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["tanis cuff" <tanistanis@hotmail.com>]

Wow.   Nice start, thanks.  I read somewhere that black walnuts are on the 
edge of their range in south-central WI, but some were planted locally 50-60 
years ago and they are now quite the weed-tree.  I believe the originals 
here were planted as timber trees, or, not particularly selected.  I think 
we do occasionally get the frost damage to early growth in late freezes, but 
most years the trees produce a nut crop.  Mostly keeping the squirrels 
healthy.  But if I ever have to abandon the apple & pear efforts, black 
walnuts & shagbark hickories (which also grow like weeds) will be the next 
focus.


----Original Message Follows----
From: Lucky Pittman >
To: North American Fruit Explorers <
Subject: [NAFEX] Black Walnuts
Date: Thu, 03 Aug 2006 12:10:56 -0500

While most 'wild-type' black walnuts produce nuts with thick shells
and kernel percentages in the 12-20% range, there are a number of
really good selections with thin shells, improved cracking
characteristics, and significantly higher kernel percentages -
frequently in the 35-40% range.  One 'Pounds #2" tree, in Les
Wilmoth's orchard, produced a crop last year that averaged 55%
kernel/shell ratio.

My friends John & Lisa Brittain (John will be one of the presenters
at the upcoming NAFEX meeting in Lexington) offer a number of
superior BWs from their Nolin River Nut Tree Nursery -
http://www.nolinnursery.com/Walnuts.htm

Linked below is a good article on commercial BW cultivars, by Dr Bill Reid:
http://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/proceedings1990/V1-327.html

Personally, I've always liked "Emma Kay" and "Daniels", but John &
Les have been really high on "Thomas Myers" for this area; Gerald
Gardner in MO says "Neel #1" is the very best BW he's ever grown -
wishes he'd had it available 15 years ago.
Our friend Gordon Nofs likes "Kwik Krop" - best production and flavor
for him there in Flint, MI.
Clermont has the thinnest shell I've ever seen in a BW nut;  Clifford
England suggested to me at one time that he thought Clermont and
Elmer Myers were one and the same - but I've not grown EM to compare the 
two.

More BW info is available online at the NNGA website:
http://www.northernnutgrowers.org

Lucky

_