Mr. Littlepage: That is a matter which I imagine will come before the executive committee, and I would suggest that it be left in their hands and worked out by them. With Dr. Morris's consent I would refer this to that committee.
Mr. Pomeroy: Just because a tree has been grafted, why is all this necessary? The nurseryman is bound to tell from what it is taken. That is covered by the law. He need not be even a buyer, merely a prospective buyer. What I want to bring out is this. Suppose a nurseryman here in this state sells a tree,—he must have a permit before he can do it; he cannot send even a twig through the post office otherwise. I don't see if a bud is taken from a tree and put on a black walnut tree that it necessarily makes the bud that grows on the black walnut tree any better than the parent.
Dean Baker: I told you I wanted to raise a discussion on this subject. I really am a dyed-in-the-wool optimist. I am willing to sacrifice some nut trees to laboratory purposes for the benefit of our young men. We want the individuals to profit by the education. This should be an educational society.
The President: I will ask the vice-president to take the chair.
Mr. Reed: At the last meeting a committee was appointed to report on the Persian walnut, of which committee the president was the chairman, and will make his report at this time.
The President: Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen: I think you appreciate the chaos at the present moment in the status of investigation of the Persian walnut. When Professor Fagan reports that the number of trees in Pennsylvania exceeds 2,000, most of which he has not seen, this chaos is evident.
The varieties propagated in the eastern United States are experiments. I have done nothing that will compare with Mr. Fagan's work, but have found certain interesting facts.
First: I found in Maryland a Persian walnut which does not come into leaf until June. When the cherries are ripe, it is just coming into leaf; and it has borne regularly for fifteen years.
While going through the orchards at Grenoble in France, I asked a man "What is the matter with that tree?" This was on June 9th. "There is nothing the matter," he told me, "it is only coming into leaf." I want to call your attention to possibilities of a hybrid of that tree and the Maryland tree. The Persian walnuts of the Grenoble tree were of good quality, but low yield. The Maryland tree is a heavy yielder but of third quality.