the trees were planted too close together, but some years the plantation
has yielded 15 bushels of nuts. There are 67 trees on the acre, which is
too many for good nut production. The grove will produce about 20 cords
of wood or about 550 split fence posts per acre.

One of the oldest plantations in the State is 56 years old and covers
1-1/2 acres in Montcalm County. It consists of black walnuts and
chestnuts mixed together. The average black walnut is 14 inches in
diameter and 67 feet tall. The average chestnut is 20 inches in diameter
and 60 feet tall. The spacing is about 40 by 30 feet and the soil is a
gravelly sand. The yield in nuts has been quite small, six to eight
bushels a year.

There are a number of such mixed plantations in the State and it would
seem that the two trees do not do very well together. In this case, I
should say that the soil is not well suited for either tree.

There is a plantation of Japanese walnuts in Oakland County. It is five
years old and on sandy soil. About 500 trees were planted at the cost of
60 cents per tree. The stock came from Pennsylvania and was budded to
English walnut. The scions died back, however, and the plantation stock
came along so it is now a Japanese walnut grove. The average tree is
about 2 inches in diameter and 10 feet tall. The trees are very healthy
and vigorous and are beginning to bear a few nuts.

A chestnut plantation in Van Buren County is 12 years old. Two foot
transplants were used and the trees were planted at the rate of 100 to
the acre. They were cultivated for two years. The average tree is 4
inches in diameter and 20 feet high. The trees are healthy and in good
condition. The grove is yielding from one to two bushels of nuts a year
and should be thinned so as to open it up and encourage nut production.

A black walnut plantation in Ingham County, planted about 20 years ago
for timber purposes and underplanted with white cedar to force the trees
to grow straight and tall, is in excellent condition. The average tree
is 5 inches in diameter and 34 feet tall. The plantation has not yet
borne nuts but if it were opened up, would doubtless produce a large
number in a few years.

I could give more instances of nut tree plantations in the State, but I
think I have mentioned enough to show that our native nut trees can be
profitably raised. During the last few years, a great many black walnut
plantations have been established but most of them are yet