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The Garden Magazine, May, 1920 
ican, but a species (C. cathavensis) that has been discovered in 
eastern China refutes this. 
The Pecan probably exceeds all other species in size. In rich 
alluvial soils trees 175 feet tall bv 16 feet in girth of trunk are 
not uncommon, the only taller broadleaf trees in American for- 
ests being the Tulip Trees and the Scarlet Oaks. In the Arnold 
Arboretum there is one healthy young Pecan tree which is one 
of our proudest possessions for its hardiness is a surprise to us. 
In this connection it is necessary to emphasize the fact that the 
Pecan is a southern tree which cannot be expected to be hardy 
in the cold northern states. There is, to be sure, a wide region 
of the country where the Pecan can be successfully grown, but 
it does not include New England nor any of the cold northern 
or middle-west states. If intending nut growers will properly 
appreciate this fact it will save them money and disappointment. 
Pecan nuts with their red-brown shell and sweet -flavored kernel 
are too well-known to need description here. They are borne 
in clusters of from 3 to 12, and each is contained within a thin, 
brittle, dark brown, 4-angled husk which is coated with yellow 
hairs. When ripe this splits nearly to the base. 
N EXT in importance is the Shagbark Hickory (C. ovata) 
which has in the past been confused with the Hickory 
(C. alba) but is distinguished by its thin-shelled nut, its leaves 
of 5, rarely 7, leaflets, its scaly bark and other less obvious 
characters. It is a northern tree, being distributed from the 
neighborhood of Montreal and southern Minnesota southward 
to the Carolinas, central Mississippi, southern Arkansas, western 
Louisiana and eastern Texas — where it is rare. It does not 
grow wild in the New England states nor in western New York, 
though in Livingston County, western New York, a natural 
hybrid between it and the Kingnut (C. laciniosa) and named 
C. Dunbarii is apparently common. 
There are a number of varieties distinquished by their leaves 
or by the shape of the fruit, which, in the typical form, is short- 
oblong to sub-globose and depressed at the apex. Also there 
are a number of named garden forms of this Hickory specially 
valued for the size and quality of their nuts. Of much poten- 
tial value is C. Laneyi, a natural hybrid between C. cordiformis 
and C. ovata. It has a nut with the thin shell of the Bitternut 
and the large sweet kernel of the Shagbark Hickory, and as 
the shell is so thin, the kernel is even larger than those usually 
produced by the latter. The nut keeps remarkably well and 
C. Laneyi is undoubtedly one of the most valuable of all the 
Hickory-nuts that have been found. The type tree grows in 
Riverview Cemetery, Rochester, New York, and it is fitting 
that this interesting hybrid should be named for the capable 
superintendent of the park system of that city. 
A THIRD species of Carya is C. laciniosa — the Kingnut or 
Big Shell-bark. This is essentially a tree of the central 
States, being particularly abundant in the river swamps of 
central Missouri and the Ohio basin. It exceeds 100 feet in 
height by 10 feet in girth of trunk. The fruit is solitary or in 
pairs, about 2 inches long with a hard, woody shell; the nut is 
compressed, four- to six-ridged with a bony shell and a light 
brown, sweet kernel. From the viewpoint of their nuts these 
three are the most important of the fifteen species of Carya now 
recognized in this country. In several others the kernels are 
sweet flavored though the nuts are rather small. Seven natural 
hybrids have received names and there are probably others yet 
to be distinguished. In the hands of the hybridist other super- 
ior forms will assuredly arise. 
The Hickories and Pecans are easily raised from seeds, but 
the seedlings develop long thick tap-roots and in consequence 
are difficult to transplant. The best plan is to sow the nuts 
and leave the seedlings to develop in situ. The better varieties 
are increased by grafting and budding, and old trees can be 
headed back and top-worked in a satisfactory manner in the 
warmer states. In the North the propagation is more diffi- 
cult but yearly it is becoming better understood and in 
JAPANESE WALNUT 
It succeeds in the West, is hardier than the Euro- 
pean and will likely yield us the practical American 
Walnut by hybridization. Tree in Arnold Arboretum 
time will probably become as easy as that of the Apple and 
Peach. 
In the Arnold Arboretum we have found the Bitternut (C. 
cordiformis) to be the best stock. Our work is done under glass 
in January and side-grafting close to the collar of the stock is 
favored. The Pecan industry is of course well established in 
the warmer states but it can never become profitable in New 
England nor in the colder parts of this country. With Hickories 
the story is different and there seems to be no reason why they 
cannot be advantageously established in regions where the Pecan 
is not hardy. 
The Disappearing Chestnut 
T O WRITE of the Chestnuts when those here are fast dis- 
appearing through disease is not a pleasant task. No 
cure has been found and it rather looks as if in a few years one 
of the finest timber trees in eastern North America will have 
vanished. ’Tis sad, but we may as well realize that it is noth- 
ing new. Thousands, yes billions, of types have risen and dis- 
appeared since first organic development began and the fittest 
only survive. The Chestnut-bark disease is a new and deadly 
thing in this country, but it is an old pest in the Orient. In 
Korea it has existed beyond the memory of the oldest inhabitant 
— yet there are today millions of Chestnut trees in Korea, where 
the nut is a staple article of food. The same is true in Man- 
churia. In Japan, however, it appears to be a comparatively 
recent visitant, and very deadly. In Korea and Manchuria 
the older and larger trees are more resistant than saplings. 
Doubtless the Chestnut blight (Diaportha parasitica — a fungus) 
rages in a cycle and when the zenith of the curve is reached 
decreases in virulence. Let us heartily hope that this zenith 
will be reached while yet a goodly number of trees remain to us. 
M EANWHILE the hybridist should be busy endeavoring to 
breed Chestnuts immune to the blight. Some good 
work in this direction has been done by Dr. Van Fleet at 
Washington, D. C., working with the Chinquapin (Castanea 
pumila) and the Asiatic species, but it is desirable that additional 
workers take up the burden, for the task is heavy. 
