=~ Om 
Increased Landscape Interest 
Greater recognition is being obtained not only by the above mentioned ones 
but pecans, hicans, hickories and their hybrids, filberts and their hybrids, and per- 
simmons as ornamentals in landscaping designs and for shade trees on the farm; for 
lining drives and lanes; and in putting to profitable crop - steep slopes and rough 
places. An increase in editorial recognition is noted as more articles on nut trees 
appear in all types of landscape, farm and garden papers. 
Oaks 
As many of you know, one of the planks of my platform has been giving the oak 
a greater recognition for its value as a mast for wildlife and hogs. We of the north 
little appreciate the economic value of the acorn for hog feeding in the south and 
many of the densely populated sections fail to recognize the importance of it as a 
game food. 
We are happy to announce that a white oak in south central Pennsylvania, which 
we believe to be nearly a true variety, has been grafted in our nursery and we will 
soon be able to supply any who wish to experiment with this strain, The acorns are so 
small a quail could eat them and sweeter than a Japanese chestnut. Whether seed can 
be procured from this tree to continue growing seedlings, we do not know. We have 
several hundred growing now for trial plantings. 
One of the factors in bringing back national prosperity is re-habilitation of 
our natural resources of soil and forest: tree crops to be grown in many areas of 
abandoned farm mountain land. 
Strain Selection 
Through the natural processes of developing better understock for crop trees, 
one of our black walnuts has forced itself on my attention as superior in growing to 
any of the other varieties or common run seedlings. Realizing the importance of this, 
backed up by results reported in Europe, I aggressively initiated a one man campaign 
to get the foresters of America conscious of the value of tree seed selection. I had 
done some work along this line while with the TVA. 
In the last three years we have been collecting seed from the old monarchs of 
the forest here in S. E, Pennsylvania, known as the William Penn oaks = trees reputed 
to be standing when Wm, Penn was here. We confined ourselves to the white oak in this 
selection work because of its high value in timber, mast and landscape effect, 
The first elimination was the unstately looking - trees that were separated 
or forked ~ unfit for timber; next,poor germinators and poor growers. Today, we have 
several that out+pace all other trees for producing rapid-growing seedlings, the out- 
standing one being from a fine, old aristocrat at Villa Nova, outside of Philadelphia, 
Pa. « with a sweet acorn at that. Two year seedlings of this tree average 14 to 19 
inches; whereas, some of other trees made only 4 to 6 inches, This is, indeed, a re- 
markable find in forest research work. 
Look our enclosed list over, won't you? It is a wealth of information as well 
as a list of trees. For some real photos of nut trees, see November issue of Spur 
magazine, 
JOHN W, HERSHEY 
