130 NUT GROWING 



twenty-pound sizes are preferable. The male flowers 

 having been plucked from the branch the open bag 

 is carried over the end of the branch and tied so 

 securely that the wind will not open it. I found a 

 wren's nest with two eggs in one of my bags. Pollen 

 would have required less of an opening. 



One intermediate step is extremely important. At 

 the time when we do our hybridizing of nut trees 

 the troops of warblers are on their way northward, 

 searching every opening leaf and bud and destroying 

 insects which are hatching. When bags are placed 

 over the ends of branches insects will very frequently 

 increase to such an extent under protection of the 

 bag as to entirely destroy all of the leaves or even 

 the flowers of the branch. No more startling object 

 lesson of the value of birds in relation to our forest 

 trees can be obtained. In order to avoid this mishap 

 in question it is important to dust the flowers and 

 the tender young leaves with Persian insect powder 

 before adjusting the bag. 



The bag is allowed to remain in place until all of 

 the male flowers of that tree have shed their pollen. 

 The bag is then removed, preferably at a time when 

 no wind is blowing and there is little chance of pollen 

 from a distance being borne to the flowers in the 

 few seconds required for hybridizing. Pollen of the 

 species which we wish to add is then placed on the 

 female flowers. Pollen grains are round and not 

 easily handled with a brush. They roll out of it 

 like so many shot. I find the best implement to be 

 a rye straw cut in form to make a little shovel. The 



