ON THE HICKORY NUT 



English walnut and the Japanese walnut. If 

 hybridization could be effected, it may be expected 

 that trees of rapid growth, similar to my hybrid 

 walnuts, will be produced. Not unlikely some 

 varieties that tend to produce nuts at a very early 

 age, like my hybrid chestnuts, may also appear as 

 the result of such combinations. And in any event 

 it may confidently be expected that new varieties 

 will give opportunity for wide selection, and for 

 relatively rapid improvement in the qualities of 

 the nuts themselves. 



We have learned that the pre-eminent qualities 

 of our various cultivated fruits have largely been 

 given them by hybridization. 



The contrast between the tiny beech plum, for 

 example, and its gigantic descendant a few gen- 

 erations removed, offers an object lesson in the 

 possibilities of fruit development by hybridizing 

 and selection. And, for that matter, each and 

 every one of our improved varieties of orchard 

 fruits teaches the same lesson, even though the 

 wild progenitor is not at hand for comparison. 



So there is every reason to expect that the wild 

 pecan will similarly respond to the efforts of the 

 plant developer, and that its descendants, a few 

 generations removed, will take on qualities that 

 even the most sanguine experimenter of to-day* 

 would scarcely dare to predict. 



[143] 



