NATIONAL COUNCIL OF HORTICULTURE 43 



2nd. The production at low cost and ultimate sale at high prices 

 of a considerable quantity of valuable chestnut, walnut, hickory or 

 other nut tree timber to be derived from the thinning out of the super- 

 fluous trees of the grove or orchard. 



In short, the general conception of nut culture among our people 

 is decidedly visionary and highly tinged with sentiment. Doubtless be- 

 cause of the fact that almost our entire domestic supply of tree grown 

 nuts has until very recently been derived from the forests, there is a 

 deeply imbedded conviction in the average American mind that nut 

 culture is a phase of forestry rather than of pomology ; that it is closer 

 kin to timber production than to fruit growing. With the species 

 known to the writer this view is entirely and essentially erroneous. 



The production of straight grained, sound and valuable timber 

 necessitates close planting with a view to forcing an erect and rela- 

 tively tall trunk. This in turn is accompanied by the rapid and con- 

 tinuously progressive smothering of the lower branches as the crown 

 of the tree reaches upward with the rising forest floor. The result 

 is a tall pole with a relatively small tuft of young branches such as 

 alone are capable of producing blossoms and nuts. The apparent 

 abundant yields of chestnuts, walnuts or pecans occasionally observed 

 in the crowded forest would not in fact be large yields at all if re- 

 duced to the basis of bushels or pounds per acre. 



The production of good crops of nuts of most species on the con- 

 trary necessitates the development and maintenance of a relatively 

 large head of strong growing young wood which can only be done 

 under such conditions as provide an abundance of air and sunshine. 

 All experienced nut growers agree to the above statements. I take 

 it though there is still much difference of opinion among them as to 

 the necessity of cultivation, fertilizing, pruning and in specific in- 

 stances, spraying to control injurious insects and diseases. Many 

 maintain that the leaf imbedded, unstirred soil of the forest constitutes 

 the ideal soil condition provided other factors be right. The writer 

 is strongly of the opinion, however, that where nut trees are planted 

 primarily for the crops they yield rather than as windbreaks or for 

 road side ornamentation or shade near dwellings, systematic cultiva- 

 tion including judicious use of suitable cover crops will be found 

 essential. The leaf mold mulch method of humus production is not 

 practicable under the sunlight and moisture dispelling conditions of 

 the orchard, so man must exercise a directing influence over the con- 

 ditions of plant growth if he desires more regular and abundant crops 

 than the species concerned ordinarily produces in its natural state. The 

 fact is that Nature's methods do not promote maximum productiveness 

 nor highest quality of product as judged from the standpoint of man's 

 needs. Heavy crops of nuts in the forests are at most invariably fol- 

 lowed by very short crops or even total failure in many cases appar- 

 ently through inability of the unaided tree to set a normal crop of well 

 developed fruit buds while maturing a heavy yield of nuts. As with 

 our pomaceous and stone fruits we must steady the yields by furnish- 

 ing or rendering available sufficient fertility and conversely in some 



