Various experiments with tying material were tried. Raffia, cotton cord, waxed cloth and bicycle tape were used. The raffia and cord gave best results. A tight tie is needed.
June-budding from the left-over graft-wood gave a very low percentage of "takes." Most of the buds appeared to be drowned. Buds from the current year's growth inserted from early to middle of August are at present apparently in good dormant condition.
Some July buds from the left-over graft-wood placed in the younger branches of a twelve year old American black took well and made from three to six inches growth. The branches were cut back as soon as the buds appeared to be set, a course that would not be advocated if one were doing the work for re-topping. The young wood from these buds is delicate and soft and in order to insure their living through the winter, so far as our efforts may avail, they have been enclosed in strong paper bags. In our budding and grafting operations we had no success with the Japanese or Chinese stocks. We expect to try them further as their rapid growth makes them much to be desired if a permanent union can be effected. So far as we have been able to learn from the southern propagators who have worked along this line, no difficulty has been encountered in effecting a short-life union,—four to six years on an average, though a few have kept alive for twelve years.
The growth of the successful grafts has been very variable. In several instances in which both scions upon a stock grew, the growth was from two to three feet. In other cases the young wood was scarcely a foot long.
The fact that the stocks and scion-wood varied widely in size and vigor and the further fact that the scions were from several varieties of western stock are quite sufficient causes for no uniform results in this respect.
The wood of all successful grafts appears to be in excellent condition for the winter season and we are looking forward to an interesting further growth of these next year, though the trees have just been transplanted. In order to doubly insure ourselves against loss of the varieties now growing one half, or even more in a few instances, of the young wood has been removed and placed in a cold room so that further grafting or budding of these varieties may be made next year.
Nursery trees of the Franquette, Pomeroy, Parisienne and unidentified others, on their own roots are making a pitiable effort at successful growth, while all wood on the black stock is making excellent growth.
In one instance the wood of Mayquette a cross between Mayette and Franquette formed two nutlets. Lack of pollen was all that prevented the fruiting of one-year-old grafted trees. A splendid point for the unit orchard booster, but a point of no value to the real walnut grower.
CROSS FERTILIZATION
Owing to the very vigorous weather of the past winter the catkins on the older Persians at Arlington Farm were killed. In order to study the conduct and product of these trees we sought pollen elsewhere to fertilize their liberal display of pistils. We were successful in obtaining some from the trees of Messrs. Killen and Rosa, and Miss Lea, but though this and some pollen of black, butternut and the Japanese was used no pollenation was successful.