THE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY OF NEW YORK 



lands of New York, New England and Pennsylvania may be made 

 to raise nut crops of greater value than any crops which have 

 previously been carried upon these hillsides when they were at 

 their best. 



There seems to be a prevalent opinion that nut trees require a 

 long time for coming into profitable bearing. This is an old- 

 fashioned idea not expressed by well-informed people to-day. In 

 olden times before we possessed grafted and cultivated kinds of 

 nut trees, the Hickory or Walnut or Chestnut tree was obliged to 

 enter into competition with other plants in the wild. It had to 

 struggle for sunshine, food, and moisture. When thus left to care 

 for itself a good many years of time were required before the tree 

 came into bearing. 



Now-a-days grafted trees given the advantages of cultivation 

 sometimes begin to bear in the following year after they are set 

 out, or top-worked. The question of profitable bearing, however, 

 is another matter. Profitable bearing of cultivated nut trees may 

 be placed in parallel with profitable bearing of cultivated apple 

 trees. The Yellow Transparent Apple, for example, may begin 

 to bear in the year after it is set out, while the Northern Spy may 

 require twelve years before beginning to bear. The Yellow Trans- 

 parent Apple tree may liegin to bear profitably four years after it 

 is set out and the Northern Spy Apple may begin to bear profit- 

 ably twelve years after it is set out. Precisely the same thing may 

 be said of cultivated nut trees. Some varieties of the Persian 

 Walnut are very capricious in their demands for the right kind 

 of soil and climate. Other kinds, less aristocratic put up with 

 many adverse conditions. Among the Black Walnuts we now 

 have half a dozen varieties cultivated because of exceptional qual- 

 ities. Nut growers are actively looking for more new kinds of 

 Black Walnuts with thin shell, good cleavage, and high quality, 

 regardless of size. The number of Shagbark and Shellbark Hick- 

 ories and their hybrids which are now being grown already make 

 a rather formidable list in the nurseryman's catalogue. The Chest- 

 nut group includes a very large range of kinds. We have the 

 large, coarse kinds which are used for cooking purposes and on 

 the other end of the fine delicious little Chinquapins. There are 

 now many hybrids between the different kinds, selected because of 



