Furthermore, first-generation hybrids of the Castanea crenata fmin Korea 

 and the American chestnuts in Mason, New Hampshire, called to our atten- 

 tion by Carl Valyou. have been crossed. Pollen from the American chestnut 

 in Mason, was mailed to Durham and later applied to an isolated Korean 

 chestnut grown at Rochester, New Hampshire. The tree used as female 

 parent was emascultated although it proved self-unfruitful. 



None of the seedlings resulting from these interspecific crosses have fruited 

 yet. but they are making some fine vigorous trees. Perhaps, in time, there 

 may be a blight-resistant forest-type tree result from such endeavors. It has 

 become apparent that varieties of the Oriental chestnuts found successful in 

 areas south of New Hampshire are poorly adapted in this state, and to 

 make progress towards adapted disease-resistant chestnuts, the breeding 

 and selection must be done in this area. 



Hazel-Filberts 



^s 



Several hundred seedlings have been grown from open-pollinated crosses 

 between American hazel and European filbert. There is great variability 

 among them in form, stature, and productivity, as well as size and shape of 

 nuts. Among them are many worthy of propagation. The difficulty with this 

 nut is that no cheap and easy method 

 of propagating has been discovered. -- 



Mound-layering works, but this is 

 slow and expensive. Another difficulty 

 lies in the fondness of gray squirrels 

 for the nuts. Unless drastic measures 

 are used, the crop will be removed 

 before it is fully ripe. Blue Jays are 

 another problem. They gather in 

 flocks when the nuts are ripening and 

 swallow them whole. H the birds and 

 animals can be controlled and a bet- 

 ter method for propagation discover- 

 ed, this could be a commercial crop 

 in New Hampshire. The flavor of 

 many of the selected nuts is better 

 than European Filberts. The hazel- 

 filberts stand more winter cold than 



A selected hazel-filbert hybrid, on the 

 left, compared to the Winkler which 

 is the largest of the cnltivated Ameri- 

 can hazels that we have grown. 



peaches, some of them resist spring 



frosts, and many of the seedlings tend to bear annually. Several of the best 

 selections are being mound-layered. 



English Walnuts 



There are English walnut trees bearing in a number of places in New 

 England. Extra hardy trees are also reported elsewhere. Seed from some of 

 these have been secured and trees are being grown. None of these have 

 fruited as yet. It seems reasonable to expect good varieties eventually which 

 will be at home in southern New Hampshire. 



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