O. FILMAN, Aldershot
During the past nine or ten years I have planted a few trees of some of the better known varieties of northern nut species, some of them chosen from the lists of promising selections in the annual reports of the Northern Nut Growers Association, some on the recommendation of reliable nut nurserymen. These trees have been planted here and there in various locations where space permitted on a small fruit and vegetable farm, not in orchard form nor in a solid nut tree planting.
Editor's Note: Anyone reading this paper should remember that it applies to an area of intensive growth of peaches, pears, and other fruits in a bit of Canadian land west of Niagara Falls and protected spring and fall from extremes of temperatures by Lake Ontario on the north and Lake Erie on the south. The paper by H. L. Crane in this report should be read in connection with it.
Aldershot is a fruit and vegetable growing district, about six miles from Hamilton, below the escarpment, on the Toronto-Hamilton lake shore highway. This district is almost at the western tip of Lake Ontario and is more or less a continuation of the Niagara fruit belt which borders the lake. Consequently the climate is not so severe as that of localities situated a few miles farther from the lake and above the Niagara escarpment at higher altitudes. Winter temperatures seldom go much below zero, although, in occasional seasons, temperatures of-20 degrees F., and sometimes even somewhat lower, are experienced.
The soil is a deep, well-drained, light sandy loam, known as Fox sandy loam, considered a good fruit and vegetable soil, if organic matter and fertility are maintained with manure, fertilizers and green manure crops.
Nut trees, which I have planted, include Chinese chestnut, heart nut, filbert, hickories, butternut, Persian walnut, a few black walnut seedlings and two seedling pecans.
Chestnuts. The native chestnut grew in the woods of this locality before the blight reached it. I have tried eight varieties of Oriental chestnuts, and I have trees surviving of five: Abundance, Hobson, Carr, Zimmerman, and one of Mr. Carroll D. Bush's called Chinese Sweet No. 3. They all came through a temperature of about-20 degrees, early in 1943 (with the exception of Zimmerman which was planted later) without showing any sign of killing back or other visible injury. Unfortunately, I have kept no records of crops but expect to do so.
Abundance. One bearing tree, purchased from Mr. Bush of Oregon, and planted in the spring of 1938. Bore a few burs in 1941. Bore a crop in 1944, missed 1945, a good crop in 1946. It is bearing what appears to me to be quite a heavy crop this year, 1947. Blossoms in July. Bears a good-size, attractive nut, which falls free from the bur, ripening in early October. Abundance has made the best growth of any of the varieties and appears the most promising.
Hobson. Two trees, one, planted in 1940, bore its first crop in 1946; the other, planted in 1943, not yet bearing. Has been a little disappointing, in view of the very favourable reports of its performance in more southern locations in the United States. Probably it is a little too far north of its natural environment. In some seasons it has made rather good growth, but not as vigorous as that of Abundance. It bore a fair crop in 1946, however, of attractive nuts of about the same size as Abundance. It ripened in late October about two weeks later than Abundance. These nuts germinated well this spring when planted in pots in the greenhouse.
Carr. One tree surviving, planted in 1940. Two others, planted in 1943, have died, but I do not believe that winter injury was the cause of their death. Has grown slowly, bearing in 1944 and 1946. The nut is much smaller than that produced by the same variety at more southern latitudes, judging from descriptions of it which I have read. The nut is much smaller than that of Hobson, as grown here. This small tree bore a tremendous crop in 1946, more than I thought any tree of its size could support. The tree was literally covered with burs. The nuts were very small, not larger than a small native chestnut. They ripened early, beginning to drop from the burs by September 25th. I stratified most of the nuts in pots of soil and planted 206 nuts from this little tree, which is only about seven feet high and not at all spreading. Germination was good.
Zimmerman. One small tree planted spring of 1945. Not bearing yet. Is not growing fast but appears healthy with good foliage.
Chinese Sweet No. 3. Purchased from Mr. Bush in 1938. Planted at the same time as Abundance, which Mr. Bush at that time called Chinese Sweet No. 1. He later named No. 1 Abundance, but did not consider No. 3 worthy of naming. Has grown well, but has borne very few nuts. Mr. Bush discarded it for the same fault. [See comment following.—Ed.]
I have also tried and lost the following varieties: Connecticut Yankee, Austin Japanese and Stoke hybrid.
I have quite a number of young seedlings of Abundance, Carr and a few of Hobson, from seed produced on my own trees, some of which I hope to allow to bear in order to see if anything promising shows up among them. The Abundance seedlings seem to inherit the superior vigour of their female parent.
Heartnuts. The Japanese walnut grows vigorously. I have planted a few of Mr. J. U. Gellatly's varieties, as well as the Wright heartnut. All of the ones planted seem perfectly hardy and at home. I have only one tree of each variety.
O.K. From J. U. Gellatly, planted in 1942. Transplanted 1944. Bore its first nuts, one cluster, in 1946. Cracking and extraction of kernel were excellent. The flavour was fine. Size of nut about medium.
Okanda. From J. U. Gellatly, 1942. Said by Mr. Gellatly to be a hybrid between heartnut and native butternut. Tree vigorous. Nut has a smooth shell like a heartnut. Cracking and extraction good. Flavour excellent. Nut about size and shape of a medium-sized heartnut. Bore its first crop in 1946 and is repeating this year with a fair crop.
Crofter. From J. U. Gellatly, 1942. Also said by Mr. Gellatly to be a hybrid between heartnut and butternut. Tree vigorous. Bore its first crop in 1946 and has a few nuts this year. The nut has a comparatively smooth shell like a heartnut, is somewhat larger than that of Okanda but does not crack as well, or rather the kernel does not come out of the cavity nearly so well as that of Okanda. Flavour fine.
Canoka. From J. U. Gellatly, 1944. A pure heartnut. Tree very vigorous. Bearing its first crop this year, several clusters.
Slioka. A new heartnut from Mr. Gellatly, planted in 1945. Tree growth is vigorous. Is bearing one nut, its first, this year.
Wright. From Benton and Smith nurseries 1946. Seems to be hardy. Tree growth has not been very strong but appears healthy.
New, un-named heartnut. From J. U. Gellatly, planted in the spring of 1944. A new selection which Mr. Gellatly has not named. The tree has grown vigorously and it is bearing its first crop of several clusters of nuts.
Butternuts. I have only one grafted butternut tree, a Crax-ezy, from the Michigan Nut Nurseries in 1940, transplanted in 1942. The tree has been hardy and healthy but has not grown very vigorously. It is bearing its first crop this year.
I had one tree of the Sherwood butternut, planted in 1938, which died last winter as a result, I believe, of a heavy infestation of oyster shell scale which I did not control soon enough. Sherwood bore early and heavily. The nut was extremely large but did not crack at all well.
Persian walnut. Only one grafted tree, a Broadview, from Mr. Gellatly, planted in 1942, transplanted in 1944. Has been hardy, but has just begun to make really good growth, this year. Has not borne.
Filberts. I have planted four of Mr. Gellatly's varieties, namely Craig, Brag, Comet and Holder, as well as Barcelona, Cosford, Medium Long and Buchanan. Craig and Brag are the only ones which have borne. Trees of those varieties planted in 1942 bore their first crop in 1946. They have very few nuts on them this year. All varieties seem to be winter-hardy in the wood. Craig, Brag and Comet, the only ones which have borne staminate flowers do not seem too hardy in the catkins however. Nearly all were killed, last winter, although the temperature scarcely went as low as zero. Mr. Gellatly states that their catkins survive much lower temperatures than that in the west. Some other factor than low temperature probably is accountable. (See paper by H. L. Crane in this report.—Ed.)
Cosford, Medium Long and Buchanan were planted in the fall of 1946, and hence it is too early to have any information on their hardiness. They survived their first winter in good condition and have grown vigorously this summer.
Hickories. Only three grafted trees surviving.
Pleas hybrid. One tree, planted in 1938, has been perfectly hardy, having come through several severe winters without any sign of injury. It has made good growth and has developed into a fine shade tree for the lawn but has not borne. It has had many staminate catkins for several years.
Barnes. One small tree, planted in the spring of 1946, has made slow but healthy growth and appears to be hardy thus far.
Miller. One tree, planted in 1946, is still living but very weak.
In addition to these named varieties I have a number of seedling black walnuts, butternuts and heartnuts, which I hope to topwork to named varieties; also two seedling pecans which are making surprisingly good, thrifty growth. The pecan seedlings have been quite hardy.
Discussion after Mr. Filman's paper.
Stoke: "Hobson is not as large as Abundance. Abundance is always larger than Hobson. Carr always produced better nuts than Hobson. Mr. Filman finds that Carr has very small nuts. I am surprised to see a reversal of performance between Ontario and Virginia."
McDaniel: "Mr. Bush now reports that his No. 3 chestnut has borne better crops recently. Abundance has not survived in TVA tests at Norris."