Northern Nut Growers Association Report of the Proceedings at the 41st Annual Meeting Part 42

Dear Mr Becker:

I have heard that not long ago you sent out a questionnaire relative to nut growing and grafting. Perhaps you would like to include the work which has been going on at the Minnesota Agricultural Experiment Station since 1918.

When this study was started, we had no information to give to many who came to us with questions on nut growing possibilities in this state. At no time have we attempted to promote commercial development as the interest here seems to be almost wholly amateur.

Our first efforts, begun in 1918, were designed to test kinds and varieties which could be grown in Minnesota. Black walnut varieties such as Thomas, Ohio, Ten Eyck, Stabler and Miller were planted at University Farm. Also sweet chestnuts Boone, Rochester, Cooper, Paragon, Fuller and Progress were set out. Hickory varieties and hybrids planted in 1918 and 1919 were Kirtland, Weiker, Stanley, Siers, Hales and McCallister. We planted a few trees of the Franquette Persian walnut, the Indiana, Niblack and Posey pecans and a few filberts such as Minnas Zellernuss, Daviana, and Large Globe. Some seedling trees of the s.h.a.gbark hickory also were set out in 1918 and 1919.

To supplement this test somewhat similar collections were sent to cooperators in what seemed to be favorable locations.

We had the usual difficulty in establishing these trees and winter temperature eliminated all the pecans, sweet chestnuts, Persian, walnuts and filberts. Some of the seedling hickories survived and have grown vigorously but after thirty-two years have borne no nuts.

Since 1939 cooperative work has been under way with Professor R. E.

Hodgson at the Southeast Experiment Station, Waseca. Efforts there mainly have been to establish varieties of black walnut and hickory by grafting. Black walnut and hickory varieties have been grafted also at the Fruit Breeding Farm, Excelsior.

The accompanying record is taken from a report for the Experiment Station in 1949. It should tell you in brief the status of our investigations at present.

Very truly yours, W. G. BRIERLEY

University of Minnesota Department of Agriculture Division of Horticulture

Nature and Extent of Work Done this Year

All black walnut and hickory trees made fairly satisfactory growth in 1948 in spite of deficient rainfall. The "Gideon Seedling Hickories"

(~Carya laciniosa~) planted in 1945 have become established at Waseca, Rochester, Lakeville, Mound and at the Fruit Breeding Farm.

Attempts to establish nut varieties by top-working on seedling trees again met with poor success. At Waseca 5 of 14 hickory grafts and 4 of 25 black walnut grafts grew. At the Fruit Breeding Farm only 6 of 33 hickory grafts grew. In this case, the poor results were due in large part to use of an asphalt grafting compound which injured the callus tissue at the union. Better than usual success was obtained with black walnuts as 19 of 37 grafts grew.

As in previous seasons, the best temperature for storage of scion wood was 34 to 36 degrees F.

Major Results

The best black walnut varieties for Minnesota are Thomas, Ohio, Stambaugh, Smith and Schwartz. Of these Thomas produces the best nuts, but the tree is somewhat straggly in growth. The Ohio produces large nuts of good quality and is by far the best tree in ornamental value. It also is the hardiest of all varieties tested as it has shown no injury during 16 winters. Of lesser value are Ten Eyck which apparently is not fully hardy, and Mintle in which quality is poor here. Varieties which have not shown sufficient merit to warrant recommendation here are Stabler, Monterey, and Clark. Varieties which have not fruited are Allen, Cochrane, Huber, Kraus and Myers.

Practical Application of Results or Public Benefits

Results obtained have been used frequently as basis for recommendations relative to kinds and varieties for planting, and for grafting methods.

Scionwood of the better varieties has been distributed to interested growers.

Progress of Work

Success with walnut grafts under all conditions during 16 years at the Fruit Breeding Farm has averaged only 32 per cent. In individual seasons success has varied from zero to 54 per cent.

Hickories not only are grafted with difficulty but also are very slow to reach bearing age. No nuts have been produced as yet from the following varieties grafted on the dates shown: Anthony (1939) Lingenfelter (1942) Burlington (1944) Gerardi hican (1944) Miller (1947) Barnes (1948) Last (1948) Marquette (1948) and Schinnerling (1948). Some seedling trees planted in 1948-1949 have produced no nuts in 32 years.

Hickory varieties established at Waseca by grafting are Beaver (1939), Fairbanks (1939), Burlington (1939), Anthony (1947), Billeau (1947), Hagen (1947), Wilc.o.x (1947), Last (1948). Marquette (1948) and Stratford (1948). A tree of Hales planted in 1921, which grew very slowly for several years has borne no nuts in 27 years. One tree of Fairbanks grafted in 1939 bore a few nuts in 1944 but has not borne since then.

There has been a long-standing belief among horticulturists that grafts of ~Carya ovata~, the s.h.a.gbark hickory are incompatible on bitter hickory ~C. cordiformis~. At Waseca, grafts of Beaver, Burlington and Fairbanks make in 1939 have healed completely and made excellent unions with the bitter hickory stock. That the varieties named are of hybrid origin may account for the compatibility apparent in this case.

Vegetarian, 93, and Bride, 60, Honeymoon Among Bananas, Nuts

MIAMI, Fla., Jan. 4--(UP)--A 93-year-old vegetarian and his 60-year old bride settled down today for a honeymoon among the nuts and bananas they say keep them young.

George Hebden Corsan and Lillian Armstrong, whose pert looks belie her years, were married here Tuesday. Wedding guests were served orange juice and coconut cream milk.

The bridegroom has been wintering here for the past 13 years. His home is Echo Valley, Islington, Toronto. His wife retired last month after 30 years of teaching in Toronto public schools.

"I'm sure we'll be happy," Mrs. Corsan said. "We have mutual interests"

Both credit their youthfulness and agility to vegetarianism, drinking gallons of fruit juices and staying outdoors as much as possible.

Corsan, whose st.u.r.dy 155 pounds are stretched on a six-foot frame, can husk a coconut with his bare hands in less than two minutes, no mean feat.

He operates a large experimental nut farm in Toronto, and has a 16-acre tract just south of here where he grows seven varieties of bananas and experiments with macadamia nuts, furnished him by the University of Hawaii. He works the farm singlehanded.

Corsan says he taught another physical culturist, Bernarr MacFadden, to swim in 1909 when he was an instructor at a Brooklyn YMCA. He says swimming helps keep him in shape and takes a daily dip in the ocean.

The Corsans will spend their honeymoon right on the nut farm.

"We might have a few fights," he said. "But they won't last long. She's too young to fight. And besides, she can outrun an English hare."

Broken Neck Fails to Halt Plans of "Youngster", 94

TORONTO, June 12--Physical Culturist George Hebden Corsan--just turned 94--says he is going to throw a birthday party Sat.u.r.day, Right now he's in the hospital recovering from a broken neck suffered when he fell 20 feet from a tree May 27.

Mr. Corsan--a vegetarian who once labeled medicine "a jumbled heap of ignorance"--didn't want to go to the hospital at all. But doctors thought he'd better, since the fracture was about like that suffered by a man hanged on the gallows. He agreed to go after being a.s.sured the visit would only be for X-rays.

Since he's been in the hospital Mr. Corsan has fared--over the protest of diet.i.tians--on nothing but orange juice. Yesterday he observed his birthday by eating a banana and a little black bread.

Doctors said Mr. Corsan missed severing his spinal cord by a quarter inch and had two skull fractures. To almost any other person, they said, the injury would be fatal.

Mr. Corsan was married for the third time last January in Florida.--Washington Evening Star, June 13, 1951.