Northern Nut Growers Association, report of the proceedings at the eighth annual meeting | Page 6

In looking backward over the past eight years since this association was
organized it might be well to review some of the things accomplished.
When this organization first came into existence there was a small
demand for budded and grafted nut trees, but none were to be had in the
hardy northern varieties. Interest was created, best individual trees have
been located and new varieties introduced. Methods of propagation
have been worked out, public opinion has been moulded, government
investigation has been fostered, commercial planting of northern nut
trees made possible, and today pecans, English walnuts and best
varieties of grafted black walnuts may be had in quantity. This
association has caused thousands of nut trees to be planted that would
otherwise not have been. Some may ask the question, has it paid?
Individually I would say it has not, but collectively it has, and will pay
large dividends to future generations by making it possible for a larger
food supply at a minimum cost.
CARE OF TRANSPLANTED NUT TREES.
It might be well to urge greater care in the cultivation of transplanted
nut trees. Trees should be set fall or early spring while perfectly
dormant. If bodies are wrapped the first summer and first winter it will
prevent much trouble from sun scald. If mounds of earth one foot high
are banked around trees before first cold weather it will often prevent
bark bursting which may be caused by freezing of the trees when full of
sap, caused by late growth. This mound can be removed the next spring
and in case of any winter injury you have plenty of fresh healthy wood
to produce a top.

Cultivation should commence early in the spring and be kept up until
September first. Never allow weeds to grow or ground to become
crusted. Nut trees form new rootlets slowly the first summer and
require special care. After the second summer they will stand more
neglect, but extra cultivation will be rewarded with extra growth at all
times.
FINANCES.
In looking over the treasurer's report at Washington I find a balance of
$21.45, reported at last meeting under date August 14th, 1917.
Treasurer reports balance on hand of $14.13 and no obligations. I think
he is to be congratulated on being able to make ends meet and issue the
reports.
After going over the budget for the coming year I think that we may be
able to keep up this record if the membership committee will look after
new members and see that all old members renew their membership
promptly.
PLACE OF MEETINGS.
Owing to present war conditions the president would recommend that
selection of the next place of meeting be left to executive committee to
be fixed later after conditions and crops for next year are better assured.
It would seem that some central location might draw the largest
attendance and be of greatest benefit to the association for the coming
year.
NUT EXHIBITS.
Nut exhibits should be encouraged as much as possible and prizes
offered when finances will permit, or where members offer special
premiums. This effort will bring out varieties that are worthy of
propagation and valuable trees will be saved to posterity. These
exhibits can often be held in connection with local horticultural
meetings. It is well for our members to keep a watch for such chances.

REASONS FOR OUR LIMITED KNOWLEDGE AS TO WHAT
VARIETIES OF NUT TREES TO PLANT.
PROF. W. N. HUTT, NORTH CAROLINA.
Agriculturally this continent is about three centuries old.
Horticulturally its experience has scarcely reached the century mark.
Practically all the commercial fruit industry of the United States is the
product of the last half century. Relatively speaking we are quite young
and therefore there are a great many things about nut-growing that we
may not be expected to know. In the older lands of Europe and Asia
they have a horticultural experience going back from ten to twenty
centuries.
In this new country the pioneers had necessarily to confine themselves
to the fundamentals and it is to be expected that their horticultural
operations were confined to a very narrow maintenance ratio. As the
country was cleared up and developed certain sections were found to be
especially suited to fruit culture. About these centers specialized
fruit-growing industries were developed. These planters tried out all
available varieties and developed their own methods of culture. As
these industries developed horticultural societies were formed for the
exchanging of ideas and experiences. In 1847 the American
Pomological Society was formed as a national clearing house of
horticultural ideas.
The first work the society undertook was to determine the varieties of
the different classes of fruits suitable for planting in different sections
of the country. Patrick Barry, of Rochester, one of the pioneers of
American horticulture was for years