Northern Nut Growers Association, Report Of The Proceedings At The Tenth Annual Meeting.: Battle Creek, Michigan, December 9 and 10, 1919
Science
Northern Nut Growers Association, Report Of The Proceedings At The Tenth Annual Meeting.: Battle Creek, Michigan, December 9 and 10, 1919
Northern Nut Growers Association -- Periodicals; Nut trees -- Periodicals; Nuts -- Periodicals
We have, on certain soils in the southern part of the State, recommended
planting black walnuts for fence posts. The heart wood is very durable
and the tree grows quite rapidly under favorable conditions. Then,
perhaps when the trees are large enough for posts, the owner will decide
to keep them for the nuts and for timber production.
During the past summer the College made a study of native nut tree
plantations in the State with a view to determining the profitableness
of such plantations.
Among the older plantations studied was one in Berrien County. It was
planted 45 years ago and covers four acres. The soil is clay and loam
with a clay sub-soil. Three year old seedlings were used with an average
spacing of about 28 by 32 feet. The grove was cultivated for about 8
years after planting. The trees are now in fairly good condition but
many are affected with heart-rot. They are quite spreading and bushy in
form and are not suitable for lumber. There is now about 30 cords of
wood per acre. The average diameter is 20 inches with an average height
of 60 feet. The ground is sodded over and the grove is used for grazing
sheep. The owner says that about half the trees bear and that the June
bugs are the principal source of trouble, eating the blossoms. The yield
in nuts varies from practically nothing to 25 or 30 bushels for the
entire plantation. About six years ago, the owner reports a crop of 36
bushels, and two years ago a crop of 27 bushels. From these figures I
should say the plantation is a success.
A chestnut plantation in Van Buren County was set 37 years ago and
covers one acre of sandy soil. The plantation was cultivated for about
ten years and corn was grown between the trees. The average tree is 14
inches in diameter and 65 feet tall. The returns have been small because
the trees were planted too close together, but some years the plantation
has yielded 15 bushels of nuts. There are 67 trees on the acre, which is
too many for good nut production. The grove will produce about 20 cords
of wood or about 550 split fence posts per acre.
One of the oldest plantations in the State is 56 years old and covers
1-1/2 acres in Montcalm County. It consists of black walnuts and
chestnuts mixed together. The average black walnut is 14 inches in
diameter and 67 feet tall. The average chestnut is 20 inches in diameter
and 60 feet tall. The spacing is about 40 by 30 feet and the soil is a
gravelly sand. The yield in nuts has been quite small, six to eight
bushels a year.
There are a number of such mixed plantations in the State and it would
seem that the two trees do not do very well together. In this case, I
should say that the soil is not well suited for either tree.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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