On walnut I use only the current season's growth of wood for budwood, and it must be reasonably well matured. Very often sap in the stock may show signs of leaving before budwood is matured enough for use, and only the riper buds near the base of the bud stick can be used, in which case the rest of the buds on the bud stick are lost. Sometimes sap in the stocks can be held a few days longer by cutting a ring around the stock above the place where the bud is to be placed, which checks the flow of sap to the upper part of the stock. Sap in the stock must be in a favorable condition to hope for good results.
In budding pecan it is different. Either the current or the past season's growth may be used with about equal results, though the current season's buds must be well matured. Very often in a dry season when there is evidence of sap leaving the pecan stocks earlier than usual and the current season's buds are not well matured, I use the past season's growth until the new growth is mature.
A nut tree nurseryman has experiences that are both pleasant and unpleasant in selling trees as well as producing them. This is probably well known to all of you who have produced and sold nut trees. It is astonishing how many questions (some of which are amusing) the public can ask, and very often those that ask the most questions, leading one to believe they are a good prospect for a large order, may order only one or two trees, or none at all. Then there are those who have never bought a nut tree before, and when they see their first one are dissatisfied because it does not have a root system like a fruit tree; and there are a few who will try to get replacements whether they are entitled to them or not, and usually they are not; for, regardless of the instructions given for the planting and after-care, they will neglect them, then complain if they have a loss, and certain experiences have led me to believe they claim loss before having it.
Many seem to think that a nurseryman should guarantee his trees to live when planted by the purchaser. To do this would be assuming the responsibility of the handling, planting and after-care of the planter, which would make it necessary for the nurseryman to put a price on his trees that would take care of a lot of replacements to the more careless ones who would have losses, and be very unfair to those who take good care of their trees, and have little or no loss, as they would be standing part of the loss of the careless ones.
The most a nurseryman can do is to produce the best trees possible, dig them carefully, pack them in first class condition and ship them immediately.
Discussion after Mr. Wilkinson's paper.
Dr. Crane: "Minor elements are important in plant nutrition The problem of deficiencies is going to become very important. We do not keep the livestock we did and we are not returning to the land the manure and other fertilizers that contain the elements the trees need. Nitrogen, phosphorus, and potash, also magnesium are needed. We are taking more from the soil than we are putting back."
Corsan: "In Cuba there are hundreds of sharks. These make fine manure, wonderful for nut trees."
Prof. Slate: "How many sharks would you need for an acre of land?"