The percentage of grafts starting depends largely on the scion wood. Wood cut from vigorous young trees which is grafted the same day will give a 90 percent stand or better, but wood from other sources varies according, to the age and vigor of the tree from which it is cut and the percentage of success may be much less.
This method is useful for small scale operations where a greenhouse is available and it is desirable to do the grafting before outside work interferes with it. For one not skilled in nut tree grafting success is probably more certain than with nursery grafting.
1 Witt, A. W. The vegetative propagation of walnuts. Ann. Rpt. of the East Malling Research Station 14th and 15th Yrs. 1926-1927 II Supplement pp. 60-64.
President Davidson: There are plenty of us who don't know much about grafting, and I did want you to hear Mr. Slate's method. It is certainly worth trying and would come at a pleasant time of the year, would be easy to do, and any of us could try it out.
We now should like to hear from Mr. Clarke on Nut Investigations at Pennsylvania State College.
Nut Investigations at the Pennsylvania State College
WILLIAM S. CLARKE, JR., State College, Pennsylvania
Our present work in nut growing at the Pennsylvania State College was begun in 1946. Some work had been started many years ago, and a small number of trees were planted, mostly black walnut; but a site was selected which proved to be very cold and frosty, and most of the trees soon died. Further work had been planned at a later date, but the depression and lack of labor and land prevented us from getting under way then.
When the present project in nut growing was approved, the country was just beginning to recover from the recent war, and materials of most kinds, including nut trees, were very difficult to obtain. Therefore, in order to learn as much as possible about nut trees, we started at the beginning, with the seed. About two bushels of hulled black walnuts were collected from fence-row trees; some were planted out in the ground that autumn, and some were placed in soil in a box and kept over winter on the outdoor porch of the packing house. Some hickory and pecan nuts were bought and also stored in a similar box. The only nuts which grew were those planted out in the ground. They gave us a good germination, while not a single nut stored in the boxes grew.