56 



tion. Briefly, Professor Close found that the native black walnut, but- 

 ternut, hickory, chestnut, beech, hazel and chinquapin grew well in all 

 parts of the state. In southern Maryland, and especially on the East- 

 ern Shore, many old trees of pecans and Persian walnuts were reported 

 as growing well and fruiting heavily. Nut trees were also rejDorted 

 as doing well in otlier jjarts of the state except in the higher and colder 

 mountainous counties of western Maryland. 



In order to determine the range of country' where different varieties 

 of Persian walnuts and pecans were grown, to increase interest and to 

 aid in the growth of the nut industry of this state, the experiment sta- 

 tion distributed Ti Persian walnut trees in 16 localities in the spring 

 of 1907. The following year about 300 Persian walnuts and 170 

 pecans were distributed in 56 localities among 77 persons, and in 1909 

 approximately 1000 pecans were distributed in 218 sections of the state 

 among -1<59 persons. In addition to the above distribution, 12 nut tree 

 orchards were started in several different parts of tlie state in the vear 

 1908. 



A report of these tests was published 10 years later in 1918 by 

 Professor E. S. Johnston as bulletin No. 218 of the Maryland Experi- 

 ment Station. The conclusions drawn were quite similar to those of 

 Professor Close. It was found that native nuts grew well. Pecans and 

 Persian walnuts seemed to do best in southern Maryland and on the 

 Eastern Shore, especially in Somerset, Queen Anne's, Worcester, and 

 Wicomico counties. 



A row of Persian walnuts containing 12 varieties was planted on the 

 experiment station grounds in 1908, and a row of pecans containing 16 

 varieties was planted in 1915. Very few nuts have ever been obtained, 

 from any of these trees. In fact it became necessary to remove most 

 of the Persian walnut trees because of certain campus improvements 

 before the}' were old enough to bear. 



Indications are that such varieties as Hall, Rush, Nebo, and the 

 Wiltz strain of Mayette will be more suitable for our conditions than 

 the varieties most commonly grown in the southern states and Cali- 

 fornia. 



]\Iany of the pecans have grown well, but considerable winter kill- 

 ing of the slioots has been experienced and very few nuts liave been 



