Nut Trees The Linn County Nurseries 
NUT TREES 
TRANSPLANTING. Nut Trees are not as difficult to transplant as many 
believe but do require much more careful handling than fruit trees. The roots 
will not endure as much exposure and the tops should be cut back heavily. 
Usually the more the top is reduced the better the growth the first year. Cut 
ends should be waxed and the stem given a loose wrapping to prevent dessica- 
tion. Nut trees are hand dug and usually have long, deep roots. Holes should 
be dug deep enough to avoid crowding them and pulverized moist peat mixed 
with top soil filled around them. A basin may be left around the tree and filled 
with peat to facilitate watering and hold the moisture. If peat is not available 
fill in with mellow top soil and put a mulch of strawy manure about the tree. 
The common pests of nut trees are the Walnut Caterpillar and Fall Web- 
worm. Either may entirely defoliate walnut or other trees in late summer. 
Spraying in mid-summer with arsenate of lead is an effective control. 
BLACK WALNUTS are very heavy feeders and do best in deep alluvial soil. 
They are generally quite unsatisfactory on poor upland soil. Well established 
trees may be given heavy applications of barnyard manure or other fertilizer 
judiciously applied and will yield larger better filled nuts because of it. 
Being native, Black Walnuts are hardy and well adapted to Mid Western 
planting. Growth starts late in the spring and stops early in the fall so un- 
seasonable cold spells almost never injure them. The English or Persian 
Walnut differs in this respect and will grow too late in the fall if growing con- 
ditions are favorable and can then be severely frozen. None has been found 
which has really proven dependable here, and if they were, do not have the 
fine flavor of the Black Walnut and would be superior only in easier cracking: 
_ No other nut except the Hickory retains its favor as well as the Black Walnut 
after heating, and their use is increasing in baking goods and confectionery. 
Consumers who have had nuts of the improved varieties appreciate their su- 
periority and insist on having “Those walnuts which crack out in halves and 
quarters’, and willingly pay double the price of common walnuts for them. © 
The grafted kinds are also superior for landscape planting being more . 
thrifty and having larger, darker, glossy green foliage. 
Thomas is the best known and succeeds over a wide territory. Within the 
whole range of the Back Walnut only a few distant sections report another 
kind preferable to Thomas, and commercial plantings are mostly of it. The tree 
is hardy, very vigorous, productive, and a very young bearer, switches one 
year old often bearing the following season. The nuts are large, easily hulled 
and fairly thin-shelled. The kernels have fine flavor and color, easily crack " 
out in halves and quarters, and the yield is ten pounds or more per bushel. 
Sizes, 6-8 ft.; 5-6 ft.; 4-5 ft.; 3-4 ft.; 2-3 ft. 
Ohio has a large oblong hull which is difficult to remove. The nut is long 
and pointed, with a thin shell, is easy to crack and has splendid quality. Size, 
5-6 ft. 
Rhower is a hardy variety from Northern Iowa, which under some condi- 
tions has scored considerably better than Thomas. The nut resembles Thomas, 
with light colored mild flavored kernels. Sizes, 5-6 ft.; 4-5 ft. 
Stambaugh won first prize in the 1926 contest of the Northern Nut Growers’ 
Association with more than 1,200 competitors. Reports of its performance 
so far have been remarkably, uniformly good. We believe it may prove to be 
a better tree and a strong rival of Thomas for first place. Sizes, 6-8 ft.; 5-6 ft.; 
4-5 ft. 
Cresco is a medium sized nut of good quality whch is expected to prove 
hardier than most varieties since it comes from near the Minnesota line. The 
trees are very thrifty and bear early. Size, 5-6 ft. 
44 
