In July of this year, Dr. E. A. Scott of Galena, Md., called the attention of the writer to a number of fine trees in his small town, all of which had been grown by him from J. sieboldiana seed obtained from a tree nearby and "every one" of which was bearing "butternuts," as he and his neighbors call them. The American butternut does not occur in that part of Maryland which is on the upper end of the Chesapeake Peninsula, probably 10 miles from Chesapeake Bay. Both black and Persian walnut trees are very common in that region. The tree which bore the original seed is a typical Japanese walnut. It stands at the end of a row of Persian walnut trees along the driveway of a private country lane. There are several black walnut trees, perhaps 500 yards to the southwest, but no butternuts for many miles. As the Persian and Japanese walnuts blossom at about the same time and the black walnut considerably later, it would seem altogether probable that if any cross had taken place it would have been Japanese x Persian, rather than Japanese x black. The chances of a Japanese x butternut cross would have been so remote as to be altogether improbable.

Many years ago, Judge F. P. Andrus of Almont, Mich., planted one tree each of Persian and Japanese walnuts in his dooryard. Both soon came into bearing. Squirrels planted nuts in the ground and presently the yard was filled with offspring, the majority of which were of the type now called butterjaps. The trees were extremely vigorous but the nuts were of so little value that all were finally cut down. Butternut trees are common in Michigan and butternut pollen may have been responsible for these crosses but circumstantially the evidence pointed much more strongly to Japanese × Persian crosses than to Japanese × butternut crosses.

Other cases of these sorts might be cited, but the evidence which the writer has been able to bring together up to the present month, September, 1933, strongly indicates that butterjaps may be due to either an actual cross with a Persian or black walnut and possibly with butternut or to reversion to a parent oriental type. So far, it has been out of the question to hazard a reasonably safe assumption as to the staminate parent of all particular crosses by merely studying the botanical characteristics of the butterjap offspring.

Several years ago Mr. Bixby planted a number of butterjap seed nuts, hoping that under the Mendelian law, the characteristics of the two parents would segregate themselves. The trunk and bark of some of the trees resembled black walnut quite distinctly, while none resembled the butternut. So far as is known to the writer, none of the trees have yet fruited. One of the several butterjap trees in Galena, Md., previously referred to, produced nuts rather more like black walnuts than butternuts. These two instances therefore, would suggest Japanese × black walnut parentage.

Black Walnut Root Toxicity

On several occasions discussions of root toxicity between the black walnut and certain of its neighbors have taken place at Association meetings. The theory that black walnut trees give off toxic properties from their roots, which are fatal to other plants, is therefore not new. Some years ago the Virginia Experiment Station definitely isolated a toxic substance which was held responsible for the death of tomatoes, potatoes, alfalfa, blackberry plants and apple trees when these other plants were grown in close enough proximity for their roots to come in contact with those of the black walnut. This work was reported in various publications and was written up by several different authors.

Since then, as well as before, the writer has looked for similar evidence, but, so far, in vain. Each of these crops, including tomatoes, potatoes, alfalfa, blackberries and apples, have been seen growing in as close contact with black walnut as they could possibly be placed. Oftentimes they have been found much nearer to black walnut trees than would have been wise to place them to oak, hickory, ash or other species of large growing trees. This does not mean that when the roots are in actual contact the toxic agent of the black walnut roots would not prove fatal to the other plants but it does indicate that in the great majority of cases there is no practical danger.

Anyone who has doubt about the healthy condition of these other species when grown close together with black walnut trees, may obtain evidence for himself by noting the frequent combination of this sort easily found in fields and gardens of the country and small towns. It is surprising how often these combinations of black walnut and other species are to be seen. Any unprejudiced person could hardly fail to become convinced that, in the great majority of cases, the danger is of small practical consequence. The roots of the black walnut run deeply under ground and it is entirely conceivable that in deep soil they do not ordinarily come up to the shallower levels of the roots of most other species.

Summary

A summary of the year's developments might be arranged about as follows:

(1) More black walnut kernels were harvested and consumed during the year than ever before.

(2) Prices to the farmer reached about the same low level of the year preceding, but the total drop during recent years was probably not in proportion to the drop of most other food products.

(3) Crop prospects in 1933 are unfavorable for another large crop. Prices are starting out considerably higher than for several years.

(4) Production of black walnuts from grafted trees under cultivation is altogether insignificant in comparison with that from chance seedlings receiving no special cultivation.

(5) Grafting and planting are taking place at too moderate a rate to materially alter the ratio of production from seedling to that of grafted trees in the near future.

(6) There has been considerable improvement during recent years in the manner of preparing and packing black walnut kernels for market, but there is need for further advance along this line.

(7) Merchants engaged in handling black walnut kernels predict that there will continue to be a normal steady increase in consumption, now that the market has become established, trade channels opened up, and consumers habits somewhat established.

(8) Walnut hybrids occur frequently in nature. So far, none have appeared which were of special value because of the character of nuts which they produce. So-called butterjaps appear to be possible from either certain crosses or from reversion to parent oriental types.

(9) Ordinarily, other crops may be interplanted with black walnuts with as great safety as with most other equally large growing and deep-rooted trees.