an increased number of nuts on the trees that had
borne last year and a number of new varieties came into bearing. In the
eighth year when an 800-pound crop of nuts changed that experimental
planting into a commercial pecan orchard, I was, to use a sporting
phrase, "completely knocked out of the box." The man who thinks there
are no thrills in tree planting has something yet to learn. It is the
surest sign of a real true-blue horticulturist that he wants to set some
kind of new tree or plant.

It is the rarest kind of a plantation that has on it no waste land.
Fence rows, ditch banks and rough or stony places are to be found on
practically every farm. Such spots too often lie waste or galled or at
best are covered with weeds, briars, bushes or useless scrubby trees.
These waste places would make a fine trial ground for testing out nut
trees. A few fine walnuts, pecans or hickories, or rows of chinquapins
and hazels would add profit as well as beauty to these waste and
unsightly places found on most farms.

Following old conservative methods the average farmer sets about his
house and buildings unproductive oaks, elms and maples, with scarcely a
question of a thought that there are as handsome shade trees that will
produce pleasure and profit as well. On our lawns and about our door
yards we could plant to advantage the Japanese walnut and the hardier
types of pecans and Persian walnuts. It would be of interest to try a
few seedlings of these classes of nuts. If such practices were followed
in the planting of nut trees it would not be long until new and valuable
sorts would be found and a great deal of data made available to
intending nut planters. I believe that a great deal of good would result
from the preparation and dissemination of a circular encouraging farmers
in nut planting.

This association is doing a valuable work in offering prizes to locate
high class seedling nut trees that will be worthy of propagating. Sooner
or later valuable sorts will be found in this way. In this connection it
will be wise for this association to solicit the active co-operation of
the horticultural workers in the different states. The workers of the
agricultural colleges, experiment stations and extension service do a
great deal of traveling and have special facilities for getting in touch
with promising varieties. The horticulturists of some states have made
nut surveys of their states to ascertain their resources in the way of