d. Certainly
such seedling trees shouldn't be sent out to give members the idea that
we advocate the planting of seedling trees for any other purpose than of
possibly obtaining valuable new varieties.
MR. O'CONNOR: Mr. President, I'm a life member of the Wisconsin
Horticultural Society which has offered a thousand dollars for an apple
better than the Wealthy. We also offer premiums for new members every
year. Sometimes it is a seedling apple tree. Among those premium trees
may be a seedling which will win the prize. We do not know what the
seedling nut tree will do. We may get something from a seedling which is
far better than anything we have today on the table before us. Nature is
something wonderful and no one can tell you what she will do. Only this
last year has what is called the "O'Connor" come out. But we find this
O'Connor nut is not hardy enough for certain sections of the country.
This Persian walnut before you is a seedling, too you know, from nature.
So it is through seedlings that we are going to get better fruit. I
believe that Mr. Jones's offer is a very good thing. But I suggest that
we send these seedlings out with the understanding that they are
seedlings and that we don't know what they will produce. If the new
member will plant them and take care of them (and we should give a
little instruction as to how they should be planted) in a few years,
seven or eight if it is a pecan, he should see it coming into fruit.
I would like to say that if you will dynamite the hole with a one-half
stick of twenty per cent. dynamite, or, if you are afraid to use the
dynamite, dig a large hole so as to give these young roots a chance to
spread, a grafted tree will come into bearing in three years. I have
seen them do it down there with us in Maryland and I believe they will
do the same thing anywhere else.
THE PRESIDENT: I would like to hear from Mr. Vollertsen on the subject.
MR. VOLLERTSEN: I haven't a great deal of confidence in seedlings. As a
general thing we find all the nut trees are inclined to go back to their
original type. If we take our filberts, even the best varieties, the
chances are that they will go back to the European type that they
originally came from. I have proven it time and again on the farm down
there. I don't think it wise for this association to send out seedlings.
THE SECRETARY: Mr. President, in order to bring this question to a head,
I move that Mr. Jones's offer be accepted a
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