The Oskaloosa herald. (Oskaloosa, Mahaska County, Iowa) 1885-1919, 1902-10-02
THE nut HARVEST.
Crop Said to be the Most PIenti.
full in Years.

The time for the annual harvest of
nuts has arrived, and where the trees
exist the crop is said to be very boun-
tiful. Many people are taking adj
vantage of this delightful and profit
able recreation, and. of the harvesters
it may be said, ''the woods is full Of
them"
Walnuts tobe good must be gather
ed early and require some little at
tention after they have been gathered.
The best walnuts are procured just be-
fore they fall from the trees. They
should not be allowed to remain in the
green covering after they are gather
ed, but should be hulled at once and
placed in a moderately warm place to
dry. After they have dried out sufi-
GENTLY to prevent them from mould
! ing, they should be placed in cool
place, where they should be kept until
wanted If this 5 done they will not
have that strong taste which is SO dis
agreeable to some people.
A Good Crop of Hickory Nuts.
The hickory nut crop, too, is said to
be a good one this year. 1t is>a well
known fact that hickory nut trees sell
dom bear two years in succession. The
trees that bore last year will in all
probability not produce this year. This
is one reason why the hickory nut
crop is not as good as is the walnut.
Another reason is the fact that the
Il, 1,ry, Oh q 1nTprn
number of the hickory trees. Anyone
passing through almost any timber in
southern Iowa is impressed with the
great number of dead hickory trees
that are to be seen. Large straight
trees, many of which are large enough
for saw timber are dead from the very
roots to the tip of the topmost branch.
For this reason more than any other
the hickory nut crop is not what it was
few years ago, but from all indica-
lions the crop this year will neverthe-
less be a good one. Hickory nuts
need not be gathered until they fall
of their own account" says one who
knows, "but if you wait that long for
them there is danger that the squir-
rels are going to get there before you
| do and about all they will leave you
will be a lot of hulls to show you what
a good thing you might have had.
These nuts, too, to retain their good
flavor should be kept in a place that
| is not too warm"
HazeInut Bushes Loaded.
The hazelnut bushes are said to be
| loaded this season. Not only this but
a man who has tested them says that
| that there are less number of spoil
ed ones this year than has ever been
| before. Owing to the damp weather
during a great part of the season they
have done we'll and indications are for
a big crop. There are now no such
crops as there were years ago though,
for like the hickory nuts the hazel
nuts have to a marked extent had
their day Wherever there are bushes
this season there are hazelnuts but
in this part of the country the bushes
are not nearly so plentiful as they
were few years ago. Farmers coald
not afford to pay tax on land to raise
a lot of brush so they have had much
of the brush cleared off and where" it
was all brush a few years ago the
ground is now producing big crops of
corn or some other paying product.
Must be Gathered EARLY,
IF YOU are expecting, says an ad.
wiser with experience, "to gather a
crop of hazelnuts this season, don't
make, a mistake by waiting too long
because if you do you are sure to be
disappointed. After the first frost ii
is not very long until the pods turn
brown and dry up. AS: soon as this
takes place the nuts will either fall
out of their own accord or be shaken
out by the wind and falling upon the
Iground will be picked up by the birds
and squirrels. All kinds of squirrels
have a special fondness for hazelnuts
but it is the little ground squirrel OF
chipmunk that makes away with the
Egreat portion of the crop. This is in
kdeed his busy season and he may be
Iseen along most any old fence or fallen
tree at most any hour in the day hard
at work laying up his winter supply Of
food. The jaybiRd, too, is a great low
er of hazelnuts and the number that
one of them can dispose of in a day
is something enormous. They eat as
long as they can and when they get t
that place where they can't eat any
more, they get busy carrying the nuts
away and hiding them in some hollow
tree or stump. The jay is welcome tc
all he can get, however, He is hare
worker and no one will begrudge hin