St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1891-08-08
Cracked at the Fireside in
Winter, the Kernel Is
Pleasant,
But the Raising Of the Pro-
dueing Tree a CONNER
eial Necessity.
The Hickory Tree Most Diff
cult to Grow in Our Ma
tive Soil.
Eut-Bearing Trees Produce
the Most Valuable Manu-
featuring Woods.

featuring Woods.
"Plant the nut trees" is the burden of
the latest advice given the public by
Secretary J. o. Barrett. of the State
Forestry association. and the advice is
timely, as the nutting season is near at
hand. The native ash, box alder, will
lows, cOttOnwOodS, he says, are the
John the Baptists of the vegetable
gospel. preparing the way. Not that
they ever will be abandoned, but serve
as protectors to a more valuable class OF
trees. The elm will ever be a sur
vival of the fittest." 1t is well known
that the nut trees are classified with the
most valuable woods we can grow for
manufacturing purposes, such as the
white and red oak, the hickory, the
walnut. the butternut. The nuts of all
these. except the red oak, have a mark
etable value, worth all the cost OF rals-
ing them. Among these no tree
is more beautiful in body, limo,
leaf and blossom than the
hickory; and this perhaps is the most
difficult of raising in our state. But
any of them will do commercially well
III deep, sandy, light red soil or yellow
loan. Our prairie soil is by no means
foreign to their adaptation, if clay sub
soil, holding moisture, lies below
say at a depth of two feet. If
the surface soil is composed of heavy
mixture of clay, the forest growth IS
stunted.
The safest way is to grow them from
seeds If, however, the seedlings are
treated as here described, we can an
ticiDate success. Locality has much to
do with the qualities of seeds. Where
seeds are shipped in from more south
erly states, the trees thence developed
are not as hardy as from those grown in
our own state, or from climates rigor-
GUS as ours. We should reckon here
the value of our ''native heath" Our
acorns ripen about the last half of Sep
TENDER and first half of October. Those
early falling from their cups are apt to
be worm-eaten. Wait until the storm
or wind makes them hit the ground fast
and hard. Their sound reports their
healthfulness. Gather them at once
and place in shady places to dry;
spread them out quite thin on
the floor: stir them frequently
to prevent heating. In short time
they will be brOWniSh, leathery and
Wrinkled. Then mix them with moist
sand and remove TO a cool cellar, or
about SO deg above zero. Examine
them occasionally to see that that they
do not sprOut. AcOrns, remember, Will
quicken their germs in the warm sun of
the early fall, and are then inclined to
send their top roots into the earth.
Hence, if planted before winter begins
to set in, the frost may destroy the
germs. The safest way is to keep the
Unsupported till November, or till you
are confident "Old BOreaS' is to reign
supreme. so that the germs will not
sprout till spring. DO you want the
oaks for pernfanence? Then plant ac-
cordingly. and say with loving tirmness
-"Stay for a century where L put
yOuw If. however, you want to raise
seedlings for transplanting, keep the
acornS in their Seed-bed and let them
sprout in the spring. Ifyou would gain
time in preparatory transfer growth.
take up the sprouts carefully about the
first of July, cut away the top roots till
about three or four inches remain-cu
as the length of the roots war
rant and transplant into your plant
bed six or eight inches apart
in the drills. Keep the soil moist.
In about four months they have devel-
Oped lots of lateral roots, which cOndi-
ton fits them for tranSplanting in the
fall, or, better. in the coming spring.
Another way for success is to dig side
ways to the top roots. and, with spade.
knife or chiscl, cut out groove of
an inch or more. Then the plants are
left undisturbed to develop their later
ais.
Keep hickory, black walnut and but
ternut exposed to the hard frost. Avoid
4, EDr-
Treat their top rOOtS-if you want to
transplant-as you do those of the oaks.
You can determine what roots are
sound by casting them into water.
Those that swim are good for nothing:
those that sink are sound to the core.
Wish | could safely recommend try
ing the chestnut and the beech. If any
one in the southern part of the state
raises them l would like to know it. and
what their environment. Testimonials
of this kind will encourage others to
copy the example. When our soils are
better fitted for them, and we have bet
ter forest protection, these will be reck-
Oned with our favOrituS.
A word of credit for the hazel. This
is nut-bearing bush; very pretty,
and its mealy nuts delicious, as the
boys well know. 1t possesses a
wonderful ability to improve the soil
where it grows. 1t sheds a prOfusiOn of
leaves. and by other accumulatiOns Of
organic matter prepares barren soils for
higher forms of vegetation. Gather the
seed in the fall when fully ripe and
treat them as you do the hickory or
walnut. 1t will be all right to plant in
the late fall, provided you are insured
against gopbers and rabbits. Plant
them in the hedges. among your trees
and around the skirts of your forest
and in your pasture and beside all your
brooks and streams. 1t is nice thing
to prevent certain boys from meddling
with the apples o. nights. for they are
then cracking nuts. you know.
Another lesson must be learned to
heart. Every one of the nut trees. leav-
ing out the hazel to "whistle itself, -
must be SuccOred during their naScent
growth by pioneer trees. The box
elders are will fitted for this. Plant
these in rows OH each side of the nut
candidates. Cultivate between year
after year-shallOW-till the 1st of July.
When the nut growth warrants, cut out
the box elders, tor your valuable trees
are self-sustaining. Have orchards of
such. say eight or ten feet apart. as a
finality of thinning. and surround them
all with walls of willows and evergreens
so close the wind can't get through, and
in your own lifetime and for your
grOwn-up boys you will have the best
paying Investment on the farm.
BUSINESS BOOMING.