Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Twenty Fourth Annual Meeting
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Northern Nut Growers Association >> Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Twenty Fourth Annual Meeting
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In the spring of 1926, I had a nurseryman graft 6 small black walnut
trees to the Thomas and Stabler varieties with 5 catches, 4 Thomas and 1
Stabler. In the spring of 1927, I bought the homestead farm and planted
2 Thomas, 2 Stabler, and 2 Ohio black walnuts, 2 shellbarks, 2 hardshell
almonds and 6 filberts. This spring I also planted about a bushel of
seedling black walnuts and, as it happened we had an exceptionally wet
summer, these seedlings made a wonderful growth.
In the spring of 1928 I transplanted about 15 acres to these seedlings.
In 1929 I planted another 20 acres, and in 1930 another 10 acres. Some
of these trees were planted 60 feet each way and some 30 feet apart.
Some of these trees were grafted the same year they were planted but
most of them were grafted two years later. At this time I had little
experience in grafting and, naturally, my 2 acres in getting catches
were accordingly. When I started out I thought it would be cheaper to
plant seedlings and graft them, as explained above. I have gotten along
fairly well in getting my grove started but I found it to be far more
work than I expected it would be and I would not do it that way again.
Because of some failures each year I still have many trees that have not
yet been successfully grafted. I am not in a great hurry to get my grove
on a paying basis as I am getting a lot of fun playing with the
developing of it and I don't believe there will be so very much
difference in the size of these trees 25 years from now. I would say,
however, that for the man who wants to get a nut grove developed as soon
as possible, he should buy his trees from the expert nut tree
nurseryman.
My entire grove is now seeded to blue grass for a permanent pasture.
About 25 acres is pastured by 160 head of sheep and the balance is cut
for hay to feed the sheep in the winter time. My reason for seeding to
blue grass is to prevent erosion. Possibly if I should keep my trees
cultivated during the summer they would make a better growth. But then
my sheep will make quite a bit of manure and I spread much of this
manure under the trees every winter and, as it is, my trees are making a
very good growth every year.
I now have a grove of about 800 black walnut trees. These are mostly of
the Thomas, also quite a few Ohio and Stabler and a few Ten Eycks. The
Stablers, Ohios, and Ten Eycks seem to fill the shell so full of meats
with me that they are hard to remove in large pieces. I think I shall
regraft most of these to the Thomas and some of the later varieties.
About 600 of my trees are now 7 years old from seed. These trees had
about 1/2 bushel of hulled walnuts last summer and I expect to have
about 2 bushels this summer. Last summer I also had about a peck of hard
shell almonds from my two trees that were planted in 1927. In 1931 my 6
filberts had about 1/2 peck of nuts. These trees are now big enough to
have at least a bushel or two of nuts if the catkins had not frozen this
past winter.
Dr. Zimmerman: Mr. Hostetter, I would like to suggest, from the fact
that we know so little about pollinization of nut trees, that you do not
be in too big a hurry to cut out your odd varieties. Instead why not do
this, let them come into bearing and then each year cut the variety out
and note if there is any change in the bearing of the Thomas, of which
you say your orchard is mostly made up? Should you happen to note a lack
of pollinization or bearing in the Thomas the year after a certain
variety is cut out, you can then start checking and may find that
variety the best pollinator for the Thomas. I certainly would not be in
too big a hurry to eliminate all my test varieties if I were you.
The President: Last year Prof. Reed gave us a very valuable paper on
pollinization.
Dr. Zimmerman: I have a Taylor hickory at my place and every year it has
several nutlets but as soon as they get any size they tumble off. I have
never seen any catkins on that tree.
I have been fooling around for several years with persimmons. I have
particular reference to the Kawakmi which is supposed to be a hybrid of
Munson. I have never had any fruit from that particular tree. I wrote to
Munson's and told them and they sent me some of the fruit. I wanted to
get the seeds. My tree blooms heavily but has no pistillate flowers.
Nut Trees as Used in Landscaping
DR. LEWIS EDWIN THEISS
_Muncy, Pennsylvania_
I was asked to speak on the subject of "Planting Nut Trees for Those Who
Have Space for Only a Few," but I am going to speak on using nut trees
in landscaping. We should know what is meant by the term landscaping. It
may mean planting blue spruce or junipers around the house in a pleasing
way, or you may use plants. The object is to make a picture which gives
a certain impression of our home. We can just as well use nut trees in
such a way as to make a beautiful picture, so that when one looks out
any window of his home he gets a beautiful picture or vista, or when one
goes by and sees your home, he sees a beautiful picture.
We tend to follow too stereotyped ways of doing things. There is no
reason why we should make a liability of our property. We can just as
well have nuts to help make an asset.
Trees are very much like words. We have two words in the English
language that express more than any others. They are "home" and
"mother." We also have trees that connote much. Of course, it depends on
what picture we wish our homes to convey. I want mine to have a cozy yet
prosperous look. Now you ask, "How are you going to produce that look?"
It is by the materials you use and how you use them. And you can use any
you wish.
We might divide plants into two groups, cultivated plants and wild
plants. In trees we have some fruit trees which are never worth a cent.
Apple trees suggest home. If you are driving through the woods and come
upon an apple tree, you immediately think, "Someone had a home here
once." Of course, it might have grown from a chance seed but that is the
thought you have at once. The apple tree connotes the thought of home.
I happen to be a fruit tree as well as a nut tree grower. The difference
between them is that you have to spray the fruit trees.
Longfellow said, "Under the spreading chestnut tree the village smithy
stands." That was probably very true as there were lots of chestnut
trees at that time. So we have nut trees that give us this connotation
of domesticity. They make us think of home.
We must also consider the foliage. A tree with fine foliage such as the
walnut is preferable for the lawn. The walnut gives a fine shade but
does not interfere with the growth of grass. The English walnut makes a
dense shade, nothing grows under it. Hickory also gives a dense shade.
All these things we have to consider when choosing trees to plant about
our yards.
In my own grounds I have black walnut, Persian walnuts, pecans,
filberts, hicans and some others. I feel we might as well have something
around our places to help pay the taxes. We might as well get a little
pleasure out of our property. Some of us have vegetable gardens. Nut
trees can be an asset to your property in the same way if you will
plant the proper kinds.
You all know the black walnut. It grows to be a large spreading tree but
it needs good soil. Another nice tree is the Japanese walnut. This tree
is quite beautiful. A sport of this tree is the heartnut. It also is a
very beautiful tree and a rapid grower. I have a little group of these
trees and I have never seen trees grow so fast. I have a Japanese
walnut, a grafted heartnut, and a Japanese seedling. They look exactly
alike but bear different kinds of nuts. I have one tree which is a
seedling. It is eight years old, beginning on the ninth year and is 20
to 25 feet high. I have a heartnut which is a little bit older which I
bought from Mr. Jones. That tree has suffered a lot at my hands. I dug
it up twice and changed its position, cutting it back, and still it is
growing fine and a big tree for ten years. It has a spread close to 40
feet and reaches to the house top. It certainly looks more than 10 years
old. I think a tree like that is very useful planted by a house because
of its rapid growth. The foliage is very lovely. I have measured some of
the leaves and some are a yard long. Another tree I have growing near
the house is a Potomac English walnut. It is a very vigorous tree, has a
dense shade and a very good grower. A very lovely tree to have in the
yard.
I have also, the Butterick, Busseron and Indiana pecans in the side
yard. They bear quite well, particularly the Butterick but I like the
Busseron better. I think they are going to be very large trees. I think
they will be like the elms in New England. The foliage is not so large
and coarse and is a little different from the black walnut. They have
been very successful for us.
We do not know much about getting revenue from our trees as we use all
our nuts in the family. A pound of nuts I raise myself is worth much
more to me than a pound I would buy in the grocery store because of the
fun I get in growing them.
I have chestnuts that have escaped the blight so far. They say the
Japanese variety is very hardy and very resistant to blight. As to the
nuts, I do not know much about them.
Another nut tree that we do not often think of is the beech tree. I have
never seen a beech tree that had nuts on big enough to amount to
anything.
We have heard a lot about filberts this morning. Filberts make beautiful
hedges. I shouldn't advise anybody to grow a filbert hedge along the
road or where it would be a temptation to people to steal. But where you
wish to erect a screen to shut out an undesirable view, they make a very
nice hedge. They are very pleasing as to foliage. We have a very nice
crop of filberts this fall. If you have a little place that you want to
screen in, why not do it with a hedge that is both beautiful and
productive.
We also have a peach almond. That is worth growing just for its blossom.
People go to Washington to see the Japanese cheery blossoms but they are
no more beautiful than the Ridenhower almond when in bloom. The blossom
is 2 inches in diameter. The hull dries and parts through the middle
leaving the nut easy to get out. My farmer calls my tree "the dried
peach tree." The fruit looks more like a peach seed than an almond. It
is more difficult to crack than the usual almond but it certainly is
interesting in the springtime. I hope in your landscaping you will make
use of nut trees, and when you want a hedge you do not have to have a
privet or a barberry one. You can make a hedge of roses or of filberts.
Dr. Deming: Will your pecans have a good crop? Are they well filled?
Dr. Theiss: Yes, they are well filled and have a very delicious flavor.
In the market you could not offer them in competition with the
paper-shell variety, but we are quite well pleased with them.
Dr. Deming: Isn't that rather a record for distance north?
Dr. Theiss: I do not know. Mr. Reed, how far north do pecans grow well?
Mr. Reed: I believe our best authorities are Dr. Deming and Dr. Theiss.
I am surprised as we have some pecans in Washington with which we were
discouraged, although they are now developing.
Dr. Theiss: I must say we have very satisfactory trees and lots of nuts.
Mr. Hershey: About six weeks ago I saw a tree which had been bearing for
40 years. It was at Schuylkill Haven near Pottsville, in the mountainous
country where it gets very cold. An old man told me the tree was 60
years old. Imagine my utter amazement since we believed that the pecan
would not bear that far north. I showed the old man some Busseron nuts
and he stated that his were slightly smaller but very thin shelled. The
seed of this tree came from the Wabash in Illinois. He had another tree
there about 30 years old which has been bearing for quite a few years.
Prof. Neilson: Have you had any experience with Turkish hazels?
Dr. Theiss: No, I have Barcelona, Du Chilly, Red Aveline, White Aveline,
and Jones-Rush hybrids.
Prof. Neilson: It appears that they are very ornamental and very
symmetrical and hardy trees.
There is a possibility of using nuts in a new confection made of honey.
There is a new method of drying honey perfected by Dr. Philips and Dr.
Dyke, and when this is mixed with nuts it forms a really good
confection. My wife has worked out several good recipes.
Mrs. Neilson: The new method of drying the honey allows it to be wrapped
in wax paper without sticking to the paper. This is quite an advantage
in marketing it.
Prof. Neilson: The Broadview Persian walnut is a very ornamental tree
and can be grown by those who live very far north.
My Experience in Growing Nut Trees on the House Lawn
_By_ M. GLEN KIRKPATRICK
_Orchard Editor, Farm Journal, Philadelphia, Pa._
Coming at the end of a program such as you have had here today, I am
reminded of a story my father used to tell me as a boy.
"There was once a mouse that lived in a cellar. One day he was attracted
by some moisture on the floor that was seeping from a barrel of cider.
The cider was in the stage of becoming vinegar. The mouse took two or
three helpings and then said, 'Now bring on the cat!'"
I would be just as foolish as the mouse if I tried to contribute any
technical matter. Ten minutes will be ample to tell you of my
experiences.
My interest in nut trees is due to Mr. John W. Hershey. I wish now that
some of my apple trees were replaced by walnuts. I planted my trees
about 8 years ago. The pecan is about 18 feet high, the English walnut
about 12 feet high. The English walnut has blossomed but has never borne
fruit. The pecan has blossomed this year for the first time. My
Barcelona has about a pound of nuts on this year. It is from 12 to 14
feet high. My Du Chilly has produced fruit one year.
The thing I like about nut trees is their cleanness. My English walnut
has never been troubled by pests, neither has the pecan, except there is
one thing I hold against the pecans and that is the borers on the
branches. It is ten times as bad as English walnuts. But the trees are
clean and nice to have, and I really prefer them to apple trees. With
apple trees you are at all times troubled with apples on the lawn and it
is a job to keep them cleaned up. You have nothing of that sort to
contend with in nut trees.
My trees have not been given special advantages. The pecan is in with a
lot of shrubs and the English walnut is surrounded by roses. The filbert
has just taken pot luck with the rest.
That is my experience and if I can tell you anything further I shall be
glad to do it.
Dr. Zimmerman: I would like to ask you a question about the Japanese
beetle. Have you had any trouble with your black walnuts?
Mr. Kirkpatrick: I have had one black walnut die.
Dr. Zimmerman: Do you know if the Japanese beetle attacks the chestnut
or chinquapin?
Mr. Shaw: Maybe I can answer that question. In New Jersey the Japanese
beetle attacks the chestnut but I do not know about the chinquapin.
Developing a Thousand Tree Nut Grove
_By_ C. F. HOSTETTER
_Bird-in-Hand, Pennsylvania_
The natural title of this paper should be "Why I Planted a Nut Grove."
Some years ago, especially when we were in the war, it occurred to me
that with all the modern machinery and scientific methods on the farm it
wouldn't be long before we would be producing much more food than could
be consumed, hence the prices for farm commodities would fall so low
there would be no profit in them. The last few years have proven my
contention was right.
So I got to looking around for something to specialize in and became
interested in the new improved thin shelled black walnuts that the late
J. F. Jones was introducing. I know there is danger in specializing in
any one thing but, in summing up the following regarding black walnuts,
it looked to me like as good or better a bet than any thing else. First,
we know that the demand for the high black walnut flavor has caused it
to be profitable for carloads of kernels to be cracked and shipped to
the cities from the natural black walnut belt. Although this seedling
product has been somewhat improved in quality the last few years I still
feel that the demand for this high flavored nut for home use, in
confections and baking and ice cream making, will make a high demand for
an improved and uniform meat such as can be produced with the grafted
trees. With the growing interest in natural foods, and less animal meat,
I believe the demand will increase as our groves come into bearing.
In 1926 I hazarded a planting of 150 trees, the next year I was steamed
up to the place where I decided I should plant more, and then each year
following, until my last planting this year, gives me one thousand
thrifty growing black walnuts, mostly Thomas variety which I think is
the best from what I have observed in my own grove.
In planting I set the first ones 50 x 50 ft. Some thought it was too
close but I couldn't see it.
The next planting I made 50 x 50 feet and then at the next planting I
started to wake up after seeing how rapidly the first ones were growing,
and I decided to make them 60 x 60 feet. The last planting I made this
year 60 x 60 feet and I would advise 60 x 70 feet to any one who asks me
how far apart to plant.
To me it seems queer just why more people don't plant them. On the basis
of 60 x 70 feet you could farm indefinitely, with the tree crop coming
on and even bearing for many years, while you are contenting your heart
growing annual crops to lose money on.
As to bearing, two years ago I had the older planting and many of the
younger trees loaded. One five year Thomas had about 400 nuts. Three to
five year trees had 50 to 250 and 300 nuts. My crop that year was
fourteen bushels which I sold for 15c per lb or $5.00 and $6.00 per
bushel. Last year I didn't have so many but this year I first said I
would have 50 bushels. I'm starting to believe now I was a little high
in my guess but many trees are nicely loaded.
Now regarding cost of carrying the grove, as I'm a sweet corn drier I
have the most of my farm in corn. I farmed the grove in corn the first
five years and hardly missed the space used for trees. I proved what I
stated above that one can plant trees and keep on farming and hardly
miss the tree space. If planted 70 feet apart one can farm still more
land. In cultivating the corn the trees are cultivated, which cuts down
the extra cost of caring for them, although of course one must cultivate
them if he expects to have them grow and develop rapidly.
I now have my oldest trees in sod, mostly weeds this year, but I intend
to sow it to grass. I expect then to mow it early in June and use it for
a mulch and then mow it maybe a couple of times more for looks sake and
let the grass lie.
Now another interesting point I want to present to the intending planter
of a nut grove is the error of following the foolish advice given out by
some of planting seedlings and then grafting them. I say this not for
the benefit of the nurserymen but for the financial benefit of the
planter. First, the grafting of nut trees is a highly technical job and
requires an enormous number of moves, from the first thing of cutting
the grafting wood at the proper time in the winter and carefully storing
it, until the cutting off of the stocks and knowing how long to let them
bleed, and then grafting at the proper time, the proper shading of the
graft, sprouting, staking, and tying up of the rapidly growing graft
until the end of the growing season, so that the average man will have
fallen down long before the season is over. And even if he has the time
to do this, which the busy man hasn't, it will take him several years to
learn to graft. By the time he has his legs run off over a period of
five or seven years going from tree to tree set 60 or 70 feet apart
doing more duties than he ever thought were needed, he will have a
spotty grove of trees from one year old to bearing age, and then he will
wake up and find that the first grafted ones are bearing so well, that
should he have bought grafted trees and set them all out at one time the
crop would have paid for the complete planting and he would have saved
the long agony of trying to get a grove started. Even then he might not
have one started, for grafting nut trees is a job every body does not
seem able to grasp.
At the same time I feel that everybody who has a planting should learn
the art of grafting. The few nurserymen now growing grafted nut trees
are very willing to teach you and it is nice to be able to turn the
fence row seedlings into profitable trees, it's nice to have the kick of
feeling you can develop a wonderful tree with your own hand. And again,
although I have had, I would say 95 per cent of my planted trees to
grow, still here and there a top will die and suckers come up. As the
tree roots are established it's nice to be able to stick a graft on
these and save waiting a year to replant them with nursery trees.
In closing I wish also to suggest that, in making a large planting of
black walnuts, plant a few pecans, hicans, hickories and any other good
trees recommended by the nurserymen. They are all ornamental and bear
fine nuts for home use and maybe local trade. If any wish to ask
questions I will attempt to answer them now. And don't forget to come
up to see my place on the bus tour tomorrow as I shall be very glad to
welcome all and have you learn anything you can from what I have done
and mistakes I have made.
Please bear in mind that in every move we must remember that this is a
new industry of the soil and, although we believe it has a great future,
all groving procedure must be felt out and experimented with as we have
no guide to go by, just ideas, and you can expect to make some mistakes.
But that is life.
* * * * *
The President asked Dr. Deming to speak of the death of Mr. Bixby.
Dr. Deming: On August 16th not a single member of this association, so
far as I know, was aware that Mr. Bixby was even ill, and yet on that
day he was dead. Mrs. Bixby has written me an account of his illness and
his life. He had pneumonia in March from which he never fully recovered.
The cause of his death was not known until after his death.
I knew Mr. Bixby very well and came to appreciate his very sterling
qualities. He was always willing to take any amount of trouble and spend
any amount of money on his nut culture experiments.
I will now read Mrs. Bixby's account of his life.
Willard G. Bixby was born July 13, 1868 at Salem, Massachusetts, the son
of Henry M. and Eliza (Symonds) Bixby. In 1898, he married Genevieve
Cole who died in 1901. He married second, Ida Elise Tieleke who survives
him. His early education was received in the public schools in Salem
and, after graduation from high school, he entered Massachusetts
Institute of Technology from which he was graduated in 1889 with the
degree of S.B. and the highest honors. After receiving this degree, he
remained at the institute as an instructor in mechanical engineering,
later becoming associated with the Pneumatic Dynamite Gun Company of New
York, following which he became connected with the American Bell
Telephone Company of Boston. In 1891, he entered the employ of S. M.
Bixby and Company, manufacturers of shoe blacking. The firm became
involved financially in 1895 and until 1898 was conducted by a receiver.
Mr. Bixby interested capitalists and organized a corporation to take
over the business of the old company. Mr. Bixby was elected treasurer
and held that position until 1911, when he was chosen vice-president. He
paid special attention to the manufacturing department. Under the new
management the company met modern trade conditions and the business
which developed was one of the largest and most prosperous in this line
in the country.
Following the merging of the Bixby firm with the makers of the 2 in 1
shoe polish, Mr. Bixby retired from that business, and devoted his time
to the propagation and cultivation of nut trees. On his Grand Avenue
property in Baldwin, where he resided, he had gathered approximately
1,000 trees of almost every variety from all over the world. His
experiments in grafting and in crossing varieties, were subject of
several articles in national magazines and newspapers. One article,
under the title of "Growing Timber for Profit," appeared in a recent
issue of the American Forests. He was also interested in curly black
walnut and birdseye maple woods. His latest experiment on which he was
working at the time of his death was rooting hazels from leaf cuttings,
and at this he was partly successful. Mr. Bixby was deeply interested in
civic affairs. He was a charter member of the Baldwin United Civic
Association, trustee of the Baldwin Public Library, director of the
Baldwin Savings and Loan Association, former Fire Commissioner, chairman
of the Baldwin Lighting Commission, member of the Methodist Episcopal
Church in Baldwin, and organist of the Men's Bible Class, as well as a
teacher of the Sunday School. Mr. Bixby's conservative New England
training made him a valuable worker for any cause he espoused. He never
sought honor and publicity, rather preferring to do his share quietly
and modestly. Besides his wife, three children survive him, Willard F.,
a student at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Katherine E.,
just recently graduated from the Baldwin High School, and Ida T., still
at the Baldwin High School.
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