dryest
weather. These nuts seem to need a period to continue their ripening
under cool moist conditions which the wet sack treatment gives (or the
damp sphagnum.) Even if this is not the case I have had splendid results
with it whereas before I began using this method with lots of water I
often became so discouraged that I thought I would have to abandon
trying to put my chestnuts on the market. Now if I can get them gathered
promptly I have little trouble holding them until I am ready to dispose
of them.

I failed to tell you that the bad feature about my ML No. 2 tree which
produced the 150 pounds of nuts is its early ripening period (the latter
part of August and first part of September) which causes some of the
nuts to be spoiled almost when they fall. A few hours of too hot sun
seems to start the spoiling process. The tree has no other objectionable
features except the nuts are only small to medium in size but nearly
every one falls freely from the burs. [Nuts about 70 to the pound.--Ed.]

Some Results with Filbert Breeding at Geneva, N.Y.[6]

GEORGE L. SLATE New York (Geneva) Agricultural Experiment Station

This paper reports the results of attempts to improve filberts by
hybridization at the Experiment Station at Geneva, N. Y. The filbert
project was started at Geneva in the spring of 1925 when a collection of
varieties from American sources was established. In later years
additional varieties from European and other sources were added until
about 120 were under test. As soon as the varieties had fruited for
several years it became evident that many of them were inferior and not
adapted to New York conditions. A few exhibited considerable merit and
the range of characteristics in the different varieties indicated that
it might be worth while to start a filbert breeding project with the
object of combining the desirable characteristics of the better sorts.

[Footnote 6: Journal Paper No. 719, New York State Agricultural
Experiment Station, Geneva, N. Y.]

It was decided first to cross Rush, a selected form of _Corylus
americana_, with the best varieties of _Corylus Avellana_, Rush
contributing the hardiness of the native hazel, possible resistance to
filbert blight, and the hybrid vigor that sometimes results from the
crossing of two species. The European filberts were expected to furnish
large-sized nuts as well as dessert and cracking quality.

The first crosses were made in 1930 when two trees