Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Fifth Annual Meeting: Evansville, Indiana, August 20 and 21, 1914
Science
Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the Fifth Annual Meeting: Evansville, Indiana, August 20 and 21, 1914
Northern Nut Growers Association -- Periodicals; Nut trees -- Periodicals; Nuts -- Periodicals
PROFESSOR SMITH: It would be unkind to criticize so very instructive an
address but there is one thing laid down in that paper I wish to speak
about. I believe we were told we must cultivate our nut trees. I believe
the fact is that in the greater portion of the United States, we can
grow trees, even nut trees, without cultivation. If anybody doesn't
believe that, go to Washington by the Chesapeake Railroad and you will
see thousands of walnut trees along the way. I believe the human race
can grow trees on a hillside without cultivation, and I want to suggest
to persons putting out nut trees to put out a few in places where they
don't have to be plowed, and see if they don't get good results.
Cultivation is not a fundamental element of agriculture or plant life,
but is the quick way to get results.
In many places in Ohio the state experimental work in horticulture,
especially that carried on by F. H. Ballou, has done some wonderful
things in waking up apple orchards that had not grown a quarter of an
inch in years. Merely giving them food has caused them to wake up and
bear. I have seen them, and know. The books say that while apples may
grow without cultivation, peach trees _must_ be cultivated in order to
bear. I have peach trees that are three years old in a rocky piece of
ground. I can't plow it but I have fed some of the peach trees and a few
I did not, that is not much, and the ones that were fed as they should
be are much the biggest and are bearing well. My point is this, keep the
grass well scraped away to prevent trunk injury, and feed even a peach
tree and it will do well. I think the same is true of the nut tree.
Whether a tree that is set out, liberally fed, and the grass kept away
will do as well without cultivation, is a subject worthy of your
consideration and experiment.
THE PRESIDENT: The chair especially desires to call attention to Dr.
Smith's remarks because he has made a very careful study of this
question and his suggestions are worthy of very great consideration. I
have talked these things over with him a great deal and I commend his
remarks especially to the Association for discussion.
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