61 



ditions are ripe for it in the immediate future. The planting of any 

 great area of good farm land having a known productive value for 

 staple crops would be economically unsound at this time. There is no 

 justification for recommending it as a means of profit. 



On the other hand, times are changing. The great organizations of 

 nut growers on the Pacific slope are now selling walnuts and almonds in 

 one form or another during practic;!l]y the entire year. Plans are 

 under way in the South for establishing the pecan in the markets during 

 the 12-month period of the year. One of the northern species, the 

 black walnut, is just now making particularly rapid strides in the field 

 of popularity. The kernels from one of the favorite ingredients for 

 use in confections. They are highly palatable either raw or cooked. 

 They hold their flavor in cooking. Eaters of ice cream insist upon 

 having no substitutes for them. Prices to the farmer for black walnut 

 kernels range from something like 30 to 60 cents a pound. Last year, 

 1926, a peak year in production, prices went to a low ebb, but the 

 chances are that they will be high during the coming season, as tlie 1927 

 crop is generally very light. 



There are no established prices for nuts or kernels of the cultivated 

 varieties. In a few instances Thomas black walnut kernels have been 

 •md still are being sold locally for a dollar a pound, more or less. 

 What the range in future prices for the cultivated nuts will be is 

 wholly a matter of conjecture, but we may put it down as certain that 

 fancy prices can not long be expected for any one kind of nut when 

 good nuts of other kinds approximately as good can be had at lower 

 prices. In other words, comjietition must be expected with the best 

 pecans, Persian walnuts, almonds, filberts, chestnuts, Brazil nuts, 

 pistache nuts, pine nuts, peanuts and others more rare, such as cashew 

 nuts, Queensland nuts, pili nuts, sapucaya nuts and others. In this con- 

 nection it is interesting to note that nuts of good grades can usually 

 be had at wholesale in New York at approximately the following prices: 

 pecans at 15 to 35 cents; Persian walnuts at 10 to 30 cents; almonds, 

 15 to 35 cents; filberts, 15 to 20 cents; Brazel nuts at 10 or 15 cents, 

 and chestnuts at 8 to 15 cents. 



But while this is all true, and the growing of nuts in tlie North is 

 fraught witli economic uncertainty, the industry is definitely under way, 

 with indications that the present progressive pace will be contiiuied. 



