tion, and he surprised us by his estimate of
several thousand trees in his county of Franklin. The adjoining counties
of Adams, York, and Lancaster, along the southern border of the state,
have fully as many trees of this species, so it is a very conservative
estimate that there are ten thousand of these trees in Pennsylvania.
These are located, for the most part, in the southeastern corner of the
state below one thousand feet elevation.

Local grown Persian walnuts were found on sale last fall in the farm
markets of York, Lancaster, and Harrisburg and at many grocery stores.
Wherever we found such local nuts on sale, we asked where and by whom
they were grown. Many of them came from Halifax and Linglestown, in
Dauphin County; from Lampeter, Lancaster County; and from Seven Valleys,
York County.

Farther investigation revealed the facts that in all but one of the
centers of production, the trees were seedling trees and that there were
from four to 23 trees planted relatively close together. In one
instance, a lone tree produced the nuts being sold, and in another case
the nuts were from several grafted trees.

The lone tree, which produced three bushels in 1949, was of interest.
Investigation revealed that the nearest Persian walnut tree was at least
a city block distant. Was this lone tree self pollinating or receiving
pollen from a tree this far away? We still are not sure of the answer.

Jacob Houser, of Lampeter, was selling Pomeroy seedling nuts and nuts
from three Rush Persian walnuts grafted on black walnut stock. They were
growing close enough for cross-pollination.

Driving through the counties of southeastern Pennsylvania, we found many
thousand seedling Persian walnut trees as shade trees about the farm
homes. Investigations revealed that most of these trees never produced
any nuts. Repeatedly we are told that, "my tree never has any nuts, but
a certain tree on an adjoining farm always produces," or "I have two
trees, one of which bears quite regularly but the other never has
borne." They are the same age and both seem to be growing equally well.
Some produce only a few handfulls of nuts when they should be producing
five to ten bushels, judging by their size.

You as nut growers know the answer, but the general public does not.
Even some of you have made the mistake of planting one tree by itself
and expecting it to produce. This seldom happens. Mixed plantings of
several varieties or several seedlings