410 STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Nut Growing. 



The destruction of timber and the pasturing of timber land has 

 put an end to the old-time nutting excursions, as well as the winter 

 fireside pleasure of eating the nuts. Horticultural societies, which 

 are busying themselves with what seems to be weightier matters, ap- 

 pear to have overlooked this important branch of work. Why is it 

 not just as good a thing to have a good nut grove as an orchard or a 

 small fruit or vegetable garden ? We know nuts only in their wild 

 state without selection, planting or cultivation, but cultivation would 

 greatly improve them as it has other horticultural products. Walnuts,^ 

 butternuts, hickory nuts, chestnuts and hazelnuts all have a wide 

 adaptation, and can be grown over a large scope of territory. Hardi- 

 ness is assured, and in the wild state they grow and produce results 

 without cultivation, but good fruiting is not so assured, nor are results 

 80 quick or certain. There is no reason, where laud is plenty and 

 largely devoted to field crops, why an acre or two should not be given 

 up to the nut grove, or even several acres. If this subject were urged 

 upon those interested, planting and the general cultivation of nuts 

 would receive a decided impetus. The length of time required to 

 reach the bearing period is the objection which is, at first thought* 

 made to nut growing, but this, as in orcharding, is not so long if the 

 work of planting and culture be properly done, and the cultivation con- 

 tinued until the trees have a sufficient hold on the soil to take care of 

 themselves. The ground needs deep fall plowing and thorough culti- 

 vation, and will bear heavy enriching with manure. The nuts should 

 be selected carefully from fresh gathered seed and mixed with ten 

 times their measure of sand, which should be made slightly moist. Put 

 the whole in a box and set away in a cool cellar. They should be 

 placed in shallow trays not more than four inches deep, and should b© 

 kept cool and moist until hard freezing takes place, and they should 

 then be taken out and made thoroughly wet and bedded in the ground 

 the depth of the box. Moist trash should then be thrown over the 

 box to keep it. from drying out, and when frozen solid it should be 

 covered with litter and kept frozen until spring. Then when the pits 

 open of their own accord and the sprouts begin to start, plant them 

 in holes in the grove plat. This needs marking out both ways four 

 feet apart and then drop several nuts in a hill, tamping them slightly. 

 Large nuts should be planted two or three inches and smaller ones 

 half as deep. In the summer go over the plat and remove all but the 



