Part 13
The other black walnut that I am watching is a seedling resulting from ten bushels planted nearly twenty years ago, the only tree to bear because of the crowded condition of all these walnuts planted so close together. I have been watching it for six or seven years and was never able to get a mature nut until this year. Reason was that in most of the seasons the nuts were empty; other times I did not wait until they were fully ripe, being too anxious to find out what was inside. This tree I have named the "Walbut" because it seemed to me it might be a cross between a butternut and a walnut. The kernel is very light colored. It cracks out the best of any walnut I have ever tested. It is difficult to graft, so far in my experience. I have no living grafts from it although I have tried again and again to graft it on other large isolated stocks in the orchard. It has a square shape, with deep indentations near the point. It is something to watch, and work with although it does not seem to be extra hardy in spite of the fact that it is a native tree. At present it is merely an interesting variety to experiment with and it may possibly be of some use later on. The branches have shown curious little birdseye markings--it has a habit of developing buds which die and form little brown structures in the wood and it is possible that the tree may be a fancy timber tree. The shell has only one structure down the center, thereby insuring that the halves come out whole.
An ornamental known as the lace-leaf walnut is very hardy here, doesn't winter kill at all but so far has not borne any nuts. The Deming Purple is not hardy; the Stabler is very unreliable considering the last few years; the Thomas is still one of the best except it suffers from winter injury occasionally; the Ten Eyck very seldom bears any nuts although we have several very large trees now. The Elmer Myers possibly has a chance; it is still living. The Snyder has survived the last few winters and in my opinion it is one of the best nuts I have ever seen. The grafts have borne a few nuts already in the second year of grafting. They set a couple of nuts even after a severe winter last year, but they fell off during the summer, much the same as the Thomas and many of the Ohio did. The same thing happened to practically all of my hybrid hazels, also the Winkler and even the wild hazel kept continually dropping the nuts until there was practically nothing left. No doubt this effect was produced by a peculiar season. We should not hold it against the nut trees since it was a universal condition.
Last summer about one-half dozen of the pecan trees which I had been playing around with for twenty years, started to blossom but only had staminate bloom, There might possibly be a crop of pecans this coming year--I do not have any hopes that any of these seedlings will be able to mature their nuts, but there is always a possibility and they are certainly hardy. None of them that I have tried to graft will live on bitternut roots.
Chestnuts are difficult to get started but once they are started they grow very well although there are only a few surviving out of many thousands of seeds planted. Every year one or more comes into bearing--they generally do not mature their nuts, and what I have tasted of them are not anything to brag about except that they are sweet; the size is insignificant and they evidently have much of the native chestnut blood. I am still testing such varieties as the Carr, Zimmerman, and Connecticut Yankee. So far these have shown themselves to be quite tender varieties. I do not consider the chestnut worthwhile because of the constant threat that if a grove should be started it might soon have the blight in it.
I have several Chinese chestnut seedlings which are making a fairly good growth and in time may become productive trees.
We have one hybrid white oak which has an edible kernel but out of about one hundred nuts you might get one wholesome one free from weevils. The tree is very old and is rapidly declining. The nut is small but the tree is quite prolific. I merely mention it to show that there are possibilities in developing the oak. I think our mutual friend, J. Russell Smith, would probably like to hear this as he advocates the use of oaks, and I agree with him that there are possibilities for human food to be used first-hand. I am all out of sympathy with second-hand food production as pork or beef or any meat products, as you know. One reason is that it is economically wrong as it takes many times more acreage to produce meat than vegetables for the same amount of food energy to be derived. My authority, the Encyclopedia Brittanica, which says it takes 64 pounds of dry fodder to produce 1 pound of dry beef, and 32 pounds of dry fodder to produce 1 pound of dry mutton, etc., etc.
Be Thrifty with Nut Trees
_By CARL WESCHCKE, Minnesota_
There has been too much accent put on the profit to be made on nut production. No matter how much income a man may receive, if he has not learned to save out of that income he will never be better off for having received it. Now, nut trees offer a particularly practical way of saving out of income. If one has a large family to feed the saving may amount to a hundred dollars or more a year. When this fine food, contained in the kernels of nuts, is used right in your own family, and supplies the family's entire requirements of nuts, you will find that you have made very substantial savings in your family food budget.
First of all, it is different from income from the sale of nuts because when you sell nuts they must be sold in the competitive market, and usually to the wholesaler if you have a considerable amount to dispose of. Therefore you save the profit made by the wholesaler and the retailer by using your nut crop rather than selling it. This is really being thrifty. If you have a large crop of nuts you will find that you can easily increase the uses in combination with other foods so that less other food has to be purchased in order to meet the family needs. And with the higher prices of ordinary foods you can easily visualize what a tremendous saving this might be.
Nuts are a fine luxury food, but in a way they can quickly become a necessary food by being used as a replacement for meat. I don't like to use the term "substitute for meat" as it implies that nuts are inferior to meat, and nothing could be further from the truth. Nuts are more _NUTricious_ than any meat, pound for pound, and what meat can you store away that will keep as sweet and edible as a nut for so long a time!
Plant nut trees to save your income not to increase it. You will never have to pay a tax on that saving.
Report of Season 1943
_By GEORGE HEBDEN, Corsan, Canada_
The winter of 1942-43 was one of the coldest ever known here. One day it was 33° below zero and another it was 38° below. Filberts did not seem to take any notice of the severe cold and my Stranger Jap heartnuts that are said to be tender went through with flying colors. One or two varieties of Russian walnuts (J. regia) froze to the ground as did all the Pomeroys. Some of the Crath walnuts froze from a few inches to a yard, but the majority did not lose a bud. Strange to say all the extremely large varieties of J. regia came through unscathed as did my Chinese. Asiatic tree hazels missed cropping but came through unscathed. Winkler and Rush hazels were not harmed, though the Rush is a bit tender and succumbed the winter of 1933-34. In fact 1933-34 was a harder winter on trees than 1942-43 as that winter all but my Daviana filberts were hit more or less.
Last fall (1943) all trees went into their winter's sleep in most excellent condition and the twigs are hard to the top buds. Signs on twig terminals indicate a large crop of nuts for the fall of 1944. Thus I hope to be able to have on display for the convention-to-be a most interesting show. Besides nuts of all the hardy varieties I always have a real big show of hardy and tropical water lilies and lotus, a complete collection. Also a complete collection of grapes and many other horticultural curios rarely seen.
I was many years finding persimmons hardy enough to survive our winters, but at last I have at least 2 and maybe 3 varieties that passed last winter in perfect condition. I am north of Lake Ontario and just a mile west of Toronto. I doubt that northern pecans, big western shellbarks and hicans will have a long enough season to ripen. The Weiker hickory, which is a cross between shagbark (Carya ovata) and shellbark (C. laciniosa) hickories, ripens completely each season. Catawba grapes won't ripen except in a rather long summer. Just across the lake the golden muscatel grapes have ripened two or three times in my memory.
Barcelona and Kentish cob seem to be the only two filberts that are tender with me. Du Chilly and Italian red live and crop regularly. I have several very large new varieties of seedling filberts. I like to grow seedling filberts, they show wonderful variations in fruiting. The same with heartnuts. I never lose a seedling heartnut for if the tree yields an unsatisfactory nut I promptly bud it to a Stranger which is the most regular and heaviest cropping heartnut I know of. Yes, every year a monster crop of nuts whose meats come out whole.
Our hybrid Jap heartnut × native butternut crosses are of three types and all excellent and will hold their own with any nut that grows. No nut can beat our butternut for eating. But the shells are too thick, the trees crop only about every 4 years, are unhealthy and shed their leaves soon after September 1st. On the other hand, the hybrid outlooks it, outcrops it and outlives it and our friendly neighbor Russia is very greatly intrigued with these new nuts developed here at Echo Valley. They are thin-shelled, very easy to crack, meats come out easily, trees have a tropical look, crop early, grow fast and very large, leaves hang on green almost to November and the crop ripens early, just after the filberts which are the first nuts to ripen with me, while the Winkler hazels are the last, though the hybrid filbert-hazels are almost as late.
A very beautiful sight here are the many different nut trees growing on black walnut stock to be seen all over the 20 acres. They are heartnuts, Jap walnuts, hybrids, English walnuts and butternuts, as well as superior named black walnuts.
People don't want beautiful trees nearly as much as they do trees that grow nuts. For instance, they don't buy pecans from me, because though they are quite hardy and beautiful, yet the northern pecans don't mature their crop sufficiently in our short season. Down in extreme southwestern Ontario the pecan has cropped and ripened.
One mistake we must not make is not to be too sure of the value of a nut because it is large, thin-shelled and has a fine flavor but is a poor cropper. The nut that produces a very heavy crop is the valuable nut. Thus McAllister hican and the Stabler black are worthless because of their extremely thin crop.
Another nut that looks large and excellent on the tree is the Ohio black walnut, whose huge dirty hull and small nut condemns it. I like thin-hulled nuts that come out clean.
American Walnut Manufacturers Association Carries Out Industrial Forestry Program
_By W. C. FINLEY, Forester_
The forestry program now in operation is ambitious in scope, and has as its objectives the promotion of forest practices which will encourage growing and harvesting American Walnut as a permanent crop.
One of the greatest evils which we are attempting to eradicate is the cutting of small diameter trees. The Walnut Industry has expressed a desire to conserve small diameter fast growing walnut trees for future use and is advocating that farmers, timberland owners and log producers leave these trees in the woodlots to grow into high quality timber. We are trying to educate the farmer, timber owner and log producer in forestry practices which will serve not only their best interests, but which in the final analysis, will serve the lumber industry as a whole. Trees less than 14 inches d.b.h. if cut constitute a real loss in potential high quality and more valuable logs because the logs they produce are too small to be used advantageously. On the other hand, trees of 14 inch d. b. h. and up are in demand and are playing a patriotic role in furnishing material for use by the armed forces, namely gunstocks. The public in general, and tree farmers and timber owners in particular, must be made aware of the fact that while the present walnut timber supply is adequate, conservation of immature trees must be practiced to the full to assure the industry with sufficient raw materials for future use.
Success in this particular phase of our program is being enhanced greatly through the excellent cooperation of Extension Foresters, State Foresters, U. S. Forest Service, Timber Production War Project Foresters, Foresters of the Soil Conservation Service and Tennessee Valley Authority Foresters. These various agencies are working hand in hand with us on those objectives of our program which, in a measure, dovetail with various phases of their own programs. One of the most interesting aspects of our program is our work with 4-H Clubs. We are sponsoring a contest among those members who are interested in forestry. Each contestant is required to plant 25 seedlings, record certain data and write a story about his woodlot giving specific information. Two winners will be chosen from each county participating. Winners will be chosen on the basis of the best story submitted; judges will be 4-H officials and the Extension Forester from each state. The reward to be presented winners will be one week's vacation at 4-H Summer Camp with all expenses paid by the American Walnut Manufacturers Association. This contest is open to all 4-H Club members in the States of Indiana, Illinois, Iowa, Kansas, Kentucky, Michigan, Missouri, Ohio and Tennessee.
In addition to this, the Association Forester will conduct a one day forestry program at the summer camps at which time he will present the winners with special certificates.
The program was planned by the Association's Forestry Committee, consisting of Chester B. Stem, C. B. Stem, Inc., New Albany, Indiana, Chairman; B. F. Swain, National Veneer and Lumber Company, Indianapolis, and Seymour, Indiana; Clarence A. Swords, Sword-Morton Veneer Company, Indianapolis, Indiana and Burdett Green, Secretary-Manager of the American Walnut Manufacturers Association, Chicago, Illinois. The committee worked in close cooperation with Harris Collingwood, Washington, D. C., Forester for the lumber industry. Of especial help were several of the Midwest's outstanding foresters from regional and state offices of the various governmental forestry agencies--men who have had years of woods experience in the areas where most of the Walnut Association's forestry activities will be carried on.
The Crath Carpathian Walnut in Illinois
_By A. S. COLBY_
The Persian walnut (_Juglans regia_), usually and incorrectly called the English walnut, has been highly prized both for the beauty of the tree and the quality of its nuts since ancient times. The species flourishes in Southern Asia and Europe and in our Southwestern and Pacific Coast States, but most of the attempts that have been made to fruit it in Northern and Eastern sections have failed. The varieties or strains tried there were for the most part native to sections of the Old World where the winters are comparatively mild and they were therefore not able to survive our colder and more changeable climate. The late E. A. Riehl, of Alton, Illinois, tried repeatedly to grow named varieties of this nut which are successful in California, but often stated that the species had no future in Illinois. In extreme southern Illinois, at Robert Endicott's place, in Villa Ridge, several Persian walnut trees are growing but their bearing habits are disappointing.
One of the most promising recent developments in Northern nut culture is the introduction into America of hardier strains of the Persian walnut, through the efforts of Rev. Paul C. Crath, of Toronto, Canada, a native of Poland, and whose father was the head of the Agricultural College in the Ukraine. He went back to his own country as a missionary in the early 1930's, and there noticed the hardiness of the Persian walnuts growing in that severe climate. Realizing the possibilities of these strains for fruiting in North America, he combed that rich Russian agricultural region in the Carpathian Mountains for seed for experimental planting over here, harvesting it from trees uninjured at temperatures of -40° F. These parent trees were carefully selected for regular production of good crops of thin-shelled, easily-cracked nuts of good quality. The trees were growing at such distances from others that cross-pollination was avoided. Rev. Crath had observed that seedlings from such self-pollinated trees usually bore nuts that closely resembled those of the parent.
Each tree from which nuts were saved was given a number in order to keep future records straight. The nuts were planted in a nursery established by Rev. Crath near Toronto. Wishing some point in this country where his trees could be distributed without the difficulty and delay incurred in moving small shipments across the border, Rev. Crath arranged with Mr. Samuel H. Graham, of Ithaca, New York, to take sole charge of their distribution in the United States. Considerable interest has been aroused in the possibilities of these strains and their distribution has been wide-spread, with over 2,000 seedlings sent to many Northern States since 1937. In a few more years, after a considerable proportion of these numbered seedlings have come into bearing, we shall have some valuable information regarding their possibilities in sections of the country where previously it had not been considered possible to grow Persian walnuts.
Several Illinois horticulturists have planted seedlings of these strains and have already brought one or more of them into bearing. Others have used scion wood of the Crath types in top-working black walnut trees. The sample Crath Carpathian walnut No. 1 on display at the 1942 meeting of the Illinois Horticultural Society at Quincy was grown by Mr. Royal Oakes, of Bluffs, Illinois. Mr. Oakes topworked a black walnut with Crath Seedling No. 1 scions in 1938 and harvested six nuts in 1942. At the Illinois Agricultural Experiment Station at Urbana, we have over 20 Crath seedlings under number, planted in 1937 and 1939. They are all healthy and vigorous, and several bore pistillate flowers in 1942.
Comparatively little is known about the bearing habits of the Crath walnut strains. Several growers have noted that their trees began to bear pistillate flowers within a few years after planting but set no nuts. Evidently the staminate catkins necessary for pollen production are somewhat slower in appearing. Other strains of Persian walnuts are said to be slow in this regard, usually beginning to bear female flowers from 3 to 5 years before male flowers are produced. It is thought possible that Persian walnut pistils will accept black walnut pollen. Mr. Oakes reports that there were no staminate flowers on the Crath (from which he picked the nuts he exhibited at Quincy), but black walnut pollen was abundant nearby at that time and for good measure he also brought in butternut bouquets. As he states, "something worked."
The prospective planter should understand that these new walnut strains are as yet only in the experimental stage. It is believed that some of them have considerable promise, at least in the southern and the central, and possibly in the northern, parts of this state. However, they must be properly planted and cared for if one expects them to grow and bear. Too close planting should be avoided and some attention must be given to forming the head when the tree is young. No one knows exactly when they will bear, how much, and how long. In their native country, trees have been observed estimated to be over 300 years old. Most of us can expect to enjoy nuts from trees we plant, with more for our grandchildren and great-grandchildren. One might ask also in this connection, as does one nut nurseryman, "How soon will a Chinese elm or soft maple bear nuts?"
[Illustration: Parent tree of Ohio black walnut, on the farm of Charles Arbogast, 1-1/2 miles northwest of McCutchenville, Ohio. The tree is 2-1/2 feet in diameter and very vigorous. It is said to bear heavy crops in alternate years.
Photograph by O. D. Diller, Ohio Agricultural Experiment Station, Oct. 8, 1943.]
[Illustration]
Ohio Nut Growers' Meeting
_By G. J. KORN, BERRIEN SPRINGS, MICH._
A meeting of Ohio nut growers was held at the Wooster, Ohio, Experiment Station on September 5, 1943. A very pleasant and profitable afternoon was had in the exchange of ideas and reports on the growing of nut trees. Most of those present were members of the Northern Nut Growers' Association. As the annual meeting of that organization had been cancelled for the duration of the war, the Ohio members decided to hold a meeting of their own at Wooster. The growers presented reports on the varieties with which they are working and evaluated their merits and performance. As an example, Mr. A. A. Bungart of Avon, said he had spent a good share of his spare time for two summers in examination of several hundred native black walnut trees, and has never found a nut as good as the varieties Todd or Thomas. He still feels, however, that there are superior walnuts growing wild and that continued search for them is well warranted. Several other kinds of nut trees are being grown by Mr. Bungart, such as filberts, Chinese chestnuts, and Crath Persian walnuts. In a summary of his report he said, "In viewing the growing of nut trees, I am convinced that it is a wonderful hobby, and that the contributions of various individuals and groups will eventually establish nut growing in the northern states on a commercial basis."
Mr. Eugene Cranz of Ira also gave a very interesting report. This past summer Mr. Cranz passed his eighty-first birthday, and for many years has been keenly interested in general forestry practices. One of his particular interests is nut culture; a very superior hickory tree grows on his place, which bears a very high quality nut. During the course of his remarks, he expressed great optimism in the matter of developing the Chinese chestnut into a valuable commercial nut crop.