FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84  
85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   >>   >|  
llected into a solid block the yield per acre would have been nearly 2,500 pounds. Crowding of the trees in the Brown tract is becoming serious at 11 years of age with a 25 x 25 foot spacing. Alternate-year bearing is becoming apparent and the stand of trees must be thinned immediately. Because of such potential yields and because rather extended storage of nuts of varied keeping quality is now economically possible the future of the chestnut industry in the Southeast is very promising. The selection and propagation of selected seedlings is desirable as a means of advancing the industry at a more rapid rate. The propagation of selected seedlings offers a problem because of lack of compatibility between some stocks and scions. Since the chestnut is almost completely cross-pollinated it may be necessary to develop special plantings of two or three selections as a source of seed nuts for the production of stocks. Such plantings might possibly produce seedlings of quite uniform and desirable characteristics, but this prospect, is not very promising. Certainly, the evidence points to the conclusion that scion selections must be worked on stocks of the same strains if incompatibility is to be held at a minimum. There is a further problem in the propagation of varieties on seedling rootstocks in the nursery. Only one propagator appears to be having much success in this art but others must learn it. Topworking of older trees by the inlay bark graft is generally successful and older seedling orchards can be worked over to improved selections without difficulty so long as the stocks are of compatible strains. Time will be required to work out the details of the solution for this problem but they will be worked out. In the selection of improved seedlings for propagation the strictest attention should be paid to the important characteristics of tree vigor, precocity, productiveness, nut size, attractiveness, and keeping and eating quality, and type of bur opening. These characteristics have been previously discussed but it is well to emphasise their importance. The tree that comes into bearing at an early age seems likely to be more productive in later years. The nuts should be no smaller than 45 nuts to the pound and be attractive to the eye of the buyer. Most individuals prefer nuts with a bright and shining surface free of fuzz and with a fairly rich mahogany or chocolate color. Keeping quality is, of course, of great impo
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   60   61   62   63   64   65   66   67   68   69   70   71   72   73   74   75   76   77   78   79   80   81   82   83   84  
85   86   87   88   89   90   91   92   93   94   95   96   97   98   99   100   101   102   103   104   105   106   107   108   109   >>   >|  



Top keywords:

seedlings

 

propagation

 

stocks

 
characteristics
 
problem
 

quality

 
worked
 

selections

 

selection

 

selected


promising
 

desirable

 

keeping

 

chestnut

 

industry

 
improved
 

seedling

 

strains

 

plantings

 
bearing

required

 
details
 

solution

 

strictest

 

pounds

 

precocity

 

productiveness

 
important
 

attention

 

Crowding


Topworking

 

generally

 

successful

 

difficulty

 

orchards

 

compatible

 

prefer

 

bright

 

shining

 

surface


individuals

 

attractive

 

Keeping

 

chocolate

 

fairly

 

mahogany

 
previously
 

discussed

 

emphasise

 

opening