Chapter VI: Part 6

The latitude of Moorhead is somewhat below that of the southern boundary of the northern zone, yet climatic conditions of extreme western Iowa are probably no less severe than those of southern Michigan. For this reason, and because of the excellent rating that this variety has received, it is believed that the Edras should be included in further test plantings of the northernmost zone.

GERMAINE--The Germaine black walnut, named in honor of Mr. John W. Germaine, R. 6, Allegan, Mich., owner of the original tree, was called to the attention of the U. S. Department of Agriculture in March of 1929 by Mr. Howard Harris, R. F. D. 7, also of Allegan, when he forwarded a few specimen nuts of the 1928 crop to Washington. These were found to have very good cracking quality and plump kernels of rich quality and pleasing flavor.

Scions have been placed in the hands of various individuals and agencies. Trees of this variety are now growing at Beltsville, Md., and at Morton Arboretum, Lisle, Ill.

GRUNDY--The Grundy black walnut originated with a thrifty young seedling owned by Mr. John Rohwer, Grundy Center, Iowa. It was brought to light in 1927, when it received first prize in a private contest conducted by Prof. N. F. Drake, Fayetteville, Ark., and by him given the temporary designation of "Iowa."

According to President F. H. Frey of the Northern Nut Growers Association, in a statement appearing in the Proceedings for 1932 (p. 158), Mr. Rohwer exhibited this variety during the Missouri State Fair of 1928 and was given first prize. The same year, according to this statement, the Grundy was awarded second prize during the meeting of the Mid-West Horticultural Show held in Cedar Rapids. In the opinion of Mr. Frey, the Grundy is superior to Rohwer in flavor of kernel and its equal in cracking quality. An entry of Grundy made in the 1929 contest of the Association was awarded fifth prize.

Little is known of the bearing habits of this variety, although Mr. D. C. Snyder, the surviving member of Snyder Bros., Inc., of Center Point, wrote to Washington on July 31, 1933, that he was "afraid" that both this variety and Rohwer might not prove to be "reliable bearers."

An opinion of Ex-President of the Association, C. F. Walker, expressed July 16, 1933, by letter to the writer, was to the effect that the Grundy walnut was "fair" only.

Three pounds of the 1931 Grundy walnuts tested by the Department at Washington yielded 27.74 per cent quarters, 1.57 per cent bad, and 2.35 per cent small pieces, making a total of 31.66 per cent kernel. The nuts averaged 35 per pound and had a range of from 28 to 36. The cracking quality was very good, the kernels bright, plump, rich in quality and of agreeable flavor.

Considering the good points in favor of this variety, even though its latitude of origin is somewhat below that of the south Michigan border, it would seem that until worthier nuts are found, this should be included in test plantings of the northernmost zone.

HARRIS--The Harris walnut first became known to the department in December of 1924, when Mr. Howard Harris, R. F. D. 7, Allegan, Mich., owner of the original tree, submitted specimens for examination. The feature which attracted immediate attention was the superior cracking quality, due to the largeness and openness of its kernel chambers. The kernels were not as plump as might have been desired, but this is assumed to have been due to the light, sandy soil where the parent tree grows.

In examining specimens of the 1927 crop, Dr. Deming noted that the nuts were "small, clean," the shell "thick," the cracking quality "good to perfect," and the kernel "not plump, light (in weight) and texture hard." He placed the flavor at "fair to sweet," yet felt that the variety should be given further consideration. Many of the kernels of the nuts which he examined, like those from this tree during most years, were "shrunken."

Two pounds of the 1930 crop tested in Washington yielded 10.91 per cent of quarters, 3.30 per cent of bad kernels, and 4.41 per cent of small pieces, making a total of but 18.63 per cent.

This is a much lower rating than that of any other variety included in this list, and were it not for the superiority of its cracking quality and the latitude of its origin, it would hardly now be included. However, it should probably be included in all test plantings in the northernmost zone, especially if breeding is contemplated. The soil where this original tree stands is of a light, sandy nature. Allowance for this should be made in evaluating the merits of the variety.

HILTON--The Hilton black walnut came to the attention of the U. S. Department of Agriculture in early March of 1933, when specimens were received through the courtesy of Prof. L. H. MacDaniels of Ithaca, New York, by whom its propagation had already been successfully begun. Professor MacDaniels wrote that he did not feel that it was "outstanding," except that "apparently it does succeed rather far north and is much above the average in general merit."

The nuts sent to Washington averaged 25 per pound, had a range of from 21 to 28 per pound, and were therefore quite large, especially for that latitude. The yield of quarters was 20.46 per cent, that of small kernel parts O.66 per cent, and the total 21.12 per cent. The cracking quality was very good, the kernel quality rich and the flavor very good.

The original tree, according to Professor MacDaniels, is tall and difficult to climb. It stands on the lot of a next-door neighbor of Mr. D. C. Wright of Hilton, through whom it came to the attention of Professor MacDaniels.

As the town of Hilton is within ten miles of the shore of Lake Ontario, the origin of the variety was practically on the extreme northern edge of western New York. In view of this, it is felt that the Hilton variety should be carefully considered in connection with any planting in the northernmost zone.

HUBER--The Huber black walnut was brought to light by Mr. Ferdinand Huber, Cochrane, Wis., in 1929, when he made an entry in the Association contest. Although the nuts were awarded no prize, the Bixby report made special mention of these nuts as being "notable for the high percentage of kernel (1930 Proc. N. N. G. A., p. 108), having yielded 32.8 per cent of total kernel."

The variety has not been tested by the department, although several attempts have been made to procure specimens for the purpose, but each such effort has been coincident with a crop failure by this particular tree.

LAMB--The Lamb black walnut is a variety propagated and grown for its wood only. The parent tree stood on a farm one-quarter mile east of Ada, Kent County, Michigan, perhaps ten miles due east of Grand Rapids. After the log had been cut and shipped to a mill, discovery was made that the wood of the original tree had a highly figured grain. Mr. George Lamb, then Secretary of the American Walnut Manufacturers Association, 616 South Michigan Avenue, Chicago, traced the origin of the log back to its source, where the top was found to be still green, although the tree had been cut two months previous. Scions were cut and sent by Mr. Lamb to the Department of Agriculture in Washington, and also to Dr. Robert T. Morris, Merribrooke Farm, Stamford, Conn. At the suggestion of Dr. Morris, Mr. Lamb also sent scions to Mr. Ford Wilkinson, Rockport, Ind.

Some of the scions received by the Department were placed in the hands of others, including the late Messrs. Jones, Bixby and Snyder, also Prof. V. R. Gardner, Director of the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station at East Lansing, and Dr. G. A. Zimmerman, Piketown, Pa. Drs. Morris and Zimmerman, Professor Gardner, and Messrs. Wilkinson and Bixby, were all successful in their efforts at grafting. Mr. Bixby made new grafts as soon as the original could be cut for scions, and also made some distributions of scions. At the time of his death in August, 1933, there were a dozen or more nursery trees of various sizes and degrees of condition among his stock at Baldwin. From these, scions were sold to a number of Association members during the spring of 1934.

While it has not yet been established that the character of figured grain is transmissible with scions, the value of such wood is so great that anyone interested in producing walnut trees of outstanding value would do well to investigate this variety to the extent of growing a few trees. In all likelihood the combined results from tests made by a large number of persons would be of great value to science.

TASTERITE--The parent tree of the Tasterite walnut, owned by Everl Church, R. F. D. 3, Ithaca, New York, was discovered and named by Mr. S. H. Graham, a neighbor, living on Route 5, also out of Ithaca. The latter submitted specimens to the department in Washington in 1929, where they made a highly favorable showing. Tasterite nuts entered that year in the contest of the Northern Nut Growers Association, although receiving no award by the committee were given the rating of "excellent" by Dr. Deming. In 1930, Prof. N. F. Drake of Fayetteville, Ark., gave Tasterite nuts a rating of "100 per cent on cracking quality." He obtained a total of 28.05 per cent of kernel. Nuts of the 1930 crop examined in Washington averaged 36 per pound, ranged from 34 to 38, and yielded 20.92 per cent of quarters and 7.22 per cent of small pieces, making a total of 28.14 per cent.

The shell of the nut is thinner than the average and the cracking quality distinctly superior. The kernels of nuts promptly harvested, hulled and cured have been bright, plump, rich in quality, and especially pleasing in flavor. The one weak point of the Tasterite appears to be in the matter of size, but this smallness is well offset by superiority in the points just mentioned, and also in what is perhaps more important, the latitude and altitude of the place of origin. Any variety which will yield heavy crops of nuts distinctly superior to the average black walnut in cracking quality and kernel merit at a 42-degree latitude plus, and a 2,000-foot altitude, should be potentially very valuable in the northernmost zone.

WIARD--This is another Michigan variety, apparently of much merit. Vague bits of information regarding it have reached the department at Washington from time to time since June, 1926, when Greening Bros., of Monroe, stated to the writer that Mr. Everett Wiard, a fruit grower near the eastern outskirts of Ypsilanti, was grafting a promising seedling of his own origin. This clue was not successfully followed up until 1932, when a few specimen nuts were obtained. These were found to be of medium size and of excellent cracking quality. The kernels were plump, bright, rich in quality, and of pleasing flavor.

On February 12, 1934, Professor Neilson wrote the department that this seedling had come to his attention during Farmers' Week, held shortly before, at East Lansing. He stated that to him this appeared to be one of the best seedlings thus far discovered and that he was recommending it for propagation. He added that the nut was "of medium size, somewhat diamond-shaped, thin-shelled, easy to crack and of excellent extractive quality." Very likely more will be learned of this variety in the future.

Butternut Varieties

The American butternut, Juglans cinerea, although commonly held to be a slow grower, a tardy and light bearer, and a producer of thick-shelled nuts hard or impossible to crack without extreme difficulty, is frequently quite the opposite in one or more, or all, of these respects. Under favorable environment the trees grow rapidly, bear early, and oftentimes the nuts may be easily cracked and the kernels extracted in perfect halves. Probably more than a dozen varieties from various portions of the North have been named. A few of these appear to be of considerable promise.

The northern range of the butternut extends from Nova Scotia over Maine, across New Hampshire, Vermont, New York, the upper peninsula of Michigan, and through Wisconsin and southeastern Minnesota to South Dakota south to Georgia and Arkansas.

Butternut flavor is preferred by many people to that of any other nut. Throughout New England the kernels are used to no inconsiderable extent in the making of highly pleasing food products. Oftentimes the ground kernels are used in the home manufacture of pastries and confections which are either consumed at home or sold on roadside markets at good profit.

The butternut is not without certain weak points which must not be forgotten. The timber is less valuable than that of black walnut, the trees grow to smaller size and seldom live more than 75 or 100 years; outside of the best growing sections of the North, it is possible that the majority succumb under 40 years.

Being less symmetrical, butternut trees are not as suitable for ornamental planting as are nut trees of many other kinds. Nevertheless, a tree or two of each of the best varieties now available should be included in all nut planting as far south as the species is indigenous, and perhaps farther down.

ALVERSON--The parent tree of this variety is owned by Mr. M. E. Alverson, Howard City, Montcalm County, Michigan. It was first called to public attention when it was awarded third prize in the 1932 State contest held at East Lansing under the direction of Prof. James A. Neilson, of Michigan Agricultural College. A one-pound lot tested in Washington during April of the same year counted 47 specimens. It yielded 14.44 per cent of quarters and 1.11 per cent of small pieces, making a total of 15.55 per cent kernel. The cracking quality was found to be good. The kernels were large, long, plump, medium bright, and the flavor distinctly pleasing.

DEMING--This variety was called to attention by Olcott Deming, a son of Dr. W. C. Deming, Hartford, Conn., to whom it was awarded first prize in the 1918 contest of the Northern Nut Growers Association. Dr. Deming sought to have this variety called Olcott, but the name became fixed when it appeared in the Jones catalogue of 1920, and later in various reports of the Association.

The Deming butternut is probably an early bearer, as in notes prepared by the late J. F. Jones for use during the 1926 convention held at Lancaster, reference was made to two trees (Nos. 88 and 89), which were in "bearing while still quite young," the latter of which "bore two nuts the next year after being grafted," and which was then "bearing its third consecutive crop." Mr. Jones began its propagation in 1920, commenting to the writer at the time that it was "larger and had a thinner shell than Aiken."

IRVINE--This variety was awarded first prize ($50.00) in the Northern Nut Growers Association contest of 1929. The parent tree is owned by Mrs. L. K. Irvine, Menominee, Dunn County, Wis. In a Washington test of three pounds, conducted in 1931, the nuts averaged 53 per pound and had a range of from 44 to 59. The kernel yield was 22.13 per cent quarters, 3.90 per cent small pieces, and 0.38 per cent bad. The cracking quality was excellent, the kernels large and highly attractive, the quality good, and the flavor mild. This is apparently one of the finest although not the richest or sweetest, of any variety of butternut yet discovered. It is known to have been successfully propagated but to a limited extent only.

LOVE--This butternut originated on the farm of Mr. Frank Love, R. F. D. 2, Howell, Livingston County, Mich. It was discovered by chance, when the large size and generally sound condition of the parent tree caught the attention of the writer in 1931. In a cracking test conducted later that year the nuts averaged 53 per pound, had a range of from 44 to 71, and yielded a total of 27.32 per cent kernel. The yield of quarters was 24.68 per cent, and that of small pieces 2.64 per cent.

The Love butternuts are considerably smaller than those of some other varieties, and in comparison with Irvine of that year the kernels were much less attractive in appearance, but richer in quality and of more pleasing flavor. On the whole, these nuts now stand among the very best yet called to attention, although during a test made a year later of nuts also from the parent tree, the result was but 17.19 per cent of kernel, composed of 16.86 per cent quarters and 0.33 per cent of small pieces.

These nuts have not appeared in any contest, and in all probability they would have received no award during any but the most favorable years. However, their record of 1931 placed the variety in a class at that time quite by itself.

Scions from the original tree, purchased by the department in 1933, and placed in the hands of several commercial propagators, have resulted in at least one living grafted tree. This is being carefully guarded, and as soon as possible others will be grafted from it. As Mr. Love is quite averse to having the tree cut for scions, it may not be possible to obtain new scions from the original source.

LUTHER--This butternut came to light as a result of the contest held by Professor Neilson at the end of the 1932 crop year, when it received second prize. The entry was made by Mr. F. Luther of Fairgrove, Tuscola County, Mich.

In Washington, nuts of the 1932 crop averaged 52 per pound and yielded 15.45 per cent of quarters and 2.21 per cent of small pieces, making a total of 17.66 per cent of kernel. This test was made in April, after the nuts were rather too dry to crack to the best advantage. At that time the cracking quality was fair only.

SHERMAN--The Sherman butternut first became known in 1929, when Mrs. E. Sherman, Montague City, Mass., was awarded ninth prize in the Northern Nut Growers Association contest of that year. Tested twice in Washington, it has at neither time rated with the best in so far as cracking quality is concerned. In 1931 it made the high kernel yield of 29.41 per cent. However, only 11.76 per cent was of quarters. Exactly the same percentage was of small pieces, and 5.88 per cent of kernels were bad. In 1932, the total per cent of kernel dropped to 15.31, that of quarters to 4.78, and that of kernels to 0.96, while that of small pieces rose to 9.57.

Further studies will be made to see if under optimum conditions of handling after proper harvesting and curing the record of cracking quality cannot be improved upon.

Hickories

According to Alfred Rehder, of Harvard, in the Standard Cyclopedia of Horticulture, six species of hickory are indigenous to that region east of the Rocky Mountains here discussed under the term of the northernmost nut zone. These are the shagbark, the shellbark, the sweet hickory, the pignut, the mockernut and the bitternut. The shagbark hickory, Hicoria ovata, and the sweet hickory, H. ovalis, are the principal ones among this group offering promise as sources of varieties fit for cultivation in this zone. The former is well known as a rich-land species, having shaggy bark and a more or less sharply angled sweet nut; the latter, often called pignut, has recently been listed as "sweet hickory" to distinguish it from H. glabra, also called pignut, yet which is sometimes better. The sweet hickory is less exacting in soil requirements than the shagbark, although often nearly or quite as good a nut, popular prejudice notwithstanding. When shelled the kernels can be distinguished only with difficulty.

Of the other hickories indigenous to this zone, all are omitted from the discussion for definite reasons, chief of which is the fact that few or no seedlings of promise have been found. The shellbark, H. laciniosa, which is much like the shagbark in many respects, occurs in this zone sparingly and only in the southernmost part. Nuts of this species, while very large, are thick-shelled and commonly more or less objectionable because of the frequency with which the kernels are imperfectly developed or entirely wanting. The pignut hickory, H. glabra, already mentioned, is omitted from further discussion because of being no better than the sweet hickory in any known respect, and because of the frequent bitterness of its kernel. The mockernut, H. alba, while indigenous practically everywhere that any other hickory grows, and producing a sweet, agreeable kernel, has too thick a shell to justify particular attention at this time. The bitternut hickory, H. cordiformis, is rarely palatable. The tree makes an attractive ornamental, but is relatively unimportant in so far as timber production is concerned.

Intermediate forms of hickory and hybrids originated from chance crosses under purely natural conditions are fairly common. Quite a good many belonging to one or the other of these groups have been brought to light during the last two decades, largely as a result of discovery by the Northern Nut Growers Association. Several of these will be discussed in alphabetical order along with varieties of pure species.

ANTHONY--The Anthony shagbark originated with a seedling tree discovered by Mr. A. B. Anthony, R. F. D. 6, Sterling, Whiteside County, Ill. It appears to be a particularly choice variety, and as the latitude of Sterling is practically the same as that of Chicago, it might do very well in the lower portion of the northernmost zone. In a cracking test of the 1932 crop the yield of quarters was 41.66, that of small pieces 0.60, making a total of 42.26 per cent. The nuts were large, averaging 74 per pound; attractive in appearance, clean, and of nearly white color. The cracking quality was good, the kernel plump, bright, rich in quality and medium sweet in flavor, but not being equal to some others in this last respect. This is believed to be one of the choicest hickory nuts yet brought to light.

CEDAR RAPIDS--This shagbark is from Cedar Rapids, Linn County, Iowa, where the latitude is about 42 degrees north, or about the same as that of Chicago, Ill., Tecumseh, Mich., and the boundary line between Pennsylvania and New York. Like Anthony (of Sterling, Ill.) the merit of this variety is believed such as to justify its trial planting in the southern portion of the northernmost zone.

The Cedar Rapids shagbark was discovered and brought to light by the late S. W. Snyder, senior member of Snyder Bros., Inc., nurserymen at Center Point, Iowa. The exact or even approximate year of discovery and first propagation is not known to the writer, but a remark made by Mr. Snyder during the 1930 convention, and passed on to him by Dr. Deming, would indicate that grafts were made as early as 1914. It was, "a Cedar Rapids shagbark grafted on a hickory (probably meaning shagbark), bore in its third year and has borne every year since, but the same variety grafted 16 years ago on a bitternut has not borne." In various comments made by Mr. Snyder from time to time, especially in connection with the Iowa meetings of the State Horticultural Society and of the Mid-West Horticultural Exposition, he continued to rate this as one of the best varieties within his acquaintance. There are a number of grafted trees of this variety in various parts of the country, but very few yet in bearing. The department at Washington has had no opportunity to test the nuts in detail.

(There is also a variety of bitternut from Iowa known as Cedar Rapids, but the two are quite unlike and should not be confused.)

COMINS--The original tree of the Comins shagbark hickory, awarded eighth prize in the 1929 contest, is owned by Mrs. Nancy E. Comins, Amherst, Hampshire County, Mass. This variety is probably worthy of further investigation, although specimens of the 1929 crop examined at Washington did not appear to as good advantage as did many others.

CREAGER--The Creager hickory is a supposed shagbark and bitternut hybrid known since about 1925, when it was given a high rating, named, propagated and disseminated to a limited extent by Snyder Bros., Inc., of Center Point, Iowa. It was called to their attention by Mr. W. O. Creager, Sumner, Bremer County, Iowa, discoverer of the original tree. The nuts are quite small, averaging in a test made in Washington of the 1930 crop 149 per pound. The yield of kernel was 30.27 per cent quarters, 8.76 per cent small pieces, and the total 39.04 per cent. As this test was made in February, 1932, the nuts were more than a year old, and allowance should be made for this fact. The parent tree had been cut down in the meantime and nuts were not obtainable later.

The shells of the nut are quite thin, easy to crack, and the kernels fairly sweet. Like most others when their parentage involves a cross with the bitternut, a distinct bitterness of flavor hangs over in the mouth as an after-taste.

The grafted tree is said to be a rapid grower and so highly ornamental as to be well worth growing for its beauty alone. A few trees of such a hybrid as this should be in any variety test planting wherever they will succeed. As the latitude of Sumner is 43 degrees, this hybrid should be of interest as far north as Milwaukee, Wis.; Grand Rapids, Mich.; Buffalo, N. Y., and the northern boundary line of Massachusetts. Being primarily an ornamental, the Creager might be grown with safety even farther north.

DENNIS--The Dennis shagbark hickory is another variety brought to light by Snyder Bros., Inc., of Center Point, Ia. The original tree was found near the City of Cedar Rapids and called to their attention by the late Dr. A. B. Dennis of that city. Information is lacking as to the exact year, but according to Mr. Bixby's address before the 1920 convention of the Association, Snyder Bros. used Dennis in 1916 in top-working.

No test of the nuts by the department has yet been possible. However, Mr. S. W. Snyder wrote in 1926 that he then considered the Dennis "... the best shagbark yet discovered in Iowa." He added further that "where the nuts are gathered and hulled promptly after ripening, the color of the shell is usually highly attractive." He also stated that the shell was quite thin, and owing to its inner structure the kernels could be extracted easily. He regarded the quality of the kernel as rich and the flavor sweet and pleasing.

This variety is represented in several known plantings and abundant nuts for testing should soon be procurable. Meanwhile, the variety should be included in further test plantings of the northernmost zone.

DREW--The Drew hickory is a shagbark named in honor of Mr. Arthur Drew of Howell, Livingston County, Mich., by whom it was called to attention in 1916. The parent tree stands on the Lyman Beach farm, Marion township, about six miles southwest from the post office. It was then one of many young seedlings less than forty feet tall standing in a cattle pasture. When first examined the nuts were unimpressive, but later specimens received high rating. The tree is difficult to reach and its exact identity probably known only to Mr. Drew.

The latitude of origin, the early age of bearing, and the superiority of nut, both with reference to cracking quality and merit of kernel, seem to call for further study.

EMERICK--This shagbark was discovered by Prof. L. H. MacDaniels of Cornell University, Ithaca, New York. Specimens of the 1932 crop were submitted to him by Miss Etta Emerick, West Camp, Ulster County, New York. In Washington seven of these nuts averaged 67 per pound and yielded 33.33 per cent quarters, 2.22 per cent small pieces, and a total of 35.55 per cent kernel. The cracking quality was very good and the nuts otherwise appeared to be of considerable promise.

FAIRBANKS--This is a hybrid hickory, apparently the result of a chance cross between shagbark and bitternut. The parent tree was discovered by the late S. W. Snyder, of Center Point, Iowa, probably about 1912. It then stood near a line fence on the farm of Mr. C. A. Fairbanks, nine miles northwest of Anamosa, Jones County, Iowa. With reference to the merit of this variety, the late Mr. Bixby once commented, "A heavy bearer, nuts attractive, large, smooth and thin-shelled. The variety has about all the good points desirable except that its palatability is too low. It is the Ben Davis of the hickories."

The latitude of Anamosa is such that the Fairbanks should be hardy in the south three or four tiers of counties of Wisconsin, Michigan, New York, and over much of Massachusetts. It has been widely disseminated, and because of the popular feeling in its favor, will likely continue to be planted in experimental orchards.

GREEN--The parent tree of the Green sweet hickory is owned by Mr. Steve Green, R. F. D. 9, Battle Creek, Calhoun County, Mich. It was brought to attention in 1929, when it was awarded fifth prize by the Association among the hickory entries that year. This variety is the first of its species (Hicoria ovalis) to have received a prize from the Association.

HUBER--The Huber shagbark hickory originated with a seedling tree owned by Mr. Ferdinand Huber, Cochrane, Buffalo County, Wisconsin. It came to light in 1929, when it was awarded second prize in the Association contest.

HUFF--Like Green, this variety is a sweet hickory, Hicoria ovalis. The parent tree is owned by L. S. Huff, White Pigeon, St. Joseph County, Michigan. Aside from the fact that it was awarded ninth prize in the Association contest of 1929, little is known as to its merits.

LANEY--This variety was brought to light by the late John Dunbar, First Assistant Superintendent of Parks in Rochester, New York, who wrote the department in Washington on March 13, 1916, that the original tree was on a farm owned by Mr. R. J. Sheard, superintendent of a cemetery in Webster County, New York. It appears to be the result of a natural cross between the shagbark and the bitternut hickories. It was given the species name Laneyi by Sargent in his Manual of the Trees of North America, in honor of Mr. C. C. Laney, Superintendent of Parks, in Rochester, by whom it had been called to his attention.

This variety is probably of chief value for ornamental and breeding purposes. The nuts are large, like those of Fairbanks, attractive, thin-shelled, easy to crack and of pleasing palatability to some people. Upon becoming thoroughly cured, especially after a few months, the disagreeable taste characteristic of bitternut usually becomes quite pronounced.

MANN--This shagbark hickory came to light when awarded first prize in the Michigan contest of 1932, held under the direction of Prof. James A. Neilson, East Lansing. The parent tree is owned by Mrs. Rae D. Mann, R. F. D. 3, Davison, Genesee County, Mich. In a cracking test of nuts from the crop of 1932, conducted in Washington, the average was 75 per pound; the yield of quarters was 43.52 per cent, that of small pieces 3.53 per cent, making a total of 47.06 per cent. The cracking quality was excellent, the kernels large, plump, of rich quality and particularly sweet flavor. The kernels were a trifle dark, but otherwise this hickory appears to be one of the most promising kinds yet discovered.

MILLER--This shagbark hickory is another apparently highly promising variety, brought to light as a result of Professor Neilson's efforts. It was awarded second prize in the 1932 state contest held under his direction. The parent tree is owned by Mr. D. P. Miller, Route 3, North Branch, Lapeer County, Mich. It and Mann are from adjoining counties, and the parent trees are probably not over twenty miles apart. The two are of about equal merit and much alike, although Miller nuts are somewhat smaller. In the cracking test of the 1932 contest, fifty nuts weighed one-half pound. Of these, two were spoiled, yet the percentage of quarters was 48.02, that of small pieces 1.32, thus making a total of 49.34 per cent kernel.

The cracking quality was excellent, the kernel a trifle dark, yet very plump, rich and sweet.

SANDE--The Sande shagbark hickory is from the farm of Elmer T. Sande, Story City, Story County, Iowa, about sixteen miles north of Ames. It was brought to light by the late S. W. Snyder as early as November, 1928, when he became responsible for having it mentioned (p. 24) in the premium list of the Seventh Mid-West Horticultural Exposition held in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, November 14 to 17. It received seventh prize in the 1929 contest of the Northern Nut Growers Association.

Mr. Snyder commented on this variety, as recorded in the 1930 proceedings of the Northern Nut Growers Association (p. 15), to the effect that the cracking quality of the Sande excelled that of any other variety of Iowa origin known to him at that time. The variety has twice received awards during the State Fair of Iowa. Mr. Snyder stated that the parent tree was then rather young but bearing well.

As the latitude of Story City is slightly greater than 42 degrees, this variety should do well throughout much of the northernmost zone.

SWAIM--The parent tree of the Swaim shagbark hickory stands on Maplewood farm, R. F. D. 1, South Bend, St. Joseph County, Ind., and is now owned by Mr. I. H. Swaim. It is one of a number of seedlings growing from local nuts planted during the early sixties by the late J. M. Swaim, grandfather of the present Mr. Swaim. It was called to the attention of the department in 1912 by Mr. H. H. Swaim, father of the present owner of the tree, who is still living near by on the same mail route.

The Swaim was first propagated about 1914 by W. C. Reed of Vincennes, Ind., who has found it a highly satisfactory variety, with reference to regularity and size of crops and general merit of nuts.

The Swaim is one of three varieties to tie for fourth place in the contest of the Association held in 1919. In a cracking test conducted in Washington with one pound of the 1930 crop, the nuts averaged 84 per pound and yielded 44.73 per cent of quarters, 4.62 per cent small pieces, and 0.44 per cent of bad kernels, thus making a total of 49.78 per cent of kernel. The cracking quality that year was excellent, the kernels large, plump, and bright. The quality was rich and the flavor sweet and pleasing.

As the city of South Bend is but a few miles below the Michigan state line, this variety should be well worth considering for use in test plantings throughout the lower fringe of the northernmost zone.

WESTPHAL--The Westphal is a shagbark hickory from Mr. Otto Westphal, R. F. D. 2, Kendall, Monroe County, Wis. It was awarded fourth place in the 1926 contest of the Philadelphia Society of Agriculture. So far as known, no other examination has been made of the nuts. However, the place they received in this contest, together with its latitude of origin, which is nearly 44 degrees, should commend the Westphal to the consideration of all who are interested in hickories for the northernmost region.

The Filbert

The filbert situation in the north is difficult to characterize. Repeated plantings have been established in this part of the country, probably since colonial days, only to perish in due time. Filbert blight was responsible for much of this loss, but so also were destructively low temperatures. Western New York now seems to be particularly favored, as trees there, notably at Geneva, bear regularly. Mr. Bixby's trees at Baldwin, Long Island, failed significantly during practically the whole of their life. Similarly, a comprehensive collection of varieties in the orchard of Dr. F. L. Baum, Boyertown, Pa., fruits practically not at all. Trees at Arlington, Va., on the government experimental farm, suffer sufficient winter injury each late winter or early spring to be quite regular in non-bearing. The varieties of all these plantings are much the same, and failure is not due to winter killing of the trees, as there is normally very little of this. It appears to be due to destruction of the flowers wrought by low temperatures following weather in January, February or March mild enough to start the flowers into bloom. At the present moment it looks as though European varieties of filbert might do much better where the trees bloom in April, as in western New York, than where flowers come out in February, as at Arlington, or in March, as on Long Island.

For the present not a great deal of encouragement can be offered regarding the European varieties of filbert in the east, except in the most suitable sections. Certain hybrid varieties are now being developed, but they are not yet available for planting.

The Chestnut

No species of chestnut now available through the usual nursery channels can be recommended at the present time for planting in the northernmost zone except for experimentation along somewhat doubtful lines. The American sweet chestnut appears likely soon to be wiped out by blight. No chestnuts from the Old World, either European, Japanese or Chinese, have yet been found which are entirely hardy and otherwise satisfactory at this latitude. The European chestnut is quite as fatally subject to blight as is the American. The Japanese is mostly of too low degree of palatability to offer much promise, and horticultural varieties of Chinese chestnut are not yet available. Varieties of the Chinese hairy chestnut, Castanea mollissima, apparently of much promise, are now being developed, but trees are unlikely to become available for foundation stock to nurserymen for several years.

Other Species

The Persian (English) walnut, Juglans regia, and the Japanese walnut, J. sieboldiana, are both planted to some extent throughout the entire east and north, but neither promise to assume special prominence in this zone. Fine appearing trees in small numbers or occasional orchards of the former may be seen in many places. These are usually near large bodies of water, as within a mile or so, or two or three at most, of the shores of the lower Great Lakes, the Finger Lakes of New York, Long Island Sound, and various rivers and other smaller bodies of water within this general section. They are also to be found near buildings, especially in villages and small towns, but as orchard trees, or even single specimens out in the open, they are almost never met with except possibly while very young.

The Japanese walnut is likewise little more than a novelty in this region. It is probably somewhat more hardy than is the foregoing, but it is not its equal in desirability. It grows rapidly under favorable environment, often becomes a handsome ornamental, comes into fruit while young, and bears freely but seldom heavily. The nuts are small, variable in character, and not particularly popular on the market. In flavor the kernels resemble butternut, but are much more mild. The nuts of this species are of two distinct types, the larger being shaped like a guinea egg, having a rather thick shell, and of doubtful merit. The other, known as the heartnut, is small as a rule, distinctly heartshaped, and easily opened with a knife by splitting the shell in half. A number of varieties are available through nurserymen.

Between these two distinct types of Japanese walnut there are numerous intermediate forms hard to classify but invariably less desirable than heartnuts. There are also numerous offspring of marked vigor, producing nuts distinctly butternut-like in form but having even thicker shells. These last do not commend themselves for any purpose other than that of genetic use.

Summary

The black walnut, the shagbark hickory, the sweet hickory, the butternut and certain hybrid hickories are now believed to offer greater inducement to prospective planters of nut trees in the northernmost zone east of the Rocky Mountains than do other species. Varieties of strictly northern origin are now available to those who are capable of doing their own grafting. Many of these are of considerable promise, apparently, at least, equal in merit to any of the older varieties now being offered by nurserymen.

The Tour--September 11th

On Tuesday forenoon, September 11, the convention visited the Kellogg Factory and the Battle Creek Sanitarium and at noon returned to the W. K. Kellogg Hotel, where a delicious luncheon was served to the members and guests. Miss Mary I. Barber, Director of Home Economics of the Kellogg Company, in behalf of Mr. W. K. Kellogg, graciously acted as hostess at the luncheon.

On Tuesday afternoon the convention went to the Kellogg Company farm by motor bus and auto to visit the nut trees. They then proceeded to the Bird Sanctuary and the Kellogg estate. This was followed by a motor boat trip around beautiful Gull Lake and dinner at Bunbury Inn. A session followed the dinner.

THE PRESIDENT:

I wish to present Professor V. R. Gardner, the Director of the Experiment Station at Michigan State College, East Lansing, who has kindly consented to address us this evening.

PROF. GARDNER:

In the field of horticulture we have many problems and these problems may be classified in different ways. From one standpoint, at least, there is a typical group or class of problems that arises in connection with a crop like the peach or apple or pear. If you knew that tomorrow or next week or next month you were to attend a meeting of peach or pear growers, you would have a pretty good idea of the type of questions that would be raised. They concern variety, insect and disease control, fertilization, and many questions relating to harvesting, packing and marketing the crop. On the other hand, suppose you were to attend a meeting of peony, delphinium, or dahlia growers. You would find not only an entirely different type of question under discussion, but an entirely different atmosphere.

Now, are the problems of those who are interested in nuts more like those of the peach or the delphinium grower? You probably have your own answer to that question. At least, answers are coming to your mind. To my way of thinking--though of course I may be wrong--the kind of problem that presents itself to the person who is interested in growing nuts is more like the type that presents itself to those who are interested in dahlias or delphiniums or sweet peas than the problems that present themselves to the pear or cherry grower. In other words, it seems to me as though the problems of the nut grower are essentially the problems of the amateur. That does not mean they are less important or less interesting than they would be were the industry on more of a commercial basis like peach growing.

About a year ago I was talking with Dr. Magness of the U. S. Bureau of Plant Industry and the discussion happened to turn to nuts. I knew that within the preceding six months Dr. Magness had covered most of the southern states where the pecan is grown commercially and had occasion to give considerable attention to the problems of the pecan industry. I asked, "What percentage of the commercial pecan growers at the present time are producing 1,000 pounds of cured nuts to the acre?" He replied, "Don't ask me what percentage. We can't talk about it in those terms. You can probably list on the fingers of one hand the growers who, year in and year out, are producing pecans at the rate of a thousand pounds to the acre, and certainly you can on the fingers of two hands." To me that was a rather striking statement. Dr. Magness may not have been entirely correct in his answer, but he was probably not far off. Anyway, the percentage of commercial pecan growers obtaining really large yields is extremely small. In the Pacific Coast States, a larger number and a larger percentage of the walnut growers regularly produce a thousand pounds of cured walnuts to the acre, though there are more who average 500 or 600 pounds. As yet, in any of our retail markets you may purchase first class named varieties of pecans at from 25c to 40c a pound. The same thing is true of English walnuts. If the cultivated varieties of the black walnut, hickory and the chestnut are to be put on the market in quantity, they will come into competition with the pecan, English walnut, almond and Brazil nut. This means that they must sell at comparable prices.

Therefore, one of the principal problems of the nut industry, as I see it, just as with delphiniums or the peony or the dahlia or iris or in others that I might mention, is the problem of plant materials, more specifically, the breeding or discovery of varieties that are superior and that consequently can really compete with the English walnut and pecan and that likewise are productive and that can be produced at a low cost. As a matter of fact, in all of your meetings up to the present time the finding, testing, and the evaluating of chance seedlings that appear to be of promise has constituted not only an essential but one of the larger features to claim attention. Furthermore, I believe it will continue to claim attention for many years to come.

Practically all of your present materials, from the Fairbanks hickory to the Thomas or Stabler walnut, have just happened--that is, occurred as chance seedlings. They have been found and recognized as something a little better than the general run. Someone has brought them to the attention of the public, your Association placed approval on them, and they have been propagated and finally become more or less disseminated.

I presume that by a more thorough combing of the territory more good material will be found and brought to the front. However, after you do a certain amount of combing, you eventually exhaust the resources. Nevertheless, when that time comes in a matter of this kind, a good deal more can be done. If the plum or grape grower had stopped when he had scouted all of the territory where vines are native and had introduced into cultivation the best of the chance seedlings that nature had given us, we wouldn't have the grapes or plums or other fruits that we have today.

At this point I wish to make a suggestion as to one thing that this association, as an association, and perhaps some of its members as individuals, can give some attention to as a part of your program in the years to come. It is the job of breeding superior varieties of nuts, because much improvement is called for in walnuts, hickories, and the other kinds before they are all that you or the consuming public wants of them. The situation is essentially the same with nuts as with other fruit and ornamental plants. We have some pretty good peaches, but ten years from now the producers in Michigan will be growing very few of the varieties that they are growing today, and I dare say that twenty-five years from now they will be growing hardly any of them. We have some very attractive delphiniums and dahlias, but in 1950 few of today's favorites will be in cultivation. They will be superseded by new and superior varieties. In 1950, or 1975, we should be growing nut varieties that are far superior to what is available at the present time.

To say that there is room for much improvement sounds all right, but who is going to effect it? Nut trees are not the easiest things in the world to grow. They require a long time to come into bearing, and it is almost out of the question for a person of middle age to undertake a breeding project with a crop like the black walnut or northern hickory and expect to get anywhere. Even if an Experiment Station undertakes a problem of this kind, there is the likelihood that it may be dropped before much will have been accomplished, for the person who starts it may go somewhere else or be compelled to divert his attention to something else, while the person who succeeds him has no interest in the project. That has happened time and time again with investigations of many kinds, but it has been particularly true of breeding projects.

If we are ever to make any real progress in the breeding of nuts, one of the first things we need to know is the value of the different materials with which we have to work and the varieties that are used as parents. The Stabler, Thomas and Ohio are relatively superior black walnuts, but we do not know which is the best of these for breeding for size or vigor of tree or productivity or quality of nut or any other quality. We haven't the slightest idea. Yet before really scientific plant breeding work can be initiated, there is need of information as to which of these can be depended on for transmitting to its offspring certain specific qualities. Through experiment and experience we have learned some of these things with regard to some of the other fruit and ornamental crops. For instance, we know that the J. H. Hale is not only a wonderful variety in itself, but that it has the ability to produce superior progeny. Certain other varieties lack this ability. So, doubtless, it is with nuts. How are we to obtain this information? If your Association could get two or three growers, say here in Michigan, to inbreed the Stabler walnut and grow the resulting seedlings--perhaps a thousand in number--to fruiting age and someone somewhere else to do the same with the Thomas and with the Ohio and other varieties, it would not be long before a body of information would be collected that would furnish a definite basis for the scientific breeding of nuts. Incidentally, the chances are that some of this first group of seedlings would be superior and I believe that the chances are better than 50-50 that the resulting nut orchard would be a fairly good one.

Where are you going to get these inbred seeds? That probably is what you can put up to your experiment stations. For instance, I am inclined to think that Mr. Neilson, if he found out that there is a member of this organization that is willing to grow a hundred inbred seedlings of the Stabler or Thomas to maturity, would undertake to hand-pollenize the flowers for that number of seeds, you would have a start in the direction of developing superior varieties of nuts. I don't mean to say that by undertaking a thing like this you should pay less attention to looking for native trees that are superior, but your problem now, and for the next thirty years, with northern nuts, is one of materials and the method of procedure that I have suggested would put it on a basis of a fairly definite breeding project.

THE PRESIDENT:

I think it is self-evident that this association came here to Battle Creek for its convention this year principally because of the work that has been started by the Michigan State College. We think that the states and the national government ought to do just what you are doing here, and the power of the association is going to be back of those projects in the future. To our sorrow, and I'd say to the loss of the entire nation, several very valuable plantings have been started and the passing of the owner has made it necessary that they be abandoned, and in some cases lost entirely; in others a few of the trees have been transplanted. We feel that if these specimen trees can be maintained on state and national property, it will serve to call attention to this nation's potential resources, which are not appreciated at present.

The 1934 Ohio Black Walnut Contest

_By_ CARL F. WALKER, _Cleveland Heights, Ohio_

The first prize contest confined to the state of Ohio to discover superior seedling black walnuts was conducted in the fall of 1933 by the Ohio members of the Northern Nut Growers' Association in co-operation with the farm paper, the Ohio Farmer. The original announcement was made in mid-September and several follow-up articles were published, including some illustrations. Further publicity was obtained by mailing press copy to the rural newspapers throughout the state.

The response was generous with 303 persons mailing in 423 samples of black walnuts. These came from all sections of the state, indicating a universal interest over the entire area. The first package of nuts arrived on September 25th and for the next six weeks few further sample lots were received. During the latter part of November and up to the date of close of the contest, December 15, the entries were mailed to the judges in quantity. This period coincided with inclement weather when outdoor farm work could not be carried on.