Part 15

But unfortunately several of the farm nut tree plantings I have seen show a woeful lack of "green thumb" intelligence. I recall one in particular because of the condition of both the trees and the owner. The planting originally consisted of twenty Chinese chestnuts, fifteen named black walnuts, four hicans and four Persian walnuts. The owner originally was an enthusiastic convert to nut growing. Today the planting is a failure, while the owner is an irate backslider who would not plant another nut tree even though it bore ten dollar bills. Four years after planting, nineteen of the twenty chestnuts, all hican, three Persian walnuts and ten black walnuts were dead. Of the remaining seven trees only one could be called healthy. Examination soon focused the picture. Most of the trees had been planted on an eroded hillside deficient in humus. In addition, many of them were planted from three to ten inches too deep. The only thriving walnut was planted at the proper depth and in a pocket of top soil at the base of the slope. Under questioning, the owner said that he had purposely planted them deep to "keep their roots cool." That is a widely held horticultural fallacy which is unconsciously fostered by many nurseryman. In their instructions they say to plant the tree one inch deeper than it was in the nursery. Too many laymen reason that, if planting the tree one inch deeper will help, then the tree should do even better if planted six inches deeper.

After eighteen years of trying to learn why transplanted trees do not thrive, I am convinced there are four main causes. I list them in the order of their prevalence. First and foremost, too deep planting. Second, fibrous roots allowed to become dry. This may occur in transit, in the hands of the purchaser or because of air space around the roots after planting. Third, deficiency of moisture due to low humus content of the soil or drought. Four, rodent damage. While some nut trees are possibly more difficult to re-establish than a few other species, if care is used to see that none of these four conditions occurs, there is no reason why a well-rooted tree should not grow and remain healthy.

Up to this point I have been dwelling on the negative side. Though it must be confessed that the preponderance of such planting has not fulfilled the owner's expectations, we must remember that the fault does not lie in the trees but in the human element. If the purchaser of nut trees has received proper instructions and carries them out faithfully, the trees will grow. Not all of the fault, however, can be placed upon the purchaser. The nurserymen should remember that there is a place for gilded pictures and glowing generalities but that place is not in the directions for planting and care. These directions should be practical, precise and detailed, with no implications of Midas returns from a half acre grove. Every grower of nut trees knows that problems and troubles continue to arise which tax his knowledge and experience. How much more baffling such difficulties are to the layman who is just embarking on the venture of growing trees.

I have planted nut trees and have seen them grow to maturity and yield bountifully. I have seen a few farm tree plantings which have more than repaid the time and effort. Though the varieties now grown by nurserymen are inferior to those that I am confident will be produced at some future time, they still have sufficient merit to warrant planting.

You who are interested in nut trees which thrive in the northern states, must recognize that two factors contribute to the development of superior strains. One is hybridizing and the other sport development. The former is a long term project which should have institutional backing. The opportunity for the latter, that is, chance development of a superior or unique variation, is in direct ratio to the number of nut trees growing in the area. Successful farm nut growers, dotted over the region, will, therefore, increase the chance that finer strains will appear.

But whether the farm nut grove ever abets science and produces the long sought superior nut, is of little importance compared to its value to the farm. It is incumbent, therefore, upon every nut enthusiast, who has a hand in bringing to the attention of farm owners the value of nut trees, to be meticulous in giving instructions for their planting and care.

Tree Crop and Nut Notes from Southern Pennsylvania

JOHN W. HERSHEY

_Broadview English Walnut_--This hardy variety seemed so good it took a lot of effort to keep from recommending it commercially. The oldest tree in our section, owned by my brother, bore lightly for several years. With its fine flavor, tree beauty and hardiness it edges closer and closer to where we can recommend it commercially. In its seventh year it bore a half bushel; the 8th, this year, it's really loaded. I have planted 30 trees.

_A Southern Persian Walnut_ The northern man in the south loves the cool climate, Persian walnut. I have found chance seedlings here and there, even down to northern Alabama. One tree, northeast of Knoxville, Tennessee, had a good quality nut and was seemingly resistant to sun scald. Starting late in the spring it avoids the late frosts so damaging to horticulture in the south.

_Cornell Black Walnut_--This new variety, a Thomas seedling, named Cornell by its originator at Ithaca, New York, bore one nut for us in 1946. The boys at Cornell like it because it fills even in an abnormally cool season of the Finger Lakes region when natives fail. You can't decide an issue with one nut, but our specimen was as large and full of high-flavored, white meat as the Thomas, and as thin-shelled as the Stabler. So attractive does this variety appear that I am reserving it this fall in order to plant several in orchard form to produce scion wood.

_Honey Locusts_--The latest report on their performance comes from J. C. Moore, Soil Conservation Service at Auburn, Alabama, on February 3, 1947. Their laboratory tests of Millwood show a sugar content of 36.65%, and Calhoun 38.95%. The animal husbandry department of the Alabama Experiment Station at Auburn has found the pods equal to oats, pound for pound, in a dairy ration. A team of mules fed for 30 days on pods showed satisfactory results. Cows and hogs showed equal success. At 5 years of age, Millwood averages 58 pounds and Calhoun 26 pounds per year. At eight years, Millwood bore 200 pounds, and Calhoun 60. The pods fall from October 15th to December 30th. Lespedeza sericea planted between the trees yields 2-1/2 tons per acre annually. This gives us courage to continue emphasizing their great value for pasture and rough land planting. The trees we planted in our swampy, worn-out meadow are doing fine.

_Mulberries_--This great chicken, bird and hog feed will some day fill a definite place in the sun of the American farmer, just as it does in Asia. The drawbacks are lack of hardiness and short bearing season in the north. The Hicks variety bears for six to eight weeks but is not hardy north of the Mason-Dixon line. This year we have grafted eight varieties of which seven are new. One from southern Indiana, an American seedling selected by a mulberry enthusiast, bears for six to eight weeks. Will it be hardy farther north? We shall know soon. Six are from select seedlings of L. K. Hostetter, of Lancaster, Pa., the mulberry king of America. The other is a fine white, a chance seedling from 75 miles north of Pittsburgh. It has not borne yet but was far hardier than Downing last winter. I have a few of these to sell this fall. Mulberries need sweet soil to prevent winter killing. On worn out soils we have discovered that they do well until established, by applying a few handfuls of lime around the tree at planting time. Not only are they excellent for the above mentioned uses but the right varieties are better than raisins when dried.

In 1945 we set a leaky corner of sandy meadow to honey locusts. I saw them growing in semi-swamp land in Alabama, but here all but two of the 18 trees died. When replanted in 1946 also they died. I found the two that were living were carelessly planted too shallow, with the top roots sticking out of the ground. We replanted more trees in the spring of 1947 with the top roots above the ground level, mounded soil over them about 6 to 10 inches, then mulched. They are all growing fine.

_Starting a Tree Crop Farm. What Is It?_--It consists of a blended, balanced program of cattle, hogs, poultry and sheep pasturing under mulberries, honey locust, persimmons, oaks, etc., plus the hog feed from the refuse chestnuts, walnuts and Chinese dates. The great secret of nature is that your security lies in a balanced land use between animal and plant production with crops for animals, and animal manure for the crops, with a margin of each for the profit book. I bought this abandoned swampy, rocky, sandy soil farm of 72 acres, to show how it can be done on land too rough for the plow. The first requirement was to work out a program with permanent crops to bring in a continuous return, while planting and developing the slower bearing nuts and crop trees. I have found you must live on the farm a year to learn which soils and sites are best for a species. For instance, the field that fitted my plan to plant walnuts is too wet, so there we shall plant the hickories, pecans and hicans with persimmons as fillers. The place where I wanted walnuts was too sandy, so we shall plant chestnuts and filberts, and where I wanted chestnuts the soil is good for walnuts.

_Starting a Profit Cycle_--To create a return as quickly as possible on such a cycle we started a small flock of chickens, ducks and geese. The next step was to decide what to plant of a permanent nature to make a succession of crop income from spring until the nut crop comes in autumn. In the spring of 1945 we planted an acre of asparagus and one of raspberries. In 1947 both started bringing in returns. In 1948 they will be in full production. In 1946 and 1947 we set an acre or more of blueberries. Half of the blueberries were planted in a semi-swamp, useless to farm or pasture, but the home of blueberries after we drained it. These will start bearing in 1948 and increase in production for ten years. We have 2 cows for family milk as I nearly live on it. The surplus we use in vealing calves as well as to start a herd.

The first year we took in about $100, the second $150; to date we've taken in $850, plus an inventory increase of 5 nine months old bulls and 6 year old heifers. No soil can live without manure and, due to the results of over 20 years of organic soil management, we use no chemical fertilizers. Hence, we need lots of manure. I can not afford to buy straw so we use shavings and sawdust for bedding.

We apply to the manure in the stables about 100 pounds per animal of raw phosphate rock a week, which sweetens the dust and helps feed the soil. We also buy straw for seven riding horses for the manure, as this is great fox hunting country. While this young stock is supplying manure for the soil it is increasing in value. Our program is expensive because time needed in the nursery and orchard prevents us from growing grain, but when you start you can grow grain. We shall soon be having stock to sell each year which will add to our income.

While these crops are contributing to our keep, our time is used in developing the slower-bearing, permanent tree crops, 600 mulberries for hogs and cattle, 350 honey locusts, nearly a 100 persimmons, 50 oaks, 50 Chinese Jujubes and 90 filberts, all going well. To this we added in the spring of 1947 5 acres of Persian and black walnuts with chestnuts interplanted in the row. These are our future feeds for a bigger and cheaper hog, cattle, sheep and poultry feeding program, as well as providing food and cover for wild life. We have yet to plant 5 acres of mixed hickory, hicans and pecans interplanted with over 100 seedling persimmons and a six acre boulder field of black walnuts interplanted with chestnuts and a 5 acre sandy field of chestnuts interplanted with filberts.

The rest of the farm will be in nursery, hay and cereals. Now hold in mind these vital factors. To get rich just planting a farm of nuts or any other one crop is a delusion, with the bankers eventually holding the bag, the soil and owner taking a licking. Nature is a balanced force, soil undisturbed is a delicately balanced flour barrel of never ending life. Learn of nature how to protect this soil, that shallow insulation board between man and disaster.

After feeling our way over 3 years this is what we found best in handling trees. In the meadow where we planted honey locust, and on a rocky knoll with oaks, the first year we applied a shovelful of night soil and a light mulch of leaf compost. The second summer we mowed, raked, and forked the hay to the tree in a wide circle. It was amazing the life activity that was created under this mulch by the next spring. Mice were controlled by pulling the mulch 3 inches from the tree in early fall and with poisoned wheat under the mulch. In the spring of 1947 we mulched a 4 to 5 ft. circle around each tree with manure two or three inches thick. You should see the trees growing. One-half was mowed for hay and on the other half electric fences were put up along the tree rows and the field was pastured. We planted the walnuts and chestnuts in a sod of natural white clover and timothy. Walnuts were planted in 60 ft. rows with a chestnut tree every 30 ft. Here, three rounds were made with the plow and disk and the ground was manured before the trees were planted. After planting one shovelful of night soil, or two or three shovelfuls of cured slaughter house tankage, were applied to each tree. The rows were kept clean until June and then sowed to soy beans. Sufficient manure was available to make it possible to complete a manure mulch around these trees. The field where the hickory and pecans are to go has the tree rows plowed, manured and soy beaned ready for planting. We plan to use the same method in future plantings.

Notes from the New Jersey Section of the Northern Nut Growers Association

MRS. ALAN R. BUCKWALTER

(As a suggestion to some other State Vice-Presidents the editors print parts of a letter from Mrs. Buckwalter whose husband was long a valued and active member of the N. N. G. A.

"After receiving the annual report I sent reply post cards to each of the members in New Jersey. I received answers from about one-third of them and have assembled some of their reports and questions to send you, along with a few notes about our orchard.")

Wm. M. Daugherty of Princeton reports that his three hundred ten-year-old black walnut trees had a fine set of nuts this spring. However, a hail storm in midsummer stripped the trees of both leaves and nuts.

From Saddle River, Dr. Harold Blake reports that his black walnuts are doing well, but a late spring frost killed the catkins on the Cosford, Medium Long and Italian Red filberts. Mr. Blake suggests a theory of bark rot and asks the opinion of other nut growers. He noticed that in several instances of bark rot on Thomas and Stambaugh black walnuts the diameter of the scion was larger than that of the stock. He concludes that the scion was taken from a faster growing tree than the one that was used for the stock and that the so-called bark rot is cambium rot due to the fact that the smaller stock does not completely feed the cells of the naturally faster growing section. Dr. Blake therefore suggests more study of the compatibility of scion to stock, especially in regard to growth and bearing. He notes that in fruit trees the root stock is of importance in this regard and it may be that the variance in reports from different localities on black walnuts and other nut trees may be due to the difference in root stock as well as climate and soil conditions.

Edward Fuhlbruegge of Scotch Plains has long tried to grow pawpaw seedlings with no success. He wants to know if any other New Jersey members have been able to raise pawpaws from seed.

(Ed.--He should keep the seedbed moist through the summer. These seeds germinate slowly and the seedlings cannot emerge through a hard soil surface.)

The observation of Gilbert V. P. Terhune of Newfoundland is that the native chestnuts continue to sprout and occasionally produce nuts. He predicts that in years to come we will again have our native chestnuts. [Ed.--Someone should carefully save his nuts and grow trees from them.]

John H. Donnelly of Hoboken asks other nut growers for their opinion of using cut grass as a mulch for nut trees. [Ed.--Excellent.]

From Fairlawn J. L. Brewer states that his black walnuts do not seem to have any bad effects on raspberries and strawberries, thus adding another note to the long controversy as to the deleterious effects of black walnuts on the soil. His Texas pecan and Indiana hickory seedlings, although planted in favorable location, have not made a good growth. [Ed.--Did he feed them?]

Louis P. Rocker of Andover reports his Thomas and Stabler walnuts had a good crop in 1946 but this year have few nuts.

This planting (Buckwalter) consists of _Castanea mollissima_, _mollissima_ hybrids and _Japonica_ (crenata). Due to circumstances during the war years, we have not been able to do much with this orchard; however, we hope gradually to build it up.

In 1946 the part of the chestnut crop that was harvested was infested with the chestnut curculios. About fifty per cent of the nuts were affected. No infestation had been noted in previous years, although in 1945 the crop was not harvested at all. [Ed.--That gave the worms their chance to propagate.]

We will not be able to spray our entire chestnut orchard this year; however, a few of the trees will be sprayed to determine the effectiveness of DDT as a control. In the December, 1946 issue of "The American Fruit Grower" it was stated that DDT as a wettable power (four pounds of fifty per cent DDT to one hundred gallons of water) should be used. Three applications gave best results, and this will be tried on our trees.

This year we have a good crop of nuts and hope to select the best of our trees, which will be included in next year's report.

Report of Resolutions Committee

The Northern Nut Growers Association, Inc., is bringing to a close the 38th annual convention with deep appreciation of the complete and satisfying hospitality which we have enjoyed at the hands of our hosts, the Ontario Agricultural College. We have enjoyed the beautiful, well kept, and spacious grounds, the substantial and well planned buildings, the thoughtful and pleasant help of all of the personnel with whom we have come in contact, especially Dr. J. S. Shoemaker, head of the Department of Horticulture in whose building we have had satisfactory meeting place, display room, use of lantern and operator, and the esthetic satisfaction of looking at beautiful flowers harmoniously arranged.

We have been well nourished with good food, well prepared and expeditiously served.

We especially appreciate the courteous entertainment that the faculty ladies have so kindly arranged for the ladies who accompany us.

For many years Clarence Reed has been one of the "war horses" of the N. N. G. A. We were expecting to see him cap this long service by presiding over this session, and it was with great sorrow that we learned of his inability to be with us.

Your Resolutions Committee wishes to call attention to the excellent manner in which Dr. L. H. MacDaniels has conducted the sessions of this convention.

It is with great regret that the members of this Association learned of the resignation of Miss Mildred Jones as Secretary. Her work in that office has been of an unusually high order of efficiency and devotion. It was the kind of work which shows the enthusiasm that arises from deep personal interest. Her services will be greatly missed.

Dr. W. Rohrbacher, Dr. J. Russell Smith, Sterling Smith, Wm. Hodgson.

Report of the Necrology Committee

JOSEPH GERARDI

Mr. Joseph Gerardi, 78 year old nurseryman, died at his home in O'Fallon, Ill., on April 3rd, 1947.

Mr. Gerardi was an enthusiastic and especially well informed student of nut culture. He was always looking for new and better seedlings, some of which were named as they were found worthy. His Gerardi hican is probably one of the best in that group. He also introduced the Gildig pecans (Gildig Nos. 1 and 2) and the Fisher pecan. Mr. Gerardi was quite successful as a propagator and always tried to have nursery stock of the best varieties. His loss will be keenly felt. His son, Louis Gerardi, will continue the propagation of nut trees at Caseyville, Ill.

(The following notes are supplied by Louis Gerardi.--Ed.)

Joseph Gerardi was born in the year 1868 on the old Hagamann farm, five and one-half miles northwest of Lebanon, Ill., in O'Fallon Township. He was the fourth child of John and Catherine (Haas) Gerardi.

When he reached the age of five years, his parents moved on a farm three and one-half miles southeast of Trenton, Illinois, in Clinton County. His early schooling was obtained in the McKee School near his home and in St. Mary's School in the town of Trenton, Illinois. After graduating from the eighth grade, he helped his father through the spring and summer months with the farm work, but in the winter attended McKee school.

In the year 1894 at the age of 25 years he left the home farm in Clinton County, and moved to a farm two and one-half miles southeast of Jerseyville, Illinois, in Jersey County. Here he began the study of fruit growing, and became an agent for the Stark Bros. Nursery.

In 1907 he married Eleanor Collignon of Trenton, Illinois. To this union six children were born: Eleanor Barbara, Sharlotte Catherine, Eugenia Ruth, Louis Joseph, Bernice Marie, and Gertrude Beatrice.

In the spring of 1918 he sold this farm and moved to Trenton, Ill., where he worked with his father-in-law, John Martin Collignon, doing construction work. During this year he searched for a farm with soil suitable for fruit growing.

In 1919 he purchased a 110 acre farm situated two and one-half miles west of O'Fallon, Illinois. The next year he set out twenty acres of Stark Bros. trees.

While living on this farm in the fall of 1920 the little family had its first great loss. Here the oldest girl, Eleanor Barbara, died from a railroad accident.

Julius Rohr, watching him work with his trees, encouraged him to start his own nursery because he knew so much about trees. With this encouragement, he started his own nursery in 1923. As demand increased he added a general line of nursery stock.