failure.
Of the hybrids, Bixby and Buchanan are promising.

Chestnuts

The Mollissima chestnut is very promising in southern Illinois. The tree
requires protection in this locality as it sun scalds badly if not
protected. No doubt many orchards will be planted in the future.

Propagating Nut Trees

This is a fascinating subject full of disappointments. We have our ups
and downs as does everyone else who attempts it. I get numerous letters
telling of their experience and troubles asking for details just how to
go about it. What makes it so fascinating is that in certain seasons we
have fabulous success and them again in others almost complete failure.
Fall of '41 and spring of '42 we averaged 75% catches in budding
chestnuts. Fall of '42 and spring of '43 our chestnut budding was just
about nil, only 3 or 4% catches, and I am at a loss how to account for
this variance.

A budded chestnut tree is much superior to a grafted one as far as the
union is concerned. Grafted trees usually do not knit well the first
season while at two years the union is good. So we also must learn our
chestnut propagation all over again.

I have a letter before me from Brother Borst asking why his walnut buds
took so well and not one of them vegetated in spring. This happened to
us a number of times on both walnuts and hickories. Also, in the same
season, we have had one or two varieties, of which we did not set many
buds or grafts, to show 100% catches, while other varieties set the same
day would be 100% failure. Apparently all scions used were in prime
condition. Why then this great variance? While we used the double-bladed
knife for budding and the side graft for grafting, other methods are
just as successful under skilled hands. The skill of the operator has
much to do with it.

=Fall budding of persimmons.= The persimmon has only about ten days in
which it will fall bud. Before or after this period budding will not
succeed. It also is important that the scions be taken from thrifty
trees a number of years old. The ordinary "T" shield budding gives good
success on the persimmon either spring or fall. The spring bud sticks
should be perfectly dormant.

Butternut and Japanese Walnuts and Their Hybrids

None of these are worth the space they occupy in this locality. 1-18 on
which I reported last year didn't set a nut this season. Of all the
heartnuts I am acquainted with none are satisfactory. There is a siebold
tree in St.