it was suggested that the score should be
figured on the basis of filled nuts. This cannot be arranged easily in
testing because if the operator cracks the nuts before weighing there is
almost sure to be loss of fragments of shell. Trying to correct the
original weight in any way is necessarily inaccurate. Deciding whether
or not the kernel of a nut is sufficiently shrivelled to deserve a
penalty is a matter of judgment which is a personal matter.

The variation in per cent kernel first crack and total per cent kernel
probably represents fairly the difference in the samples. The total per
cent is a wholly objective value and varies practically as much as the
per cent first crack. Uniformity in the number of quarters is striking.
This large number is undoubtedly related to the fact that many of the
kernels were shrunken enough to be penalized and others were perhaps
shrunken enough so that they did not tightly fill the shell cavity. In
general it may be said that the more tightly the kernels fill the shell
the more difficult it is to extract large pieces. Thus having the
kernels a little shrunken but not enough to seriously reduce their
weight favors a higher score. Of course, in some varieties the kernels
may he plump and still not fill the shell tight enough to make cracking
difficult. This is a desirable condition.

Variability in penalties is more important (i. e. 4.5 points) than any
other factor in influencing the final score. Without the penalties the
scores of samples 1 to 6 would be 87.5, 84.0, 83.6, 83.7, 82.1 and 82.8
respectively which is fairly uniform. Statistically the presence of
empty or shrivelled nuts in a lot from which samples are taken increases
the number required to make a satisfactory sample by greatly increasing
the individual variation of the single nut.

TABLE 1

Variation in the score of tests of duplicate samples made by the same
operators. Twenty-five nut samples. Nuts grown at Ithaca, N.Y.

1942. Black Walnuts.

KEY:
A: Wt. 1 nut grams
B: % kernel 1st crack
C: % kernel total
D: Quarters number
E: Penalty
F: Score

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Variety Treatment A B C D E F Remarks
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Spear No. 1 S 18 hours 14.6 24.9 28.0 91 -3.5 84.0 1 empty, 5 shr.
D 15 hours
Spear No. 2 D 15 hours 15.7 24.0