Chapter 12 of 14 · 3757 words · ~19 min read

Part 12

Results of 1950 Persian Walnut Contest ___________________________________________________________________________ Prize Entry Submitted By Nut Kernel Kernel Weight Weight Percentage =========================================================================== 1 030 Mrs. W. H. Metcalfe, 11.9 6.5 54.5 Webster, New York 2 011 (Hansen) S. Shessler, Genoa, Ohio 9.8 5.8 58.5 3 002 (McKinster) Roy McKinster, Columbus, Ohio 12.5 6.4 51.2 4 012 (Jacobs) S. Shessler, Genoa, Ohio 12.9 6.0 47.0 5 006 Lewis Weng, Dayton, Ohio 12.4 6.4 51.9

_Honorable Mention_ 001 Mrs. Gale Harrison, 14.7 6.2 42.2 Pemberton, New Jersey 008 A. C. Orth, Dayton, Ohio 14.7 6.7 45.8 014 (Burtner) Fayette Etter, Lemasters, 10.4 4.6 44.4 Pennsylvania 016 (S-66) G. L. Smith, Millerton, 15.1 6.8 44.9 New York 025 P. F. Countryman, Ontario, 13.9 6.3 45.3

031 (Colby[19]) A. S. Colby, Urbana, Illinois 10.8 5.9 54.1 032 (S-M-9) Royal Oakes, Bluffs, Illinois 15.8 6.6 41.5 033 S. Elwell, Homer, Michigan 19.2 8.3 43.2

A brief history of the prize-winning trees follows:

_Entry 030:_ A Carpathian originally obtained through the Wisconsin Horticultural Society in 1936 (Rev. Crath's selections). In 1950 this tree was 14 years old, 22 feet high, with a trunk circumference of 23 inches. It has withstood 18 degrees below zero without damage. The tree began bearing a few nuts in 1947, 4 quarts in 1948; 1 peck in 1949; and 1/2 bushel in 1950.

_Entry 011:_ This is the Hansen variety which was given second place in the 1949 contest. The origin of this tree is uncertain. It is estimated to be 50 years old and 25 feet high. It has withstood 15 degrees below zero without damage. Just when this tree began bearing is unknown, but it produced 2 bushels in 1947; 3 pecks in 1948; 1 bushel in 1949; and 3 bushels in 1950.

_Entry 002:_ This is the McKinster variety which was judged the best entry in the 1949 contest. It is a Carpathian originally obtained through the Wisconsin Horticultural Society in 1939 (Rev. Crath's selections), and was 11 years old in 1950. It is 29 feet high with a circumference of 22 inches. It has withstood 17 degrees below zero without injury. This tree began bearing in 1943. In 1947 it produced 1/2 bushel; 1 bushel in 1948; 3 pecks in 1949; and 3 pecks in 1950.

_Entry 012:_ This is the Jacobs variety which placed third in the 1949 contest. The nut which produced this tree originally came from Germany some 70 years ago. It has withstood 15 degrees below zero without injury. This is a large tree which has been bearing since 1915. It produced 300 pounds in 1947; 100 pounds in 1948; 200 pounds in 1949; and 200 pounds in 1950.

_Entry 006:_ A Carpathian originally obtained through the Wisconsin Horticultural Society in 1936 (Rev. Crath's selections). In 1950 it was 14 years old, 25 feet high, with a circumference of 30 inches. It has withstood 10 degrees below zero without injury. This tree began bearing in 1949; in 1950 it produced 15 pounds of nuts.

It should be emphasized that this contest was based entirely on nut characteristics. In another year the placing of the same entries might be considerably different, because of seasonal variation. However, it is significant that the McKinster, Hansen, and Jacob varieties which were among the prize-winners in the 1949 contest were also among the prize-winners in 1950.

Contests such as this are valuable as a first step in the selection and development of improved varieties. The prize-winners and those given honorable mention are all very promising hardy Persian walnuts. The next step will be to test these selections to determine their adaptability to our varying conditions.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 19: Named since the close of the contest.--Ed.]

Colby, a Hardy Persian Walnut for the Central States

J. C. McDaniel, _Extension Horticulturist, University of Illinois_

When the Reverend Paul C. Crath of Toronto imported walnut seeds and scions from his native Ukraine region and adjacent areas of Poland in the 1920s, he started a chain of propagation and selection which promises to establish the Persian walnut (_Juglans regia_) as a commonly grown nut in southern Ontario and the north central states. The best of his importations, and seedlings from them, are fruiting in such states as Wisconsin, Iowa, Illinois and Missouri, showing in many cases a degree of hardiness which must reverse the conclusion of an older generation of pomologists that Persian or "English" walnuts were too tender for successful cultivation in most of the middle west.

The time has now arrived when there are enough fruiting trees of the "Crath Carpathian" walnut seedlings in many states that comparisons can be made and the more promising ones named and disseminated for propagation. The nuts which the Reverend Mr. Crath imported in greatest quantity during the middle 1930s came from more than 100 different seedling trees selected in Poland. Their seedlings exhibit much variability in characters of trees and nuts. Some are much less hardy than others under our conditions. Not all are as large fruited as their seed parents (and some of the parent trees bore small nuts). Though many have smoother shells than Mayette or Franquette, there is also much variation in shape, thickness, and color of shells. Color and flavor of kernel vary from tree to tree. The season of nut maturity, though variable, is generally early enough in locations where the trees are winter hardy. The parents were selected for good filling of kernels, and this character generally has carried over to the seedlings fruited in America. As with other walnuts, some of the Carpathian seedlings are apparently more susceptible than others to fruit damage by the husk maggot. Walnut blight has infected them in some localities.

The COLBY Persian walnut, named in August 1951, and released to nut nurserymen for propagation early in 1952, is the best to date of thirteen Carpathian seedlings (each from a different parent tree) planted at the University of Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station from 1937 to 1939. It is the first Persian walnut variety to be named at this station.

The name, Colby, honors Dr. Arthur S. Colby of the Department of Horticulture at the University of Illinois, who has been in charge of nut investigations here since 1919. It was given to this variety, with his permission, by members of the Northern Nut Growers Association during their 42nd Annual Meeting, held at Urbana in August, 1951. Dr. Colby is a former president of the Northern Nut Growers Association.

Colby is a seedling of the tree designated as Crath No. 10. The seed was collected in 1934 from the parent tree near Cosseev, in the Carpathian mountain region of southern Poland as then constituted, planted in the nursery of S. H. Graham, Ithaca, New York, and the seedling transplanted to Urbana, Illinois at the age of two years. It has been fruiting annually here since 1942, with crops of up to 1-1/4 bushels in recent years. The accompanying cut shows nuts of the 1951 crop, a little less than 2/3 natural size. They are thin shelled, like the parent Crath No. 10, well filled with kernels of rich flavor, and are medium in size for varieties of this species.

[Illustration: Colby walnuts of 1951 crop, showing thin shells and plump, bright kernels.]

The Colby tree is rather upright in growth, with strong branches, being the most vigorous among the four hardiest Carpathian seedlings at Urbana. It was one of two trees on which most catkins survived the winter of 1950-51, when temperatures at Urbana fell to -19° F. It is among the earliest Persian walnuts to start growth in spring, blossoming at Urbana normally in the first half of May. Flowering is protandrous (male flowers first) but with enough overlap of staminate and pistillate blossoms to secure a large degree of self-pollination from the abundant large catkins. Fruit set might be improved, however, by planting nearby another variety with later staminate catkins.[20] The nuts mature from the middle to the last of September and have not been seriously affected by walnut husk maggot or walnut blight at Urbana. The tree is relatively early in wood maturity, shedding its foliage usually before November, a characteristic shared by the other hardiest Carpathian seedlings in Illinois.

Prior to 1952, scions of the Colby walnut (previously designated Illinois No. 10) were propagated for test by top working on native eastern walnut (_Juglans nigra_) at two widely separated locations. It fruited in 1951 at Greensboro, North Carolina, where the early growth sometimes is injured by spring freezes. (This is common with Carpathian walnuts in the southeast.) It has survived three winters at Sabula, Iowa with no cold injury and made unusually vigorous growth there. At both Urbana and Sabula, it has been compared with Broadview Persian walnut, a British Columbia origination considered a hardy variety. Broadview has often suffered winter injury at both locations, and in 1950-51 was killed to the understock at Urbana.

The suggested test regions for the Colby Persian walnut include those with a climate similar to central Illinois, and where spring freezes are not generally a problem. The suggested understock is black walnut (_J. nigra_) though established hardy Carpathian and other Persian walnuts may be satisfactory for top working.

Additional wood for propagation of the Colby will be available in small quantities next August to nut nurserymen and other experiment stations. (Walnut scions cannot be sent from Illinois to California.) Trees of Colby should be available from several cooperating nurseries in the fall of 1953.--Reprinted from _Fruit Varieties and Horticultural Digest_, 6(4):72-75. 1952.

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 20: According to U.S.D.A. workers in walnut breeding, pollen of other _Juglans_ species is not to be depended upon for securing a set of fruit on this species. Several hardy Persian varieties of good quality which have won awards in recent contests are being propagated but have not been grown at Urbana. These include the Lake, McKinster, and Metcalfe among others of Carpathian parentage, and two non-Carpathian varieties, Hansen and Jacobs, which have been fruitful in northwestern Ohio. Before one or more of these can be recommended as a pollinator for the Colby walnut, however it will be necessary to have them flowering in the same orchard for a period of several years.

Among the other Carpathian walnuts which have flowered in the orchard containing the original Colby tree, there is one very hardy seedling, R 5 T 27, which in 1951 and 1952 produced abundant pollen at the proper time to pollinate the Colby. Tree R 5 T 27 an open pollinated seedling of Crath No. 23, is protandrous, but later flowering than the Colby with respect to pistils as well as catkins, and consequently most of its pistillate flowers fail to set fruit in years like 1951 when there was no later Persian walnut pollen available. The R 5 T 27 tree produces an attractive, smooth shelled nut slightly smaller than that of Colby, not quite as sweet in flavor, and slightly earlier in maturity. Because of its hardiness and apparent value as a pollinator for Colby, propagating wood from this R 5 T 27 walnut tree will be available to experimenters, but we do not plan to name it at present.]

Resolutions

Mr. President and members of the Northern Nut Growers Association. The Northern Nut Growers' Association, assembled in its forty-second annual meeting here at Urbana, Illinois, on this the 29th day of August, 1951, desires to express its appreciation and thanks to Dr. George D. Stoddard, President of the University of Illinois, and to Dr. H. P. Rusk, Dean of the Agricultural College, to Dr. C. J. Birkeland, Dr. A. S. Colby, Professor J. C. McDaniel, and other members of the Department of Horticulture, as well as to other members of the staff of the University for the excellent accommodations provided for the entertainment of the members attending and for the meeting place provided, and to Mrs. A. S. Colby and other for their entertainment of the ladies and for the refreshments furnished. Therefore, be it resolved that the Secretary spread this resolution upon the minutes of the Association and send copies to President Stoddard, Dr. Birkeland, and Dr. and Mrs. A. S. Colby.

In the passing of Harry R. Weber, who was a nut culturist, one of the oldest members of the Association, and a past president, we have lost not only a real leader and worker in this Association, but also a very dear friend. This Association is greatly indebted to him and he has been deeply missed at this meeting. Therefore, be it resolved that the Secretary of this Association spread upon the record of this meeting this resolution and send a copy to Mrs. Weber

Signed, Members of Resolutions Committee (s) H. L. Crane, _Chairman_ (s) F. L. O'Rourke (s) Spencer Chase

FOOTNOTES:

[Footnote 19: Named since the close of the contest.--Ed.]

Northern Nut Growers Association Membership List

As of July 29, 1952

* Life member ** Honorary member § Contributing member *** Sustaining member

ALABAMA East Alabama Nursery, Auburn, =Chestnut, pecan and persimmon nurserymen= Hiles, Edward L., =Hiles Auto Repair Shop=, Loxley

ARKANSAS Hale, A. C., Fairview School, Camden Wade, Clifton, Forest Avenue, Fayetteville. =Attorney= Wylie, W. D., Dept. of Entomology, Univ. of Arkansas, Fayetteville. =Entomologist=

BELGIUM Centrale Kas voor Landbouwkre, Diet van den Belgischen Boerenbond N. V., 24 Minderbroedersstraat, Leuven R. Vanderwaeren, Bierbeekstraat, 310, Korbeek-Lo.

CALIFORNIA Andrew, Col. James W., Box 12, Hamilton A.F.B. Armstrong Nurseries, 408 N. Euclid Avenue, Ontario =General nurserymen, plant breeders= Brand, George (See Nebraska) Buck, Ernest Homer, Three Arch Bay, 16 N. Portola, South Laguna Haig, Dr. Thomas R., 3021 Highland Avenue, Carlsbad, California Fulcher, E. C., 5706 Fulcher Ave., North Hollywood Jeffers, Harold N., Lt. CHC, USN, USS Dixie (AD14) c/o F.P.O., San Francisco Kemple, W. H., 216 W. Ralston Street, Ontario Linwood Nursery, Route No. 2, Box 476, Turlock Pentler, Dr. C. F., 806 Arguello Blvd., San Francisco 18. =American Friends Service Committee= Pozzi, P. H., 2875 S. Dutton Ave., Santa Rosa. =Brewery worker, farmer= Serr, E. F., Agr. Experiment Station, Davis. =Associate Pomologist= Stewart, Douglas N., 633 F Street, Davis Sullivan, C. Edward, Garden Highway, Box 447, Yuba City Welby, Harry S., 500 Buchanan Street, Taft. =Private and Corp. Hort.=

CANADA Brown, Alger, Route 1, Harley, Ontario. =Farmer= Collens, Adam H., 42 Seaton St., Toronto 2, Out. * Crath, Rev. Paul C., Toronto, Ontario English, H. A., Box 153, Duncan, B. C. =Farmer, fruit and nut grower= Filman, O., Aldershot, Ontario. =Fruit and veg. grower= Gage, James M., 76 Water St. E., Burlington, Ontario Gellatly, J. U., Box 19, Westbank, B. C. =Plant breeder, fruit grower, nurseryman= Harrhy, Ivor H., Route 7, St. Thomas, Ont. =Fruitgrower and poultry= Housser, Levi, Route 1, Beamsville, Ontario. =Fruit farmer= Lefevre, H. E., 354 St. Catherine Street E., Montreal 18, Quebec Lossing, Elgin, Norwich, Ontario * Neilson, Mrs. Ellen, 5 Macdonald Avenue, Guelph, Ont. Papple, Elton E., Route 1, Cainsville, Ont. Porter, Gordon, 258 McKay Ave., Windsor, Ont. =Chemist= Smith, E. A., Box 6, Sparta, Ont. =Farmer= Snazelle, Robert, Forest Nursery, Route No. 5, Charlottetown, P. E. I. =Nursery Supt.= Trayling, E. J., 509 Richards St., Vancouver, B. C. =Jeweller= Wagner, A. S., Delhi, Ont.

Walker, J. W., c/o McCarthy & McCarthy, 330 University Ave., Toronto 1, Ont. Wharton, H. W., Route No. 2, Guelph, Ont. =Farmer= White, Peter, 30 Pear Ave., Toronto 5, Ont. Willis, A. R., Route No. 1, Royal Oak, Vancouver Island, B. C. =Accountant= Woods, David M., 48 South Front St., West, Toronto, Ont. =Vice President, Gordon McKay, Ltd.= Young, A. L., Brooks, Alberta. =Dairy Farmer=

COLORADO Forbes, J. E., Julesburg. =Banker=

CONNECTICUT Daniels, the Honorable Paul C. See Ecuador David, Alexander M., 480 So. Main Street, West Hartford Deming, Benton H., Radio WTHT, Hartford ** Deming, Dr. W. C., Litchfield. =Dean of the Association= Fruch, Alfred J., Route 2, West Cornwall Graves, Dr. Arthur H., 255 S. Main St., Wallingford. =Consulting Pathologist, Conn. Agr. Expt. Station, New Haven, Conn.= Hapgood, Miss Dorothy A., 745 Farmington Avenue, Hartford Henry, David, Blue Hills Farm, Route 2, Wallingford * Huntington, A. M., Stanerigg Farms, Bethel. =Patron= * Newmaker, Adolph, Route No. 1, Rockville Pratt, George D., Jr., Bridgewater Risko, Charles, City Tobacco & Candy Co., 25 Crescent Ave., Bridgeport 8 White, George E., Route No. 2, Andover. =Farmer=

DELAWARE Brugmann, Elmer W., 108 Thomas Drive, Monroe Park, Wilmington. =Chemical Engineer= Logue, R. F., Gen. Mgr., Andelot, Inc., 2098 du Pont Bldg., Wilmington Wilkins, Lewis, Route 1, Newark. =Fruit grower=

DENMARK Carøe, Mr. J. F., "Meulenborg" Helsingør Granjean, Mr. Julio, Hillerød Knuth, Count F. M., Knuthenborg, Bandholm Pers, Mr. Plantageejer E., Edelgaard, Vejstrup

DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA American Potash Inst., Inc., 1102-16th St., N.W., Washington Ford, Edwin L., 3634 Austin St., S.E., Washington Kaan, Dr. Helen W. See Maryland Reed, Mrs. Clarence A., 7309 Piney Branch Rd., N.W., Washington 12

ECUADOR, SOUTH AMERICA Acosta Solis, Prof. M., Director del Departamento Forestal, Ministerio de Economia, Quito. (Exchange.) Daniels, The Honorable Paul C., American Ambassador, American Embassy, Quito

ENGLAND Baker, Richard St. Barbe, The Gate, Abbotsbury, Weymouth, Dorset. (Founder, Men of the Trees.) Commonwealth Bureau of Plant Genetics, School of Agriculture, Cambridge. (Exchange.) The Gardeners Chronicle, London. (Exchange.)

FLORIDA Avant, C. A., 940 N.W. 10th Ave., Miami. =Real Estate, Loans.= =(Pecan orchard in Ga.)= Estill, Gertrude, 153 Navarre Dr., Miami Springs. (Summer address under Mich.)

GEORGIA Hardy, Max, Leeland Farms, P. O. Box 128, Leesburg. =Nurseryman, farmer= Hunter, Dr. H. Reid, 561 Lake Shore Dr. N.E., Atlanta. =Teacher, nut farmer= Noland, S. C., Box 1747, Atlanta 1. =Owner, Skyland Farms= Wilson, William J., North Anderson Ave., Fort Valley. Peach and pecan grower

HAWAII Keaau Orchard, John F. Cross, Manager, P.O. Box 1720, Hilo. =Macadamia growers=

HOLLAND Institute for Horticultural Plant Breeding. Herenstraat 25. Wageningen. (Exchange)

HONG KONG * Wang, P. W., c/o China Products Trading Corp., 6 Des Voeux Rd., Central

IDAHO Dryden, Lynn, Peck. =Farmer= Horn, Anton S., 920 N. 20th St., Boise. =Ext. Horticulturist=

ILLINOIS Allbright, R. D., Allbright Nurseries, 4237 Western Avenue, Western Springs Allen, Theodore R., Delavan. =Farmer= Anderson, Ralph W., R.F.D. 3, Morris Andrew, Col. James W. (See California) Anthony, A. B., Route No. 3, Sterling. =Apiarist= Baber, Adin, Kansas Barrow, J. M., P.O. Box 209, Urbana. =Architect, University teacher= Best, R. B., Eldred. =Farmer= Booth, Earl, R.F.D. 2, Carrollton Blough, R. O., Route No. 3, Polo Blyth, Colin R., Math. Dept., U. of I., Urbana. (Farm in northern Ontario) * Boll, Herschel L., 2 Hort. Field Lab., Univ. of Ill., Urbana. =Asst. in Pomology= Borchsenius, Wayne L., R.F.D. 2, Sheridan Brock, Arthur S., 1733 North McVicker Ave., Chicago 39 Canterbury, C. E., Cantrall. =Seed Grower= Churchill, Woodford M., 4323 Oakenwald Ave., Chicago 5 Colby, Dr. Arthur S., U. of Illinois, Urbana Dahlberg, Albert A., D.D.S., 5756 Harper Ave., Chicago 37 Daum, Philip A., North Sixth St., Carrollton Dietrich, Ernest, Route No. 2, Dundas. =Farmer= Dintelman, L. F., State Street Road, Belleville Douglass, T. J., 309-1/2 North St., Normal Eigsti, Dr. O. J., Funk Bros. Seed Co., Bloomington. =Research Botanist= Estill, Mrs. Harry, Power Farms, Cantrall Fordtran, E. H. Route No. 2, Box 197-A, Palatine Frey, Frank H., 2315 W. 108th Place, Chicago 43. =Asst. to V. P., CRI & P RR.= Frey, Mrs. Frank H., 2315 W. 108th Place, Chicago 43. =Housewife= Fuller, Owen H., 1005 Oneida Street, Joliet Gerardi, Louis, Route No. 1, Caseyville. =Nut and fruit nurseryman= Glidden, Nansen, West Lincoln Highway, DeKalb Grefe, Ben, Route No. 4, Box 22, Nashville. =Farmer= Heberlein, Edwin W., Route No. 1, Box 72A, Roscoe Hermerding, Ted, c/o Russell Miller Milling Company, Jerseyville Hockenyos, G. L., 213 E. Jefferson St., Springfield. =Business man= Jennings, Charles L., Box 321, Grayville Jungk, Adolph E., Route No. 1, Jerseyville, Illinois Kammarmeyer, Glenn, 1711 E. 67th St., Chicago 49 Knoeppel, J. A., Bluffs Kreider, Ralph, Jr., Route No. 1, Hammond. =Farmer= Langdoc, Mildred Jones (Mrs. Wesley W.) P. O. Box 136, Erie. =Nursery, farm, housewife= McDaniel, J. C., c/o Hort. Field Lab., U. of I., Urbana. =Horticulturist. (Sec'y of Ass'n.)= McDaniel, J. C., Jr., Urbana Marsh, Mrs. W. V., Route 2, Aledo Moeser, William W., Route 1, Belleville Musgrave, Carl, 419 W. 61st Street, Chicago 21. =Machinist= Newman, Roy, P. O. Box 51, Martinsville. =Orchardist= Oakes, Royal, Bluffs (Scott County) Pierson, Stuart E., Carrollton. =Bank President= Pray, A. Lee, 502 N. Main St., LeRoy Price, Harold G., Sr. (See Utah) Reisch, Louis C., Route 4, Carrollton. =Farmer= Robbins, W. J., 885 N. LaSalle St., Chicago 10. =Insurance= Robertson, Virgil E., Virginia. =Retired farmer= Schubert, Kenneth, Rt. 1, Millstadt Sokolowski, F. W., M.D., 2503 Donald Ave., Alton Sonnemann, W. F., Experimental Gardens, Vandalia. =Lawyer, farm operator= Sparks, Maurice E., 1508 Ash, Lawrenceville Spencer, H. Dwight, 275 W. Decatur St., Decatur. =Attorney= Vortman, Elmer, Route 1, Bluffs Wahle, Fred, Route 1, Fieldon Warnecke, Martin H., 714 South First Avenue, Maywood Whitford, A. M., Farina. =Nurseryman= Zethmayr, Gordon, Route No. 1, Box 130, West Chicago