THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



Standing ready for the coming of the advanced agriculturist. The 

 waters of the earth will furnish limitless supplies of fish when the 

 fish breeder and protector are given power and freedom of action. 

 This afternoon we are to concern ourselves chiefly with examina- 

 tion of some of the features of nut culture. 



Incidentally we may remark that the raising of nut crops has 

 important relation to the shortage of labor question. Large in- 

 comes may be obtained from nut crops with a small amount of 

 physical labor as compared with that required for tilling, cultiva- 

 tion and annual seeding of the soil. For the most part nuts will 

 be derived from trees and shrubs, although annual crops of peanuts 

 will be raised more and more upon boll weevil cotton lands. The 

 water chestnut may be added to other income producers from wet 

 lands which are now being unwisely drained by promoters. For 

 the southern regions the pecan tree has already become a most 

 important revenue producer and it promises to remain in that 

 category. On the Pacific slope Persian walnuts, almonds and 

 hazels are already earning millions of dollars for the orchardists 

 annually. In the East the chestnut crop had obtained such pro- 

 portions that incomes of several thousand dollars per year were 

 obtained from many Pennsylvania orchards until the blight ap- 

 peared. Blight-resistant varieties, however, are now being intro- 

 duced and chestnut growing will again become an important 

 industry. 



The Shagbark and Shellbark Hickories with their various hy- 

 brids are to become popular with eastern nut growers and some of 

 the exotic Hazels and cultivated Black Walnuts will be given dig- 

 nified attention within the next decade. All through the great 

 prairie region abandoned wheat and corn lands may be made to 

 raise orchards of nut trees of various kinds, grafted Black Wal- 

 nuts of superior varieties taking the lead perhaps at the outset. 



When we speak of using abandoned wheat and corn lands for 

 this purpose, it is not to be assumed that nut trees are not happier 

 and still more contented in the midst of plenty. They all appre- 

 ciate good feeding and all will purr when petted. On the other 

 hand they will stand conditions of neglect better than such condi- 

 tions would be tolerated by annual plants or by most of the culti- 

 vated fruit trees. Abandoned hillside sheep pastures and rocky 



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