Little attention has thus far been given, says the Oneida Circular, in this country, to the cultivation of nut bearing trees. It is, however, said by some, that the yield of nut orchards in nuts and lumber would pay a good percentage on the capital invested in them, especially if the trees were planted on rough, hilly land, suitable for meadow and the production of crops requiring much hand culture.

For the purpose of showing that those who may engage in the enterprise will not necessarily have to wait a lifetime in order to see the fruits of their labor, I will state a few facts in regard to an experiment on a small scale. Eighteen years ago, one dozen trees each of the hickory nut and the black walnut of moderate size were obtained from a nursery. The trees were mostly set out by the roadside, in rather a hard, gravelly soil. They received no culture, and for a year or two success seemed doubtful. However, all but one survived, and finally became established. The hickory trees have grown nuts for the past two years. One tree, a year ago, produced three and a half barrels of nuts, as they came from the tree. The trunks of some of these trees measure one foot in diameter near the ground.

About the same time that these trees were set out, some chestnuts were planted in the seed bed. From these, trees have been produced that have borne nuts the past two years, making about sixteen years from the seed to the bearing state. But it is by no means necessary to wait even this length of time for results; trees can now be obtained at the nurseries by the thousand, of suitable size for planting. These, if the work has not already been done, may be grafted, taking cions 'from bearing trees that are known to produce the largest and finest nuts. This process would considerably shorten the time before bearing, also secure the all-important end of producing the most valuable nuts.

Now as to the market value of nuts: - It is known that the price of edible nuts has steadily increased as they became more and more scarce, until at the present time our native chestnuts sometimes bring in the market the sum of ten and twelve dollars a bushel; hickory nuts, four dollars; while Spanish chestnuts, I am told, are worth from fifteen to eighteen dollars a bushel. The latter variety may also be grafted on our native stock if desirable. It is not as hardy as our native chestnut, and would require the advantage of more favored localities.