208 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. [Pub. Doc. 



One in many of these seedling trees will be notably superior. 

 On this account the growing of seedlings from hybrid or 

 selected nuts must be practiced by those who have the oppor- 

 tunity, but the perpetuation of superior nuts, secured in this 

 way, or found in nature, cannot be accomplished by plant- 

 ing nuts, but only by a sexual propagation. Consequently, 

 the man who wants to grow good nuts, and only good imts, 

 must either plant budded and grafted trees or graft and 

 bud his own seedlings. 



Success in grafting and budding the walnuts and hickories 

 can be attained only by expert knowledge, hired or labo- 

 riously acquired. The other nuts are mostly fairly easy of 

 propagation by the usual methods. 



Government and other bulletins may be had that teach by 

 word and diagram the methods of propagation. But an 

 easier and surer way to learn is to practice under the eye 

 of an expert. 



Beginning with nut culture should not be delayed, how- 

 ever, until one has learned the art of propagation. ISTuts 

 should be planted, and budded or grafted trees, to be ob- 

 tained now from special nut nurserymen, should be set, 

 and the methods of propagation may be practiced and 

 learned while the nuts are growing to furnish stocks and the 

 costly trees to furnish scions. 



Top working native walnuts and hickories to improved 

 varieties is a promising, though hardly demonstrated, possi- 

 bility. 



It is the habit of the walnuts and hickories to send a tap- 

 root down until it reaches permanent water. A tree that, 

 from any cause, is prevented from doing this will not attain 

 its perfect development nor reach the allotted span of its 

 existence. To get the most perfect development of such a 

 tree Mr. J. C. Cooper suggests, as an illustration, that an 

 old well be filled with rubbish and good soil and the tree 

 planted over that. 



ISTurserymen's instructions for setting and after care 

 should be carefully followed. The first two or three years 

 are critical times with these taprooted trees, rudely torn 



