eographical conditions. Situated in the 45th parallel, longitude
92-1/2 deg., about 860 feet above sea level, this is a very severe climate
for growing most species of nut trees. Fortunately, I did not realize
that fact 30 years ago, and I learned a great deal about the hardiness
of many species and varieties and the difficulties of growing them
before I was convinced of it. My optimism in those years so ruled me
that I was influenced by it to try out such tender species as almonds,
English walnuts, filberts, pecans and chestnuts, along with hardier
types such as butternuts, black walnuts, hicans, hickories and hazels.

To give you a rough idea of the testing I did, I will mention some of my
work among hickories. I was fortunate enough to have a forest of
bitternut trees on my land. It is a well-known fact that, at least
temporarily, these bitternut hickories lend themselves well as grafting
stock for many superior varieties of hickories, hicans and pecans,
although the last species seldom is considered permanently compatible
with bitternut. The number of varieties I tested on bitternut stock is
roughly about 75. During the years since I started such grafting, most
of these have been lost by natural elimination, lack of hardiness or
incompatibility. Those varieties which on my place have proved hardy and
compatible with bitternut stock for at least ten years are: Bridgewater,
Cedar Rapids, DeVeaux, Glover, Kirtland, and Weschcke. Those which have
endured well on this stock for from 6 to 15 years are: Barnes, Davis,
Fox, Leonard, Milford, Netking, Platman, and Taylor. Among hybrids which
have stood for 10 years or more, there are: Beaver, Burlington, Laney,
Pleas, and Rockville. Of pecan, there are Hope and Norton. There are a
few other survivors of whose identity I am not certain, as they have not
yet fruited. This does not mean that all of those listed have borne, but
only that the identity of some of the survivors can not be established
without such verification.

Preeminent among the hickories which have produced nuts, stands the
Weschcke variety, which has borne the greatest quantity with the most
regularity. This variety, grafted on bitternut in 1932, produced one nut
that year. Its bearing record has been unbroken from then to 1946, when,
on May 11, the temperature dropped to 26 deg.F and on May 12, a similar, low
temperature was accompanied by four inches of snowfall. Pictures I have
on display verify these state