IS ACCLIMATIZATION AN IMPOSSIBILITY? rj 



The President — We cannot tell. Of course, it is Persia or Manchuria. 



Mr. Sicbrcclit — Something just came into my mind about English 

 walnuts. I know an English walnut tree that is, I believe, fourteen or 

 fifteen inches in diameter, the stem or trunk, and I believe a perfect tree, 

 and which bears anywhere from four to seven bushels a year, and that 

 stands right on the heights, not very far from Andrews' Monument, 

 Tarrytown, part of the old place that formed part of the estate of 

 Pocantico Hills, belonging to John D. Rockefeller. I guess it has been 

 sheltered since it was a little tree put out there, by some spruce trees and 

 pines planted to the northwest of it. No doubt they have sheltered it 

 somewhat, but that is a perfect tree, and where trees have been brought 

 from down south and from the other side that would not grow here, 

 walnuts taken from that tree as grown here, have proved hardy. That 

 sides in with what Professor Munson says, that you can make it hardier 

 and hardier. That tree stands there and it is the finest in this country, 

 I don't care where you go. There are some down in Freehold, New 

 Jersey. I planted some there twenty or thirty years ago, and they are 

 good, but not so good as this. There were some good ones around here, 

 but a ver}^ cold winter such as we had a few years ago, killed them out; 

 they start again however. 



The President — We do not know where the original rose-bush grew, 

 as it grew in the garden of Eden, but there are certain varieties, such as 

 the China rose, and others — but the difficulty with the rose is that we 

 have no pure rose to-day. They are all hybrids. There is the Bourbon 

 rose. The Bourbon rose is the most distinct and probably the purest- 

 blooded. It originated on the Island of Bourbon, and it is in conflict 

 with this supposed law. That is a very good illustration. There is the 

 pecan nut of America. The pecan nut is believed to be a native of 

 Texas and has strayed up along the Mississippi valley until it is found in 

 Missouri, and isn't Missouri' the most northern limit of the pecan? 



Dr. Evans — The Wabash Valley, Indiana. 



The President — I have never seen any pecan north of Missouri. 

 I was going to give that as an instance of it, but we do not know, of 

 course, that it has come up there from Texas. 



Mr. Munson — I have seen it growing in the valleys of Illinois. 



The President — I have got pecans growing here. I was going to 

 cite that as an instance, but if they have got them in Missouri, why 

 then, we don't know. Then beside, so many of them are hybrids. Let 

 me instance that, since Mr. Siebrecht spoke about the English walnut. 

 The "English" walnut that we know is the walnut that we get from 

 the Mediterranean. We do not get any from England. They are called 

 Grenoble nuts. We get our best nuts from South Africa, and the north- 

 ern shore of the Mediterranean. If it is hardy enough to live, it is not 

 hardy enough to fruit. It does not fruit properly under ordinary con- 

 ditions. Now, the black walnut belongs to the same family, one of the 

 hardiest trees. A few years ago I conceived the idea, now, why not 



