at merely
spreads until just about the time they fall off the tree. When the
blight infection strikes it it stains the nut badly. The point I want to
make is that you get the nuts anyhow. Mr. Littlepage, do you recall the
trees in Georgetown? The blight there is a very late infection. It is
not a thing that I can say should be discouraging. Blights are all over,
the pear blight, the apple blight, the lettuce blight. If we can make
the crop in spite of it I don't see why we should be unduly alarmed. I
think there are a good many other factors to be taken into consideration
in planting on a large scale and to make the question hinge on the
blight is not right. Spraying is of no avail. I don't think the walnut
growers should be discouraged because even in California where it is
most serious the industry is still profitable.

MR. JONES: Some times the husk worm may spoil the husk and that
may be confused with the blight. So far Mr. Rush has had the blight ever
since I have known his trees. Last year the blight was more prevalent
than this year. This year I estimated the loss in the nuts about 10 per
cent. Last year I think it ran one-quarter.

THE SECRETARY: Would those nuts be ruined?

MR. JONES: Some of them would be and some of them not.

THE SECRETARY: One-quarter would be affected by blight and some
of those would be good but not all?

MR. JONES: I don't know what proportion. If the nut when taken
out of the husk is black, it would not be worth much. You can eat them
but they are not marketable.

NOTES ON THE NUT BEARING PINES AND ALLIED CONIFERS.

DR. ROBERT T. MORRIS, NEW YORK

Among the food trees of the world of the nut bearing group the palms
with their many species of cocoanuts probably stand first, the pines
next, and the chestnuts third in order, so far as food supply for
various peoples is concerned. Then come the almonds, walnuts, hazels,
hickories and other nut bearing trees, the nuts of which have been
somewhat carelessly looked upon as luxuries rather than as an important
pantry full of good substantial calories to be turned into human
kinetics.

The pines and allied conifers like _Araucaria_ and _Podocarpus_ will
take their respective places in furnishing food supply for us all when
the need comes. Such need is already close upon our new vista of war
supplies. The squirrels and mice this year will eat thousands of tons of
good food that our soldiers would be glad to have. The particular