, the nuts are not allowed to become too
dry as they are not exposed to the hot sun but are kept in the shade.
Our falls are usually dry and our soil is sandy so there is little
danger of the nuts becoming too wet during the winter. The danger of
spoilage does not seem to be so great by the time winter rains set in.
By this plan, I have had from 60 to 90 per cent germination during the
last two years. I dig the nuts just as soon as they begin to sprout in
late winter and line them out in nursery rows where they are to grow
during the first year. Sometimes the sprouts become from 4 to 6 inches
in length before I get to do the moving, but they transplant easily. I
believe the micorrhiza from the soil of the old trees helps the young
ones to grow better.

December 11, 1946--My chestnut trees this fall produced slightly over
1,722 pounds. The nuts seemed to keep better than usual which I
attribute to the cool rainy weather which we had during the ripening
period. Hot, dry weather causes the nuts to begin spoiling quickly. My
records show August 7th as the beginning of the ripening period and
October 3rd as the ending. So one can see that this is often a hot and
dry period in our section.

* * * * *

EXCERPT FROM LETTER TO SECRETARY FROM MRS. W. D. POUNDEN

Dairy Department--Ohio Agric. Expt. Sta. Wooster, Ohio
October 14, 1946

I am glad to give you the method I used in canning pecan kernels.

Spread the shelled pecans in a shallow pan and place in a warm oven just
long enough to heat the kernels through. Have clean jars--preferably
pints so that the heat will penetrate more easily in processing--which
have been warmed in the oven to be sure they are thoroughly dry inside
before adding the pecans. Fill the jars with the pecans (do not add any
liquid), place the lid on the jar (I prefer the Kerr self-sealing type),
and process the nut-filled jars in a 250 deg. oven for 30 minutes.

I have kept pecan meats for over a year using this method and they are
as crisp and good as when they came out of the shell.

HYBRIDS

At an informal meeting at Dr. Diller's cabin the evening before the
Convention, Mr. Slate was asked to say something about hybrids.

Mr. G. L. Slate: Hybrids between black and Persian walnuts were made at
Geneva about 1916 by Professor W. H. Alderman, now of the Minnesota
Experiment Station. After these trees had fruited all but five were
removed to pe