CHAPTER XXH. 

 SOME LEADING NUT TREES. 



281. Advance of Nut-growing. In Europe and Asia 

 nut culture is nearly as ancient as the cultivation of the 

 edible fruits, and by selection and culture the native 

 varieties, usually much inferior to our native species, have 

 been improved in size and quality to such extent that many 

 of them are grown commercially and shipped to every 

 civilized part of the world. In China and Japan, also, 

 nut improvement has been going on for centuries by selec- 

 tion and propagation of the best varieties, and indeed it 

 may be said that the recent introduction of the Japan 

 chestnuts has given an impetus to American nut-growing 

 in the States east of the lakes and in the South. With 

 the exception of commercial almond- and walnut-growing 

 in California, it may be said that in the States we have not 

 had. until recently, a nut plantation in the States, except 

 in the way of retaining forest-grown trees of chestnut, 

 hickory, walnut, and other species in land-clearing. 



Attention has recently been drawn to select varieties of 

 our native nuts, and amateurs and the experiment stations 

 have recently begun the important work of propagating 

 and planting the largest and best varieties. Present indi- 

 cations favor the belief that during the next decade nut 

 culture will be extended in a way that will materially lessen 

 the importation of nuts into this country. 



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