the trees commonly grown are undesirable because of
small size of nuts, poor cracking quality and too mild a flavor.
A careful consideration of the good and bad characters of Japanese
walnuts suggests the following program before the culture of this
species can be placed on a sound basis.
1. A systematic and thorough search of the United States and Canada for
productive trees yielding nuts of large size, of good cracking and
extraction quality and pleasing flavor.
2. The propagation and wide dissemination of these superior strains to
members of the Northern Nut Growers Association and particularly to
experiment stations where there seems to be a striking lack of
information on this and other species of nuts.
3. Systematic improvement by means of hybridization with the butternut
and other suitable species.
A program such as this would yield information of great value and would
probably establish the culture of this species on a sounder basis than
it now is. Until this has been done the logical course to follow is to
plant the best varieties in limited numbers in areas where the black
walnut thrives and even in areas too cold for the black walnut.
* * * * *
THE PRESIDENT: I have been connected with experiment stations
and colleges for the past number of years but I was quite surprised to
find such a general lack of knowledge of nut trees, and especially of
this species. The members of the experiment stations who are here do not
need to feel badly. My remarks wouldn't apply to them.
MEMBER: Any varieties of this that bloom late?
THE PRESIDENT: Yes, Mr. Gellatly of West Bank, British
Columbia, has a variety that blooms rather late. J. U. Gellatly and his
brother David have the best collection of Japanese walnuts in Canada, of
heartnuts especially.
Professor Reed was to give us a paper on harvesting and marketing. We
have just heard that his paper will be here tomorrow. The next paper is
by Mr. F. O. Harrington.
THIRTY YEARS' EXPERIENCE IN THE CARE OF SCIONWOOD
_F. O. Harrington, Williamsburg, Iowa_
Prof. Colby wrote me some months ago asking if I would not write a paper
for this meeting on "Fifty Years' Experience in Nut Growing." I answered
that I had not been particularly interested in nut culture until within
a few years, and that I believed I could be of more use to our members
by telling them something of the care of scionwood.
I am going to tell you
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