The neglected and over-grown walnut seedlings now began to serve a
useful purpose in grafting the new varieties which I obtained for
testing in this locality. These were propagated by obtaining scionwood
from the originators of the variety and grafting it on these seedling
trees. My technical knowledge had increased by this time to such an
extent that I was usually certain of one-half of the grafts growing. The
behavior of the Rohwer and Paterson in 1937 invited nursery propagation
on a greater scale than did other better-known types, because of their
qualities of hardiness and earlier-ripening.

In the spring of 1937, these native seedlings were again offered to the
spirit of propagation, when a large part of the scionwood of English
walnuts I had imported from the Carpathian mountains of Poland was
grafted on them. The success of my grafting in this instance was only
about 1-1/2%, showing that something was decidedly wrong. Two
conclusions were possible: Either the scionwood had been injured by
transportation and the severe winter temperatures during January and
February of 1937 during which they were stored, or incompatibility
existed between the imported walnuts and our local ones. My conclusion
now is that when these stocks are fifteen years old or more and are
thrifty, they will support grafting of the Carpathian English walnuts
much more successfully than they will in their first decade of growth.
Results have shown that these local stocks will accept such grafts,
however, and that crops of English walnuts will be produced. The
fertility of the soil must be maintained carefully, since the English
walnut top tends to overgrow its black walnut root-stock, and unless
nutritional substance for the support of these tops is fed to the
root-system, meager crops, if any, will result.

I might note in comparison to the 1-1/2% success I had in this grafting,