nuts on last year but I have been unable to get
out there this year. It is off the gravel road and it has been raining
here for the last two days.

I have not been able to get out to the hickory nut trees. They had some
nuts on last year but not very plentiful. I have noticed along the
highways, as we would be driving along, that some of the hickory nut
trees were full and others would not have any on, but do not know as yet
how the drought will affect them.

I wish we could attend the convention, but it will be impossible for us
this year.

Letter From Geo. W. Gibbens

_Godfrey, Illinois, September 6, 1934_

The Mid-West Nut Growers' Association is not functioning.

There will be a normal crop of black walnuts in this section of the
state. The hickory and pecan crop is very light. The chestnut crop will
be light. Many of our chestnut trees were killed by the drought this
summer. Some young trees on cultivated land will develop nuts, and a few
of the older trees may do so.

For many years here (E. A. Riehl Farm) we have been trying to grow the
English walnut to bearing size. This year we have a young tree that is
bearing. It is the Alpine.

I wish we could attend the convention.

Letter From Fred Kettler

_Platteville, Wisconsin_

In regard to the Kettler walnut tree here: It seems to be gradually
dying; has many dead branches, which is caused by the drought we have
had the last few years. We should get 25 to 30 inches rainfall a year
and we had only 8 or 10 last year and about that same amount this year.
The ground is wet down only about 15 inches on top. Below that it is
dry.

The old tree had quite a few nuts on this year. However, most of them
were blown off by a cyclone six weeks ago. There is about a peck of nuts
on the tree now.

All walnuts here are only half a crop on account of the June beetle and
the weather conditions, and they are quite small nuts, the weather being
so dry.

I grafted 150 of the Wisconsin No 1, or Kettler walnut. It was boiling
hot here in April and May and it again spoiled it for me. We watered
them every day and shaded them, but the heat and dry, hot dirt was too
much. All were grafted on young yearling trees close to the ground where
I covered them with dirt. Many started, but died later; anyway, I
succeeded in getting six more nice trees started (one to three feet tall
now). My tree from last year is about five feet tall and made some side
branches; s