Last winter was a severe one in Wolfeboro, New Hampshire (43 deg. 36' north latitude.) We had more than the usual amount of snow, and although the temperature did not get down much lower than 25 deg. below zero at my place, it remained cold for many days at a time without relief. This, and the fact that last fall was one of the driest seasons on record, plus the fact that this spring it rained almost continuously for more than a month, resulted in considerable damage to my nut trees. My Broadview Persian walnut graft suffered severe damage, with branches up to two inches in diameter being killed. Whether this was from frost or lack of moisture in the fall I do not know, but two Crath Persian walnuts, one of which is situated within fifty feet of the Broadview, suffered no apparent winter injury at all. Neither Broadview nor Crath bore any nuts this year, whereas last year the Broadview produced eighteen nuts. My Gellatly heartnut also suffered severe winter injury similar to the Broadview Persian walnut, and after it leafed out it looked as if a fire had gone through it because of the dead wood. However, it is bearing thirteen nuts this year. Strange to say, the black walnut trees did not suffer any winter injury (the Thomas, set out in the spring of 1939, having been injured in each previous winter), except that the Tasterite is barren of nuts this year against a pretty good crop last year. However, the Thomas is bearing a fair crop, but the nuts are smaller than usual. While my hickory trees appeared to suffer no winter injury, out of possibly two dozen that I have planted since 1939 I expect to have only three left. The number had dwindled to nine last year, and six of those I am afraid will be dead by the end of next year. These six had done well for six or seven years. The cause appears to be poor circulation through the graft union. This is unfortunate as I believe hickory trees will live and bear fruit in our climate. I had the usual experience with filberts and hazelnuts, namely that the catkins were, for the most part, Winter killed. There, are no nuts on Rush, Barcelona, Medium Long, or Red Lambert, and the Winkler bushes [self-fertile--Ed.] which bore heavily last year (although the nuts did not fully ripen), are bearing only a few nuts this year. Native butternut trees last year bore a heavy crop of nuts. This year, the crop is very light. As an experiment, I planted three Chinese chestnuts this spring: Abundance, Nanking, and a "straight line" seedling. Although I haven't much hope that they will survive many winters, I thought I would try them out. Several people have inquired about nut growing in New Hampshire, and I have sent them a resume of my experiences. Breeding Chestnuts in the New York City Area ALFRED SZEGO, Jackson Heights, New York City [Part of a letter to the Secretary, October 27, 1948.]