Summer Meeting. 81 



extensive culture for commercial purposes, especially so because 

 it can be profitably grown on soil that will produce little else. I 

 have heard of experiments in growing the English or European 

 filbert, etc. but have no information as to results. Probably some 

 members can give information regarding its success or failure in 

 Missouri soil and climate. 



I herewith close my remarks on "nuts," hoping that by this 

 humble effort many of our younger horticulturists may be induced 

 to turn their attention to the subject, and by their efforts bring 

 about such improvements in the merits and value for commercial 

 as well as home use as by diligent and persistent experiments, 

 aided by intelligent observation, may be attained. As encourage- 

 ment let us look back only a short time and note what progress has 

 been made in improving our native grape, the "fox grape," which 

 was transformed into that queen of American grapes, the Concord, 

 and the long list of descendants. Truly, if success inspires to 

 effort here we have inspiration, now let effort follow. 



There is another object to be attained in "nut" culture, how- 

 ever, by no means inferior to the subject so far considered in this 

 paper, which is the value of the timber furnished by our native 

 nut bearing trees, and which in less than a century will probably 

 far over-balance the crop of nuts. To speak to this intelligent 

 body of men of the value commercially of the black walnut timber 

 would be presumptuous; all of us know how eagerly it is sought 

 after at this time and what vast amount of it is annually used in 

 manufacturing industries. And where are the future groves to 

 supply the ever increasing demand? I venture the assertion that 

 a grove planted this fall will be worth a fabulous amount before 

 the close of this century. Thousands of those trees may be grown 

 on land unfit for cultivation and used as pasture while the trees 

 grow apace ; a gulch between hills where the flow of rain enriches 

 the soil will cause a walnut to flourish. But why speak of this to 

 you? I will say: Observe where walnut or other timber thrives, 

 there plant. The hickory tree is also rapidly advancing in timber 

 value. It is the best by far for axe-helves and many other tool 

 handles, but the greatest consumption is for buggy and carriage 

 spokes, felloes, poles, shafts, etc., etc. Manufacturers of these 

 articles in their convention rather discuss where to obtain the tim- 

 ber than where to dispose of the products for which the demand is 

 rapidly increasing in foreign countries, as well as in our own, on 

 account of their superiority. Pecan timber is also well adapted 



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