55 



THE RELATION OF THE EXPERIMENT STATION TO NUT 



GROWING IN MARYLAND 



By Dr. E. C. Auchter, Horticulturist, 



Maryland Agricultural Experiment Station 



It is indeed an lionor to be asked to address this 18th annual meet- 

 ing of the Northern Nut Growers' Association. The importance of 

 the nut industry in this country is being realized more and more each 

 year. Any food product containing such high percentages of protein, 

 fats and starch, and having a yearly value of several millions of dol- 

 lars is bound to receive attention. 



Naturally there has not been as much experimental work in nut cul- 

 ture in Maryland as in sucli states as Georgia, California, Louisiana, 

 Texas, and other states where nuts are grown on a large commercial 

 scale. The large fruit and vegetable interests in this state have resulted 

 in our spending considerable tim.e on these industries. The fruit grow- 

 ers especially have had several lean years, and we at the station have 

 attempted to help them in increasing the annual yields per tree and per 

 acre, and in combating insects and diseases, so that the cost of produc- 

 tion could be decreased and the net returns increased. The fact that 

 these people have called for our help more often and more persistently, 

 no doubt explains in part why we have spent considerable time in assist- 

 ing them to solve their problems. 



However the ^Maryland station has always been interested in nut 

 culture. As far back as 1900, the station staff co-operated with Mr. 

 J. W. Kerr, of Denton, Maryland, in nut experiments. Mr. Kerr's col- 

 lection of shellbark and shagbark hickories, filberts, Japanese walnuts, 

 and other nuts were no doubt known to many of the members of this 

 association. 



In 1907 Professor C. P. Close, the horticulturist of the Maryland 

 station, made a survey of nut growing in Maryland. The results of this 

 survey, and general recommendations concerning grafting, budding, nut 

 soils, fertilization, soil management, and suitable varieties, were pub- 

 lished in 1906 as bulletin No. 125 of the Maryland Experiment Sta- 



