Mr. C. A. Reed: There will be an informal talk, a question box this evening for the benefit of any interested in the general discussion of nut culture in the United States. I notice the guests of the institution are deeply interested in nut growing in their particular states; so the arrangement for this evening is to give those persons an opportunity to come out and ask questions.
Mr. Olcott: While Mr. Reed is on that subject, I would like to ask if there is a chestnut as large as the Boone or other chestnuts grown by Mr. Riehl of as good flavor as the American Sweet chestnut. A good many people are asking me from time to time what the merit is in those large chestnuts. Invariably they have found that the quality is not as good as in the American sweet chestnut. I have been assured and Mr. Reed says that the kernel of these is very good. I wonder if there, are some of them better than others—of the very large chestnuts.
Mr. C. A. Reed: There is a difference. The Boone that Mr. Olcott refers to is a cross between the American species and the Japanese. The Japanese has not a good flavor; it is considerably below that of the American; but the Boone is quite good; but there are some of Mr. Riehl's chestnuts that are better. Mr. Riehl's are believed to be the pure American sweet chestnuts and some of them are very good, perhaps not quite as sweet as our American sweet, but they are exceedingly satisfactory and very popular in the Chicago markets where Mr. Riehl's chestnuts are going.
Mr. Bixby: This fall I received a chestnut which I am satisfied was Japanese, which is very large, and seemingly about as sweet as the American. I did not have the American there to test it by, but it was very interesting to me, and I am planning to get scions in the spring to follow it up further. It was seemingly a Japanese chestnut, and pretty nearly as large as the Boone.
Mr. J. F. Jones: I might say that so far as I have tested them, some of the Japanese are quite sweet, but the meat is generally tough, not brittle and sweet like the American.
President Reed: I believe Mr. Linton is with us, and we shall be glad to hear from him.
NUT TREES FOR HIGHWAYS AND PUBLIC PLACES
William S. Linton, Saginaw, Michigan
For a number of years it has been a source of gratification and pleasure to me to be identified with the membership of the Northern Nut Growers' Association. True, "a long distance membership only," but nevertheless a connection that all must admit has borne fruit, or nuts, as you may prefer to state it.