a given number of pounds, will produce. I would therefore
place prolific bearing and cracking qualities as the two most important
points to be considered in selecting a variety worthy of planting.
_Crop Records_
In considering crop records of the different northern varieties; we have
no grafted or budded trees old enough as yet from which to make
comparisons, and in considering the crops of the original trees it is
well to keep in mind that many of these trees are located in the native
forest without cultivation, without proper sunlight and with a poor
chance for the full development of the tree; also it is well to remember
that scarcely two trees have the same surroundings and conditions, and
that it is not often that the owner is able to secure the entire crop
from any one tree, being located in the forest where a large part of the
crop is carried off by others. With these conditions it is often
impossible to tell what a certain tree may yield, except by comparison
with former crops. In giving you these yields I am giving my own
knowledge so far as I can, and then information and estimates from the
most reliable sources at my command.
_Indiana_
This variety is perhaps the best known (owing largely to its name), and
has not failed to produce at least a partial crop annually for the past
fifteen years. Since it has been under close observation, which has
been about seven to eight years, it has usually borne from 100 to 300
pounds. Often a large part of the crop has been stolen. Crop 1912 about
200 pounds; 1913, 250 pounds; 1914, I am confident would have been 300
pounds. The owner secured 125 pounds; balance carried off by others.
This year, 1915, is almost a failure; just a light sprinkling of nuts;
was full of blooms but owing to heavy cold rain, failed to pollenize.
The tree is located in a cultivated field, circumference of tree is 5
feet, height about 60 feet, spread 50 to 60 feet.
_Busseron_
This is almost identical with Indiana, and the owner tells me has borne
as many as seven bushels to twelve bushels at a single crop. The tree
being very tall, the entire top was cut out of it a few years ago and it
is just now commencing to bear again. The lower limbs, however, of older
wood that were left, have borne annual crops. In the nursery this
variety has shown a tendency to very early bearing; most one year trees,
spring 1914, set full of catkins, and one tree produced 16
well-developed nuts. These,
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