n the past 20 years.

My 18 Carpathians are all growing with varying vigor and resistance to
leaf spot. None has shown winter injury.

Of all the heartnuts, Rhodes is my favorite. The nut does not appear to
be as large as some, but the kernel is just as heavy, due to its compact
shape which causes it to fall out when the nut is cracked. It is
self-pollenizing and also a good pollenizer for all my other varieties,
shedding pollen over a long period of time, although it is the latest of
all in producing its pistils. It grows vigorously on black walnut stock.

Rush seems to be the best filbert for this section. Its catkins are
usually hardy here.

Chestnut trees, like gray ghosts, still reach their naked arms high on
many West Tennessee hillsides, and occasionally one finds a farmer
splitting posts from their remains, for chestnut is an enduring wood. A
few of these tenacious individuals are still sending up sprouts that may
reach considerable size before they are again struck down.

I have had no serious trouble with blight in any of the named chestnut
varieties, either Chinese or Japanese. I have lost some trees by its
entrance into the seedling stock, but not many. My greatest headache has
been sun-scald and winter killing, or to be more exact, "early spring"
killing.

One of the juvenile characteristics of oriental chestnuts is the
retention of their leaves all winter. They also grow in a rather
sprangling way. This is a protective mechanism, and when we prune them
to an upright form, or graft, this wood having lost its juvenile
characteristics, we are inviting trouble unless we protect the trunk in
some other way. I prefer to use a paper wrap as described under Pecans,
as it is quickly done and is inexpensive. This also gives protection to
immature callus cells at bud or graft union.

Of the older Chinese chestnut varieties in my hands, Hobson has
excelled, with large chestnuts (34 to the pound in 1948.) Zimmerman also
produces a good nut. Colossal (Hybrid) is very productive and produces
the largest nuts of any chestnut that I have seen grown in Tennessee,
but the quality of the raw nut is not equal to Hobson. It refuses to
grow on Chinese stock, but thrives on Japanese. It is pollen sterile. I
have several newer varieties under observation and although they are
growing vigorously I have not had time to form an opinion on them.

* * * * *

President Davidson: The Reverend Bern