stroyed all nuts of the large crop within
two weeks. These nuts could not possibly have been filled and,
consequently, could have been of little nutrient value. In their
voracity, the squirrels frequently work on the cages and sometimes
manage to break through. To facilitate this endeavor, limbs up to one
inch in diameter carrying cages are sometimes cut off so the squirrels
can attack more conveniently from the ground.

[Illustration]

It could be that nuts saved by caging are sometimes inferior. The cages
used are made by folding window screen into a doubled, 4 to 6 inch
square, producing an "envelope" with wire sewn edges. Crowding from one
to three nuts into a cage may result in inhibited development,
especially since considerable leaf surface must be removed when
installing a cage. Because Mr. McKinster has been ill for several
years, it has been difficult to accomplish the caging; consequently, but
few nuts are saved. For example, in 1950, there were insufficient nuts
to meet the 25 nut sample required by the contest judges. All available
nuts, some probably inferior, were entered, and it is a matter of
conjecture whether the nuts might have been judged higher under
different circumstances. Also conjectural are the questions of crop size
and regularity of bearing in the event the tree was permitted to mature
its nuts.

The McKinster nuts, which were the principal consideration in the
contests rather than the tree itself, are excellent in nearly all
aspects. They are of medium size, averaging around 35 to the pound, with
about 52 per cent kernel. The shell is moderately thin, light in color,
well sealed, of a satisfactory shape (see illustration), and with
excellent cracking qualities. The kernel is light, plump, of excellent
flavor, and in the words of one authority, "probably rank with the best
in freedom from bitterness." The nuts are matured by the middle of
September and, later, drop, free of the husk.

Blooming of the parent tree usually occurs during the first week of May.
In 1951, the staminate flowers were first observed April 29 and the
pistillate flowers May 2. The narrator visited the tree on May 4 at
which time some catkins had fallen; it was estimated that one-half to
two-thirds of the pollen had been shed. The pistillate flowers appeared
to be either receptive or slightly past at this stage. Mr. McKinster
commented that the blooming period of 1951 was from a few days to a week
earlier than usual