Recently I have seen some interesting pecan trees in the East. Two of these are on the Eastern Shore of Maryland, one in the outskirts of Easton and the other at Princess Anne; the former is a trifle the larger, measuring 15 ft 5 inches in girth at breast height, the latter measuring 4 feet and 2 inches at the same distance and estimated to be 110 feet high. It was grown from a nut said to have been planted in 1800. The nuts from these trees are small but well filled and much appreciated by their respective communities.
THE PRESIDENT: We have the secretary down for a paper.
THE SECRETARY: This paper opens a symposium on topworking hickory trees.
TOP WORKING HICKORIES IN THE NORTH
By W. C. Deming, Connecticut
I do not recall a single modern improvement of importance in the art of grafting nut trees in the North that is not due to either Mr. Jones or Dr. Morris, except that to Mr. Riehl belongs, I believe, the credit of the idea of waxing the entire graft, which is now the accepted procedure. Therefore I speak before these two gentlemen with diffidence. I do so in the hope that perhaps I may recall something which they have forgotten to make known, or that what I say may elicit from them available emendatory remarks. My experience of fourteen years on my own place, and of five years grafting for others, is the basis of my observations.
Compatibility of Species and Varieties
This question will be particularly discussed by Mr. Bixby who has been conducting careful experiments that should soon settle the question for the commoner hickories. A few scattering observations of my own may be useful.
It is generally believed that any species of the genus hickory will catch on any other, though not necessarily that the union will be blessed. It is self evident that any hickory will thrive on any variety of the same species, shagbark on shagbark, pecan on pecan, though even here close observation will probably disclose differences of compatibility. Probably any hybrid hickory will thrive on either of its parents. In some cases this may turn out to be a test of hybridity. For instance, the Barnes is one of the few shagbarks known to thrive on mockernut. It shows other evidences of mockernut blood.
I have found no hickory, so far, that does not appear to thrive on the shagbark, except the pecan. Even here there are differences. I have one Major pecan on shagbark that is over twenty-five feet high that has a very healthy appearance and that has shown staminate bloom for two or three years. I have also an Indian pecan that looks fairly prosperous. The Iowa pecans, the Marquart, Greenbay, Campbell, Witte, and others, catch readily and grow vigorously, at least for the first years. There are many data, however, on the adaptability of the pecan to the shagbark and the consensus of opinion is that ultimate results are poor. This is probably because the shagbark starts early and makes its season's growth in about six weeks, while the pecan naturally has a much longer growing season. However, these observations have been made, mostly, in the South and it may be different in the North. The question is not yet finally decided.