Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Eleventh Annual Meeting: Washington, D. C. October 7 and 8, 1920
Science
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Eleventh Annual Meeting: Washington, D. C. October 7 and 8, 1920
Northern Nut Growers Association -- Periodicals; Nut trees -- Periodicals; Nuts -- Periodicals
In this connection a short history of the Boone tree will be of
interest. In the spring of 1895 Mr. Endicott fertilized blossoms of
Parry's Japan Giant chestnut with pollen of a native American chestnut
and planted the nuts. This cross was made with difficulty for the
American and Japan chestnuts do not bloom at the same time and it was
several years after he had made up his mind to make the cross before he
was able to do it. In the fall of 1897 one of the trees produced six
burrs filled with nuts and was named the Boone. Since then it has borne
as follows: 1898, 1 lb.; 1899, 3 lbs.; 1900, 5 lbs.; 1901, 6
lbs.; 1902, 8 lbs.; 1903, 12 lbs.; 1904, 17 lbs.; 1905, 25 lbs.; 1906,
31 lbs.; 1907, 43 lbs.; 1908, 50 lbs.; 1909, 56 lbs.; 1910, 5 lbs.
(small crop due to hard freeze in April); 1911, 80 lbs.; 1912, 76 lbs.;
1913, 140 lbs.; 1920, 153 lbs. I am not informed as to the crops in 1914
to 1919 inclusive. Two other trees of the same parentage planted at the
same time bore 128 lbs. and 168 lbs. respectively in 1920. If we
consider that chestnut trees are set 40 feet apart each way, which means
27 trees to the acre, and estimated the crop at a fraction of that borne
by the Boone tree we shall still have figures sufficient to show the
wonderful possibilities of the chestnut in those sections outside of the
native chestnut area of the country where it will succeed.
Mr. Riehl also has black Walnuts. He procured a Thomas black walnut from
Joseph W. Thomas & Son, King of Prussia, Pa., fifteen or sixteen years
ago. From that original Thomas tree he has top worked a lot of seedling
black walnut trees and he has I should think between one and two hundred
in bearing at the present time many of them bearing heavy crops. It is
very evident that Mr. Riehl has in his chestnuts and in his black
walnuts gotten northern nut culture down to the point where it pays. I
wanted to get Mr. Olcott to go there on his trip and get some facts from
Mr. Riehl to present at this meeting. When I was there I had another
mission in mind and I spent the time in getting what I went for.
Consequently I did not get all the practical details and results in
dollars and cents which we ought to have to demonstrate that it has been
a commercial success. But I am satisfied that it is because he is
constantly increasing his plantings.
MR. JONES: Two years ago he favored black walnuts.
MR. BECHTEL: What has he done with pecans?
THE SECRETARY: The pecan is native with him but he is probably pretty
near its northern limit even though I have found it bearing good crops
further north. The pecans I have seen at Alton do not seem to be bearing
much. He has one or two northern varieties top worked on native pecans
one eight years old and another one five neither one of which is
bearing.
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