NOTES FROM OUR SECRETARIES. 



293 



try this season. I think fully one third of 

 the orchards are now beinj^ cultivated. En- 

 closed you will find a list of officers and 

 members of the Teeswater Branch." 



The Walnut Grove planted at Walkerton 

 by Mr. Shaw was visited by Mr. T. H. Race 

 of Mitchel and the writer, on the occasion of 

 a recent meetingf of the Walkerton Horti- 

 cultural Society. The grove is now about 

 twenty years planted ; trees are beautiful in 

 form, the trunks are straight and clear of 

 limbs about twenty feet high ; and at the 

 base they would measure from 8 to 10 inches 

 in diameter. Mr. Race was interested to 

 know the object in planting such a large 

 grove of walnut trees. "Was it for the 

 lumber," he said "which twenty five or 

 thirty years ago was worth $75 a thousand ; 

 or for nuts which would surely sell at a good 

 price in the large cities, or was it purely for 

 ornament ? " 



Mr. Sherrington on who also accompanied 

 us thought that little had been done with 

 them for any purpose. The double row had 

 robbed the ground of its fertility for a width 

 of at least thirty feet from the fence, and the 

 ill effects were noticeable upon the apple 

 trees nearest. them. 



To settle the questions satifactorily we 

 appealed to Mr. Shaw himself for some 

 definite information. 



'■'■How long have these trees been planted" ? 

 we inquired. 



"The two rows of walnut trees" said 

 Mr. Shaw " running north and south along 

 a part of the west side of my grounds grew 

 from nuts planted there in the autumn of 

 1882, the same time that the apple orchard 

 growing east of them was planted. You 

 would observe a row of maple trees had also 

 been planted west of these two rows, but 

 most of the maples were killed by cater- 

 pillars two years since. These caterpillars 



did not eat the leaves of the walnut 

 trees." 



"These trees were planted thus 



so that each tree east and west was not opp- 

 osite each other. There are in the two 

 rows of walnut trees 250 trees, besides you 

 might notice many others in the grounds. 

 The nuts were planted 12 feet apart, 3 or 4 

 together but only one was left to grow, the 

 others were removed when 2 years old and 

 replanted." 



" What object had you in planting this 

 grove" ? 



"My object in planting these three rows of 

 trees one maple and two walnut, was to form 

 a wind break to protect the orchard from the 

 southwest and west in this country. You 

 would likely observe that towards the south, 

 where these rows reach higher and drier 

 ground, they were about y'l smaller in dia- 

 meter than where they grew on low moist 

 land. 



" What use do you maks of the nuts." 



" Nuts have grown on these trees for 

 several years but not in great abundance, no 

 doubt my having the lower limbs removed 

 so as to increase the height of the trees 

 prevented this. Several bushels grew on 

 them last year, some of which I planted and 

 gave the rest to my neighbors to plant, and 

 one gentleman has planted two or three 

 bushels of them. I have made no effort to 

 ascertain the value of the wood of these trees 

 as they now stand. I think these walnut 

 trees are as rapid growers as our hard 

 maples and make as good shade trees, and 

 they are proof against caterpillars." 



Georgetown. — A Horticultural Society, 

 with very bright prospects of usefulness, 

 was formed in Georgetown on the 2nd of 

 May, and a good membership secured. The 

 first public meeting will be held this fall. 



