Northern Nut Growers Association, report of the proceedings at the eighth annual meeting | Page 8

valuable sorts will be found in this way. In this connection it
will be wise for this association to solicit the active co-operation of the
horticultural workers in the different states. The workers of the
agricultural colleges, experiment stations and extension service do a
great deal of traveling and have special facilities for getting in touch
with promising varieties. The horticulturists of some states have made
nut surveys of their states to ascertain their resources in the way of
valuable varieties and of conditions suitable for nut culture. The

interesting bulletin, "Nut Growing in Maryland," gotten out by Prof.
Close, when he was State Horticulturist in Maryland, is a very valuable
contribution along this line. It would be well for this association to
solicit the co-operation of the trained horticulturists in the northern
states to make nut surveys and ascertain definitely the valuable
varieties already growing within their borders and what are the
possibilities for the production of these types for home purposes for
commercial growing. A few of the state experiment stations have taken
up definite experimental and demonstration nut projects and are doing
valuable work in this line. This association should memorialize the
directors of the other stations to undertake definite nut projects and
surveys and get the work under way as soon as possible.
While endeavoring to stimulate private, state and national
investigations in nut culture, the author would be very remiss if he
failed to recognize the very valuable work already done by the zealous,
painstaking and unselfish pioneers of northern nut growing. Messrs.
Bush and Pomeroy have given to the country and especially to the
north and east, two valuable hardy Persian walnuts. Our absent
president, Mr. W. C. Reed, of Vincennes, Ind., is doing a great deal in
the testing and dissemination of hardy nut trees. Our first president,
though an exceedingly busy surgeon and investigator in medicine, finds
time to turn his scientific attention to the testing and breeding of nut
trees. Some of our brilliant legal friends, too, find time to pursue the
elusive phantom of ideal nuts for northern planting.
We cannot go through the growing list of nut investigators nor
chronicle their achievements, but we know that when the history of
American horticulture is written up ample justice will be done to their
labors and attainments. Let each of us do our part in the building up of
the country by the planting of nut trees. Let us plant them on our farms,
in our gardens and about our buildings and lawns. Let us induce and
encourage our neighbors to plant and do all possible to make nut
planting fashionable until it becomes an established custom all over the
land. It will not then be long before valuable varieties of nut trees will
be springing up all over the country. This association will then soon
have a wealth of available data at hand to give to intending planters in

all parts of the country.
A MEMBER: In Europe they raise a great many nuts that they ship to
this country, chestnuts, hazels and Persian walnuts. I understand they
grow usually in odd places about the farms, but the aggregate
production amounts to a great deal. We could very well follow the lead
given by Europe in that particular, at least.
I think we could have for dissemination circulars which would
stimulate people to plant nut trees more widely than at present.
THE SECRETARY: This question of nut planting in waste places
always comes up at our meetings and is always encouraged by some
and frowned upon by others. I do not think we ought to recommend in
an unqualified way the planting of nut trees in waste places. I have
planted myself, lots of us have tried it, and found that most nut trees
planted in waste places are doomed to failure. I do not recall an
exception in my own experience. I understand that in Europe the road
sides and the fence rows are planted with trees and the farmers get a
part of their income in that way. But with us in Connecticut nut
planting in waste places does not seem to be a success. It is quite
different when you come to plant nut trees about the house and about
the barn. They seem to thrive where they don't get competition with
native growth and where they have the fertility which is usually to be
found about houses and barns. In fact, I have advocated the building of
more barns in order that we might have more places for nut trees. I
think we should plant nut trees around our houses and barns where we
can watch them and keep the native growth from choking them, and
where we can give them fertility and keep them free from worms.