118 



Anotlier man sent hulls only, to let us know what big walnuts he has. 



A large proportion of senders said that the nuts were not as large 

 as usual on account of the weather being too dry, or too wet or the 

 trees being over-loaded. This shows the same human attribute that 

 makes our hostess aifirm that she "didn't have good luck with her 

 biscuits this time." 



Many reported their trees as annual bears, some as alternating light 

 and heavy crops, some as bearing only every other year. 



The number of those who sent nuts all, or most, of which were 

 either hopelessly spoiled or entirely false was surprisingly large. 

 Some of these were explained by the kernels spoiling or completely 

 shrinking after being sent. One specimen set aside for consideration 

 was shrunken to worthlessness on later examination. 



A few correspondents showed an intelligent interest in nut culture, 

 but most of them were simply after a prize. 



Several senders mentioned the fondness of hogs for the walnuts. 



The names of some of the towns arrested the attention. Names 

 like Birdseye, Weeping Water, Spirit Lake, Broken Bow, Flowery 

 Branch, Pizarro, Echeconnee, Red Bird, Sleepy Eye,, Mouth of Wilson 

 and Laurel Bloomery must have stories. 



But when it comes to names of people lo, Davis led all the rest, 

 and there were fourteen of them. 



Several persons sent specimens of nuts already being propagated, 

 such as Stabler and Thomas, but did not say anything about it. 



Six nuts, black walnuts and hickory nuts, that took prizes at the 

 Buck's County fair, were sent in but were not considered worthy of 

 consideration. 



When the packages of nuts were piling in and almost swamping 

 my limited quarters it seemed as if we must be getting a comprehensive 

 representation from all the trees in the United States. But when one 

 considers that I got only one nut from Connecticut, although there are 

 probably 200 trees in the City of Hartford alone, and thousands in 

 the state, and that it is a poor state for black walnuts, and if the same 

 proportion holds good for the black walnut states of the south and 

 west, one realizes what an inconsiderable representation of the millions 

 of trees of the country the contest brought out. 



