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GARDENING. 



Feb. 15, 



much root room in the benches, or an 

 over rich soil. It is best to bench the 

 plants alter they have been a little stunted 

 in pots, at least that has been my experi- 

 ence. Sowing the seeds in pans or boxes, 

 the seedlings are first potted off" in 2-inch 

 and potted on as necessary to keep them 

 growing in the 4-inch and 6-inch sizes. 

 In the latter they are allowed to remain 

 until the fruits begin to set, and then the 

 plants are transferred to benches of just 

 sufficient depth to take the ball of roots 

 and soil. If planted in solid beds, the soil 

 should be rather poor in character, but 

 in all cases I prefer the shallow benches. 

 Apply water with care, for in dull winter 

 weather it is frequently difficult to get the 

 soil dried out again. 



The only effort made in the direction of 

 artificial pollinization consists of giving 

 the plants, individually, a sharp knock 

 occasionally at mid-day when the pollen 

 is dry in bright weather. Water may be 

 given more freely when the fruits are set 

 in sufficient quantity, and feeding in solid 

 or liquid form will then be advantageous. 

 To those who find it difficult to set a crop 

 of fruit I would say start the plants early 

 so as to have some fruit set before the 

 darkest days come on. Another plan 

 which I have found to work well, though 

 applicable to a private garden rather 

 than a commercial establishment, is to 

 move the plants from 6-inch pots to the 

 8-inch size and plunge them in beds, giv- 

 ing the roots full freedom as to spreading 

 through the surrounding soil. There is 

 little difficulty about getting plenty of 

 fruits in this way, but sometimes they 

 come rather small. I have found Early 

 Ruby and Lorillard to be the best varie- 

 ties for greenhouse work. 



James Scott. 



NUTS AND NUT CULTURE. 



At a recent meeting of the Massachu- 

 setts Horticultural Society, Mr. Frank 

 M. Bartram spoke on this subject as fol- 

 lows: 



In 1897 the United States imported 

 more than $2,200,000 worth of nuts, and 

 when we consider that most of this was 

 for kinds that may be easily raised within 

 our own borders, it does not speak well 

 for our boasted enterprise. It seems 

 incongruous to say so much of opening 

 up and fostering markets abroad for the 

 agricultural productsof the United States 

 when we ignore the expenditure of our 

 own people going to foreign purses. It 

 is the varieties of nuts that enter most 

 largely into United States commerce and 

 consumption that we will consider here — 

 those whose culture has already become 

 a reality in some parts of the country. 



The industry is comparatively young; 

 it is scarcely thirty years since nut culture 

 assumed commercial importance. The 

 almond and Persian walnut in California, 

 and the pecan in the South, are in the 

 advance of the movement. Much interest 

 is taken in chestnuts throughout the 

 Atlantic States. 



The claims of desirability of nut culture 

 are numerous. Trucking requires ground 

 of great fertility and suitable for high 

 culture; nut trees are not fastidious, and 

 hillsides are often their home. Truck 

 must be planted annually, while a nut 

 orchard might almost sing with Tenny- 

 son, "Men may come and men may go, 

 but I go on forever." Nuts are not per- 

 ishable; they may be stored and marketed 

 at one's pleasure or need. They are a 

 concentrated product, lessening the pro- 

 portion of freight charges. Not requiring 

 constant and detailed attention, they 

 will appeal to the large planter, while on 

 the other hand, these virtues will suggest 



nut culture as a side issue, for on many 

 farms land is found, nowunremunerative, 

 admirably suited to nut trees, especially 

 hillsides, and here the forester's attention 

 will be arrested. 



We are aware of the benefits of forests, 

 principally in moderating extremes of 

 flood or drought, and many kinds of nut 

 trees are adapted to forest planting, and 

 their timber is highly esteemed, for exam- 

 ple, oak, beech, chestnut, hickory, walnut, 

 and even the hazel bush finds a place as a 

 pioneer in soils too barren for other trees, 

 and by rapidly adding organic matter in 

 the abundant crop of leaves, prepares the 

 way for the more valuable timber trees. 



The ornamental value of certain nut 

 trees is so far beyond question that 

 thoughtlessness and custom alone must 

 be held responsible for depriving us of so 

 much possible enjoyment of beautiful 

 trees. The area about many suburban 

 homes is limited; why not plant a chest- 

 nut or a hickory, instead of choice trees 

 which bear only leaves, and get a tree of 

 good appearance, whose fruit will be a 

 source of continual pleasure to young 

 and old. 



Foremost in acreage, value and ease of 

 bud propagation, among American- 

 grown nuts, is the almond, and American- 

 grown almonds are foremost in theworld 

 as regards flavor. California is the main 

 field of production. 



Next to the almond stands the Persian 

 walnut; its place of origin is Persia, but 

 it received the name in England, and in 

 America we call it the English walnut, 

 though the appropriate appellation Per- 

 sian walnut is becoming more common. 

 The rich, moist valleys of Southern Cal- 

 ifornia, with steady supply of water, 

 have claimed a monopoly of this crop. 

 The selection of varieties whose buds 

 start late in the spring is increasing the 

 area for profitable planting of this wal- 

 nut. The trees begin profitable bearing 

 at the age of nine or ten years, and no 

 one knows how long they continue to do 

 so. There are several distinct strains 

 grown, some of which are of French ori- 

 gin. The Chili walnut comes from South 

 America, and has three divisions to the 

 shell instead of the usual two of European 

 strains. Outside California the Persian 

 walnut is rare, except along the Atlantic 

 coast between New Jersey and Carolina. 

 It may be found as far north as Massa- 

 chusetts, where its stateliness, beauty, 

 freedom from disease and insect pests, 

 1 eartily recommend it as an ornamental 

 tree, and its product will be much enjoyed 

 at home. Disappointment has often 

 resulted from a lack of pollen caused by a 

 lack of simultaneous blooming of pistil- 

 late and staminate flowers; a remedy for 

 this will be found in the planting together 

 of suitable varieties. 



The Pacific coast black walnut is very 

 precocious in Philadelphia, where an 

 eight foot tree bore fifty nuts, though no 

 other tree was near it. The American 

 black walnut has been much gathered in 

 the East for home cheer, and sold in con- 

 siderable quantities. The only reason for 

 prizing these nuts that I can see is cus- 

 tom. The sound trees furnish timber of 

 great value. 



The white walnut, or butternut, thrives 

 in drier and poorer soil than the black 

 walnut, and further north the kernels find 

 a place in confectionery, but are hard to 

 separate from the shell, and the wood is 

 not nearly as valuable for timber pur- 

 poses as is the black. 



Three Eastern Asiatic walnuts, called 

 Juglans Sieboldiana J. cordiformis, and 

 /. Manchurica resemble the butternut. J. 

 cordiformis, from lapan, is by tar the 



most valuable of the three. The nut is 

 pointed, heart-shaped, smooth and flat, 

 and a single tap separates the shell into 

 halves The kernels are of good quality 

 and already prized bv confectioners. The 

 trees bear very young and are perfectly 

 hardy. 



The pecan is cultivated along the Mis- 

 sissippi and its tributaries, as far as Iowa 

 and Ohio. Here, in the alluvial bottom 

 lands, are the headquarters of pecan cul- 

 ture of the world, which seem destined to 

 maintain this prestige. Florida and Cal- 

 ifornia also tell of successful cultivation 

 of the pecan. Closely allied to the pecan 

 botanically is the hickory nut or shell- 

 bark. The trees are desirable for lawn 

 and roadside planting, the nuts are sala- 

 ble, and the timber is valuable. 



From a commercial standpoint the 

 chestnut, for this vicinity, seems to me by 

 far the most promising of nuts. We know 

 the tree thrives and bears here, which are 

 important factors already established. 

 The markit takes all the American chest- 

 nuts, and many thousand pounds besides 

 which are imported from Italy and 

 France. They are mostly sold along the 

 streets, much as peanuts are. Consider 

 the vast increase possible in this line, and 

 the far greater demand when they become 

 as frequently used for deserts and relishes 

 as their merits deserve. Mark the fre- 

 quency with which the chestnut appears 

 in newer cookbooks for stuffings, dress- 

 ings, etc., and remember that chestnuts, 

 are even now found with vegetables upon 

 that class of American tables that soon 

 have innumerable imitators; and prepare 

 for this demand, which is small, indeed, 

 compared with the possible and probable 

 consumption when chestnuts are dried, 

 ground into flour, and become the staple 

 article of diet that they have so long been 

 in Southern Europe. Not only chemistry, 

 but the experience of generations, has 

 demonstrated the fitness of chestnut meal 

 for human food. 



Chestnut trees do best on high, well- 

 drained land with open sub-soil; such 

 hillsides as abound in New England. 

 Stony land is no objection; chestnuts do 

 not bruise in falling as plums would. 

 Once established, a chestnut orchard con- 

 tinues in profit for decades or even cen- 

 turies. No protection and very little 

 pruning are required. No large fertilizer 

 bills encroach upon profits; t 1 eir roots go 

 deep into the ground and get fertility far 

 below the reach of annual crops. An 

 established chestnut orchard will yield as 

 many bushels per acre as corn, and with 

 little more than the exp nse ol gathering. 

 Chestnuts brought $14 per bushel at the 

 first of last season for the best sorts. 

 These fell as the season advanced to $12 

 and $10, and to $7 and $8 for poorer 

 sorts. If farmers should get such prices 

 for corn thev would raise nothing else, 

 one would think 



Chestnuts do not require constant 

 attention and the gathering can be done 

 by cheap labor. They are not perishable 

 and can be stored or sent great distances 

 to get a good market price. Chestnuts 

 do not need expensive packing boxes 



There are three distinct strains of chest- 

 nuts, the American, European and Japan. 

 The American nuts are small, usually 

 fuzzy, and of the best quality. The Kuro- 

 pean trees have given us a strain of very 

 popular chestnuts, including Paragon, 

 Ridgely, Scott and a host of other good 

 kinds. In Japan there are three kinds; 

 the largest an 1 best is being planted here; 

 the choicest seedlings are named and are 

 propagated by grafting. The trees bear 

 when very young and are good producers 

 of nuts of the largest size, although not 



