74 
bearing. Among fifty or more trees that 
have borne nuts, there are about twenty 
varieties that show superior qualities. 
Marked improvement in size and quality 
of nut and productiveness of tree have been 
secured, and the trees of that experiment 
which show no gain in any respect, will be 
removed to prevent injury by pollination to 
the others. 
Finally, I should like to urge the planting 
of shellbarks. It is the best nut we have. 
It is delicious in flavor, and can be used in 
almost as many ways as all the rest of our 
nuts put together. The cook can use it in 
place of walnuts,almonds, pecans and filberts. 
The children like it best of all, and for them 
the gathering of the nuts will mean a whole- 
some way to earn pocket-money. There 
are so many stray corners of the farm where 
a few shellbark trees can be planted that 
there is no excuse to be without them. 
Plant shellbarks — plant them now. 
Hickory Nut Grafting 
C, O. Drake, New Jersey 
MY’ EXPERIENCE in grafting hickory 
nut trees has been anything but 
satisfactory. I obtained cions both from 
Mr. Hales, the owner of the famous Hales 
Paper Shell hickory nut tree, and also from 
some mature trees on my own place. These 
I grafted in March of this year, trying 
whip, cleft, and root grafts, and using as the 
parent stock pig-nut saplings that had sprung 
up on my farm. I have failed to make a 
single graft take. In every case the graft 
simply remained dormant, only to be 
eventually crowded out and smothered by 
the growth of the trees upon which they were 
grafted. 
Dr. Robert T. Morris has had remarkable 
success in grafting hickory nuts on his farm 
in Connecticut. He now has about roo acres 
set out in nut trees, and by the time his 
grafted trees are transplanted i in November 
he will have a 200-acre nut orchard under 
way. Dr. Morris advocates grafting on 
pecan stock instead of on hickory nut stock. 
I planted some hickory nuts this spring 
for grafting stock, first soaking them in 
cold water for three or four days before 
planting and then in lukewarm water for 
three or four hours. They have failed to 
come up, however. Dr. Morris advises 
against growing hickory nut trees from seed 
and says it takes from seventeen to twenty- 
five years for a seedling shellbark to come 
into bearing and that by grafting on 
pecans we may have bearing grafts in from 
two to ten years. Most of the grafted 
pecans, he says, begin to bear in the 
fourth to sixth year. Dr. Morris advises 
against transplanting hickories for graft- 
ing stock on account of their enormous 
tap roots. 
In my experiments with grafted hickories 
I used grafting wax and in order to keep the 
cions from drying out, tied them up in paper 
bags. This, however, did not accomplish 
its purpose, and on July rst when I opened 
the bags I found most of them fairly ready 
to burst with a growth of leaves that had 
THE GARDEN MAGAZINE 
Grafting on the hickory is not easy. The cions must 
be kept warm and moist. 
select the best 
Better raise seedlings and 
taken place inside of the bag, but none of 
this growth was from the cions. I am still 
hopeful that some of the cions remaining 
dormant this year may start into growth next 
year, but the chances are decidedly against 
ie 
I have been very successful in grafting 
apple and peartrees and therefore approached 
the task of grafting hickory trees with per- 
haps a little more confidence than was 
justified in the light of subsequent events. 
My opinion is that unless one makes a special 
study of the conditions, it will not pay an 
amateur gardener to attempt the culture of 
hickory nuts by grafting. Better buy 
grafted stock from some reliable nursery 
where they know more about it than 
you do. 
Little Jobs Worth Doing 
| Bere perennials any time from now 
till the middle of October. Transplant 
peonies this month so as to relieve work in 
October. Make arrangements for tile drain- 
age of wet or cold lands. It will make them 
warmer and earlier. Sow all late seed on 
ridges not in furrows. Lift up rhubarb and 
asparagus for forcing and put them in a con- 
venient place where they may be brought in 
as wanted. Dig the potatoes, and don’t let 
them lie in the sun; if the tubers are damp 
when taken indoors, scatter a little lime over 
them. Cultivate around growing crops but 
not in the orchard. Gather up the wind fall 
apples for cider and vinegar. Cut over and 
burn the tops of the asparagus beds. In 
making bulb beds remember this: have the 
surface rounded to give drainage as wellas to 
display the centre mass. Buy at once before 
end of August fall blooming crocuses — more 
about the different kinds and how to use 
them was published in THE GARDEN Maca- 
ZINE for September, 1907, page 74. 
SEPTEMBER, 1908 
Early Fall in Southern Gardens 
@ Peoere the routine gardening work 
will keep you very busy during 
September the vegetable and flower garden 
cannot be neglected if it is to supply the 
family with fresh vegetables and flowers 
during every month in the year. Only a 
few hours devoted to it each week are really 
necessary however. Do not allow the weeds 
and grass to grow under any circumstances 
for they will afford protection to the insects 
during the winter. 
During the early part of the month sow 
the seed of early sweet peas in trenches 
which have been made six inches deep, 
covering the seed with one inch of soil. 
Flowers will be had from these plants 
both before and during the Christmas 
season. 
Candytuft, pansy, sweet alyssum, petunia, 
verbena, and China pink seed may be sown 
any time during the month. They will 
come into flower in the late fall and will 
continue to blossom for a very long time if, 
when the cold weather comes, the plants are 
given a light covering of straw to prokect 
them from the frost. 
If you forgot to order any peonies last 
month, do not wait until planting time — 
after the middle of the month— but 
order them immediately. Plant in a rich 
loam that does not dry out very rapidly 
and where the plants can be _ con- 
veniently watered during the very hot, dry 
weather. 
In order to be sure of getting the best 
bulbs make your selection now and send 
your order to the seedsman. Purchase 
only the highest priced bulbs; cheap, small 
bulbs are like cheap seeds and will not 
usually give good results. 
Give the collards two or three. liberal 
dressings of nitrate of soda during the 
month to induce a larger and more tender 
leaf growth. Sow seed of lettuce and kale 
for use in late fall. 
Early in the month sow seed of early 
bush beans. Stringless Green Pod and 
Brittle Wax are the best sorts for this late 
sowing; they will be ready for use the last 
of next month. 
Before the 15th sow turnip, beet, radish, 
carrot, parsnip, and salsify seed in drills 
made from twelve to twenty-four inches 
apart. Give constant cultivation. During 
the latter half of the month these same 
vegetables may be sown broadcast. Culti- 
vation will not then be necessary, as the 
season is so far advanced that weeds and 
grass will not grow very rapidly. 
Seed of early cabbage and cauliflower 
can be sown now for early spring or late 
winter use. 
Sow grass seed now for pasture and hay, 
and rye and crimson clover for late fall,_ 
winter, and early spring cattle pasture. 
Dwarf Essex rape may also be sown now 
for fall and winter hog pasture. 
The cowpea vines will make good hay 
if harvested now before many of the leaves 
have dropped. 
Georgia. THomas J. STEED. 
=, roe “ele 
