Black Walnuts—Weight
Heaviest Armknecht 28.9 grams; Lightest Alley 10.0 grams.
| Weight of nut. | Points. | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 28 | grams | and | less | than | 30 | grams | 10 |
| 26 | " | " | " | " | 28 | " | 9 |
| 24 | " | " | " | " | 26 | " | 8 |
| 22 | " | " | " | " | 24 | " | 6 |
| 20 | " | " | " | " | 22 | " | 5 |
| 18 | " | " | " | " | 20 | " | 4 |
| 16 | " | " | " | " | 18 | " | 3 |
| 14 | " | " | " | " | 16 | " | 2 |
| 12 | " | " | " | " | 14 | " | 1 |
| 10 | " | " | " | " | 12 | " | 0 |
After the average weight of five nuts of a given variety has been determined, an inspection of the table shows at a glance the number of points to be awarded for weight, which, in the case of the Lutz Black walnut, is 9. In case a nut should be entered which was very much larger or smaller than provided for, the table can be extended for use temporarily. The table, however, should be revised before being used the next year. For example, had a nut come in weighing 30.5 grams this might have been awarded 11 points, and had one weighing 8.5 grams come in this would have been awarded-1 point in order to give each nut full credit, for excellence in size or to penalize it for lack of it. It will be noticed that by the method outlined the size of a nut is determined exactly and the same number of points for size (or weight) would be awarded today, next week, next month, or next year, barring of course real changes, e. g. those caused by actual loss of moisture, etc.
Form: It was only recently that a method of measuring this characteristic has been suggested and this has been tried out only experimentally. By form is meant attractive appearing shape which has been held to be absence of hollows, ridges, angles, etc. A round, smooth nut would be held to have perfect form in distinction from nuts that are rough and full of ridges or edges. The only method of measuring that has been suggested and which it is believed will work out satisfactorily is to first select an average nut and weigh, then fill up the hollows in the surface of the nut with wax just covering the ridges till the surface is smooth, and weigh. This will give the weight of the nut plus the weight of the wax needed to fill up the hollows on the surface. As the specific gravity of the wax is 4/5 that of the nut the figure actually used is weight of nut plus 5/4 weight of the wax, which gives the weight of a nut of the size of the sample with the hollows in the shell filled up or the weight of a nut of perfect form of the size of the sample. The measurement of form is then the weight of the average nut divided by the weight of a nut of the same size of perfect shape, that is without hollows or ridges.
A measurement of form of a black walnut gave the following:
| Weight of nut | 22.5 | grams |
| Weight of nut and wax | 24.6 | " |
| Weight of wax | 2.1 | " |
| Weight of 5-4 wax | 2.6 | " |
| Weight of nut and 5-4 wax | 25.1 | " |
| Form | 22.5÷25.1=89.7% | |
When a nut has perfect form there will be no hollows to fill and no wax will be needed and the weight of nut and 5/4 of the wax will be the same as the weight of the nut and therefore its form figure will be 100%. The number of points to be awarded for any measurement of form would be determined by making up a table as was made up for awarding points for weight, but such a table cannot be made up till after an examination of form values for a large number of nuts. This will be done later.
Color: The color of shell was measured by making up samples of water colors of all gradations of color between the lightest shell and the darkest. From these, five were selected as showing in five steps the differences noted, the lightest being marked 5, the next 4 and so on down to the darkest which was marked 0. With these color standards in front of the one judging, it was only necessary to take the nut to be judged and lay it on the standards of color and the figure on the shade which the nut most nearly matched was the figure awarded for color.
Husking Quality: This represents the ease with which the husk can be removed. In view of the well known fact that husks of all nuts do not come off with equal facility the need of such is apparent. Its measurement will be the proportion of husk removed by a standard husking operation.
Thinness of Shell: This was measured by providing a means for bringing two metal surfaces together, keeping them always parallel. The nut to be cracked was placed between these surfaces and an arrangement of scale levers provided so that the pressure exerted on the nut could be weighed. The surfaces were brought together till the nut was cracked and the pressure required was noted. This measures the thinness of the shell or more properly the strength of the shell, the weakest shell of course being the one that takes the least pressure to crack. This pressure was measured in kilograms for by doing so it was possible to utilize some stock apparatus. After the pressure required to crack has been noted a reference to the table below will tell the number of points to be awarded. We will take for an example the the same nut as taken to illustrate weight e. g. the Lutz black walnut whose average cracking pressure is 312kg and which therefore would be awarded 2 points for thinness of shell. In this connection it should be stated that this table would seem not to be made out on the plan followed heretofore by taking the thinnest shelled nut of which we know, the Alley, as the low limit of the table. While the Alley black walnut takes the least cracking pressure of any we know which we can identify as from a particular tree, one black walnut was cracked which I believe came from the Ten Eyck tree which had a cracking pressure below 80kg and hence the table was made of sufficient extent to include this. It is my intention to get additional Ten Eyck nuts this year and check the matter up.