Savannah morning news., 1886-01-23
NUT BEARING TREES.
Many Things to be Learned in Regard
ito EaisinE Them.


perhaps quite as much 90 unioarn, about
raising trees that produce edible nuts,
such as the pecan, hickory, black walnut
ana butterRut. We have been lnIoimeo'
ever since attempts were made 10 raise
hese trees from seed, that tleuuts should
hever be allowed TO become dry, as dry
ING destroyed their vitality mat they
should be exposed to tho action OF the
frost durinc the winter, as freezing is
necesearv 20 divide the Two portions OF
the sholi. SO that the spr0uta aud root can
force their way out; that the nuts must
he planted in the places where trees are
wanted for ths reason tnat they cannot
be transulanted, and that the young trees
will die If tAo tap-root is removed or
ehorteped During the past few years
several have stated that they have sue
cessNillv trsusUlantCd hickory, pecan
and walnut trees from two to ten years
of age bv cutting OF the tap-root and
allowing II TO remain iu the ground. and
that they did well after they were moved,
Still many declare that the trees thus
treated and trausp planteu Will, Ike the
go0d. adie v0ung" and that they Will
never produce q crop OF nuts like trees
that retain their tap-roots ana winch
were never transp anted.
Quite likely an entirely different sys-
tern OF raising nut-beariHg trees VIII De
adopted within a very few years IN con-
sequence or uforma ati0n obtained by ac-
cfdent or experiment. There is no good
reason for believing that nuts that have
become dry wiA not germinate. IL IS
certain tlattbcv viii not sprOut until
thew are made moist, but it is likely tina:
some plauber viii ascertain that old and
dried nuts will readily sprOut If they are
soaked ia telid water several days before
they are placed in the soil. 1t is also
likely tnat an application of boiling
water. which IS used to hasten the ger
7n5naa1n of locust and Osage-OranRe
seed. would be highly beneficial Freez-
iug may oe. and quite likely is, favorable
20 the speedy termination Of nuts, but 1t
Dis certain that il is by no means essen
tiaI A very large proportion OF all our
edible nuts are obtained from tropical or
semi-trOpical countries, where frost Is
unknown Man OF them cone from Bra
zn, where the trees tnat produce them
grow beside palm, pepper and coIee trees.
Pecan, hickory, black walnut and butter
nut trees are common and very produc-
tive in Florida. Louisiana and Texas,
where thcIe is scarcely ever any frost to
iujure the orange, and where the soil ls
never frozen
That trees can he produced by planting
the nuts inthe places where trees are de-
sired is certain. Tne like Is true Of all
kinds OF fruit trees. But this method OF
growiu- trees is Open to many objections.
The soil occupied by Young trees should be
derthzed and carefully worked. On tins
account il is much better TO raise the
trees Till they are several years old III
nursery rooms. and TO then transplant
them to The places where they are wanted.
There would be ten nut-bealng trees
planted where there is but one now If
they could be obtained from nurseTymen
as fruit and Orname ntM trees are. Many
wish 20 have trees OF good size growing
on. their farms as soon as possible. They
would prefer to buy trees than TO wait
for them 10 crow from nuts gathered and
planted by themselves. ii the public
could be convinced that nurseTy-groWn
nut-prodUcinr trees would stand trans
portabiOn like apple, cherry ana maple
trees. nurserymeu would raise them, and
nearly ever farmer in The West would
purchase them. The belief, however IS
general that they will not live to become
stately trees ana to produce nuts il their
Iap-roats are cut OF, and it is almost I'M
possible TO remove them without doing
so.
Mr. A. s. Fuller, in his work on practi-
cal forestry, states that a tap-rOOt Is not
essential To lie, growth, or productive
ness OF nut-prO1uclng trees. lie IS in
cIined 10 the opinion that the removal or
GhoLlGA41AA Oi bLS lebtl-lObs Va hu-- pANNuN-
ing tress is beneficial. IS il causes the
growth OF lateFals. He states that
walnut or hickory tree one year old will
often have a tap-rOOt three feet IN length,
while the stem is but a foot high, He ad-
VOcates cutting this root Gil with some
sharp implement so that IL will be no
longer than the stem. He would also
shorten or bend out the longest lateral
aoOts ON transplautiug the young tree.
This will render the work Of transplant
ang easy. He affirms that the tGp-rOot OF
the tree is generally very short lived. II
the tree grows on very dry and rocky
soil the tap-root may live for many years
and be of great value TO the tree by OBJ
tanning moisture at depth not reached
by ordinary roots. On moist soils, how
ever he declares that the tap-rOOt dies
after the tree becomes well established
and sttains a considerable size. Trees
overturned by tornadoes or by machines
show that not one IN a hundred have a
tap-r0Ot. They died and decRyed 50
many years before that the positions they
once occupied cannot be ascertalned.
Bis opinion is that a tap-root may be ad-
Vantage0us TO a tree growing in a dense
forest where the soil is wen occupied BY
trees having many lateral roots. In such
q situation the tap-rOOt would not come
IN competition with the side or lateral
roots OF other and older trees. and wOul Id
obtain nutriment which would insure it's
growth. II it had no tap-root the spread
Jng branches Of other trees might deprive
it Of any chance 10 live. But he holds
that the tap-roOt generally becomes use
]ess after a few years, when it dies and
decays and bark forms over the spot il
occupies.
Admitting the conclusion OF Mr.. Fuller
70 be correct, there should be little
difficulty in establishing a shelter-belt or
grove of nut-bearing trees ia few years.
In maEy places Seeding nut-bearing
trees Of small sizes are very numerous.
They sometimes stand SO thick that it f.
necessary b cut some OF them out 90
allow the others a chance to grow. Many
young hick0ries are annually cut for
h0op-pOles. The removal OF these trees
would be comparatively easy. A trench
could be dug around each tree in the fall
and the tap-rOOt cut oil with shafr
chisei or other instrument. During ina
winter the tree could DE removed. with a
large ball Of ear th adherng to the roots
The trees could be hauled on sleds 10 near
the places where they are wanted, the
roots aud eaFtn around them being pro
tected by straw Or hay, and set out a.
soon as the frost leaves the ground u tho
spring. This method OF trausplautinl
quite large trees Is extensively practicet
in this city. NUtprOducug trees coulc
also be raised in nursery-rows or In com