Tennessee reports black walnut cracking plants, as follows: One each at
Lebanon and Morristown, and three located at Nashville.
A West Virginia report estimates the State's kernel production at $200,000 per annum. A cracking plant in St. Louis is reported as processing 1-1/2 million pounds of whole nuts annually, for which it pays 5-1/2 cents per pound. Other cracking plants reported are one at Stanford, Kentucky, one at Broadway, Virginia and one or two in West Virginia, location unstated. No statement was received as to the amount of business done by these. A new one is starting operations at Henderson, Kentucky in 1951.
Production of black walnut kernels as a home industry has languished since the Federal ruling that the kernels must be pasteurized as soon as produced. Most of such kernels are now consumed locally, so as not to run afoul of inter-state regulations. No epidemic has, as yet, been traced to such local use.
A question designed to disclose what named varieties give the best results in the various localities was not very effective. Replies usually came in the form of lists of varieties being planted with little definite indication as to the ones that have proven superior.
As might be expected, Thomas led the list by being mentioned 15 times.
Elmer Myers was listed 9 times, Stabler 6, Ohio 6, Mintle 3, Snyder 2,
(New York and Tenn.), Sifford 2, (Kentucky and Kansas), and the
following one each: Adams, Grundy, Korn (Michigan); Rohwer, Vandersloot
(Kansas); Sparrow, Victoria, Homeland (North Carolina); Ten Eyck (New
Jersey); Creitz (Virginia); and Impit (British Columbia).
A study of the geographical distribution of the preferred varieties fails to produce any significant conclusions as to the varieties best adapted to any specific state. Doubtless Thomas heads the list because it has had the longest and largest distribution. A New York state survey gave Thomas the preference 9 times, Snyder 7, Myers 4, Ohio 2, and one each to several other varieties. A similar survey in New Jersey gave Thomas preference 2, Stabler 2, Ten Eyck 1 and Ohio 1.
One New Jersey correspondent reported Ohio as "excellent", another listed Ten Eyck as "fair", and a third reported Thomas as "terrible".
One Kansas producer reports Thomas his best and Ohio his worst. Another
Kansan reports the exact opposite.
Pennsylvania reports Ohio as best, Stabler as worst. Her neighbor to the east, New Jersey, rates Stabler highly, as does Ohio, immediately to the west.
The notable leaf-disease resistance of the Ohio variety is worthy of the consideration of planters in districts where early defoliation causes poor filling of the nuts.