seedlings are
a waste of time and money. I own a few acres of land in Southern
California and of course have planted walnuts there. A few years ago I
received word that the crop from my trees was being shipped to me. They
arrived. There were six nuts. If I were a Californian I might say six
bushels.

Three years ago the trees here bore quite a crop and no squirrel ever
hoarded his winter supply with more satisfaction than I had with that
first peck or so of nuts. Last year promised well, and many trees had
nuts set for the first time, but owing to the intensely hot summer, or
some other reason they did not mature.

There is a question as to the adaptability of Persian walnuts to this
climate. The severe winter of 1917-18 with its sudden and extreme
changes of temperature killed scores of my peach trees, while the
established walnuts came through practically uninjured by a temperature
of twenty-three below zero.

The World War did not take all the black walnuts in the country for gun
stocks, for there are many fine trees still in the Genesee Valley. Every
fall I am on the watch for trees bearing an abundance of large nuts
which we use for parent stock.

It would be quite out of place for me to discuss the various methods of
grafting before this audience all of whom know so much more about it
than I do. But after many trials we have had the best results from
grafting in the greenhouse. The black walnut stock is about four years
old when potted, and the scions are cut in January or February and used
immediately. Fifty per cent. is our average of success by this method,
and some of the trees not two years old are bearing nuts.

I have tried planting pecan trees, but so far they have always been
winter killed. Some Indiana trees planted this spring are growing and I
am hoping they may prove hardy.

The Sober Paragon chestnuts have shown wonderful growth and bear nuts
most abundantly. Each year, however, a tree or two is killed by the
blight and I suppose soon my orchard will meet the fate of all the other
chestnuts in the East. It seems as if someone ought to discover a remedy
for this destructive pest. Tomorrow I hope to see you all at my farm
where you can see what use one woman has made of her opportunities for
nut culture.

* * * * *

THE PRESIDENT: On behalf of the association I am certainly very grateful
to you for your paper which contains some very valuable information.

Las