RAYMOND E. SILVIS, Massillon, Ohio
I will first give an account of plantings observed recently in or near Massillon, and, secondly, a condensation of my own introduction to nut growing.
Louis Bromfield in his richly descriptive book "The Farm" writes, "On the way one passed the big orchard which was Jamie's pride, and beyond one came to the field where the big hickory stood. It was a memorable tree, famous in the countryside for bearing enormous nuts with shells so soft that the faintest tap of a rock or a hammer would lay open the bisque-colored kernels." He also writes a reference to the ingredients of candy making at Christmas time in which a good many recipes called for hickory nuts and walnuts.
In Massillon Mr. Alvin Schott, when he drove by the farm of Mr. Lester Hawk and read his sign, "Chinese Chestnut Trees for Sale," thought of the chestnuts he used to eat. Since he, like the rest of us, cannot go out along the road in the fall and pick up chestnuts as of old, he declared to plant some nut trees on city park land so that the younger generation could in a small measure recapture that which now is only a memory.
After making numerous talks and speeches to all the lodges, civic clubs and P. T. A.'s, he received donations and publicity to help him in his project. He enlisted the help of other civic nut-minded personnel to help him select the trees and locations for planting. Boy Scouts and school children dug some of the holes. When it rained (it seems to rain every time a shipment came in) Mr. Schott would call us away from our work and have us dig holes. We have planted in city parks: 13 Hawk chestnuts, 10 Thomas black walnuts, 8 hazel, 4 mulberries, 2 Broadview Persians, 2 Josephine persimmons, 3 pecan seedlings, 1 hican, 9 large seedling black walnuts and several hickories.
We have additional money for another spring planting. Thus Massillon has joined the list of cities that own trees that will produce something else besides leaves.
On August 17th Mr. Gerstenmaier and I drove to Ira, Ohio, to visit Mr. Cranz and take advantage of his invitation to inspect his nut planting. At this moment I believe that his invitation was made with the subtle purpose of bragging about his excellent crop of Thomas black walnuts and filberts. The trees were originally planted by squirrels and later grafted by Mr. Cranz. They grow at the bottom of a huge hill or escarpment 200 feet high at the top of which is his planting of 20 mollissima chestnuts. It's a long climb through his neatly scythed pathways on a hot day. Afterwards I felt like I needed the can which he usually carries.
Recently I found a young black walnut which I hope may be a good selection for further work. It is too early to make any predictions, but I can assure you that a careful check on the tree's performance will be interesting. Thin shell, good kernel cavity, etc.
Near Bolivar, Ohio, stands a young shagbark hickory which bears a nut about the size of a Pleas hican with a very smooth kernel cavity and a thin shell. Even though small this is another nut which will bear watching.
I believe the greatest interest in nut trees will develop when a definite program of controlled crossing is instituted.
When I became a member of this organization in 1939 I was managing almost 1,000 acres of farm land. My own 90 acre farm was being farmed up and down the hill because the fences were built that way. My plan was to change over to a contour operation. After reading "Nut Growing" and "Tree Crops" I decided to plant nut trees at 100' intervals along the edges of the contour strips. I had a twofold purpose, to produce more revenue and preserve the contour method of farming.
I ordered grafted nut trees from Jones Nurseries, Crath seedlings from Graham and 200 northern pecan nuts from Wilkinson. Homer Jacobs, really "sold me" on the Nut Growers Association and then sent me scions of the Wilcox hickory. I was successful in getting two to grow about 100' apart. Miss Jones sent me Pleas hican wood and one graft grew between the two Wilcox. All were grafted on shagbark stock, breast high using the late Mr. Fickes' method. The pecan nuts were stratified and given the usual nursery care and at three years of age were transplanted to the farm along with 200 seedling black walnuts and 100 chestnuts. These seedlings were to be used as stocks for grafting the newer and superior productive varieties. This was 1943. The farmer became dissatisfied with my soil conservation tendencies and moved away. The war developed in earnest and I matriculated at a defense plant. The farm just grew up. I was not dissatisfied. I was just tired. I couldn't find enough time to manage 1,000 acres of farm land 20 miles south; work at a defense plant 20 miles north and operate my insurance and real estate business. So I sold all the farms including mine with the nut trees.
Now it is 1947. It was only two years ago that I made a decision to relinquish the 90 acre farm. A short time ago I found all the grafted trees bearing fruit except the hickories and hican. The grafted Zimmerman, Stoke and Hobson chestnuts have died and most of the pecan, walnut and chestnut seedlings planted on the contour strips have succumbed to the mower, etc. I could find none of the grafted hickories purchased through the years except one Fairbanks. The present owners are enthusiastic over the early bearing chestnuts and are taking care of all the remaining survivor trees.
I have reached the conclusion that any farm in this section of the U. S. with enough hope to warrant contour farming is usually marginal land. This is land which barely pays the cost of working or using; land whereon the costs of labor, coordination and capital approximately equal the gross income. I believe that a planting of grafted nut trees on the edges of contour strips will increase the value of that farm and should have the attention of every county agent and farm owner.
I am no doubt the worst "grafter" in the business. When I get one out of 20 sets to grow I am startled, not so much with the statistical percentages but because a small stick of wood from Kentucky can make its home on the roots of an Ohio cousin. I believe that scion storage is important and I wish to report that the method which Dr. Shelton explained in the 1945 report is very satisfactory. The next best is John Gerstenmaier's apple storage cellar, which he and I have used ever since my interest in nut bearing trees brought us together.
It is still 1947. I'm still in the real estate business. I recently purchased 160 acres of land in an adjoining county and placed title in my son's name. He is six years old. I should be free of any inclination to sell this for fifteen years. Since there are no buildings I won't have a tenant problem. This spring I purchased and planted grafted hickories and grafted black walnuts and set them in supposedly favorable locations where I hope they will maintain themselves. In addition I planted about 200 Hawk seedling chestnuts spaced about 20 to 30 feet apart. These were planted in three different locations. One group was planted under the canopy of a locust grove, another on an exposed hilltop which faces the prevailing westerly winds. The third is on a broad hilltop field which does not have the best drainage since the top soil is clay underlaid with sandstone shale. All of these groups grow on land abandoned some years ago. The soil fertility is generally low. Volunteer native growth of cheery, ash, dogwood and hawthorn prevails.
If I can continue to plant for the next fifteen years I should have quite an orchard, or else my son will have a good hardwood forest. I hope that all of us here can meet there then.