474 



RECREATION. 



commonly regarded as too strong for in- 

 ternal use. In this connection - it is inter- 

 esting to note that the leaves of a closely- 

 related species have recently been manu- 

 factured into an extract for the cure of 

 catarrh of the throat and stomach. The 

 Little Lake Indians boil the leaves till the 

 extract is yellowish red and then use it as 

 a cleansing wash for the body and head ; 

 in the latter case to stop some kinds of 

 headache. The leaves are also used by 

 them, and by many white people of the 

 country, to check diarrhoea. An analysis 

 of the dry leaves, made by W. H. Rees, of 

 the University of California, shows that 

 they contain about 8 per cent, of tannin. 



"The old Concow women chew the 

 leaves into a thick cud and place the mass 

 on sores for the healing effect. The 

 younger people grind up the leaves with 

 water before applying. This pulp is also 

 used for sore backs on horses. 



"Bees gather large quantities of honey 

 from the flowers from January to March, 

 and children are fond of sucking or eating 

 the globular, waxy flowers." 



NUT GROWING. 



Almost everyone who owns a farm, or 

 even a city lot, plants fruit trees and greatly 

 enjoys cultivating and watching them 

 grow; but few people plant nut bearing 

 trees. Some who have planted them have 

 been disappointed, as some nut trees, like 

 chestnuts, are difficult to grow in certain 

 soils. Other people have been disap- 

 pointed because of nuts failing to germi- 

 nate when carefully planted in suitable 

 soil. Nuts permitted to dry, even for a 

 few days, are not at all likely to grow. 

 All nuts and acorns intended for planting 

 should be stratified in earth or sand as 

 soon as out of their hulls, and never per- 

 mitted to become dry. At one time I 

 bought nuts from the largest dealer in 

 tree seeds in America, and after planting 

 with great care I failed to get a single nut 

 to germinate. Again I got nuts of the 

 same variety direct from the hulls, cared 

 for them up to planting time and suc- 

 ceeded in germinating over 90 per cent of 

 all planted. If nuts at time of hulling 

 are mixed with sand or ordinary garden 

 soil, neither too wet nor too drv, and placed 

 in a cool cellar, or buried in a well drained 

 spot in open ground until planting time, 

 few will fail. 



Ten years ago I planted a pecan nut 

 sent me by a friend in Missouri. The 

 tree, now about 30 feet high, is shapely 

 and greatly admired by all who see it. 

 It bore sparingly in 1900, but quite freely 

 the last year; and the quality of the nuts 

 is of the highest, there being no trace of 

 the not unusual, but unpleasant, pig nut 



flavor. The tree withstood a tempera- 

 ture of 3 8° below zero without injury to 

 a single twig. Because of the quality of 

 the nuts and beauty and rarity of the 

 tree I prize it highly. 



Japan walnut trees are desirable for 

 planting, being hardy, of rapid growth 

 and bearing nuts early in life. 



Some interesting results have been ob- 

 tained by hybridizing the different wal- 

 nuts; and without doubt timber and nut 

 trees of great value will be obtained 

 as progeny of these, and from further 

 hybridizing. A large and enticing field 

 is here open to anyone who will carefully 

 cultivate it. Mr. Burbank, the greatest 

 hybridizer of the age, if not of any age, 

 has created some remarkable trees in 

 hybrid walnuts. Of one of these .which 

 he named Paradox, he writes: "Paradox 

 surpasses all others in rapidity of growth 

 and size of foliage. Trees 6 years of age 

 are fully twice as large, broad and tall, 

 as black walnuts at 10, or Persian walnuts 

 at 20 years of age. Ten to 12 feet growth 

 a year is not unusual. The leaves, 

 often 2 feet to a full yard in length, are 

 clean cut, glossy, bright green, and have 

 a surpassingly sweet odor, resembling that 

 of fragrant apples, and as powerful and 

 peculiar as that of roses or lilies. The 

 bark is thin, smooth, light gray, with 

 markings of white. The v/ood is com- 

 pact, with lustrous, silky grain, taking a 

 beautiful polish; and as the annual layers 

 of growth are often an inch or more in 

 thickness, and the medulary rays promi- 

 nent, the effect is unique." 



This may seem like fulsome praise, but 

 it is well known among horticulturists 

 that Mr. Burbank under rather than over 

 states the value of his productions. How 

 can any tree lover resist the temptation 

 to plant such trees? 



Another of his hybrids he named Royal, 

 and worthy it is of its name- It is as hardy 

 as the black walnut, while the quality of 

 the nuts is superior and they are of the 

 largest size. Meats are large, part readily 

 from the shell, and have none of the strong, 

 disagreeable flavor of the black walnut. 

 While the Paradox is a shy bearer, the 

 Royal bears abundantly at an early 

 age. Royals on my own grounds Iiave 

 made a growth of 46 inches within 6 

 months of planting the nut, and are erect, 

 shapely trees, with little or no pruning. 

 If you wish a nut tree that will excite the 

 admiration of every tree lover, plant a 

 Royal. 



The Persian, or so-called English, walnut 

 is worthy the attention of nut growers of 

 the North as well as the South, for nuts 

 and trees are now to be had that are hardy 

 in Northern Ohio and New York. 



E. P. Robinson, Sidney, Ohio. 



