71 



you were meeting here in this hall, 1 gave you a paper on the nut 

 diseases of the northeastern part of the United States, and it would not 

 be desirable to go over that same ground again. At that time, we took 

 up the baeteriosis of the Persian Walnut, and filbert blight, and I out- 

 lined a program of proposed treatment for tlie filbert blight. It might 

 be interesting to note here that Dr. Morrris, and I believe also Mr. 

 Bean, put that treatment into practiee with suceess. The situation still 

 remains, however, that we do not know of diseased plantings of any 

 size. If we find a real plantation of filberts we will be glad to attempt 

 eontrol measures ourselves. I ha\ e planted about two dozen filberts 

 and they still remain free from the disease. There are very few local 

 hazel nuts, wild or cultivated, around Washington; but we understand 

 that the few hazel nuts are free from this disease. 



There are two or three things I wish to mention. One is the re- 

 peated inquiries reaching my office with regard to the non-filling of 

 nuts, mostly the cultivated nuts, sometimes the i^ecan, sometimes the 

 black walnut, and frequently the English walnut. The subject is a 

 complicated one and the disease is not one that we can put under the 

 microscoi^e and diagnose at once. The trouble is due to a complex of 

 varietal and environmental conditions, the effect of the conditions of 

 growth, of soil fertility, temperature, soil, water and humidity, sun- 

 shine, etc., on that plant. Very often it is because people get the wrong 

 variety and do not know what they have. They may have an unpro- 

 ductive seedling. 



On the other hand a good v.-iriety may fail to bear in a locality 

 where it is not suited. Very frequently the real lack is in soil fertility. 

 Of course the success of the pecan trees down South around pig pens 

 is an old joke to you gentlemen, but there is trutli in that. For good 

 nuts there is often need for a little extra manure or fertilizer, or 

 perhaps both. Sometimes there are rich pockets in the earth where 

 those trees would like to grow, or rich bottom lands which Avill produce 

 without manure. I think one of the best wav^s is to fertilize with 

 manure, if possible. Pollination troubles in connection with the non- 

 filling and droi)j)ing of the nuts should be thought of. 



Then there is aiu)tlier angle to be considered, and perhaps 1 can 

 ex})ress it most definitely to you by citing the example of the .June 

 drop of peaches. Whenever a tree, like the peach tree or the pecan or 

 the black walnut, sets its fruit in the sjiring, you will find that there 

 are cross-pollinated and self-pollinited fruits. These will begin to 



