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spring. They all require verj^ little fertilizer and are a beautiful sight 

 when literally loaded with fruit. They make the best possible hedges 

 for dividing town lots^ instead of non-prod ueing bushes. 



I have Japanese walnuts, immense trees; but I like our good old- 

 fashioned butternut far better. One occupies the post of honor in 

 front of my home. In olden times this kind of tree furnislied for 

 the early settlers, pliysic, dye, cabinet wood, dessert fruit, sweetening 

 and fuel. I find it responds well to good treatment, the better ferti- 

 lized, the larger the nut and the better the flavor. 



After seeing the almond on the plains of Palestine and Spain, and 

 the English walnut on the hills of Italy and Southern France, I wanted 

 to try them. I have set out a few of the hard shell variety of the 

 former and many dozens of the latter. I have had the one blooming 

 and the other setting its fruit. If I live long enough I will make both 

 a success, or die in the attempt. 



I have set out many pecans; most died the first winter or so, or 

 remained tiny, jjuny plants. One that I procured from this state is the 

 only one to amount to anything. It has grown like the green bay tree, 

 much over thirty feet in height and nearly a foot in diameter. It is 

 the only one in the state. It blossoms, but has not borne as yet. Even 

 so, it is worth the interest on a one-thousand dollar U. S. bond, for 

 something unusual to show my friends and ^■isitors, of which the latter 

 I have legions, and furnish clean conversational material when the 

 weather, politics, etc., give out. I have hybrids of this tree, with its 

 hickory brother, which I think will be a success in fruiting for me. 



The hickory is indigenous in Vermont, hardy, and bearing good 

 nuts. Strange as it may seem, the improved varieties present the 

 hardest problem with me, as they grow slowly and are prone to die. 

 I ha\'e none in fruiting yet. The Laney and Fairbanks succeed the 

 best so far, and I anticij^ate their early fruiting. 



I find two great requirements in starting all kinds of nut trees ; 

 first, shade them well the first year, and second, keep fertilizers dur- 

 ing that period entirely from them, except perhaps a little leaf mould. 

 I have had no disease to trouble them except the chestnut blight and 

 that I am keeping down and expect soon to have entirely obliterated, 

 as I am outside of the regular chestnut region. My Chinquapins are 

 entirely untouched by it. 



