Extension
work in top working seedling walnuts and pecans with improved varieties.
This project is sponsored by the Department of Horticulture, University
of Illinois, and the Extension Forester of the State Natural History
Survey, with the cooperation of the County Farm Advisers.

Last fall in Gallatin County native pecans of the best grades sold for
18 cents per pound on the market, while the average tree run stock was
bringing six cents. With a native pecan crop from one county in
Illinois, more or less ungraded, selling for $100,000 in a recent year,
thinking horticulturists in the state are beginning to feel that there
are potential profits in nut culture where better varieties are planted
or top worked. Seedling trees for top working are already growing in
abundance in many sections of the state with an ideal climate and soil
for northern nut production.

Last year seven counties in Illinois carried on the top working project.
This year approximately three times that number have been enrolled. In
addition, groups from neighboring counties have been present at the
demonstrations. Growers from Iowa and Indiana have also attended. The
total attendance has run into the hundreds, both men and women, most of
them actual growers.

All the meetings are held out of doors in the orchard or nursery and the
group is instructed in the propagation of nut trees through grafting and
budding. Nut growers of the immediate locality are glad to assist with
the work. After the discussion and demonstration, all present are
invited to learn how to do the work by actual participation and many
become sufficiently skilled to top work their own trees upon their
return home. Possibilities of this type of extension work are almost
unlimited.

* * * * *

_Letter from J. U. Gellatly_

I enclose a short chart or graph of the flowering habits of some of my
leading walnut trees. I started in 1930 to keep a record of some of the
trees and have added a number since till this year when I kept a record
of 17 different trees. The ones shown cover the full time from May 12th
to June 25th.

Some new ideas in budding procedure that may be of value and interest I
also include herein that others may test them out as I am doing. But
even if they fail with me it will not prove that they have no value, for
the generally approved methods have failed to give commercial results
here.

My main idea was to try to find a