With an estimated ten thousand Persian walnut seedlings growing in Pennsylvania, the Pennsylvania nut growers are faced with a big task to sort out the best and get them tested in different sections of the state. We should find the best half dozen varieties for each section.
The Persian walnut is established in Pennsylvania and in northern Ohio. There are not just a few scattered trees having a hard time to survive but there are many thousands of them, growing vigorously, some producing big crops of fine nuts, others not producing any. They are ready now for the intelligent development you can give to them. Nature has gone about as far as she will without your assistance. The job now is up to you nut growers.
(1) Northern Nut Growers Annual Report Vol. Page Persian walnuts history of in Penna. Rush 5 93 history of in Cal. Reed, C. A. 6 51 introduction of Carpathian. Crath 27 103 distribution of Carpathian. Rahmlow 27 112 survey in Penna. Fagan 6 23 (2) Persian walnut protandrous. Craig 2 106
MR. FRYE: How about butternuts for pollenization?
MR. SHERMAN: I don't know. I have one hybrid, and that's a sample downstairs that I think is an English walnut crossed with a butternut. The nut looks like a butternut; the tree looks like an English walnut, but it has the butternut bark. They will occasionally pollinate, I think, but don't depend on them.
MR. CORSAN: I'll tell you how you can tell. That butternut-English walnut cross is the most powerful tree I ever came across, especially for good wood. I got a tremendous one.
MR. STOKE: I produced, I think, 22 seedling trees from the Lancaster Persian walnut. About five per cent are hybrids. There was one strong-growing black × Persian hybrid that I am sure of. There are three or four very dwarfish trees that undoubtedly were crossed with the heartnut. They were all dwarf. I haven't been able to get one to bear. I have had one grafted five or six years on a black walnut, but that was the heartnut and not the butternut.
MR. SHERMAN: That study of the hybrid is another story and really doesn't belong in this discussion at all.
MR. CORSAN: Here is a point on that. When they are only that high (indicating)--if they are only babies, I can tell them. You know, occasionally. Look at the leaflets on the compound leaf, and if there are over seven, they are hybrids, and if they are extra vigorous growing, they are hybrids, because they occasionally pollenize.