From my experience I would suggest that if one is marking or cutting the patch on the stalk 8 or 10 days ahead of placing the bud thereon, that one be very careful not to cut too deeply as a large percentage of those I so cut were so badly discolored that I had to cut a new place when placing the bud, as those done 10 days previous showed a one-eighth inch dead and discolored portion around the cut that extend one-sixteenth inch into the trunk of the tree, and no union could possibly take place on such a spoiled cambium surface.
Bus Tour September 12th
By J. W. Hershey
Downington, Pennsylvania
Leaving the Hotel Swan at 8:45 A.M. with a bus load and 8 cars the tour proceeded to Dr. Truman W. Jones' grove of 800 trees, 4 and 6 years old, 6 miles west of Coatesville on the Lincoln Highway. Dr. Jones has continually farmed his land which has helped greatly to carry the planting.
The next stop was at the nursery of the late J. F. Jones, now operated by his daughter Mildred, south of Lancaster. Here we saw the interesting test orchard of English walnuts, pecans and black walnuts. Most interesting was the test block of hybrid filbert-hazels started by Mr. Jones some years ago.
The next stop was at C. F. Hostetter's 1,000 tree grove at Bird-in-Hand, east of Lancaster, where we saw what Mr. Hostetter told about in his paper yesterday. His trees all looked nice and many trees were well loaded with nuts.
Next stop was at L. K. Hostetter's grove of 800 trees near Oregon. Here very interesting observations were made in tree and grove procedure. Part of the grove is now in blue grass and sheep, making a very beautiful setting. Part is interplanted with locust trees, the idea being to feed the ground with a legume tree and get something in return from the wood. As the locusts crowd the walnuts they will be cut.
Demonstrations were given in hulling walnuts with a Ford car which was done by jacking up one rear wheel. A trough is inserted under the wheel lined with a piece of truck tire. A mud chain is put on the wheel and as the wheel revolves, nuts are poured in via a metal chute and the nuts fly out the other end very well hulled. The jack is used to adjust the wheel to different sizes of nuts.
Lem's next eye-opener was a brand new method of separating the hulls from the nuts. Two 2-inch pipes are laid on an incline the thickness of a walnut hull, about a half inch, apart. The pipes revolve and the hulls and nuts are poured on at the top. As they roll down the incline, and the rolls revolve, the hulls are caught by the rolls or pipes and pulled through the crack between them. A most remarkable and simple method solving one of the major problems in commercial walnut growing.