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ESTABLISHING A NUT PLANTING IN THE NORTH 



By C. A. Reed, Associate Pomologist, U. S. Department of Agriculture 



The objects most commonly sought after in northern nut tree plant- 

 ing at the present time logically arrange themselves into five distinct 

 groups; 1st, ornamentation; 2nd, profit from nuts; 3rd, timber; ith, 

 conservation of a national resource; 5th, sources of food for wild life 

 and domestic animals. While these overlap to a certain extent, in the 

 main they are quite distinct, and before any planting is made the pros- 

 pective planter should decide definitely what he hopes to accomplish, 

 and then ijroceed accordingly. 



Planting for Ornamentation 

 While nut trees will probably not share the jDopularity in ornamental 

 planting now enjoyed by the American elm, the sugar and Norway 

 maples, and various oaks, particularly the red, pin and willow species, 

 especially at latitudes or altitudes where only the more hardy species 

 will do, certain of the nut bearers are among the very best ornamentals 

 for use in what might be called the Lower North, i. e., the region near 

 the Mason & Dixon Line. Many are hardy much farther north. For in- 

 stance, the black walnut, the beech, the Japanese and Persian walnuts 

 are frequently highly satisfactory for decorative planting well up in 

 Canada. Various hickories are among the most beautiful of all native 

 species from the lower Great Lakes region east to Boston. Even the 

 pecan, which is commonly rated as a southern species, is occasionally 

 used with highly satisfactory effect nearly as far north as other species 

 of hickory are indigenous. Fine specimens are known at South Haven 

 and East Lansing, Michigan, and at Hartford. Connecticut. It should 

 be borne in mind, however, that all these trees are frequently capable 

 of adapting themselves to both altitudes and latitudes considerably 

 greater than those at which they ordinarily mature crops of nuts, and, 

 conversely, that northern species are often successfully taken south- 

 ward by planting at increased altitudes. Magnificent specimens of nut 

 trees are too often seen in eff'ective use in northern landscapes for it 

 to be necessary to dwell at greater length on this phase of nut tree 

 planting. The point is, however, that nut trees do have their proper 

 places in the landscape, either as single specimens or in groups or 

 avenues, and that where they answer the requirements of ornamentation 



