EXPERIMENT STATION BULLETINS. 475 



old. The trees begin bearing nuts when about 12 years old. For forest 

 plantations a spacing of 6 by 6 feet is best. Where nuts are desired a 

 much wider spacing, not less than 20 by 20 feet, is necessary. 



A number of chestnut plantations have been established in Michigan. 

 One plantation that is now 37 years old in Van Buren county has been 

 bearing nuts for many years. The average tree is 14 inches in diameter 

 and 65 feet tall and some years the plantation has yielded 15 bushels of 

 nuts to the acre. Another plantation in Berrien county is now 45 years 

 old and covers 4 acres. The trees were planted with a spacing of 28 by 

 32 feet. The average tree is 20 inches in diameter and 65 feet tall. The 

 yield in nuts varies from almost nothing up to 9 bushels per acre. A 

 plantation in Van Buren county which is 12 years old is now bearing. 

 The price of the nuts on the market is comparatively high owing to the 

 fact that the trees in the East have been largely destroyed by the chestnut 

 blight disease which has resulted in a great reduction of the supply of 

 these nuts. Trees for planting should be obtained from within the State 

 or from western states and not from the East owing to danger of intro- 

 ducing this disease. 



BLACK WALNUT 



Black walnut is one of the best hardwoods to plant in the southern 

 part of the State on fairly moist, fertile soil. It grows quite rapidly, the 

 wood is very valuable and was in much demand during the war for gun 

 stocks and airplane propellers. Owing to this demand a great deal of 

 black walnut was cut and its replacement is desirable. The heartwood 

 is durable in contact with the soil and makes good fence posts. In ad- 

 dition to its timber value the nuts are edible. There is a great difference 

 in the nuts, some are small, some thick-shelled, and some are compara- 

 tively thin-shelled. By selection trees can be produced that will bear 

 nuts with comparatively thin shells and of good quality. The black 

 walnut develops a strong taproot early in life making it difficult to . 

 transplant large trees. The seed may be planted where the trees are 

 desired, but squirrels are very likely to dig them out. It is best to plant 

 the nuts in the garden in the fall, and the shucks may be left on. The 

 small trees should be transplanted to their permanent locations when 

 one year old. For forest plantations a spacing of 8 by 8 feet is good, 

 interplanting with Norway spruce or red oak so as to force the black 

 walnut to grow straight, as otherwise it will develop many low branches. 

 For nut production a wider spacing should be used. 



The Persian walnut is not hardy in Michigan unless grafted upon hardy 

 stock. There are a few Persian walnuts that have been so grafted 

 upon black walnuts which are doing well, but the tendency is for the 

 scions to die back leaving the black walnut to grow, 



RATE OF GROWTH 



In considering the growth of forest plantations the 'amount of timber 

 that is produced per acre is a better indication of the profitableness of 

 planting any species or mixture of species than is the rate of growth of 

 individual trees. A plantation of European larch, which is a fast grow- 

 ing tree, will not produce so much timber to the acre as will a plantation 



