Letters

Nuts in Quebec

July 16, 1950

Dr. George L. Slate,
Associate Professor,
New York State Agricultural Experiment Station,
Geneva, New York

Dear Dr. Slate:

I am very much flattered by your invitation to prepare a paper on nut
culture in Quebec. My only regret is that for two reasons I am unable to
comply with your request.

The first is that I am quite ignorant on the subject. It is only lately
that I have developed an interest in this matter when I suddenly found
myself responsible for a so-called "arboretum" which is now mainly empty
space that I am endeavoring to fill. The fact that shagbark hickory and
butternut were common in our woods and that some of our neighbors have
apparently flourishing individual trees of black walnut served to arouse
my interest in the question. One neighbour has a tree of what he calls
"French walnut" because they came from near Lyons, France, which are
evidently the ordinary English or Persian walnut. Furthermore, I have
been advised that there is quite a grove of black walnut near
Lotbiniere, Quebec, which is on the south shore of the St. Lawrence not
far from the city of Quebec. I understand that it was planted some
seventy-five years ago and trees are now timber size. Indeed, I was told
that the owner was offered a considerable sum during the war--the wood
was wanted for gun stocks. I have not been there to verify this. However
it occurred to me that it would be a good idea to get several specimens
of various nut species that might grow here to place in the
arboretum--this might incidentally give some information on what species
would survive our winters.

The second reason that I am unable to write any article on nut culture
in Quebec is because as far as I know there is no nut culture here. Most
of the trees I refer to were simply planted as ornamentals. I have never
been able to locate anyone who has taken any particular interest in
growing them for the nuts.

I would like very much to extend my knowledge on the subject by
attending your meeting at Poughkeepsie, New York, on August 28th to
30th, but unfortunately I will be absent in Nova Scotia on those dates.

Following your information I secured some literature on northern nut
culture and will look forward to receiving any further information along
this line that may be forthcoming.

Again thanking you for your courtesy and assuring you of my continued
interest, I am,

Yours very