78 NUT GROWING 



shagbark scions the shagbark representing the 

 other parent of the Beaver. This sort of experience 

 throws open the entire subject in such a large way 

 as to show what possibilities of success and failure 

 lie before us in experimental work. The same method 

 of grafting was employed for these two trees which 

 were neighbors and both trees were top-worked on 

 the same day. 



Hybrid nut trees apparently lend themselves to 

 grafting much more readily than do species or va- 

 rieties of species. This probably means that nature 

 wishes to maintain the identity of a species or variety 

 and resents to some extent our combinations made 

 by grafting. When a tree, however, has lost its 

 identity through becoming a hybrid, family pride is 

 lost. The tree then maintains little race prejudice or 

 class prejudice. Hybrid hickories generally catch 

 readily upon the stock of the species or variety of 

 either parent, and also upon other species in many 

 cases. This opens up a great new field for observa- 

 tion in selection of best grafting stocks. Some hybrid 

 trees make remarkable growth but with little tend- 

 ency toward bearing. These barren trees, however, 

 seem particularly receptive of grafts from trees 

 which bear in a prolific way. We may therefore 

 combine advantages of strong rapid growth with 

 those of fruitfulness. 



As a rule grafts are accepted best by stocks of 

 closely allied varieties. After that by closely allied 

 species, but not so freely by genera. Occasionally 

 we have done successful grafting between genera, 



