ability 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 t