A Black Walnut Grove and Why

By Dr. F. L. Baum Boyertown, Pennsylvania

I will give you the "why" first. Early in 1923, we realized the need of a diversion, something which would take us out into the open every day of the year and bring us closer to nature, which would be a source of pleasure with prospects of a material return in the future when I wish to retire from the active practice of medicine. After investigating several projects, we finally decided that a black walnut grove would best meet our needs.

In the December issue, 1925, of the American Nut Journal, I read "Eventually, why not now?" In that article, Mr. T. P. Littlepage said: "The time will come when the northern states will produce big groves of nut trees." The Journal's comment was "What are we waiting for?" I too wondered because, long before the trees had leaves, I had visions of them bearing to the extent of breaking the limbs from the weight of nuts.

When this picture was taken, I asked myself this question, "Was it a venture of fools rushing in where angels fear to tread?" Also I began to think that the quotations in the article I read were sales propaganda put forth by high-pressure salesmen. Encouragements came later when we discovered thirteen nuts on this tree and when my grafts grew on seedlings.

About this time pests came such as caterpillars, rose chafers, leaf hoppers, bud worms and, now my worst enemy, a borer which I believe is a cherry tree borer. I have placed a section of a tree on the table which was attacked by this insect. The question has been asked if it were not a blight canker which killed this tree. When I noticed the tree in distress the leaves were drooping and the bark was intact and smooth, with a wet spot the size of a pin point about three feet above the ground. A stab wound revealed the bark loose and full of holes which extended into the sapwood. All of our trees have been treated for the destruction of this pest. Next Spring they will receive a second treatment. By this method we will overcome our difficulty.

In July of this year my men who were picking caterpillars came with this information, "There is no necessity for hunting caterpillars as there is a fly stinging them." The insect, the size of a wasp, is part black and part yellow.

In the evening they said that if some of the trees in the backfield were not propped, they would break down due to the pressure of so many nuts on them.

(Lantern slide pictures of individual trees were then shown and described by Dr. Baum.)

The vision I had a few years ago is becoming a reality. I now wonder if it might not have been a case of angels rushing in and other fellows staying out. We may conclude "Now, not eventually."

Question: Do caterpillars give you any trouble?

Dr. Baum: Yes, they give me considerable trouble. I sprayed this year with arsenate of lead. For a few years I burned them off but last year I sprayed.

Question: Do seedlings come up?

Dr. Baum: A few, I mow them down.

Dr. Smith: I want to talk to you about the possibility of making some small cash contributions next summer for a nut contest. We have not had any contributions for a nut contest for some time and it is the only way we can get any new varieties. I would like to start this nut contest next September. It will be necessary to get a lot of people interested and a lot of publicity in the newspapers. We could give a first prize of $25.00, some $5.00 and some $3.00 prizes. It means we would have to have $60.00 or $75.00.

Perhaps we can make a more definite call next September.

Dr. Theiss: I would like to get any information that is available on the pollinization of filberts. The difficulty seems to be in getting pollinators.

The President: There is full information on that subject in the bulletin issued of Prof. Slate of the Geneva Experiment Station.

Prof. Slate, what can you tell us about it? Have you any information other than what was published in that bulletin?

Prof. Slate: We have this difficulty, that the pollen bearing catkins seem to ripen very early and then the first cold snap freezes them.

Dr. Smith: I would like to know something about the market for shagbarks and if the market is for cracked nuts.

The President: There is a very small market for them in Cleveland, Ohio. Is there any information about hickory nuts?

Prof. Neilson: Hickory nuts frequently sell for about 10c a pound, sometimes as low as three pounds for a quarter.

After the discussion closed three telegrams were read, from the Kellogg Hotel, The Agard Hotel and The Chamber of Commerce of Battle Creek, Mich. inviting the association to hold its next meeting in that city. A motion was unanimously adopted to hold the next convention there September 10th and 11th, 1934.

Motion was made to give Mr. Z. H. Ellis a life membership in return for his contribution of $50.00. The motion carried.

Miss Sawyer: Is the mollissima chestnut blight proof?

The President: I should like to have Dr. Smith answer that question.

Dr. Smith: The mollissima chestnut came from China where it has been exposed to the blight for ages. It is blight resistant but not blight proof. An occasional tree gets the blight and dies; an occasional tree gets the blight and recovers. It is the opinion of Mr. G. F. Gravatt, of the United States Department of Agriculture, that the physical prosperity of the tree has much to do with its ability to throw off this disease. For example, some of the trees at Bell, Maryland, got to be a foot in diameter and bore crops, without any sign of blight until the terrible drought year of 1930 when some of them developed blight and then later recovered from it. I think mollissima chestnuts are less likely to die than cherries or peaches, and probably less likely than apples.

While the subject of blight resistance in chestnuts is up, I should like to call attention to the fact that there are many Japanese chestnuts in the eastern part of the United States that have survived the blight. Some of them bear good nuts, very good nuts, although most of the Japanese have a properly bad reputation for flavor. Doubtless an experimenter has a chance of producing something very valuable by breeding from the best blight resistant Japanese chestnuts now surviving in the eastern United States.