Part 14

I was raised on the prairie part of southwestern Minnesota and it was a delightful surprise when I moved 140 miles east to find that one could gather almost any desired quantity of black walnuts from remnants of the old forest. After a few years these trips to the woods became less glamourous and the pickeruppers more critical. Many of the wild nuts were small and hard to crack. Perhaps a friend's Thomas tree in full bearing with its heavy crop of huge, tasty nuts inspired a wish to grow bigger and better producing trees near at home.

It looked easy to transplant vigorous, 6 foot black walnut whips which could be had for the digging. It took 10 years to learn that nuts properly planted would make larger trees in a decade than transplants. Digging 2 deep holes to move one tree seemed a waste of labor when one planted nut would better serve the purpose. Of course nut planting led to a contest of wits with the squirrels.

It was a funny sight to watch a helper carefully placing nuts at regular intervals in an open furrow and a big fox squirrel following 10 feet behind him, removing the prizes as fast as he could scamper up and down a nearby hollow oak. Our ideas concerning appropriate locations for walnut trees did not coincide with those of Mr. Bushytail. We learned that the simple way to plant walnuts in the woods was to pile a half a bushel here and there. The tree climbers took their toll, but did a good job of planting. Survival seemed better than when we placed individual nuts and "stepped them in."

The desire for bigger, better and more useful nuts led to the planting of a couple of acres to seed from various trees of known value. These will not come true of course but it is hoped that some day they may serve as material for a small nut breeding project in which an attempt will be made to combine some of the more desirable chromosomes into a single tree that retains the best of what we have in present selections, and adds a little more hardiness between growing seasons. Who can tell? We might find a tree that the walnut worms didn't like!

The squirrels didn't fancy our plans to grow trees in rows according to parentage, so they tried to improve our technique. We almost called in the F. B. I. to circumvent their machinations. Jamming an open tin can over the planted nut seemed to help. When the sprout came up we turned up the edges of the split can bottom just enough to let the tree through, but the sharp jagged edges seemed to discourage marauders. A lot of other methods were also tried.

From the Wisconsin Horticultural Society we obtained a pound of English or Persian walnuts in 1937. So far we have some 23 seedlings struggling to keep alive. They range in height from 18 inches to 7 feet and are definitely out of their range. Some years they grow 4 feet of new wood and some winters it all kills back. There seem to be differences in hardiness and--who can tell?--they might even bear a nut some day. Bark injury, which may be winter sun scald, has damaged some of the trees. One tree of the Broadview selection is alive after four years and may make a go of it.

Hickories grow wild in certain parts of Minnesota, but this doesn't happen to be one of those parts. They seem to do best where soil is acid in reaction and here we are amply supplied with lime. That may account for the slow growth of a grafted Hales hickory tree. It was 3 years old when set out in 1921. For the first 9 years it had just 2 leaves per year. Now approaching 30, the tree is 7 to 8 feet high and going up at the rate of 8 to 12 inches a year.

Nuts from Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota wild hickories, have done better. At 8 years the trees are from 1 to 2 feet high, with a couple of Shakespeares, (geniuses) towering a foot above them. This may not be hickory country, but, by gum, they're growing! A couple of years ago, Dr. Brierley from the Central Station, Division of Horticulture, who has nut propagation as one of his minor projects, gave us 7 seedlings of shellbark hickory, (Carya laciniosa), from a tree planted many years ago by Peter Gideon of Wealthy apple fame. After 2 winters, these 7 seedlings are still with us and seem to grow faster than the shagbarks (ovata).

Other attempts to vary our diet (if we live long enough) are a few Chinese chestnut seedlings. A couple secured from the Nut Tree Nurseries, Downington, Pa., in 1940 are now 3 and 4 feet high and apparently in a good state of health. They are leisurely growing, which may be a good thing. Trees like the Manchurian walnut which grow 6 to 8 feet of new wood in a year, seem to freeze back and start over more frequently than the trees which poke along but harden their wood before cold weather. In 1946, a few more seedlings from D. C. Snyder, Center Point, Iowa, were set out and most of them have survived the first winter. Carl Weschcke reports that chestnuts do best for him at River Falls, Wisconsin, in sandy soil with an acid reaction. If I ever raise a chestnut, I'd like to send him one.

Fooling with nuts has led to another activity which has been pleasant though not very practical so far. Each spring, Dr. Brierley spends a couple of days with me trying to graft some of the named varieties to our available wild trees. We have raised nuts on some of the hickory scions grafted to the plentiful native bitternuts, but in general our grafts have failed. We have had good advice from many sources and have tried most everything but our successes have not been numerous enough to cause any inflation of the ego. We're inclined to think that the sudden wide variations of temperature which are common here in May, can be the controlling factor. We've made a few walnuts, hickories, and hicans grow, but still have too many zeroes for any complacency. This year may be our bonanza. Most of the grafts on some 40 trees are shooting buds. Perhaps it's the grafting tape we tried this spring. In 1948 we'll be able to write it all down in the book--and try again.

Nuts are not the only food crops growing on trees. We have read the glowing reports of sweet pods of honey locust grown on such varieties as Millwood and Calhoun, as told by John Hershey and J. Russell Smith. Our Millwoods all killed the second winter and this year we're trying Calhoun. Meanwhile, we're hunting for a hardy, northern grown sweet tree. Miss Jones asked nut growers to tell me what they had and several interesting replies and samples were received. The quality of the pods varied all the way from the sweet Millwood to our native honey locusts, most of which are so bitter and astringent that they remind us of a combination of green persimmons and red pepper. No sensible animal will touch them. Cions were received from a tree in Omaha, Nebraska, through the courtesy of F. J. Adams. These were grafted on local trees this spring and perhaps they will answer all of our needs.

Our attempts to grow better nuts in southern Minnesota have not caused even a ripple in the local economic situation, but it has been a lot of fun. Perhaps the greatest return so far is the interesting correspondence with like minded people in many localities. Amos Workman of Hurricane, Utah, sent seed of his best black and Persian walnuts, pecans and figs. The figs didn't even start (probably my ignorance), but we have trees coming from all the rest. J. Russell Smith has been most helpful with suggestions and the "Minnesota Horse Thief" as he calls me, has enjoyed his letters immensely. John Hershey has passed along some of his enthusiasm for trees and many others have contributed to the pleasure of a fascinating hobby.

It's fun to grow trees even though some of the unusual things provide only exercise and entertainment. Our persimmons grew from seed, were transplanted and came through the first winter! One pawpaw is still trying to get ahead of the winter set-backs, and a Macedonian white pine (said to produce edible nuts) is doing fine. Perhaps I'm the biggest nut of all, but I'm happy about it!

Report on Nut Trees at Massillon

RAYMOND E. SILVIS, Massillon, Ohio

I will first give an account of plantings observed recently in or near Massillon, and, secondly, a condensation of my own introduction to nut growing.

Louis Bromfield in his richly descriptive book "The Farm" writes, "On the way one passed the big orchard which was Jamie's pride, and beyond one came to the field where the big hickory stood. It was a memorable tree, famous in the countryside for bearing enormous nuts with shells so soft that the faintest tap of a rock or a hammer would lay open the bisque-colored kernels." He also writes a reference to the ingredients of candy making at Christmas time in which a good many recipes called for hickory nuts and walnuts.

In Massillon Mr. Alvin Schott, when he drove by the farm of Mr. Lester Hawk and read his sign, "Chinese Chestnut Trees for Sale," thought of the chestnuts he used to eat. Since he, like the rest of us, cannot go out along the road in the fall and pick up chestnuts as of old, he declared to plant some nut trees on city park land so that the younger generation could in a small measure recapture that which now is only a memory.

After making numerous talks and speeches to all the lodges, civic clubs and P. T. A.'s, he received donations and publicity to help him in his project. He enlisted the help of other civic nut-minded personnel to help him select the trees and locations for planting. Boy Scouts and school children dug some of the holes. When it rained (it seems to rain every time a shipment came in) Mr. Schott would call us away from our work and have us dig holes. We have planted in city parks: 13 Hawk chestnuts, 10 Thomas black walnuts, 8 hazel, 4 mulberries, 2 Broadview Persians, 2 Josephine persimmons, 3 pecan seedlings, 1 hican, 9 large seedling black walnuts and several hickories.

We have additional money for another spring planting. Thus Massillon has joined the list of cities that own trees that will produce something else besides leaves.

On August 17th Mr. Gerstenmaier and I drove to Ira, Ohio, to visit Mr. Cranz and take advantage of his invitation to inspect his nut planting. At this moment I believe that his invitation was made with the subtle purpose of bragging about his excellent crop of Thomas black walnuts and filberts. The trees were originally planted by squirrels and later grafted by Mr. Cranz. They grow at the bottom of a huge hill or escarpment 200 feet high at the top of which is his planting of 20 _mollissima_ chestnuts. It's a long climb through his neatly scythed pathways on a hot day. Afterwards I felt like I needed the can which he usually carries.

Recently I found a young black walnut which I hope may be a good selection for further work. It is too early to make any predictions, but I can assure you that a careful check on the tree's performance will be interesting. Thin shell, good kernel cavity, etc.

Near Bolivar, Ohio, stands a young shagbark hickory which bears a nut about the size of a Pleas hican with a very smooth kernel cavity and a thin shell. Even though small this is another nut which will bear watching.

I believe the greatest interest in nut trees will develop when a definite program of controlled crossing is instituted.

When I became a member of this organization in 1939 I was managing almost 1,000 acres of farm land. My own 90 acre farm was being farmed up and down the hill because the fences were built that way. My plan was to change over to a contour operation. After reading "Nut Growing" and "Tree Crops" I decided to plant nut trees at 100' intervals along the edges of the contour strips. I had a twofold purpose, to produce more revenue and preserve the contour method of farming.

I ordered grafted nut trees from Jones Nurseries, Crath seedlings from Graham and 200 northern pecan nuts from Wilkinson. Homer Jacobs, really "sold me" on the Nut Growers Association and then sent me scions of the Wilcox hickory. I was successful in getting two to grow about 100' apart. Miss Jones sent me Pleas hican wood and one graft grew between the two Wilcox. All were grafted on shagbark stock, breast high using the late Mr. Fickes' method. The pecan nuts were stratified and given the usual nursery care and at three years of age were transplanted to the farm along with 200 seedling black walnuts and 100 chestnuts. These seedlings were to be used as stocks for grafting the newer and superior productive varieties. This was 1943. The farmer became dissatisfied with my soil conservation tendencies and moved away. The war developed in earnest and I matriculated at a defense plant. The farm just grew up. I was not dissatisfied. I was just tired. I couldn't find enough time to manage 1,000 acres of farm land 20 miles south; work at a defense plant 20 miles north and operate my insurance and real estate business. So I sold all the farms including mine with the nut trees.

Now it is 1947. It was only two years ago that I made a decision to relinquish the 90 acre farm. A short time ago I found all the grafted trees bearing fruit except the hickories and hican. The grafted Zimmerman, Stoke and Hobson chestnuts have died and most of the pecan, walnut and chestnut seedlings planted on the contour strips have succumbed to the mower, etc. I could find none of the grafted hickories purchased through the years except one Fairbanks. The present owners are enthusiastic over the early bearing chestnuts and are taking care of all the remaining survivor trees.

I have reached the conclusion that any farm in this section of the U. S. with enough hope to warrant contour farming is usually marginal land. This is land which barely pays the cost of working or using; land whereon the costs of labor, coordination and capital approximately equal the gross income. I believe that a planting of grafted nut trees on the edges of contour strips will increase the value of that farm and should have the attention of every county agent and farm owner.

I am no doubt the worst "grafter" in the business. When I get one out of 20 sets to grow I am startled, not so much with the statistical percentages but because a small stick of wood from Kentucky can make its home on the roots of an Ohio cousin. I believe that scion storage is important and I wish to report that the method which Dr. Shelton explained in the 1945 report is very satisfactory. The next best is John Gerstenmaier's apple storage cellar, which he and I have used ever since my interest in nut bearing trees brought us together.

It is still 1947. I'm still in the real estate business. I recently purchased 160 acres of land in an adjoining county and placed title in my son's name. He is six years old. I should be free of any inclination to sell this for fifteen years. Since there are no buildings I won't have a tenant problem. This spring I purchased and planted grafted hickories and grafted black walnuts and set them in supposedly favorable locations where I hope they will maintain themselves. In addition I planted about 200 Hawk seedling chestnuts spaced about 20 to 30 feet apart. These were planted in three different locations. One group was planted under the canopy of a locust grove, another on an exposed hilltop which faces the prevailing westerly winds. The third is on a broad hilltop field which does not have the best drainage since the top soil is clay underlaid with sandstone shale. All of these groups grow on land abandoned some years ago. The soil fertility is generally low. Volunteer native growth of cheery, ash, dogwood and hawthorn prevails.

If I can continue to plant for the next fifteen years I should have quite an orchard, or else my son will have a good hardwood forest. I hope that all of us here can meet there then.

Discussion after R. E. Silvis' paper.

Mr. MacDaniels: "It is a good idea to have nut trees established in the parks. In your home town there is usually a park in which nut trees can be used. Very often it just takes initiative to get these things started. Boy Scout organization is very good at starting projects like this. Chestnuts are more difficult to establish than other trees."

Dr. Gravatt: "Nut trees should not be grown along the curbs because people will gather the nuts that fall on the road. This is very dangerous where there is much traffic."

Stoke: "Walnuts are much more satisfactory as park trees than Chinese chestnuts. People are so prone to break off branches bearing immature chestnuts."

Dr. MacDaniels: "Wire guards are excellent to keep mice, rabbits, etc., away from your nut trees."

Planting of Nut Trees on Highways Undesirable

R. P. ALLAMAN, Harrisburg, Pa.

Having always opposed this practice when it was under discussion, I have been asked to prepare an article on the subject. This paper was prepared in collaboration with Mr. Wilbur H. Simonson, Senior Landscape Architect, U. S. Bureau of Public Roads, Washington, D. C.

Since the beginning of the roadside improvement demonstration program in 1933 the policy of the Public Roads Administration has never favored planting of the showy, garden type of fruit and nut trees on highway roadsides for several reasons:

1. =Traffic Hazards=--Dropping of fruits and nuts on pavements tends to make surface conditions slippery and dangerous to traffic.

2. =Police Problems=--Ripening of fruits and nuts tends to invite passing motorists to stop on side of highway pavements to gather the fruits, adding to traffic hazard. Also such trees tend to invite vandalism by boys together with clubbing the trees to get down the fruits with the possible results of not only injury and damage to the trees themselves, but throwing sticks, stones and clubs into the tree branches is likely to result in hitting or striking passing motorists and otherwise cause loss of control of vehicles by drivers, a very dangerous road condition especially because it is an unexpected situation to have clubs or fruit come down on the highway when driving through.

This all means more intensive policing of the highway by the responsible authorities with added costs in maintenance budgets.

3. =Maintenance Problems=--Not only do dropping of fruits, and the results of vandalism, cause extra cleanup of pavements and drainageways, (clogging of pipes and gutters with debris from the trees) all hazardous to traffic; but also the questions of insects and disease problems are added. This all complicates public maintenance problems and especially the proper pruning and spraying of the trees.

It is not considered a proper function of public authorities to carry on operations that compete with private property developments.

Administrative policy and procedures shall encourage the planting of shade tree types along public highways, and avoid the above described difficulties that are =bound= to occur if nut-bearing types of trees are placed on highway areas.

References: Bennett's book on Roadside Development, 1929, pages 6 and 52, also page 527 of the proceedings for the twentieth annual meeting of the Highway Research Board in 1940, regarding the selection and use of trees on highway areas, as recommended by the Committee on Roadside Development. I quote from these the following extracts:

"Profusely flowering fruit or nut-bearing trees are not desirable, as a rule; very showy garden types of flowering, fruit or nut-bearing trees should be avoided in roadside planting. Experience indicates than vandalism is encouraged by planting any species of tree commonly used in garden, commercial fruit, or nut orchard planting."

"Trees which drop heavy masses of petals, fruit or nuts on highway surfaces are not desirable. Horticultural varieties of flowering trees (particularly those of exotic origin such as the Japanese cherries) should be avoided in roadside planting because a too garden-like appearance of planted roadsides will usually indicate excessive annual maintenance costs, and probably heavy future losses of planted material because of competition with superior and more rugged native tree species." _Re:_ Vandalism, parents are responsible for acts of their children and public plantings should not encourage children towards acts of a vandalistic nature, with trouble not only for the tree but also for the parents in keeping the children in order.

Nut Growing for the Farm Owner

H. GLEASON MATTOON

It is with trepidation that I present a paper on nut growing before a group so much more learned in the subject than I. But two things impel me to do so. First, the firm conviction that nut trees, carefully chosen, properly planted and intelligently cared for, have a place on many farms as a cash crop for the market and a food crop for the farm family and, second, the poor results from many nut tree plantings on farms. As may be imagined, my conviction is not based upon results seen but upon the possibilities I know are inherent in nut trees.

When the first wave of publicity for soil conservation was at its zenith back in the late 30s, I listened to a talk, the substance of which was that there are no such things as submarginal land, and problem areas. There are only submarginal people and problem people. Land does not destroy itself nor is squalor self-created. Human qualities create both conditions. Therefore the problem to be tackled is the ignorance, cupidity or stupidity of those who create such conditions.

This made a profound impression on me. It has influenced my thinking in all things connected with our renewable resources. Our success in growing anything, whether it be cotton, corn or nut trees, depends largely upon ourselves. If we mix three parts of intelligence with one part of effort, the yield will be manifold.

Much of this intelligence should be of the "green thumb" variety, a mixture of common sense and keen observation. The one using this kind of intelligence would plant black walnuts in a deep, rich, well-drained loam, because he has observed that this species grows best and yields more heavily in that type of soil. He would plant the trees with top roots not more than one inch under the surface of the soil because he has noted that is the way they grow naturally. He would strive to keep foliage on the tree as long as possible because he knows that the leaves are the manufacturing part of the tree. Without them the tree could not grow and would not produce filled nuts. He would do many other things essential for proper tree growth and yield.