1946, the farmers who had planted the
trees were polled by mail for an overall evaluation of the plantings.
Questionnaires asking for information on survival, growth, and bearing
were sent by the state extension foresters to 3,274 farmers. The return
of questionnaires was excellent. Forty-two percent came back and
three-fourths of them were filled out completely.

=Survival and Mortality Causes.= Eighty-one percent of the 1,373 plantings
reported on were still active in 1946; that is, they still had at least
one living tree. Survival reports received on 3,831 trees planted showed
that 2,439 or 64 percent of the trees were living in 1946. Survival was
best in the portion of the Valley north and east of Chattanooga; 84
percent in Virginia, 71 percent in North Carolina, and 66 percent in
eastern Tennessee. South and west of Chattanooga survival percent was
lower: 62 in Georgia, 61 in western Tennessee, 54 in Kentucky, 45 in
Alabama, and 26 in Mississippi (Table 1).

Causes of mortality, as reported, were classified in five categories;
losses prior to establishment, livestock and destruction, drought,
insects and disease, and unknown (Table 1). Cause of mortality was
listed as unknown for 42 percent of all trees reported dead. Field
experience leads us to believe that most of the trees in this category
probably succumbed to improper planting or complete neglect following
planting. Many persons do not follow planting instructions; they often
substitute their own methods with disastrous results.

Among the reported known causes, drought killed most of the trees--29
percent. We know black walnut is very susceptible to dry weather after
transplanting. Weather records for the area show that the early growing
season of 1941 was exceptionally dry; 1942 was also drier that average;
in 1943 and 1944 near drought and drought conditions prevailed
throughout most of the Tennessee Valley. Weather is usually blamed when
a tree dies without apparent cause, but in this case the reported
mortality due to drought appears reasonable.

Livestock, mowing, fire, and intentional removal were reported to have
caused 13 percent of total mortality. Cows are curious animals and newly
set trees seem to arouse all the curiosity in their make-up. Horses and
cows apparently do not relish the foliage of walnut trees but they do
bite at it, and in so doing usually break down the branches to such an
extent that the tree dies. Some trees were accidentall