slot bark method, in other words, we may catch more grafts and lose more +grafts than by any other method with which I am familiar, but the loss +may be avoided by proper attention. + +The best time for grafting varies with the locality. At Stamford I have +grafted hickories from February until September. Very early grafting is +largely a failure because of incomplete repair of the wound in the stock +and scion. Late summer grafting is not practical because the scions +which make a start do not lignify their new shoots sufficiently to +withstand the winter cold. In late April or early May when the sap is +running very freely we also have a considerable loss of scions because +an excess of water causes the scion shoots to grow too rapidly before +wound repair has taken place to the point necessary for conducting +nutrition for the growing shoots. Grafting after the leaves are pretty +well out on the tree has given me best success. Grafting from then up to +the last week in July has been found to be practical. Scions for +topworking hickories have been employed for what I call "mediate" and +"immediate" grafting. By mediate grafting is meant the employment of +scions which have been cut while they were dormant and which have been +stored in any appropriate way. Immediate grafting means the transference +of scions cut from one tree and used upon another in the same hour or +day. Mediate grafting is the sort which belongs to all history of the +subject and immediate grafting relates more particularly to my recent +experimental work. + + * * * * * + +MR. BECHTEL: What kind of wax did you use if any besides paraffin? + +DR. MORRIS: I have given up everything but that. The paraffin has a +number of special advantages. In the first place, it seals any wound +against infection from bacteria or fungi. It prevents moisture from rain +carrying bacteria into the wound. It prevents evaporation from the cut +surfaces. + +MR. BECHTEL: Doesn't it melt too much in the sun? + +DR. MORRIS: It might with you and you might need to use a harder +paraffin. There are a great many kinds of paraffin. The paraffin series +is a large one in chemistry. The one I find best for our locality is the +common parowax that you can find in any grocery store. I use just the +pure straight thing but in your country you are further south and may +need a different one. It does melt some in the middle of a hot day and +will be nearly fluid sometimes but it hardens up when the sun goes down. + +MR. FOSTER: Were the grafts kept in cold storage? + +DR. MORRIS: I have used two ways of keeping grafts for top working. Some +have been kept in cold storage, others have been kept in the ice house. +I have been in the habit of kicking up the sawdust and dropping scions +in the hole not very far above the ice. Last year I could not get any +ice and two years ago I could not get any but the scions kept just as +well in the sawdust near the ground. Then I have kept them packed in +leaves with two feet of leaves on top of the scions. I have also kept +some as Mr. Jones has but the difficulty is in keeping them at the right +degree of moisture. The enzymes go to work the minute the cells of the +scion have a full charge of water despite low temperature unless it is +actually below freezing. Scions of another kind are the ones that I cut +off from one tree and put on the next tree the same hour or day. That +has only been possible by this method that I now employ. Almost any time +in the summer we can do that without keeping the scions in storage at +all. I gave some of them a resting period experimentally for a day or +two but to no advantage. + +PROF. CLOSE: Don't you have to be pretty careful with the melted +paraffin so as not to injure the tissue? + +DR. MORRIS: Yes we need special apparatus. I took a lantern, cut out the +top and sunk a spun cup down in the lantern. On a cold day I turn the +alcohol flame higher than in a warm day. I have been trying to have this +lantern made so that it could be got on the market. There is nothing +else to my knowledge that will allow the grafter to regulate the +temperature of melted wax according to the weather. I am going to get it +manufactured so you can each have one. + +MR. BIXBY: There is a series of paraffines pure paraffines which are +known only in chemical laboratories and also a number which can be +obtained without much difficulty. The common parowax I think is the +grade that is known in the trade as 120. That is it melts at 120 degrees +F. but paraffin can be obtained without much difficulty that melts at +125 deg., 128 deg. and 130 deg., so if the parowax is too soft for Mr. Bechtel's +district I am sure he can get something that will be all right. He +might have to send to New York to get it but it is readily obtained +there. + +MR. BECHTEL: I have used bees wax and find that that melts at a higher +temperature. + +DR. MORRIS: I want complete transparency. + +MR. FOSTER: Would it be out of order for a beginner to ask what type of +grafting Dr. Morris uses in his work on these trees. + +DR. MORRIS: I think that somebody who was not a beginner might ask that +quite as well. I have tried almost all the methods employed by the +experts and have gotten down to very simple principles. If I am going to +get fifty, sixty, eighty or ninety per cent of catches in hickory as we +sometimes do I have to use methods that are very simple. For limbs that +are small not larger than one's finger the plain cleft graft is good +enough and I like as far as possible to choose a branch that is about +the diameter of the scion. If the limb is larger in diameter than the +scion I make my cleft to one side so that the cambium line of stock and +scion will correspond. It is important to have cambium layers together. +By all means the best feature of all in my grafting work is what I call +the bark slot. This bark slot consists in making two parallel lines in +the stock bark the width of the scion. I turn down that tongue of bark +and stick in the scion. I turn back the bark again and bind all with +raffia. That is the bark slot graft. The bark slot is by all means the +most successful method that I have ever employed. What are the +objections to it? Not so firm a hold on the stock as you will get in a +cleft. What are you going to do about it? Put on good strong braces for +the growing stock. I find it does not do much harm to drive galvanized +nails right into the tree to hold the brace, three or four nails right +into the limb, and then tie the rapidly growing shoot to the brace. If I +do not do that the new shoot blows out very readily when I use the bark +slot. In other words you will catch more by this method and lose more +unless you give the grafts a good deal of attention. + +PROF. CLOSE: How do you trim the scion? + +DR. MORRIS: I trim it mostly with one good long cut on one side and +sometimes turn it over and make a little nick on the other, but one good +long cut is usually all that it needs. + +PROF. CLOSE: Supposing the bark does not peel? + +DR. MORRIS: If it does not I think the chances are against its catching +your graft. I have done all my grafting until this year at times when +the bark peeled but this year I carried it up into September after the +bark had set and I am trying to see if I can get a catch then. In that +case I take a chisel and chisel off the bark where it is hide-bound. The +experiment may be a failure but I have had so many failures that they +are sort of a pleasant experience. + +MR. FOSTER: In the cutting back I understand that you prefer to do so +when the tree is dormant. Then in the spring when you start your +grafting do you leave that cut just as it is or do you cut it off again? + +DR. MORRIS: These are very important questions that are coming out. When +you have sawed off the limb trim the end neatly with a sharp knife. An +employee will almost always leave the cut end ragged but if you do it +yourself and have smooth ends and cover them with paraffin you can graft +right squarely on that end. Turn down your bark for a slot and stick in +the scion at any time. If the cut end was made by someone who was not +careful make a cut down through any living bark with a chisel or a knife +until you get down to the wood, then make parallel lines from that point +and turn down the tongue of bark. I have put in scions where I had to +use a heavy chisel and mallet to turn down the tongue. It was not +necessary to put on any binding there where the tongue of bark was so +thick. + +PROF. CLOSE: I understand you to say that if the end has become dried +you go down below the dried part? + +DR. MORRIS: When I find the end of the stub dry I go below that point to +get live bark for grafting purposes. After my scion is well under way a +year or so then I saw off any projecting stub beyond the graft and put +paraffin over the cut end. That form of graft works very well except +that it makes more work. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: I have been very much interested in what Dr. Morris +said. I found it no trouble whatever to get a hickory from four to six +or eight inches to grow a great big graft, but I have never seen one +live three years. I have my woods full of dead ones. I have one in front +of my house now which I slip-bark grafted about the diameter of two +inches and it is still growing but I expect an invitation to its funeral +next spring. I have never seen a hickory tree successfully grafted over +five inches in diameter. I found in my woods that the trees would +sometimes die down to the ground. If they lived they would drag along +for two or three years. If those of you who were out there yesterday had +had a little more time I could have shown you those dead hickories. I +would like to know what your experience is in grafting hickories over an +inch in diameter. + +DR. MORRIS: That is an important point and it relates to the matter of +cutting back to such an extent that it causes too much shock to the +tree. In very large hickories I have cut them hack to short stubs and +have had a number of them die. On the other hand where I have cut back +so that the largest limbs cut were not more than three inches in +diameter those trees would do very well. I have living shag bark grafts +now on trees that are from five inches to more than fifteen inches in +diameter. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: Do you cut these back in the winter or spring? + +DR. MORRIS: I do not remember about all. Some, were cut back in both +seasons. Winter is probably better. Autumn better yet. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: I cut mine in the spring. + +DR. MORRIS: That has a lot to do with it if the trees bleed too much. + +MR. FOSTER: Are your pignuts native? + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: I think most of them are worse than that. + +MR. FOSTER: They are familiarly known in my state as pig nuts. + +PROF. CLOSE: You could top-work them. + +THE PRESIDENT: We will proceed with the next number. We are honored in +having with us the President of the National Nut Growers Association who +has come to us all the way from the southland to tell us about selection +and propagation for the improvement of the pecan. I now have the honor +of presenting to you Mr. Theodore Bechtel, President of the National +Association. + +MR. BECHTEL: Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: After having listened +to so many good papers and addresses it seems to me that as far as +imparting any knowledge to this audience my trip may have been in vain. +However I assure you as this is my first visit to Washington it lacks a +whole lot of being in vain from what I have already seen and enjoyed. I +may be able to add a few points to what has already been said. + + + + +SELECTION AND PROPAGATION FOR IMPROVEMENT OF PECANS + +THEODORE BECHTEL, OCEAN SPRINGS, MISSISSIPPI + + +Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen: It is indeed a great pleasure to +meet you all here in the interest of Horticulture, one of the greatest, +and, by the way, the oldest industries of which we have any record, +since Adam and Eve were engaged in it, and in the interest of one of the +greatest branches of that industry, Nut Culture, and this in the +greatest city on Earth, because it is the seat of Government of the +greatest nation on Earth. We are all here, primarily, in the interest of +Nut Culture and I venture to say that these meetings will not be in +vain, as a congregation of such intelligence, interest and determination +as I see displayed here is certain to accomplish much in the course of +time. The very fact that there are many problems in Nut Culture to be +worked out makes the industry the more interesting for those who are not +looking for an easy get-rich-quick scheme. We have accomplished some +things in the line of propagation of pecans which were said to be +impossible only a few years ago, and they now seem easy. The problems +you will have to work out in the Northern pecan section, as it appears +to me, are selection and development of suitable varieties for your +climate. This will no doubt be done by using the best hardy varieties +you already have, some of which are showing good results, and crossing +these just as is being done in the South now by our Government officials +and by several private individuals. This great Government of ours has an +Agricultural Department which is capable of performing tasks in the way +of experimental work in this line on an extensive scale, which would be +too great an undertaking for an individual, and we should use every +effort to induce this work to be extended to the Northern sections, if +it has not already been begun. + +The results obtained by Mr. C. Forkert, of Ocean Springs, Mississippi, +who was one of the first to take up the work, are highly interesting and +give satisfactory evidence of what can be done by way of combining the +good qualities of two varieties by a systematic scientific method of +cross pollenizing and the work of Dr. Van Fleet, whose place we visited +yesterday certainly was convincing of the great possibilities along this +line of work. The fact that you have not the best now does not indicate +that you will not in time surpass in results some of the sections where +pecans now abound. Jackson County, Mississippi, had no native pecan +forest to start with and yet we now have some of the best and most +profitable orchards in the world, and it is the place where most of the +standard high class varieties have originated. + +In the selection of varieties upon which to build up your pecan industry +be careful to choose varieties showing as many of the following +qualities as possible: Productiveness, hardiness, early maturity, +plumpness of kernel, good flavor and cracking qualities. The varieties +selected for cross pollenization should combine as many of the desirable +qualities as possible. By grafting from the young hybrids into the top +of old bearing trees you may have samples of nuts in a very few years. +The propagation of pecans in the Northern nurseries seems to be well +under way and will no doubt be stimulated as orchard planting increases. + +I might add as a suggestion that seedlings to graft upon be raised from +seed obtained as near by and as nearly in the same latitude as possible +as these will usually be found best adapted to local conditions of that +section. + +Whether grafting or budding is the best method of propagation will +likely depend upon local conditions. We find in the far South that +budding succeeds best in some localities while grafting is best in +others. Ultimate results of the two methods in the orchards are equal. +In sections where there are native pecans growing in suitable places +these should be top worked to the best hardy varieties possible for +quick results. The best method to do this work will also depend upon +local conditions and seasons. The slip mark method of grafting as early +in the spring as the bark will slip, will no doubt be one of the most +expeditious, as it is quickly done, and in many sections is very +successful, providing the scions are kept perfectly dormant and the +waxing and tying are carefully done. + +As commercial orcharding is still in the experimental stage in the +Northern section of our country it will be well to sound a note of +warning to prospective planters that they may avoid some of the mistakes +that we in the Southern pecan belt made at one time. Next to the +neglect, which some of the planters allowed their orchards to undergo, +probably the selection of the wrong kind of land has been the cause of +more disappointment than any other one source. A fertile soil deep, +mellow, well drained sandy or gravelly clay subsoil should be ideal for +pecans anywhere in the latitude in which they are hardy. However, many +other types of soil are producing pecans, and if your home happens to be +located where the soil is not ideal, you can still grow them by +furnishing the elements which nature has failed to provide, if your soil +is well drained and free from hard pan. The planting and cultivation, to +be sure, must be carefully and thoroughly done to insure success +anywhere. + +I will say in conclusion that I believe there are wonderful +possibilities in Nut Culture in this country of ours. We know it is an +established fact that nuts are entered into the dietary of our upwards +of one hundred and ten million inhabitants of the United States of +America more and more from day to day. We have evidence of this in our +importations of nuts, which have increased from year to year until they +have nearly reached the enormous value of $57,000,000 for the year 1919 +as stated by the American Nut Journal. Then, too, there certainly can be +no more fascinating branch of horticulture combined at the same time +with financial reward. + +Now, let me thank you for your attention and say that I only wish that +every one of you might join us in our big meeting of the National +Association at Austin, Texas, next week. + + * * * * * + +MR. FOSTER: A thought occurs to me in connection with Dr. Morris' idea +of paraffin for use in warm climates. I happen to know as a patent +attorney that in the manufacture of candles in order to give paraffin +heat resisting qualities they introduce stearic acid. I have no doubt +that it would be just as successfully employed in paraffin for the +purpose of grafting. I think in candle making they add something like +ten or fifteen per cent to the ordinary paraffin. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: I think we are very fortunate to have with us Mr. +Bechtel and Mr. Perry from down South who are really in the nut +business. The problem before us is varieties. If you want to plant black +walnuts what walnut do you want to plant? Just because I happen to say +that Stabler is a first-class walnut does not make it so. If you want to +plant English walnuts what variety? I said to Dr. Van Dazce a few years +ago, "I wish I knew more about that variety." He said: "Don't bother +about that. You will be top working them all in a few years." +(Applause.) I have found a bigger pecan down in Indiana than the Major. +It is a big type and I wish we knew more about it. I wish the Department +of Agriculture would make an investigation and find out. What nuts to +plant and what soil to plant them on and what varieties to plant it +seems to me ought to be the trend of our talk here at these meetings, +and I am glad that Mr. Bechtel has taken up that question. + +MR. OLCOTT: I think the members of the association would be interested +in hearing a brief account from Mr. Bixby of the only commercial nut +planting proposition in the North at present,--a very successful one. He +has visited it within a week and I think he could tell us what varieties +they have planted. + +THE SECRETARY: About a week ago I was at Alton, Illinois, at the place +of Mr. E. A. Riehl. He has been a pioneer in many things, in fruit +culture and what interests us more today in nut culture. He is outside +the native chestnut belt and many years ago he planted some native +American chestnuts. When the Rochester chestnut came out he planted it +and he obtained from the late J. R. Parry of Parry, N. J., his best +Japan chestnuts including the Reliance. He also obtained Boone trees +from the originator the late Geo. W. Endicott, Villa Ridge, Ill. He has +raised many seedling trees from the above varieties and planted a small +hillside to them. Out of those he has selected the best and is +propagating from them. He has chestnuts there that I wish I might show +here, some that are fifty per cent larger than Paragon and with a better +flavor. Furthermore they will drop out of the husks so that it is not +necessary to pick up an unopened burr and heat it or pound it to get the +nuts out. He has now between one and two thousand chestnut trees. Most +of his chestnut trees however are seedling trees which do not bear +nearly as well as his best trees. The greater part of his trees are in +land that has never been cultivated. Many of his trees are not yet in +bearing. Some of his trees however are now 25 to 28 feet spread and +bearing heavily. He is certain that the yield of his orchard could be +greatly increased by top working the poor bearers and that he is doing. +Still he told me be obtained not less than 35c per pound for any of the +crop and for some as high as 40c and 50c wholesale. In 1920 he produced +over 4000 pounds. + +In this connection a short history of the Boone tree will be of +interest. In the spring of 1895 Mr. Endicott fertilized blossoms of +Parry's Japan Giant chestnut with pollen of a native American chestnut +and planted the nuts. This cross was made with difficulty for the +American and Japan chestnuts do not bloom at the same time and it was +several years after he had made up his mind to make the cross before he +was able to do it. In the fall of 1897 one of the trees produced six +burrs filled with nuts and was named the Boone. Since then it has borne +as follows: 1898, 1 lb.; 1899, 3 lbs.; 1900, 5 lbs.; 1901, 6 +lbs.; 1902, 8 lbs.; 1903, 12 lbs.; 1904, 17 lbs.; 1905, 25 lbs.; 1906, +31 lbs.; 1907, 43 lbs.; 1908, 50 lbs.; 1909, 56 lbs.; 1910, 5 lbs. +(small crop due to hard freeze in April); 1911, 80 lbs.; 1912, 76 lbs.; +1913, 140 lbs.; 1920, 153 lbs. I am not informed as to the crops in 1914 +to 1919 inclusive. Two other trees of the same parentage planted at the +same time bore 128 lbs. and 168 lbs. respectively in 1920. If we +consider that chestnut trees are set 40 feet apart each way, which means +27 trees to the acre, and estimated the crop at a fraction of that borne +by the Boone tree we shall still have figures sufficient to show the +wonderful possibilities of the chestnut in those sections outside of the +native chestnut area of the country where it will succeed. + +Mr. Riehl also has black Walnuts. He procured a Thomas black walnut from +Joseph W. Thomas & Son, King of Prussia, Pa., fifteen or sixteen years +ago. From that original Thomas tree he has top worked a lot of seedling +black walnut trees and he has I should think between one and two hundred +in bearing at the present time many of them bearing heavy crops. It is +very evident that Mr. Riehl has in his chestnuts and in his black +walnuts gotten northern nut culture down to the point where it pays. I +wanted to get Mr. Olcott to go there on his trip and get some facts from +Mr. Riehl to present at this meeting. When I was there I had another +mission in mind and I spent the time in getting what I went for. +Consequently I did not get all the practical details and results in +dollars and cents which we ought to have to demonstrate that it has been +a commercial success. But I am satisfied that it is because he is +constantly increasing his plantings. + +MR. JONES: Two years ago he favored black walnuts. + +MR. BECHTEL: What has he done with pecans? + +THE SECRETARY: The pecan is native with him but he is probably pretty +near its northern limit even though I have found it bearing good crops +further north. The pecans I have seen at Alton do not seem to be bearing +much. He has one or two northern varieties top worked on native pecans +one eight years old and another one five neither one of which is +bearing. + +MR. BECHTEL: He had a very small choice nut that he prized very highly +and sent me some scions to propagate for him I think about 12 or 14 +years ago. I grew them on our native stock shipped them to him. I never +followed it up to see what results he had. I think probably those roots +may have frozen out if he had severe winters. + +THE SECRETARY: What he showed me were two of the standard northern +varieties, I think Busseron and Indiana, which he had grafted on young +trees. In southern Indiana they are doing much better. Grafted varieties +are bearing but with Mr. Riehl it is the black walnut and the chestnut +with which he is making a success. + +THE PRESIDENT: The next speaker has for his subject the southern pecan +and how its commercial development came about. He comes from the one +state in the Union of which I may be somewhat jealous. It is the only +state east of the Mississippi River with a larger area than Michigan. +(Applause). I take pleasure in presenting Mr. A. S. Perry, of Cuthbert, +Georgia, Secretary of the National Nut Growers' Association. + + + + +GEORGIA'S PECAN INDUSTRY + +A. S. PERRY, CUTHBERT, GEORGIA + + +My heart thrills with pride and pleasure as I stand in the Capital City +of our great nation and bring greetings to the Northern Nut Growers +Association from the fertile fields of the far South. + +I am a southerner to the manner born. For six generations my people +sleep in Georgia soil and for an hundred years my family have lived in +the Albany district the queenliest section of the far south that rests +resplendant as a jewel upon the snowy bosom of her royal mother Georgia +and as beautiful as a cluster of fragrant flowers that nestles in the +girdle of a lovely woman. + +My imperial mother Georgia is a land of surpassing loveliness and thus +has for ages been the inspiration of poets and painters too. + +The southerners dream of beauty is the magnolia and who can tint her +roses or paint the morning glory that points its purple bugle towards +the sky as though to sound the revelie for a waking world. No prima +donna has ever yet entertained the crowned heads of Europe with such +music as that divine melody with which the mocking bird greets the +coming dawn. + +Ours is a land where skies bend blue and all nature seems to smile; +where mosses veil the infirmities of decrepit oaks and vines spring +unbidden from the ground to hide the scars of grey old walls; where the +grape-vine staggers from tree to tree as though drunk with the purple +juice of its own luscious fruit; where flowers lie at your plate on a +winter's day and the humblest laborer carries in his dusky hand flowers +fit to grace a May queen's crown. + +As proud as I am of the beauties of Georgia I am prouder still of her +material and natural resources. We have a vast undeveloped empire within +whose borders there awaits the prospector such potential treasure as +would make the fabled wealth of Lydia's ancient king seem but a beggar's +trifle, and the consuming ambition of my life is to see these resources +developed to the fullest degree and then shall my imperial mother +Georgia shine as the brightest star that gleams in Columbia's diadem. + +But of all the natural resources of Georgia there are none to be +compared to the possibilities in the development of our NATIONAL NUT the +Paper Shell Pecan. + +The history of the paper shell pecan is but another example that "a +prophet is not without honor save in his own country," for native +Georgians failed to avail themselves of the opportunity at their door +and the credit for the development of Georgia's pecan industry belongs +to the far sighted men and women of the North. Then why should I not +feel grateful to such men and women as you believing as I do that the +paper shell pecan industry is destined to lead Dixie out of her +industrial bondage and restore her to her rightful place among the +sisterhood of states. + +"History repeats itself" says the soldier and there is pictured in his +mind vision of other Shenandoah Valleys swept by the fiery broom of war +and other Atlantas and Savannahs given to the flames on some other +Sherman's March to the Sea. + +But history has repeated itself; the North has again invaded the South +but not with drum and fife and armed hosts and has been met not with +shot and shell but with a genuine southern welcome and from this +commingling of northern capital and energy with southern soil and +sunshine has sprung a new industry of such roseate promise as to almost +make the story of Aladdin's Wonderful Lamp fade into insignificance and +Dixie's imperial product, the cultivated paper shell pecan makes her bow +to the world. + +French explorers as early as 1740 left authentic records of pecans in +the Mississippi Valley and the many giant pecan trees scattered from +Maryland to Texas which the scientists tell us are hundreds of years old +seem to indicate that the pecan is a native of America whose origin is +lost in prehistoric times. + +The earliest financial transaction in pecans that has come to my notice +was in 1772 when William Prince of Flushing, New York, sold in England +eight pecan trees for ten guineas each. These trees were grown from seed +planted by himself. + +Prior to 1890 there had been little if any attempt to plant pecans in +orchards but about this time a few scattering seedling orchards began to +appear. + +In October 1902 about thirty owners of small pecan orchards met in +Macon, Georgia, and organized the National Nut Growers Association. Of +those pioneer growers only three remain today as active members of the +Association, Theo. Bechtel, H. C. White, and O. P. Mears. + +By this time the art of budding and grafting having become reasonably +well known several pecan nurseries came into bearing and orchards of +budded trees began to appear and the foundations of a real industry were +laid. About this time the nursery crook began to appear and sold +thousands of worthless trees but despite this handicap pecan culture +continued to spread and shortly thereafter attracted the attention of +Prof. John Craig of Cornell who after investigation pronounced it safe +sane and profitable. He also made a study of the various sections and +decided that the Albany district was the ideal section for profitable +pecan culture. + +This announcement by Prof. Craig was sufficient to induce northern +capitalists to begin developing the Albany district on a commercial +scale and several companies entered the field planting many thousand +acres to be sold in units. As an evidence of the lack of faith on the +part of local land owners let me say that a few weeks ago I read the +original contract between one of the pioneer development companies and +the gentleman from whom they bought their land. This contract was dated +early in 1908 and provided for the sale on time payments of several +thousand acres of land closing with the limitation that unless as much +us 100 acres of this land were planted in pecans and sold in 1920 the +contract was to be null and void. As a matter of fact this company +developed and sold about 4500 acres in less than five years. They have +long since retired as developers and give their entire time to the care +of their immense orchards and the sale of their nuts which annually run +around two hundred thousand pounds. + +More than one of these pioneer development companies found themselves in +financial difficulties due to the fact that they had sold their orchards +too cheaply. Pecan growing is expensive, much more so than the average +man thinks and the pecan orchards in the Albany district today that do +not meet the expectations of their owners are mostly those that suffered +for lack of money. Those companies with financial resources and +intelligent horticulturists have developed orchards that are a source of +perennial pleasure and profit to their owners. + +The cultivated paper shell pecan is as superior to the wild seedling as +is American gold to Mexico's money. These wild seedlings are small in +size artificially colored a bright red and have a sharp, astringent +taste and have a commercial value only because they are used to lower +the price of mixed nuts. + +When the average man hears the word "pecan" be instantly thinks of the +bitter red little nut which is ever present in the supply of Christmas +goodies but which is religiously culled and fed to the glowing grate. +Mr. Average Man never even heard of the southern paper shell pecan. In +fact, up to the present time, the demand has far exceeded the supply and +but little if any effort has been made to develop new markets. I think +it a conservative estimate that not ten per cent of our population have +ever tasted a paper shell pecan. + +The paper shell pecan is our national nut and its only competition in +the markets of the world is the ignorance of the public. Acquaint the +public with its merits and there will be a demand for a million times +our present supply. + +Away with the thought of overproduction. The "avalanch of nuts" is an +old wife's fable. Do not talk to us about overproduction, when the food +problem is giving the gravest concern to the master minds of the world. +With population increasing and food supply diminishing the gaunt specter +of famine is creeping closer and closer to the homes of men even in our +own favored land. + +Hunger knows no armistice. It conquers amid the snowdrifts of the North, +where the grand army of Napoleon found its winding sheet. It conquers +amid the burning sands of the south where the phalanx of Alexander +halted in mutiny. Away with such nonsense as overproduction in +discussing this the choicest food product ever given by a gracious God +to a hungry world. + +The ideas of yesterday do not fit the ideals of today. When conditions +shift opinions must be adjusted accordingly and the pioneer growers are +about to realize their golden dreams and reap their reward, for their +orchards are coming into bearing and yielding tons of beautiful brown +nuts for which they find a ready sale at prices ranging from 50 cents to +75 cents per pound and at even higher prices for extra fancy stock. + +No doubt many extravagant statements have been made about the pecan +industry but why exaggerate when the plain truth staggers the reason? +Why draw on the imagination when reputable growers in the Albany +District certify to returns to non-resident owners of $300 per acre in a +single season. + +This is one infant industry that will not cry for a protective tariff. +Never will Capitol Hill resound with the eloquent plea of some statesman +urging that the southern paper shell pecan industry be protected by a +tariff wall. + +The paper shell pecan is the horticultural triumph of the ages the gift +of a gracious God who no doubt could but never did produce a finer nut +and who in his inscrutable wisdom gave a natural monopoly in its culture +to the lower cotton belt for no where else on the habitable globe does +it reach the perfection attained there. + +The Mississippi Valley has been called the cradle of the pecan industry +and Georgia its nursery. + +Almost all the standard varieties of pecans have come from the lower +Mississippi Valley, Jackson county, Miss., perhaps leading the +procession as she is the mother of no less than twelve of the standard +varieties now fruiting in thousands of orchards making heavy the pockets +and light the hearts of as many owners. + +Southwest Georgia has monopolized the pecan nursery business. Given +Albany, Georgia as a center and scribe a circle with a sixty mile radius +and you have inclosed the area from which 90% of all pecan nursery stock +has come. This circle includes Monticello, Florida, which probably is +entitled to the honor of having grown a greater amount of pecan nursery +stock than any other one community. + +Texas produces the bulk of the pecan crop well informed men stating that +nine-tenths of the pecans come from the Lone Star State. This may be +correct but practically all Texas pecans are seedlings and while some +are of real merit the bulk of the Texas crop goes to the crackeries. + +The pecan belt roughly speaking is the lower cotton belt and includes in +a general way the southern part of South Carolina, Georgia, north +Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and parts of Texas and +Oklahoma. The paper shell pecan grows to perfection in this limited area +and nowhere else but all varieties do not thrive alike in the different +sections and the growers have long since learned this and have +eliminated the cumberers of the ground and replanted with those +varieties adapted to that territory. + +To successfully develop a pecan orchard requires money, brains and +everlasting bull-dog determination for the lean years with all going out +and nothing coming in try the patience and test the nerve of the +stoutest man. In pecan growing even as in love-making "faint heart ne'er +won fair lady." + +While the kingdom of the pecan stretches from Charleston to the Rio +Grande, the seat of government the capital city is Albany, Georgia, for +in the charmed circle known as the Albany district is to be found a +greater number of cultivated paper shell pecan trees than in all the +world besides. Here it is that abundant northern capital applied to +southern soil and sunshine has made the desert to blossom like the rose. +Here it is that abandoned farms scarred with gullies and over grown with +briar have been touched as with a magic wand and transformed into a +veritable fairyland of flower gardens and fertile fields dotted with +hundreds of thousands of beautiful pecan trees that lift their majestic +heads towards the sky as though proud of their royal lineage. Here it is +that the Mexican boll weevil before whose blighting breath our snowy +fields of cotton melted over night brought no terror for King Cotton no +longer reigns supreme. The king is dead but the people rejoice as the +scepter falls from his nerveless hand and a new monarch ascends the +throne. Millions of royal banners flutter in the breeze glistening green +with promise for the future and hope is high, and the hearts of the +people light as they gather to pay homage to the new monarch, Her +Imperial Majesty the Paper Shell Pecan. + + * * * * * + +THE PRESIDENT: We now have arrived at the time when we should go ahead +with some of our business work and probably the first thing we should +take up is the report of the committee on nominations. + +MR. OLCOTT: Your nominating committee regards it as especially fortunate +that the association has a board of officers so well equipped as is the +one under which the organization has just completed another year. For +that reason and also because in a single year officers can scarcely put +into effect plans they may have in view, the president especially being +of necessity engaged largely in becoming acquainted with the field and +the membership; your committee recommends the re-election of the present +officers: President, Wm. S. Linton, Michigan; Vice-President, James S. +McGlennon, New York; Treasurer, Willard G. Bixby, N. Y.; Secretary, Dr. +W. C. Deming, Connecticut, and the executive committee as at present +composed. + +The Northern Nut Growers Association has reached the stage of advocating +strongly the planting of nut trees of the kinds the Association has +investigated. Roadside planting appears to offer an immediate field for +activity and President Linton's leadership by reason of his special +interest and activity in this field is particularly needed during the +coming year when through the urging of this and other societies it is +expected many states will follow Michigan in the matter of roadside tree +planting. + +We believe it would be a matter of particular satisfaction to any +nominating committee of this association (as it is of this committee) to +recommend continuation in office of Treasurer Bixby and Secretary +Deming. + + (Signed) + + RALPH T. OLCOTT + T. P. LITTLEPAGE + ROBERT T. MORRIS + C. A. REED + C. P. CLOSE + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: I move the adoption of the report and that the secretary +be instructed to cast the entire vote of the association in support of +the report of the committee. + +MR. JONES: I second the motion. + +The motion was carried. + +THE PRESIDENT: Ladies and gentlemen. When I started for Washington it +was with the determination that another should succeed me as president +of the association the one reason being that my time had been so +occupied during the past year that it seemed impossible for me to go +ahead with the work as it should be done as president of this +organization. Now I am going to accept the election which you have so +kindly conferred and I am doing it for two reasons. I like the +association and the membership of this organization. I feel for the +other reason that my work has not been completed and I desire to finish +it. Now then you should have your membership doubled. Every last member +of the organization should put forth efforts this year towards that end. +Here is one plan that I have under way. I asked the faculty of our +agricultural college at Lansing if they would undertake to supply me +with the names of those who have nut trees in Michigan not the ordinary +kind but those producing good nuts and in plenty. I have the names of +from fifty to one hundred of those men owning perhaps a thousand good +nut trees. I do not believe that there is one of those men but would +become a member of this association if the matter were properly +presented to him. We have in Michigan 1,500 townships or more. Now we +have a way of reaching the supervisors of those townships through some +of our departments and we can practically take a census of the nut +bearing trees in Michigan so that instead of having from fifty to one +hundred names here we should have several hundred. Really 75 per cent +of those men should be members of this association. Now what we hope to +do this year in Michigan I feel can be done in every other state that is +interested in our particular work. I want to ask your co-operation you +who live in other states to assist in doing it. Then when we meet a year +hence I hope it may be somewhere in the central West. You honored our +state last year with the annual meeting. Of course we would like to have +you there again. You are welcome. We would be glad to receive you but +Michigan has been thus honored and I imagine that it would add to our +force in other sections to hold the meeting elsewhere, in Illinois or +Iowa or perhaps even a little further west. Some associations are now +meeting in Yellowstone Park and if we should go there we would have the +states of Idaho, Montana, Utah and Wyoming. We should get membership in +all of those states. The place of the next meeting I think is very +important. Now I think I have plainly stated my position in the matter +and I am going to try to serve you another year. I hope that at the end +of that year we will have our membership at least doubled. Let us try +and treble it. I thank you. (Applause). + +The next subject under discussion then will be the place of meeting. + +THE SECRETARY: The by-laws say that the place for the next meeting shall +be selected by the convention assembled or in the event of failure in +that by the executive committee. Sometimes we have done it one way and +sometimes the other. The proper thing to do I think is for the advocates +of the different localities to now present their attractions. + +MR. POMEROY: Our vice-president when he left asked me to suggest +Rochester, N. Y. While at Rochester Niagara county is only a short +automobile or trolley ride away. In Niagara county are quite a good many +walnut trees in bearing. + +MR. RUSH: Mr. President, I invite this association to convene next year +in Lancaster City, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. We can show you a +very prosperous nut nursery and some young bearing walnut trees and +Harrisburg and other places of interest. I am satisfied that you can not +meet at a more convenient place than Lancaster City. Therefore I extend +the association a hearty invitation. + +THE SECRETARY: I would like to hear from Mr. Reed as to the attractions +of the eastern shore of Maryland. + +MR. REED: There are several places, Mr. President, where I wish you +might go next year. One of those places is the eastern shore of +Maryland. As I told you last year I regard the eastern shore of Maryland +as one of the promising places of the whole East for the development of +nut orcharding and I find there a great deal of latent interest and a +great deal to see. I am a little disappointed that we have not some +representatives here at this meeting from the eastern shore. I am sure +that if we should decide to go there we would be received with +enthusiasm and we would be shown something that would be quite a +surprise to most of us. + +Then another place that I would like to have considered for some meeting +in the near future is the middle West. The Professor of Horticulture in +Missouri is a warm personal friend of mine a classmate of mine in +college, and he is very enthusiastic about the possibilities of nut +culture in that state. He is waiting to be told or shown how to go +ahead, and if we were to go out there I am sure he would follow the lead +if we set the pace. He would take hold and push the nut industry in that +section. In that same neighborhood is the orchard that Mr. Bixby told us +about the chestnut orchard of Mr. Riehl of one or two thousand chestnut +trees planted on hillsides that have never been plowed and which are +giving Mr. Riehl a very lucrative income. Mr. Riehl is 83 years old and +is not going to live always. We certainly ought to see that place while +he is there. We have no invitation out there and none from the eastern +shore and I am always in favor of going where we have an invitation. It +would be my feeling in view of the present situation that we accept one +of the invitations that have already been given to us. + +MR. RUSH: We met once in Lancaster about eight years ago but at that +time we had little to show. We had no nut nursery of any consequence at +all and no bearing walnut trees at that time. Now we have them in their +prime. + +DR. MORRIS: I would like very much to go to both places, the ones +described by Mr. Pomeroy and by Mr. Rush. + +MR. JONES: I would like to say that we were at Rochester three years +after Lancaster and I think Lancaster is entitled to it if you take time +into consideration. I think Lancaster is entitled to the meeting now. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: I move that we accept the invitation of Mr. Rush and Mr. +Jones to meet in Lancaster, Pennsylvania next year. I am going to +couple with that another motion which you can consider if you desire and +that is that we fix the time of meeting. I think that rather important. +I think there are many reasons for it. These meetings are attended by +many people who must know as far in advance as possible. Quite a good +many people take touring trips over the United States and if they know +when these meetings are going to be held they would be very glad to time +themselves to be at that point at that particular time. For example a +few years ago when we had a meeting here Mr. Groner toured here from +Oregon and timed his trip to be here. Later he timed his trip to be at +the national meeting at Mobile, Alabama. It is very important because we +all take vacations and we have to make our vacation arrangements in +advance. It seems to me that the time would be fixed now instead of +letting it lie over and finally select the wrong time. I therefore move +that we accept the invitation of the gentlemen from Lancaster and then +that we fix the time. + +PROF. CLOSE: I second the motion. + +The motion was unanimously carried. + +MR. REED: Mr. President, I would like to make a suggestion in regard to +the date. There are two purposes that we have in mind. One to see things +growing and another to see the product. We can hardly do both the same +year. This year we have seen things growing. We have had almost a summer +meeting and it seems to me that unless the local folks who have invited +us to Lancaster should disagree we might well afford to have our next +meeting a December meeting. Then we can see nuts. We can discuss nuts +themselves. I would make that motion that our meeting be the second week +in December the Wednesday and Thursday of the second week in December, +1921. + +THE TREASURER: Would not the prime object in going to Lancaster be to +see things grow? Wouldn't it be difficult if not impossible to really +accomplish that by a December meeting? + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: I think a winter meeting might just us well be held in +New York or Baltimore or Washington. I do not agree with Mr. Reed. If I +go to Lancaster I would go to see things. I went up there one December +and nearly froze. + +DR. MORRIS: We could split the difference between the two. I think Mr. +Jones and Mr. Rush should be consulted in the matter. + +MR. RUSH: I think it would be important to have it the same week as the +York Fair as they have the reputation of never having any rain and this +is a very good time of the year to have an exhibition. You see the fine +crops and everything which is agricultural and horticultural. And +another thing in connection with this we can see the hazels on the +bushes at this time of the year. + +DR. MORRIS: I move that we meet about this time next year. + +MR. RUSH: I think this week in 1921. + +MR. LITTLEPAGE: In order to get the matter before the meeting I move +that the convention next year meet at Lancaster, Pennsylvania on the +Thursday and Friday of the first week in October. + +MR. JONES: I second the motion. + +The motion was unanimously carried. + +PRESIDENT LINTON: Before closing I want to call to your recognition a +kindly act that I know will please you all. Yesterday while we were +having our pictured taken I lost this package of papers. Today it has +been returned to me by two boy scouts. From what I know of that +organization I do not believe that there is anything doing the boy any +more good than their training. I am interested in a forty-acre piece of +land on Lawton Lake, Michigan, on which this year we permitted the boy +scouts to camp. I followed their training somewhat to ascertain what it +was. I was in camp with them two or three days and learned that it is a +training that is doing the boys of the country a lot of good. Their +motto as I understand it is to do good or to be of service to others. +These two lads that brought this package to me refused to receive any +compensation whatever. They are the two who have tramped from New York +City to San Francisco and are now on their way back. If these boys or +their organization ever get interested in our movement in the planting +of nuts throughout the country we will be glad to help them. + +PROF. CLOSE: There is one committee whose report has not been called for +and for the sake of the record I presume it might better be offered. +That is the auditing committee. The committee was composed of Messrs. +Reed and Close and we desire to say that the report of the treasurer has +been scrutinized very carefully and we are not able to detect any +mistakes. The balance in the treasury is $75.26; total receipts +including the amount on hand at the beginning of the year $666.48; total +expenditures $591.22, leaving a balance in the treasury of $75.26. + +THE TREASURER: I want to offer a resolution that Article III of the +by-laws on _Membership_ which now reads, "All annual memberships shall +begin with the first day of the calendar quarter following the date of +the association" be amended to read, "That all annual memberships shall +begin with the first day of such calendar month as shall be agreed +upon." + +Now I will tell you why I ask that. Most of the memberships are combined +with the subscription to the American Nut Journal. In many instances the +new members have requested that their subscription to the journal be +dated back one or two months for the sake of getting one or twp numbers +of the journal. In some instances they are already subscribers to the +journal and they want to change it to make it come the same time. I +offer that amendment to the by-laws. + +MR. REED: I move that the change be made. + +DR. MORRIS: I second the motion. + +The motion was carried. + +THE TREASURER: Here is another thing I think is a matter of a good deal +of importance. There has been spoken of two or three times during the +day the great progress which is likely to be made in systematic +hybridization of nuts. It has come to my knowledge recently that the +Arnold Arboretum is seeking to establish a regular plant breeding +department. They have growing on their grounds the greatest collection +of trees and shrubs that will grow in that section that can be found +anywhere in the country. I want to offer a resolution as follows: + + WHEREAS it is the firm belief of the Association that one of the + most hopeful sources of obtaining nuts better than we now have is + by carefully planned and executed work of hybridization, and + + WHEREAS such work, particularly in the case of the slower + developing nuts, such for example as the hickories, will require + the uninterrupted carrying out of carefully planned work for a long + series of years, and + + WHEREAS the Arnold Arboretum, of Jamaica Plain, Mass., has on its + grounds a greater collection of the trees and shrubs from all parts + of the world that will grow in that location than can be found + anywhere else in the country, including a large number of hickories + of various species in bearing, and + + WHEREAS the Arnold Arboretum is now assembling on its grounds the + various propagated nut trees, and has expressed its intention of + continuing this work and of including all varieties that it may be + able to obtain of those hickory trees notable for any one quality + and which may promise to be valuable for hybridizing purposes, and + + WHEREAS the Arnold Arboretum is desirous of establishing a regular + plant breeding department where nut trees, particularly hickories, + as well as trees valuable for timber purposes, flowers, etc., may + be bred, and, in order to provide for the uninterrupted carrying + out of this work is seeking to raise an endowment, be it hereby + + RESOLVED: That the Northern Nut Growers Association assembled in + the City of Washington, D. C., this 8th day of October in the year + 1920 heartily endorses this purpose of the Arnold Arboretum as one + likely to promote the acquisition of finer nuts than we now have, + and urges all persons able to do so to aid in any way possible. + +DR. MORRIS: I move that we adopt that resolution. + +MR. REED: I second the motion. + +The motion was carried unanimously. + +THE PRESIDENT: If there is nothing before the body at this time I will +declare the eleventh annual session closed. + + + + +APPENDIX + + +From C. K. Sober, Lewisburg, Pa.: + +My bearing chestnut trees, most of them, have gone out but in the 40 +acres of chestnut nursery stock I find there are thousands of trees that +seem to be immune from the blight up to this time. While they stand +right beside trees in the nursery that have died from blight yet there +is not a spot on them. + + +From W. O. Potter, Marion, Illinois: + +I am putting forth every effort to develop a nut orchard here in +southern Illinois the like of which will not be excelled in this state. +My pecans are doing nicely. I have five acres already set to budded +trees and fifteen acres planted to seedlings which I hope to bud next +year. I have budded chestnuts, black walnuts and almost all varieties of +nuts that will grow here in the North. I am using filberts for fillers +among my pecans. + +I have just harvested my first crop of filberts from my experimental +garden here in town and my bushes at Halcyon Frunut Gardens (this is the +name of my nut farm) are growing nicely and some have catkins for next +year's crop. The filberts that I have just harvested were borne from +three Cosford bushes of the French strain. I have some German strain +that I received from Mr. McGlennon that are full of catkins for next +year. + +I had some pecans to bloom last spring, but they failed to set any nuts. +I have about a peck from two budded Thomas black walnut trees that are +four and five years old. I have one Stabler that has two nuts on it now +only three years from transplant. My Rush seedling chinquapin that bore +last year has only about six nuts on it this year but they have not yet +matured. + +I hope some day to have a nut orchard that will be the show place of +southern Illinois and then I will invite the association to have an +annual meeting here and at my farm. + + +From G. H. Corsan, Toronto, Canada: + +This time I can say that my trees never looked so well. All passed +through last winter and the terrible winter of three years ago. My list +consists of the following: Constantinople hazelnuts, Kent filberts, +Manchurian juglans regia, Jap heart nuts, Pomeroy juglans regia, +Canadian seed juglans regia, common native chestnuts, Col. Sober's +paragon chestnuts, castanea crenata. + +The chestnuts grow a foot more from all terminal branches, not a twig +winter-killed. Constantinople hazelnuts grew two feet from all terminal +branches and not a bud winter-killed. Kent filberts killed back some +branches, others did not, grew well this summer from 1-1/2 feet to a +yard. + +There is a huge crop of Pomeroy paragon chestnuts on my trees this year. +No blight near me, as thank heaven the farmers around me are too stupid +to plant chestnut trees and in fact no farmer ever planted a nut tree +with two exceptions within 20 miles of me. But one farmer by name of +Anderson planted a mile of black walnuts along the roadside 75 years +ago. These trees are loaded with nuts and boys just now and they reach +away up higher than the tallest phone wire (that is the lowest branches +do). + +All juglans regias grew a yard from each terminal bud. My Pomeroys after +killing back for several years have at last got a real good start and +are going to live and bear. When I see a bluish tinge to the leaf of +juglans regia, together with a smooth glossy leaf, not too long--having +7 and not 17 leaves to the stalk--and having a very white grey bark, +then I know that the nut will be EXTRA good, and though that type of +tree is a bit tender and requires water in the early and mid-dry summer, +as well as hard wood ashes, lime and chicken manure in the late fall, +this is the tree that on the north aide of Lake Ontario where I am now +some day will bear and ripen real nuts. + +My grapes and peaches ripen well this fall, though we as all others had +a late spring and my Indiana and Iowa pecans actually grew 2 feet from +terminal buds. + +Were I an old man of 80 I would plant nut trees to the exclusion of +every other work. First, I would be growing a crop of food 150 years +after my death. Second, I believe that every man who has vitality to +live over 80 has been a bad man in his youth and he owes it to the +world. Third, it is a healthy occupation, stooping down and digging and +takes the rust and poisons out of the system. Fourth, there is a joy +seeing the leaves and branches grow the next summer and in old age one +must feed and take joy from the eye and ear more and more and less and +less from the mouth and stomach. Fifth, it is not at all an unreasonable +supposition that as a boy again I may be climbing the same trees that I +planted. And if I know for certain that I would not be then some other +boy will take my place. + +The salvation of the future is more and more food from trees and less +and less from animal sources. The day is fast passing when the farm +consists of a tobacco barn, a pig pen, a cow stable and a hennery. From +living upon a badly selected type of food we fear the flu and other +diseases. No disease will ever come out of a nut tree. But we are a lot +of fools and blame the absolutely innocent cucumber for what a vile +mixture of salt and vinegar does to us and thus these same asses will +say, "that nuts are unhealthy" and we pay a billion dollars out every +three months to have the dentists fix our teeth that never receive any +nut grinding exercise! + + +From J. F. Jones, Lancaster, Pa.: + +I expect as you do that there will be no need of much room for the +convention. The fact is that without any commercial nut planting in the +territory covered by the Northern Nut Growers Association it is +remarkable that there has been as much interest as there is. I happen to +know that the southern pecan (National) Association was kept going by +the nurseries down there for a good many years, or largely by them, and +without the commercial planting of the pecan there I do not think the +Association would have kept going very long even if it had been founded. + +I believe eventually there will be some interest in commercial planting +north but it will go pretty slow and be after our time I judge. In +commercial planting I mean plantings of not less than ten acres. I +occasionally sell orders of 50 and even 100 trees, but they are usually +scattered as to kinds and varieties of nuts and evidently designed to +test out on a fair scale the merits of the different nuts. A man was +here a few days ago and gave me an order for nearly a hundred black +walnut trees. He has been planting for several years, starting with a +half dozen trees three or four years ago and reports the trees doing +fine. I presume you could call his planting this year a small commercial +planting as that is what he has in mind. + +The boom in planting fruit trees has taken some interest away from nut +planting and this will continue as long as fruit is selling well. + + +From T. C. Tucker, Sail Francisco, Ca.: + +Your program for the approaching meeting of the Northern Nut Growers +Association, which has just reached me, is a most interesting one. It is +with regret that I find I shall not be able to be with you. This is +shipping season for the California Almond Industry and my presence here +at this time is imperative. + +While through the California Almond Growers Exchange I have for some +time been a member of the Northern Nut Growers Association, I have not +as yet had the pleasure of meeting with you, but I want to extend you a +cordial invitation to visit California and I hope that at some future +date a convention of the Northern Nut Growers Association will be held +in this state. Here, as nut growers, you will find much of interest. +This is the only state in the Union producing almonds commercially. Our +1919 crop was worth approximately $4,000,000.00 and represented 7000 +tons of nuts. Here in this state we also produce the California Walnuts +which in 1919 brought a return of approximately $20,000,000.00. Both of +these industries are in their infancy, particularly is this true of the +almond. It is estimated that there are 100,000 acres in California +planted to almonds, the major portion of which is non-bearing. + +We are now preparing for the future through an energetic sales campaign +and by making plans for manufacturing by using almonds in new and +attractive preparations. In 1919, the California Almond Growers +Exchange, a non-profit association of 3800 farmers, spent approximately +$208,000.00 for National Advertising and the expenditure in 1910 will +exceed a quarter of a million dollars. This is done not only to sell the +crops of 1919 and 1920 advantageously, but to educate the consumer up to +the high food value of the almond and incidentally to lay a substantial +foundation for future business. + +We believe that the outlook for the California Almond is promising, but +it is only as promising as the growers co-operate to that end. We +believe that by a strong association of growers, quality and grades can +be improved, distribution widened and the public made acquainted with +the value of our product through the medium of our advertising. + +We are also taking up at this time the cultural question endeavoring to +eliminate the undesirable varieties and improve those which are +commercially profitable. + +We have some eighty odd varieties of almonds in this state, many of +which are not known commercially. You will thus see that we have quite a +problem in cultural lines. + +The principal object of the Northern Nut Growers Association, I believe, +is the diffusion of knowledge on cultural questions, but a word of +co-operative marketing may not be amiss. + +Our investigations have shown that for twenty-five years before the war +Nonpareil Almonds (our highest priced variety) retailed at about 30c per +pound. The grower received from 7c to 10c per pound, the average being +close to 8c. This was before the association was formed. After the +association was organized, the grower received, through co-operative +marketing and by the elimination of speculation and waste in +distribution, a range of from 14c to 20c for Nonpareils with an average +of approximately 16c while the price to the consumer remained about 35c. +During the past two years, the price to the consumer has of course +advanced to meet the increase in cost of transportation, cost of doing +business and of production. As a matter of fact, the increase in price +to the consumer has not kept pace with the big increase in the cost of +production. The point I wish to make, however, is that co-operative +marketing has on the average, by the elimination of speculation and, as +before said, by minimizing waste in distribution, secured for the almond +grower a living price. + +We do not believe that the marketing problems of the farmer will ever be +satisfactorily solved until he takes them up through co-operative +methods and solves them himself. + +My work for the past eleven years has been in connection with the sale +of almonds and I am happy to say that while our country is going through +a period of trying re-adjustment at the present time, the association +has meant to the almond growers of California a wonderful insurance +against loss. The consumer, too, has been benefited as this association +has been able to lay down almonds in the markets of the United States at +a lower distribution cost than would otherwise have been possible. + +However, assuming that this convention is interested mostly in cultural +questions, I shall refrain from further discussing the marketing +problem. Let us not however, lose sight of the fact that it matters not +what may be the quality of our product if we cannot dispose of it at a +profit. + +A satisfactory margin of profit means improved varieties, better +culture, increased yields and better satisfied producers. Scientific +yields and better satisfied producers. Scientific cultural effort, to +achieve its highest possibilities must inevitably be linked with +commercial success. + + + + +ATTENDANCE + + + Dr. J. E. Cannaday, Charleston, W. Va. + Conrad Vollertsen, Rochester, N. Y. + J. P. Beck, Saginaw, Michigan + Prof. C. P. Close, Maryland + B. C. Foster, Washington, D. C. + J. W. Ritchit, Yonkers, N. Y. + Dr. G. J. Buist, Brooklyn, N. Y. + T. P. Littlepage, Washington, D. C. + C. A. Reed, Washington, D. C. + Mrs. C. A. Reed + William S. Linton, Saginaw, Michigan + W. C. Bixby, Baldwin, N. Y. + Mrs. Bixby + A. S. Perry, Cuthbert, Ga. + Dr. W. C. Deming, Wilton, Conn. + R. T. Olcott, Rochester, N. Y. + W. R. Fickes, Wooster, Ohio + A. C. Pomeroy, Lockport, N. Y. + Elam G. Hess, Mannheim, Pa. + F. E. Brooks, French Creek, W. Va. + W. N. Roper, Petersburg, Va. + Mrs. Roper + Dr. R. T. Morris, New York City. + Dr. J. H. Kellogg, Battle Creek, Michigan + J. F. Jones, Lancaster, Pa. + Miss Jones + Dr. J. B. Curtis, Orange Heights, Fla. + Mrs. Curtis + Dr. John F. Keenen, Brentwood, Maryland. + J. S. McGlennon, Rochester, N. Y. + H. C. Best, Bridgeport, Conn. + J. E. Brown, Elmer, N. J. + E. E. Reynolds, Washington, D. C. + J. G. Rush, West Willow, Pa. + D. F. Clark, Harrisburg, Pa. + Theodore Bechtel, Ocean Springs, Miss. + Mrs. Bechtel + Miss W. M. Daish, Washington, D. C. + + + + +EXHIBITS + + +Morris hybrid chinquapin No. 1--From graft set spring 1910 on bush +chinquapin stock. A scientific cross or hybrid made by Dr. Robert T. +Morris New York City. Very resistant to blight is not blight proof. Has +the fruiting habit of the chestnut and bears on very small bushes or +trees. Grown by J. P. Jones, Lancaster, Pa. + +Morris hybrid chinquapin No. 2--From grafts set on stocks of the bush +chinquapin spring 1919. Similar to No. 1. + +Chinese pine nuts, Pinus armandi, from the mountains of North China. The +Chinese pine nuts, P. armandi and P. bungeana, although not equal to +some of our own pine nuts from the southeastern states, are considered +the best and most reliable for eastern and northern planting in this +country. Sent in by J. F. Jones, Lancaster, Pa. + +Bush chinquapin Castanea pumila, grown by J. F. Jones. Branches of +ordinary wild nuts. + +24 plates hazels or filberts grown by Carl Vollertsen, Rochester, N. Y. + +Nine varieties J. regia, peanuts, hazels and Weicker shellbarks, grown +by J. G. Rush, West Willow, Pa. + +23 plates and varieties of the southern pecan, sent by A. S. Perry, +Cuthbert, Ga. Also collection of photographs. + +Specimens of the Beam, Beaver, Clark, Manahan, Stanley, Swaim and +Weicker hickories by W. G. Bixby, New York. + +Miscellaneous nuts by W. C. Deming, Wilton, Conn. + +Large table map of the United States with the different nuts grown +therein so placed as to show their native habitats. By C. A. Reed, Nut +Culturist, Dept, of Agriculture. + +Specimens of Corylus avellana, Montebello Bysance and other nuts by Dr. +David Fairchild, Washington, D. C. + +By Prof. C. P. Close, College Park, Md., plates of seedling J. regia +from J. W. Smith, Centerville, Md. Five seedling J. regia probably +Mayette from S. H. Derby, Woodside, Del. Japanese seedling chestnut from +J. W. Killen, Felton, Del. The tree on which they grew has never +blighted. J. Sieboldiana from tree set by Prof. Close in 1910, first +crop 1920. + +Native chinquapins and two varieties of Dr. Van Fleet's hybrid +chinquapins. Major pecans borne in 1919 on three year graft set by Prof. +Close at College Park. A hazel seedling from New Jersey grown on four +year old graft. Large and good. + +By Dr. R. T. Morris of New York, plate of pistache nuts, 6 varieties of +hazels, 1 of black walnuts and one of butternuts. + +Nut cracker for pecans of different sizes. + + + * * * * * + + +[Illustration] + + * * * * * + +PECANS. ENGLISH WALNUTS AND CHESTNUT TREES + + +All varieties of budded or grafted, hardy nut trees for planting in +northern localities. In the southern United states, on the Pacific Coast +and in Europe orchards of nut trees give the land a greater value than +when used for any other crop. Nut trees in many sections are the moat +profitable crop that can be raised. Plant now, before everyone is doing +it and reap the success the pioneer nut planters in other sections have +done. + +_Largest hardy nut nurseries in America. Send for catalog._ + +McCOY NUT NURSERIES 741 Old State Bank Bldg., EVANSVILLE, Indiana + + * * * * * + +BUDDED AND GRAFTED CHESTNUTS of best varieties. + + +No Blight. Also THOMAS WALNUT + +E. A. RIEHL, GODFREY, ILL. + + * * * * * + +ARROWFIELD NURSERIES + +PETERSBURG, VIRGINIA + + +Pecan trees of the hardy northern varieties. Unquestionably will +flourish and bear over a much larger area of the United States than +where they are now native in Indiana, Illinois, Ohio, Iowa and other +states. Send for price list. + + +[Illustration] + + + + + +End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Northern Nut Growers Association +Report of the Proceedings at the Eleventh Annual Meeting, by Various + +*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK NORTHERN NUT GROWERS *** + +***** This file should be named 24629.txt or 24629.zip ***** +This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: + http://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/6/2/24629/ + +Produced by Marilynda Fraser-Cunliffe and the Online +Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net + + +Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions +will be renamed. + +Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no +one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation +(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without +permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special rules, +set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply to +copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to +protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark. Project +Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you +charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific permission. If you +do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with the +rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any purpose +such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and +research. They may be modified and printed and given away--you may do +practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks. Redistribution is +subject to the trademark license, especially commercial +redistribution. + + + +*** START: FULL LICENSE *** + +THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE +PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK + +To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free +distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this work +(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project +Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full Project +Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at +http://gutenberg.org/license). + + +Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic works + +1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand, agree to +and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property +(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to abide by all +the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or destroy +all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your possession. +If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by the +terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person or +entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8. + +1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It may only be +used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people who +agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are a few +things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works +even without complying with the full terms of this agreement. See +paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do with Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this agreement +and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. See paragraph 1.E below. + +1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the Foundation" +or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual works in the +collection are in the public domain in the United States. If an +individual work is in the public domain in the United States and you are +located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent you from +copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating derivative +works based on the work as long as all references to Project Gutenberg +are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the Project +Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works by +freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the terms of +this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name associated with +the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this agreement by +keeping this work in the same format with its attached full Project +Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others. + +1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located also govern +what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most countries are in +a constant state of change. If you are outside the United States, check +the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this agreement +before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing or +creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project +Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations concerning +the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United +States. + +1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project Gutenberg: + +1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or other immediate +access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear prominently +whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on which the +phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase "Project +Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed, viewed, +copied or distributed: + +This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with +almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or +re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included +with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org + +1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is derived +from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that it is +posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be copied +and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any fees +or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to a work +with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing on the +work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs 1.E.1 +through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the +Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or +1.E.9. + +1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work is posted +with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and distribution +must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any additional +terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will be linked +to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the +permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this work. + +1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of this +work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm. + +1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or redistribute this +electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without +prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1 with +active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project +Gutenberg-tm License. + +1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any binary, +compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form, including any +word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide access to or +distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other than +"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version +posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site (www.gutenberg.org), +you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user, provide a +copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy upon +request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other +form. Any alternate format must include the full Project Gutenberg-tm +License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1. + +1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing, displaying, +performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works +unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9. + +1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or providing +access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works provided +that + +- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive from + the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works calculated using the method + you already use to calculate your applicable taxes. The fee is + owed to the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he + has agreed to donate royalties under this paragraph to the + Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation. Royalty payments + must be paid within 60 days following each date on which you + prepare (or are legally required to prepare) your periodic tax + returns. Royalty payments should be clearly marked as such and + sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation at the + address specified in Section 4, "Information about donations to + the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation." + +- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who notifies + you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30 days of receipt that s/he + does not agree to the terms of the full Project Gutenberg-tm + License. You must require such a user to return or + destroy all copies of the works possessed in a physical medium + and discontinue all use of and all access to other copies of + Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund of any + money paid for a work or a replacement copy, if a defect in the + electronic work is discovered and reported to you within 90 days + of receipt of the work. + +- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free + distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm works. + +1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project Gutenberg-tm +electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set +forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing from +both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael +Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark. Contact the +Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below. + +1.F. + +1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend considerable +effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and proofread +public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm +collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain +"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or +corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other intellectual +property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other medium, a +computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by +your equipment. + +1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for the "Right +of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project +Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project +Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all +liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal +fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE, STRICT +LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE +PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE +TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT BE +LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE OR +INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH +DAMAGE. + +1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you discover a +defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you can +receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending a +written explanation to the person you received the work from. If you +received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium with +your written explanation. The person or entity that provided you with +the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu of a +refund. If you received the work electronically, the person or entity +providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to +receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the second copy +is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without further +opportunities to fix the problem. + +1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund set forth +in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO OTHER +WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO +WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE. + +1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain implied +warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of damages. +If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement violates the +law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall be +interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted by +the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability of any +provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining provisions. + +1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the Foundation, the +trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone +providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in accordance +with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the production, +promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works, +harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal fees, +that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which you do +or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project Gutenberg-tm +work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to any +Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause. + + +Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project Gutenberg-tm + +Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of +electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of computers +including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It exists +because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations from +people in all walks of life. + +Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the +assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project Gutenberg-tm's +goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will +remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001, the Project +Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a secure +and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future generations. +To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation +and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4 +and the Foundation web page at http://www.pglaf.org. + + +Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive +Foundation + +The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit +501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the +state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal +Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax identification +number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at +http://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent +permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws. + +The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S. +Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are scattered +throughout numerous locations. Its business office is located at +809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887, email +business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date contact +information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official +page at http://pglaf.org + +For additional contact information: + Dr. Gregory B. Newby + Chief Executive and Director + gbnewby@pglaf.org + + +Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project Gutenberg +Literary Archive Foundation + +Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide +spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of +increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can be +freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the widest +array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small donations +($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax exempt +status with the IRS. + +The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating +charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United +States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes a +considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep up +with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in locations +where we have not received written confirmation of compliance. To +SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any +particular state visit http://pglaf.org + +While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where we +have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no prohibition +against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states who +approach us with offers to donate. + +International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot make +any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from +outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small staff. + +Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation +methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of other +ways including checks, online payments and credit card donations. +To donate, please visit: http://pglaf.org/donate + + +Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm electronic +works. + +Professor Michael S. Hart is the originator of the Project Gutenberg-tm +concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely shared +with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed Project +Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer support. + + +Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed +editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S. +unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not necessarily +keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. + + +Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: + + http://www.gutenberg.org + +This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, +including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary +Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to +subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. |