uiting of chestnut seedlings; (4) season too short for ripening of
fruit; (5) squirrels get the nuts; (6) failure of hicans to set fruit;
(7) grafting problems under which are grouped all asexual propagation
and cuttings; and, finally, (8) getting hickory trees established.

This is a rather low number, but I think out of those eight problems
submitted you have a good representation of some of the things about
which members of this Association talk when they come to meetings. I
will first ask the audience if there is any one who would like to ask a
particular question at this time.

MR. BECKER: At the Weber planting at Rockport, Indiana last year, we saw
no nuts on the trees. I would like to know what is the cause for those
trees not bearing.

DR. MACDANIEL: I would think that failure to bear was caused by a
combination of things; lack of soil fertility, in the first place, soil
physical conditions, probably insect damage and diseases like
anthracnose keeping the trees from being vigorous, overcrowding now,
with many of them, and perhaps to some extent genetic, some varieties
that just naturally don't fruit very heavily.

DR. McKAY: Any others in the audience care to comment on that question?

MR. STOKE: Weather conditions, freezing may have caused it.

DR. MACDANIELS: My impression was that the trees were starving to death.
Cutting down the competition with the weeds and feeding them nitrate
would help.

DR. MCKAY: I think most members felt there that the trees were probably
crowding each other.

MR. BECKER: They had never borne, had they?

MR. WILKINSON: I don't like to comment on it. My opinion is it's due to
the undergrowth under the trees. Keeping the circulation of the air to
the roots of the trees has an effect on its non-bearing. Up until they
quit cultivating and pasturing the orchard, it bore, but after they
quit, production stopped. There is a two- or three-year growth of grass
and weeds, a mat on the ground, and I think it's a lack of air to the
roots of the trees.

DR. MCKAY: Mr. Wilkinson, I heard the question raised as to whether the
orchard had ever produced heavily or not. Can you answer that?

MR. WILKINSON: Yes, it certainly did for several years. As long as it
was cared for, it was a heavy producer.

DR. MCKAY: How long ago was that, could you say?

MR. WILKINSON: That's been eight years and farther back. Nothing has
been done for it in the past eight years.

MR. BEST: May I make a c