ce is that the mechanical cracker
outclasses the hammer. The walls of the nut shatter outwards and save
the kernel, whereas with a hammer you mash the nut. I can't see the
value of the contest in 1929 when the scion wood for those nuts can't be
secured until 1931. There is too much delay. I think if we would
establish a permanent award for a better nut of any variety that is sent
in we will make better progress. One nut that I know was put in the
contest last year. The tree was cut down before they could even write
for the scion wood.

MEMBER: I got a shipment of chestnuts at one time. I took a
ten-gallon milk can and put two inches of sawdust in it. I originally
had 50 pounds of nuts but sold some of them. I had 8 or 10 pounds left.
I sealed them up tight, put the lid on, and a year from the next April I
opened the can. The ones on the bottom had started to grow, they had
tops of 4 or 5 inches long and they had a network of roots. But on top
of those the nuts were in perfect condition. I shipped some of them to
Washington. I planted some of them. Perhaps 9 out of 10 were in perfect
condition and they grew.

DR. SMITH: I would like to suggest another method of keeping
chestnuts. Pack them in sphagnum moss, put them in cold storage and
freeze them solid.

MR. HERSHEY: Mr. Bixby digs a trench, plants the nuts in it,
covers them with leaves and then with an inch or two of soil.

THE PRESIDENT: One of the officers of the Bureau of Plant
Industry, traveling in Asia, took some seeds and dipped them in paraffin
wax. I know it is an excellent method of keeping dahlia roots.

We have another item on our program, "New Members' Experience and
Questions." Possibly we have some new members here who have had
experiences and would like to tell us of them.

MEMBER: My first experience was with Mr. Snyder at Ames. I saw
on the program a nut lecture, so I went. For the past two years I have
been attending the short course and heard Mr. Snyder lecture. A year ago
this spring I got some scions from Mr. Snyder. Four scions out of 7
grew. It was the first time I had ever done any grafting at all. I used
paraffin for grafting.

THE PRESIDENT: You got very good results indeed. This year I
made a miserable failure. I believe I only got about 12% to grow. I hope
you always have the same good luck.

DR. SMITH: If he wants to keep his record he better not do any
more grafting.

DR. ZIMMERMAN: Pretty near everybody this year reports a