otstock studies at Beltsville, Maryland, by
stating that pecans were best on pecan seedlings and that shagbarks were
successful on either shagbark or pecan rootstocks. He reported a lack of
congeniality between shagbark and bitternut hickory. Smith(21), however,
found that pecan stocks were unsuccessful for shagbarks as few scions
lived and growth of those which survived was poor. He also reported that
bitternut was practically as good as shagbark for shagbark varieties.
He stated that pignut was absolutely useless as a stock for shagbark.
Weschcke(24) reported that shagbark varieties grew well on bitternut but
also indicated that a slow growing variety would be stimulated in growth
by working on pecan stocks which are more vigorous in growth than the
other hickories. Dunstan(8) reported that pecan provides a perfectly
satisfactory rootstock for shagbark, shagbark hybrid, and hican
varieties. A number of varieties have been tested over a period of
several years with favorable results as shown by lasting unions and
better than average yields.

The Fairbanks hybrid has often been used as an intermediate stock
between bitternut and some shagbark varieties and Last(10) has stated
that the variety Rockville is useful for interstock purposes on account
of its exceptional vigor.

Nursery Problems

Hickories and pecans have long tap-roots with few branches and hence do
not transplant well. Some few have grown the seedlings for one year in
beds underlain with wire screen netting or have undercut the seedlings
to promote branching of the roots. The stocks must grow two years from
seed to attain a diameter permitting of patch budding and must remain
one or two years more to allow the scion to form a tree. The resulting
plant is large in both root and stem and requires careful handling in
digging, shipping, and planting in the permanent location. The
vicissitudes which befall the production of the northern hickories are
often so great as to discourage nurserymen who otherwise would grow
them. This is an unfortunate fact but a real one, as the would-be
purchaser often learns when he attempts to buy named varieties of
hickories. The situation with the pecan is much better, due perhaps to
the greater demand for such trees but also to the greater ease of
propagation in general nursery practice.

Conclusions

Good varieties of hickories bear good nuts and more people should plant
good trees which should be produced by nurserie