timation. We have some nice grafts of the
Homeland bearing their third crop, which we like very much, and they
appear disease free. The Elmer Myers, Michigan, and other varieties are
now badly affected with brooming disease.

Several years ago I reported on my observations on the brooming disease.
Now, I wish to report a little more upon the subject, especially in
regard to how certain varieties have withstood its ravages. I hesitate
to make any estimation as to how prevalent the disease is in the wild
black walnut today, for it could be quite a controversial subject, with
some claiming I was very wrong. Anyway, many of our native walnuts are
now affected. Outward appearances are often very deceiving; but, when
one cuts the top off a seedling and attempts to graft it, he may be
amazed at the broomy growth that soon appears from the stock, should his
graft fail to take. Trees that appear healthy, but have made slow or
poor growth are often affected. Short, twiggy, upright growth that soon
becomes dead or partly so, and arises from the main framework of an
apparently healthy tree, is one of the signs that disease is there.

I have claimed there are two, or possibly, three forms of brooming
disease, and I am still as convinced as ever. The so-called
"witches-broom," as commonly seen in the Japanese walnut, is the form
most people seem to think of. The second form is the rapid-growing type,
that lops, or arches downward, is gray or green in color of wood, is
very brittle and easily broken in the wind, ripping off good sized
limbs, and winter-injures badly. An investigation, will, however, show
much dead wood comes before severe weather. This form has some broomy,
upright growth, like the first, but it is never bunched. The other, or
possibly, the third form, is the latent type that doesn't seem to do
much harm, merely causing poorly filled nuts. The latent form is
difficult to note, and can be detected only by the many short, dead, or
partly dead, upright twigs scattered along the main framework of older
trees. Cutting off part of the top will cause the typical growth to
arise, thus identifying itself.

Early observation showed that certain walnut varieties were almost
unaffected, or could even be immune, to the brooming disease. Different
limbs of a large tree were topworked to the Thomas and the Allen
varieties of black walnut. The Allen "took" the disease at once, while
the Thomas grew thriftily and has always produced