PROCEEDINGS OF THE SUMMER MEETING. 73 



and other uncertainties and we have left' the somewhat startling fact that 

 the nut importations of the state equal in value 200,000 bushels of wheat 

 at present prices — the product of 10,000 acres of good land. 



It is not to be presumed that all, or even the greater part of this con- 

 sumption, will be supplied in the near future from within the state. 

 Many of the imported nuts are of a tropical or semi-tropical character and 

 are therefore not to be considersd in this connection. Of the leading nuts 

 consumed the almond is hardly worth a trial unless possibly in the mildest 

 sections of the fruit belt. Its early blooming habit is its chief defect. 



But the hardier, late blooming varieties of Persian walnut, and the 

 precocious, large-fruited chestnuts of both the Japanese and European 

 types are worthy of the attention of experimenters who have land and 

 climate suited to their requirements. The European filberts and cobnuts 

 should also be tried, especially in localities where the native hazels thrive. 



Possibilities. — As a beginning in the line of husbanding our resources, 

 a careful search should be made for trees of the shagbark hickory, yielding 

 nuts with thin shells, that crack so as to yield their kernels in unbroken 

 halves. Such trees should be protected and cared for and their product 

 kept apart from inferior nuts in harvesting. A market for these nuts can 

 be readily found at good prices when any considerable quantity is avail- 

 able for purchase. They are sought by confectioners who use them in 

 candying and cake-making, and their preparation for these uses has 

 developed into an industry of considerable magnitude in some parts of the 

 east. In portions of Connecticut and Pennsylvania, where native shag- 

 bark trees have been preserved and cared for on farms, they now afford 

 considerable revenue to their owners. The shagbark is of slow growth 

 and in the north is a very difficult tree to transplant or propagate by 

 grafting. It is therefore not so well suited for planting as some others. 



As an erect and handsome ornamental tree I am confident that the 

 pecan will be found a success in the mild climate of the fruit belt. Trees 

 not more than one year old, or fresh nuts secured in the fall, may be 

 planted in the rich, moderately moist soil. Whether trees or nuts are 

 planted, they should be from localities as far north as good stock can be 

 secured. They should by all means come from north of Cairo, Illinois. 

 The fruitfulness of this species in our climate, as well as the desirability 

 of its product in the north, is a matter of doubt. It makes a magnificent 

 tree much further north than it bears profitable crops of nuts. 



Of the walnuts worth planting, the Persian is the only one that can now 

 be recommended for its fruit. The varieties best suited to Michigan are, 

 without doubt, those that like the college boy in the song, " Go to bed 

 early and get up late." The worst fault of most of them is that they start 

 growth too early in spring and fail to properly ripen their wood in the 

 fall. This early blooming habit is a strongly marked characteristic of the 

 so-called " English " walnut, the discovery of which has cost California 

 growers years of time and thousands of dollars in crop failures. Such 

 recently introduced varieties as Preeparturiens, Mayette, Franquette, and 

 Chaberte, all of French origin, have proved to be late bloomers and early 

 and abundant bearers. They are worthy of trial by those who have rich, 

 well-drained soil, in situations not exposed to the full sweep of cold winds. 

 They can be propagated with some certainty from seed but better by means 

 of grafted trees which can be had at some of the large nurseries. Trees 

 of this species should be given plenty of room. They should not be 

 10 



