ecimens. Your co-operation in this work is greatly
appreciated and I hope we may continue to work together and that before
long we may have more definite knowledge of the means of preventing, to
some extent at least, the various forms of injury by insects to the nut
crop.

* * * * *

MR. RUSH: I cannot help but express a word of gratitude and appreciation
to my friend Mr. Brooks in helping me out of a serious difficulty that I
had in connection with walnut culture at Lancaster. A year ago I was
ready to throw up the sponge. In fact I might say that my whole crop
last year was destroyed by this husk-maggot. This year I have a very
fine crop. Last year it was practically worthless. This year I have very
few walnuts that were affected by the maggots, largely owing to the
successful spraying that he gave the trees at the proper time. I think
the future has a bright prospect for making walnut culture more
profitable.

THE PRESIDENT: We are certainly under obligations for the very
interesting talk and glad that Mr. Brooks could be with us.

The first thing on the program for the afternoon session, according to
the published program, I know will be of a most interesting character,
Top-Working Hickories, by Robert T. Morris.

TOP WORKING HICKORIES

ROBERT T. MORRIS, NEW YORK

At the present time when our views on the subject of top working trees
are based upon incomplete knowledge and experience perhaps it is unwise
to present a paper upon the subject which might be taken as
authoritative. On the other hand my experience to date is worth
recording for its face value, subject to change of view subsequently.

Different species of hickory act differently when subjected to top
working methods. The bitternut may be cut back severely without giving
evidence of any great degree of shock. The shagbark on the contrary
makes slow recovery and many years are required for a cut-back shagbark
hickory to regain normal equilibrium between top and root. The pignut
and mockernut apparently stand midway between the bitternut and the
shagbark in respect to the trimming of the top. My experience with
shagbark includes the top working of trees ranging from a few inches in
diameter up to fifteen or twenty inches in diameter, and the cutting
back has included all stages from actual felling of the tree to cutting
off half of the top or less than half of the top. The idea of felling
trees completely was