THE DETROIT NEWS, SUNDAY, APRIL 11, 1937. 
Michigan Soil and Climate Suited to Wide Nut- Tree Culture 
Experiments Prove 
Trees Will Thrive 
Former Resident of Michigan Grows 300 
Varieties of Nuts on 
Ontario Reserve 
ee 
i 
Japanese walnuts produced by Corsan at his experiment 
station, Note the tropical-like foliage and the heavy fruit 
clusters. 
Above: Some of the nuts produced at Islington, Ont., by 
George HebdenCorsan, They are all exact size. First, the 
Carpathian Giant Circassian Walnut. Second, the river bot- 
tom hickory. Third, the hican, a cross between the hickory 
and pecan. Fourth, the filbert acd fifth, the tree hazel. 
Below is a cluster of Chinese sweet chestnuts. This chest- 
nut does well in America while our native is subject to 
blight. 
By ALBERT STOLL, JR. 
Near the little town of Islington, Ontario, not far from Toronto, 
George Hebden Corsan, a former Michigan resident, has been carrying 
on experiments in the culture of nut trees that perhaps is without 
parallel in this country. It is unique in that’ he has succeede@ in grow- 
ing exotic nuts never before attempted, and through grafting and cross } 
fertilization has produced numerous hybrids. Corsan at One time had 
charge of the Ketogg Migratory Bird Sanctuary. near Battle Creek, and 
had carried on a number of experiments in nut tree culture there. 
Twenty years ago he purchased 20 acres of fertile land just out of 
Islington, placed it under the charge of an assistant and startec planting 
nut trees on an extensive scale.” 
Today his results of 20 years of | 
experimentation has brought him 
over 300 different kinds of nuts, 
most of them highly palatable and | 
easy to raise on the type of land 
found in Michigan south of the 
Saginaw-Muskegon line, 
RAISES SEEDLINGS 
In addition to nut tree planting 
Corsan also conducts his own tree | 
nursery where the small seedlings | 
are raised for his plantations, One 
year this nursery produced 22,000 
black walnut, 4,000 Circassian wal- 
nuts and 2,000 giant hickory seed- 
lings, many of which were dis- 
posed of commercially to those in- 
terested in tree culture, 
In planting the nuts themselves 
to produce trees, Corsan says that 
they should first be stratified by 
placing them in wet hay or moss 
on the ground in fall and planting 
thefh in spring. In sandy soil they 
should be placed at least two inches 
underground, but in rich soil a 
inch is sufficient, 
“Experimenting in crossing dif- 
ferent varieties has produced some 
interesting results,” said Corsan. 
“For instance, the native black 
walnut crossed with the English 
walnut should have produced ¢ 
fine hut, but stead I only got ¢ 
poor meated nut. One of my finest 
flavored nuts is the Japanese heart- 
nut, producing a single meat. I 
has the finest butternut flavo 
imaginable. 
I have one tree upor 
which 12 different varieties of nuts. 
are growing. This was produced 
through grafting. My _ shortest- 
lived tree is the hard-shelled al- 
mond which rarely lasts over 30 
years, while the Chinese hazel will 
live and produce for as long as 400 
years, reaching a height of 200 feet. 
Likewise, the Circassian walnut wif 
live for 250 years, and grows from 
75 to 125 feet high, 
KIND OF SOIL 
When asked just what. kind of 
soil was best suited to nut culture 
Corsan said: “Some want a lime 
soil, other highly acid, This can be 
determined through experimenta- 
tion. I have found that the 
American chestnut will not live in 
any kind of soil, for it seems des- 
tined to die of the chestnut blight 
shortly after it gets a start. But 
the oriental varieties will do well 
here. I also have been able to pro- 
duce 12 varieties of pine nuts and 
all are highly palatable.” 
Corsan has gathered his seeds 
from all over the world, and just 
as soon as he hears of a strange 
nut off goes his order for seed stock, 
“Nut tree culture has been ne- 
glected in the past,” says Corsan, 
“put there is no reason why this 
should hold true today. The prod- 
uct always brings good prices, and it 
is an important tiem of food. Any | 
One desiring any interesting and | 
profitable undertaking can't go 
wrong taking up nut tree culture,” | 
he concluded, 
SPORTS SECTION 
