JAPANESE WALNUTS.
The Japanese Walnut is known to occur in Canada in three different forms—Juglans cordiformis; Juglans Sieboldiana; Juglans mandschurica.
Juglans Cordiformis.
This species is cultivated extensively in Japan and is the most valuable one for Ontario. The tree is very beautiful, comes into bearing early, bears heavily, grows rapidly and is reported to live to a great age. It is believed to be as hardy as the black walnut and ought to do well wherever the native walnut grows satisfactorily. In the best types the nuts are distinctly heart-shaped, have a thin shell, crack easily and contain a large kernel of good quality which can often be removed almost entire from the shell with a light tap from a hammer.
There are two fine heartnut trees growing near Aldershot which is near Hamilton on the road to Toronto. These trees are eight years of age and are about twenty-eight feet tall with a trunk diameter of eight to nine inches. In the seventh year one tree produced about a bushel of fine nuts with thin shells.
Juglans Sieboldiana.
This type was first introduced into the United States about 1860 by a Mr. Towerhouse in Shasta County, California. Since then it has been widely distributed and is now found in many parts of the United States and Canada. It is much the same in appearance as the one first described and grows just as rapidly and bears just as early but does not produce so valuable a nut. The nut has a smooth shell of medium thickness with a kernel of good quality. It does not usually crack easily and the kernel cannot be taken out entire, therefore, is not so desirable as the cordiformis type. In rapidity of growth the Japanese walnut is only excelled by the willows and poplars. In the vicinity of Grimsby there is a tree eight years of age which is about twenty-five feet high and has trunk diameter of seven inches at the base. It began to bear nuts in the third year and in the sixth year produced one bushel.
Juglans Mandschurica.
The general growth characteristics of this species are somewhat similar to the other two types but the nut, however, is quite different, being somewhat like a butternut. Because of this it is sometimes called the Japanese butternut. It is the least desirable of the Japanese group and should not be planted except where the cordiformis type will not grow.
CHINESE WALNUTS (Juglans regia sinensis).
The Chinese walnut is being grown experimentally in the northern part of the United States and has been tried at only one place in Canada, e. g., in the grounds of G. H. Corsan, Islington, Ont. The tree is reported to be fairly hardy at the Arnold Arboretum, Jamaica Plains, Mass., and should be sufficiently hardy for southern Ontario. It is believed that the Chinese walnut will prove to be hardier than the English walnut and it may have an important place amongst the trees in the northern part of the United States and in Southern Canada. The nuts are quite large and have a shell which is thicker than the English walnut but not nearly as thick or hard as the native black walnut. The kernel generally has a fine flavour, being almost as good as the English walnut. Nuts of this species have been planted at the Ontario Agricultural College, Guelph, and at the Experiment Station, Vineland, Ont., and it is expected that trees will be hardy enough for our climate and produce nuts which will be as good as the Persian walnut.
THE SWEET CHESTNUT (Castanea dentata)
The sweet chestnut is found growing naturally on sandy ridges in that part of Ontario extending from Toronto to Sarnia and southward to Lake Erie. At the Central Experimental Farm, Ottawa, there is a fair sized tree and near Newcastle there are a few fine specimens.
It grows to a large size, sometimes reaching a height of one hundred feet and a diameter of five feet at the base. When grown in the open it forms several heavy branches and makes a broad rounded crown, but when grown in a dense stand it makes a tall, straight tree.
The native chestnut is subject to a fatal disease called chestnut bark disease. This disease is not known to occur in Ontario, but there is no assurance that it will not appear and, therefore, the planting of this tree is attended with some risk.
A dwarf type of chestnut has been reported from east of Ottawa in the Ottawa valley. The tree is about fifteen feet tall and produces a small burr containing only one nut. I have not seen this tree so cannot vouch for the accuracy of the above statement.