Ohio Nut Growers' Meeting

By G. J. Korn, Berrien Springs, Mich.

A meeting of Ohio nut growers was held at the Wooster, Ohio, Experiment Station on September 5, 1943. A very pleasant and profitable afternoon was had in the exchange of ideas and reports on the growing of nut trees. Most of those present were members of the Northern Nut Growers' Association. As the annual meeting of that organization had been cancelled for the duration of the war, the Ohio members decided to hold a meeting of their own at Wooster. The growers presented reports on the varieties with which they are working and evaluated their merits and performance. As an example, Mr. A. A. Bungart of Avon, said he had spent a good share of his spare time for two summers in examination of several hundred native black walnut trees, and has never found a nut as good as the varieties Todd or Thomas. He still feels, however, that there are superior walnuts growing wild and that continued search for them is well warranted. Several other kinds of nut trees are being grown by Mr. Bungart, such as filberts, Chinese chestnuts, and Crath Persian walnuts. In a summary of his report he said, "In viewing the growing of nut trees, I am convinced that it is a wonderful hobby, and that the contributions of various individuals and groups will eventually establish nut growing in the northern states on a commercial basis."

Mr. Eugene Cranz of Ira also gave a very interesting report. This past summer Mr. Cranz passed his eighty-first birthday, and for many years has been keenly interested in general forestry practices. One of his particular interests is nut culture; a very superior hickory tree grows on his place, which bears a very high quality nut. During the course of his remarks, he expressed great optimism in the matter of developing the Chinese chestnut into a valuable commercial nut crop.

Mr. J. Lester Hawk & Son of Beach City, concurred in Mr. Cranz's opinion on this matter, and cited as an example the 2 Hobson Chinese chestnuts which they planted on their property in 1917. These two trees have been bearing crops of well-formed tasty nuts for a period of 20 years. Mr. Hawk reports that he had sold several hundred seedling trees from these trees last year, and reports that he has about 2,500 one-year seedling trees in his nursery at the present time.

Many other interesting reports were given on cultural practices and on the merits of various types of nut trees adaptable to northern conditions. Mention should be made of the especially fine illustrated talk given by L. Walter Sherman, superintendent of the Mahoning County Experiment Farm at Canfield. Colored slides were shown by Mr. Sherman, of his grafting technique and of individual trees throughout the state from which he has collected scions. Three acres of the Mahoning County Farm are being devoted to nut growing and research at the present time. This planting includes 21 different varieties of black walnut. Mr. Sherman is keeping an accurate record of the trees as they develop, their source of scions, and other items that may be of interest. Besides recording this data, he is also making color slides of his cultural methods and progressive stages of the trees' growth.

In spite of unavoidable interruptions to their individual efforts occasioned by the war, those in attendance expressed the belief that real progress is being made in this particular field. A committee was chosen to draft tentative plans for a 20-year research program on nut culture in Ohio. The great enthusiasm shown at this initial meeting indicates that a meeting of Ohio nut growers is likely to become an annual event.

On my return home to Michigan from attending the Ohio meeting, I stopped off near McCutchenville, Ohio, to visit the parent "Ohio" black walnut tree. The accompanying photos taken by Mr. O. D. Diller, Dept. of Forestry, Experiment Station, Wooster, Ohio, show the majesty and beauty of this great tree.