gely in the hands of the nurserymen. We may even go
further and assert that it rests for the present mainly in the hands of
a few nurserymen who have persistently studied the problems pertaining
to the taming of a denizen of the forest, and have persevered with
experiments in the face of repeated failure; for, as editor of the
_American Nurseryman_, I am in a position to state that with a few
exceptions nurserymen generally have not attempted to prepare to supply
a demand for hardy, northern-grown, improved nursery nut trees. Seedling
walnuts and hickories have been procurable for years from nurseries all
over the country, as is shown by nursery catalogue listings; and at
least two concerns--one at Lockport, N. Y., and another at Rochester, N.
Y.,--have advertised nut tree seedlings extensively, despite the
universal nursery practice of budding or grafting or layering
practically all other kinds of trees and plants offered for sale as
nursery stock--simply because it is not easy to propagate nut trees, and
these nurserymen would take advantage of the growing demand for nut
orchards.
Within established nut circles all this is commonly known. It was my
purpose in referring to these conditions to direct the attention of
those not posted to what has been done by a half dozen or more
conscientious nursery concerns in an endeavor to supply material of
quality for the starting of nut orchards or the planting of isolated
trees in response to the arguments set forth in behalf of nut culture.
My subject lies at the very base of the formation of this association;
for was it not with the idea of directing into safe channels interest
which might be aroused in nut culture that the pioneers of the industry
in the North organized and convened repeatedly to select and propagate
and recommend certain varieties? As the result of years of concentrated
effort selections have been made and varieties have been named--and to
some extent recommended--throughout the northern states. Now and for
some time past the public has had opportunity to purchase and plant
carefully grown budded and grafted true-to-name nursery nut trees of
varieties having in the parent trees exceptional characteristics deemed
sufficient to warrant propagation and dissemination. I need not go into
the matter of years of patient effort on the part of a few nurserymen
and of a few investigators who entered the lists solely for the love of
Nature's developments.
This, in
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