persimmon stock.

(24) A group of Chinese chestnut trees (_Castanea mollissima_). Very
beautiful trees, worthy of a position on almost any lawn, the foliage is
bright and shining, and the thrifty growth very attractive. The species
is practically immune to blight, sometimes at a point of injury bark
blight will appear, but it spreads very slowly, is easily cut out and
does not reappear at that point. It will be a success in Connecticut.
The nut is not quite up to our native chestnut in quality, but it is
larger in size and a first rate nut on the whole. The tree comes from
the original home of the blight, and the two plants having lived
together for ages the law of survival of the fittest has given us this
chestnut tree, which can largely take the place of our lost American
chestnut. The tree does not grow to be quite so large as our chestnut,
but I am making hybrids between this species and three species of
American chestnuts, and may find some remarkable ones eventually.

(25) Two young nut pines with lost labels. I shall probably not be able
to determine the species until they bear cones.

(26) A number of black walnut trees grafted with several varieties of
English walnut (_Juglans regia_). There is particular advantage in
grafting English walnut upon black walnut stock for the reason that mice
are extremely destructive to English walnut roots in winter time.
Furthermore black walnuts will grow in soil that is distinctly acid in
reaction, while the English walnut demands a neutral or alkaline soil.
The nearest tree of this group had new shoots of the Rush English walnut
nearly six feet long, which blew off last week in a wind storm because
they had not been braced sufficiently. It is very important when
grafting nut trees to fasten strong bracing sticks alongside of vigorous
shoots and tying them with sisal tarred cord, which holds good for two
years.

(27) Appomattox pecan, Busseron pecan, and Major pecan. All three trees
growing very thriftily and all set nuts this spring, but did not hold
them. This is the habit of young hickories and walnuts rather largely.
None of my pecan trees are old enough as yet to fruit well. I do not
know what varieties will find our season long enough for ripening
purposes. That particular feature of pecan raising is quite as important
as the mere question of hardiness in Connecticut.

(28) A little old butternut tree by my garden. This has been the mother
of practically all my hyb