ly ripened,
swish in the wind and release clouds of yellow pollen. The heartnut tree
holds the interest of its owner closely during that time when the nuts
resulting from the racemes of blossoms are steadily increasing in size.
I have seen as many as sixteen nuts on one stem and doubtless, there
sometimes are more. The owner of such a tree, at least if he is at all
like me, will proudly exhibit it to all comers during the spring and
summer seasons. And then, at harvest time, after the nuts have gradually
changed from green to the dull yellow that indicates their maturity, he
will have the satisfaction of shaking them down for drying and storage.

The heartnut kernel tastes much like that of the butternut and its
internal structure is almost the same but the outside shell is smooth.
Cultivated varieties usually crack easily and in such a way that the
kernel is released in halves. From all this, it is easy to see that the
heartnut is not only a beautiful tree but is definitely useful.

In my own work with heartnuts I have found that, although they are to be
classed only as semi-hardy, there are a few varieties which are hardy
enough for northern temperatures. Only testing will determine which ones
can endure severe climates. In the spring of 1921, I planted a Lancaster
heartnut grafted on a black walnut, but the weather was cold that season
and it was killed down to the graft joint, where it threw out a sprout.
This was weak and succulent by fall and the graft was entirely killed
back that winter. I bought twelve more Lancaster heartnuts a year later.
They were interspersed in the orchard among some black walnuts.
Although a few survived the first winter, none ever lived to come into
bearing. From time to time, I also experimented with seedlings sent to
me by Professor James A. Neilson of Vineland, Ontario, who was
interested in having them tested in this latitude. These, too, were
always unsuccessful.

I had my first success with several unnamed varieties of heartnuts I
purchased in 1933 from J. U. Gellatly of British Columbia. These were
grafted on black walnut stocks of considerable size. To insure their
surviving the first winter, I built wooden shelters which completely
enclosed them, filling these shelters with forest leaves and protecting
them against mice with screen covers. No doubt this was a decided help;
at least all of these heartnuts lived for many years until the invasion
of the butternut curculio and the