422 



The Journal of Heredity 



Like many hybrids, these walnuts 

 show a tendency to partial sterility, 

 and are valviablc for shade or timber 

 rather than for nuts. In a few cases 

 good nuts have been produced, but in 

 general they are characterized by very 

 light production, and the nuts are so 

 hard-shelled and inferior as to have 

 little commercial value. 



Another magnificent nut tree, in its 

 own species, is the jjecan of Louisiana 

 (Fig. 12), contributed by Mayo S. 

 Keator, of East St. Louis. It stands 

 near the east bank of a stream known as 

 Cane River, Natchitoches Parish, La., 

 and measures 19 feet 6 inches in cir- 

 cumference, with a spread of limbs of 

 about 100 feet. It is far above the 

 ordinary maximum of this species, and 

 is exceeded, so far as this association 

 has been able to learn, by only one 

 specimen in the United States — an 

 Okla'iioma tree, which is credibly said 

 to have a girth, breast high, of 23 feet. 

 Some of these huge nut-bearing trees are 

 decidedly valuable possessions: R. H. 

 Kersey, of San Antonio, Texas, sends in 

 the account of a pecan more than 5 feet 

 in diameter, owned by Felix Heerman 

 on the Medina River 13 miles from 

 San Antonio, which produces as much 

 as 2,000 pounds of nuts in a single 

 season, and rarely fails to yield a good 

 crop. 



TALLEST TREE REPORTED 



The magnificent yellow or tulip 

 poplar of the Southern States (Lirioden- 

 dron liilipifera) , is, by reason of its halnt 

 of growth, so suitable for lumbering 

 that it is difficult to save fine s])eimcns. 

 It is interesting, therefore, to know that 

 the best one reported to this association 

 (Fig. 14} is on private property where 

 it is likely to be protected. This tree, 

 contributed by John R. Hess, of Provi- 

 dence, R. I., stands in a "cove" near 

 the bank of Recms Creek, not far from 

 Craggy Mountain and about 17 miles 

 from Asheville, N. C. It is stated to 

 be 198 feet high and at 4 feet above 

 ground has a circumference of 34 feet 

 6 inches. By the ncighl^ors it is said 

 to be the largest tree cast of the Rock\' 

 Mountains, according to \\y. liess. 



i-Op. cit., Vol. II, p. ?,(i. 



It may well be the largest tulip poplar, 

 but cannot compete with .some of the 

 sycamores. 



The soil where it stands is very rich, 

 leaf mould being constantly washed 

 down from the hillsides on its roots, as 

 into a pocket, and this continuous 

 fertilization may be partly responsible 

 for the magnificent growth of the tree. 

 It would be a matter of great difficulty, 

 although of much interest and import- 

 ance, to determine the relative share of 

 heredity and environment in producing 

 huge trees such as this contest has 

 brought out. A long series of experi- 

 ments might tell the story, and it 

 would be well worth while for some one 

 to get seeds from the best trees enumer- 

 ated in this article, and grow them 

 under a variety of conditions. Until 

 this has been done, one can only proceed 

 on the assumption, based on general 

 considerations and experiments with 

 smaller plants, that heredity is the 

 ftuidamental factor but that proper 

 environment is necessary to give hered- 

 ity a chance to express itself. 



Although the Michaux admired the 

 tulip poplar, they seem to have seen no 

 very fine specimens. Andre remarks* 

 that his father found the best ones in 

 Kentucky. 



"He observed many of them in 

 i:)assing which appeared to be 15 or 16 

 feet in circumference and 33/2 rniles 

 from Louisville, he measured one which, 

 at 5 feet from the ground, was 22 feet 

 6 inches in circumference, and whose 

 elevation he judged to be from 120 to 

 140 feet : the correctness of this estimate 

 I have since had the opportunity of 

 l^roving. Of all the trees of North 

 America, with deciduous leaves, the 

 Tulip Tree, next to the Buttonwood, 

 attains the am])lcst dimensions; while 

 the perfect straightness and uniform 

 diameter of its trunk for upwards of 

 40 feet, the more regular dis])osition of 

 its branches, and the greater richness of 

 its foliage, give it a decided su]X'riority 

 cn^er the buttonwood, and entitle it to 

 be considered as one of the most mag- 

 nificent vegetables of the temperate 

 zone." 



Elwes and Henrv mention some larger 



