We have heard much about the desirability of the experimental nut orchard and the association has repeatedly urged the planting of such by each one of the agricultural experiment stations in the country. These have been advocated in order that we might learn of the behavior of the fine varieties of nuts that we now have under varying conditions of soil and climate, and in this way accumulate the experience out of which to make positive recommendations as to the species and varieties that might be planted in any given section with reasonably assured prospects of success.
The association has been criticised, sometimes a little harshly I have thought, for the lack of specific planting recommendations, for, as a general rule, that was what those interested have wanted. They did not want to be experimenters; they wanted to plant varieties and get reliable estimates of the returns that might be expected and information as to the returns that similar plantings have shown. Indeed the statement has been made that, unless the association could give this, it could not hold its members and would largely fail in its mission.
That it has not until recently made any very specific recommendations of this character is to my mind an evidence of wisdom. There is a legend told of King Canute whose courtiers flattered him by telling of his power, not differentiating between the immense power he did possess from that which he did not, and who persuaded him to try it on the rising tide. The King learned a lesson by the test that he never forgot. Had the association attempted to make very definite recommendations before it could point to specific instances where things had been done it would almost certainly have failed as signally as did King Canute.
It is not because it did not realize the value that such recommendations would have, but because it did realize that the experience necessary had not been accumulated before it could safely make them. It is only through experience that recommendations worth while can be made, and it is because of the need of accumulating this for the various sections that the association has advocated the planting of experimental orchards.
It is encouraging to note that while these are not being planted as rapidly as we would wish, the work is going on steadily and we are continually learning of new plantings. Some of the older orchards are now giving us their experience. The oldest plantings are those of Mr. John G. Rush, West Willow, Pa., consisting largely of Persian walnuts, and of Mr. E. A. Riehl, Alton, Ill., consisting of chestnuts and black walnuts.
Mr. Rush's orchard has given us an American hazel, the Rush, the best native variety that we have and which seemingly has commercial value. It has also shown us that the nuts on a young grafted hickory tree, a Weiker, are considerably larger and crack easier than the nuts from the parent tree, and that the English walnut will grow and bear when grafted on practically every species of walnut, black walnut, butternut, and Japan walnut, and it seems likely that this orchard will be a source of knowledge for us for many years to come.
A number of others have been started some of which are beginning to give us evidence of value. Probably more problems have been solved, particularly those relating to propagation on Dr. Morris's and Mr. Jones's than any others so far. Dr. Deming is giving us evidence on grafted hickories of a large number of varieties and Mr. Littlepage's and Mr. Wilkinson's orchards are giving us evidence on pecans. There are also a number of others still too young to give us much information. Mr. Riehl's orchard of chestnuts and black walnuts has gotten beyond the experimental stage and is now a commercial success.
I had a desire to establish an experimental orchard when living in Brooklyn, before I owned any land on which to plant trees, and I bought and set out trees on the land of three relatives before it was possible to set any on my own land. The principal thing gained from these early plantings was experience and the principal things learned were things not to do, for none of the trees then planted are alive today. Buying my present place in Baldwin, at the close of 1916 gave me about three acres available land and since then I have been gathering grafted, budded or otherwise asexually propagated trees of all the fine varieties that we have. At present there are on my place some
14 varieties of black walnuts
2 " " butternuts
12 " " Persian walnuts
4 " " Japan walnuts
14 " " chestnuts
20 " " pecans
25 " " hickories
23 " " hazels
4 " " almonds
The only nut tree, native in the northeastern United States of which I have no named variety is the Beech.