Chestnut
Perhaps the greatest, of all tree tragedies is represented by the chestnut. Once a dominant species in many parts of the East, it is now merely a wreck of its former self. In whole states along the Atlantic Seaboard, it has been wiped out by a fungus disease introduced from Japan some 25 years ago. Pennsylvania allows no chestnut trees to be shipped outside its limits for fear of further spreading this disease. So far as known chestnut trees from west of the Wabash River are free from infection. From Illinois, there have recently been introduced several varieties of chestnut supposedly of pure American parentage which are quite the equal in size of the European sorts but which have the sweet flavor of true American strains. In protected places in the southern part of the Lower Peninsula these chestnuts should be well worthy of trial. They are, indeed, splendid chestnuts. The principal varieties are the Rochester, Progress, Fuller and Boone. The last is not related to the others; but is the result of an artificial cross between the American sweet chestnut and the Japan Giant.
Hickory
Next to, or perhaps equal to the black walnut, the hickories are among the best known of Michigan's nut trees. Belonging to the same family as do the walnuts, they require much the same soil for their best development. They are slower of growth and even harder to bud and graft or to successfully transplant. Nevertheless, some of hickories bear splendid nuts in liberal quantities. Quite a number of good varieties have been named and a few propagated. They are mainly of the shagbark species although some are shellbarks, some pignuts, and a few hybrids. The true shellbark is not found in Michigan and would probably not succeed there as well as do others. In character of growth, the shellbark is much like the shagbark but the nuts are much larger, and the shells extremely thick. Among the good shagbarks there are the Swaim, Weiker, Kentucky, Manahan, Taylor and Vest.
True hickories ordinarily do not attain important habits of bearing until from 15 to 25 years of age.
Pecan
The pecan is easily the favorite and most important nut of American origin. Contrary to current ideas, it is not an introduced species nor are the best pecans grown in California. The pecan has become one of the leading nuts of this country by rapid but natural processes. In the forests, it is indigenous as far north as the southern part of Indiana, and in western Illinois it is found at the latitude of Chicago. Seedling trees at South Haven and on the campus of Michigan Agricultural College have borne occasional crops but the climate of Michigan is too severe for pecans to bear regularly. The trees of northern origin should do well enough over much of lower Michigan to be worthy of planting. Good varieties are the Major, Greenriver, Niblack, Indiana, Busseron and Posey.
Black Walnut
Already the black walnut had been referred to in this article. In its further behalf may be said that like the pecan it is one of America's most rapid growing valuable trees. It does not grow with the speed of a poplar, a willow, or a linden. Neither does any other tree of value or longevity. Two 6-year-old trees of the eastern black walnut grown in the Wiliamette Valley of Western Oregon, bore approximately a peck of nuts apiece, in 1919, when they were photographed by the writer. In good soil and under favorable conditions of growth, it will be seen that the black walnut is not always slow in developing but that it is sometimes a rapid grower.
Three varieties of black walnut are now available from the nurserymen. They are the Thomas from Pennsylvania, the Ohio from some 20 miles south of Toledo, and the Stabler from Howard County, Maryland 15 or 20 miles outside the District of Columbia. All are prolific, precocious and of superior cracking quality. The Thomas was discovered and first propagated some 30 years ago. The young grafted trees show a tendency to begin bearing in the nursery rows.