If
I had written it ten years ago, I should have filled it with
discouragement and disillusion. Now, after growing such trees for more
than 30 years, I realize that the truth lies somewhere between these
extremes, but nearer the first.
It is seldom practical to move native trees very far from their natural
range, nor is it necessary to do so in this part of the north: We have
four fine, native nut trees: the hazel, the butternut, the black walnut
and the hickory. In my experience, these four have completely
demonstrated their practical worth.
If commercialization is the primary hope of the nut tree planter, he
should first consider the large, hardy hybrids, known as hazilberts,
which I have produced between a large Wisconsin wild hazel and European
filberts. Hazilberts equal the best European filberts in every way,
without the latter's disadvantage of susceptibility to hazel blight and
its lack of hardiness. They are as hardy as the common wild hazel and
are more adaptable to environment and soil conditions than any other
native nut tree. They may be trained into trees or allowed to grow as
large bushes. Like all other filberts and hazels, they, too, need
companion plants for cross pollinization to obtain full crops of nuts.
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