NUT CULTURE IN THE UNITED STATES. The United States is especially rich in native nut-bearing trees, as the black walnut, butternut, chestnut, hazel and various hickories, and contains large districts in which the soil and climate are suitable for nut production. Recent experimental cultivation of numerous varieties of native as well as introduced species has yielded very promising results. As yet, however, the culture of only three kinds of nut-bearing trees has been established on a substantial com mercial basis and attained rank as a horticultural industry. Of these, the pecan (Carya Pecan), a species of hickory (q.v.), is a native tree brought into extensive cultivation only since 1900, while the others, the Persian walnut (Juglans regia) and the almond (Prunus Amygdalus) are Old World trees that have been grown widely since ancient times.
Numerous varieties of the pecan are planted for commercial production in the Southern States. Hardy strains are producing successfully, however, in Missouri and Illinois, indicating the probable extension of pecan culture throughout the central Corn Belt (q.v.). In 1937, which was an excellent year, the U.S. pro duction was estimated by the U. S. Department of Agriculture at 76,893,00o pounds. The yearly average for 1927-36 was 61, 274,000 pounds. Texas led all other States in this ten-year period with an average annual yield of 23,380,000 pounds.
The commercial production of almonds is restricted to various forms of the sweet variety (var. du/cis), with increasing prefer ence for those having thinner walls in the stone, as in the paper shell almonds. The climatically suitable districts are compara tively limited, being confined chiefly to the Pacific States. In California, which usually grows about 99% of the United States crop, the production of almonds in 1938 was approximately I tons; in 1937, an unusually good year, it was about 20,000 tons. The commercial production of the Old World or Persian wal nut, in the United States often called English walnut, has at tained its greatest development in specially selected and prepared soils under irrigation in California. However, hardy strains are
grown locally with considerable success in the eastern States from Massachusetts westward and southward to Arkansas, especially in climatic situations similar to the Great Lakes region of western New York ; Oregon also produces a considerable quantity. In California, where more than 905- of the commercial crop is ordi narily grown, the estimated production in 1938 was 44,000 tons. NUTHATCH, a small bird, so called from its habit of hack ing nuts, which it cleverly fixes in a crevice of the bark of a tree, and then hammers with the point of its bill till the shell is broken.
This bird is known as Sitta caesia. It is not normally found in Ireland or Scotland. Without being plentiful anywhere, it is generally distributed in localities which afford it a sufficient supply of food, consisting during the greater part of the year of insects, which it seeks on limbs of trees; but in autumn and winter it feeds on nuts, beech-mast, the stones of yew-berries and hard seeds.
It generally makes its nest in a hollow branch, plastering up the opening with clay, leaving only a circular hole just large enough to afford entrance and exit ; the interior is made of a bed of dry leaves or flakes of the inner bark of a fir, on which the eggs are laid. In the Levant another species (S. syriaca) haunts rocks rather than trees; and four or five arboreal species are found in North Asia. North America possesses four Species; S. canadensis has the most northern range, while the white-bellied S. carolinensis inhabits more southern latitudes. Related genera, found in the Indian region, are remarkable for their beautiful blue plumage. Other genera occur in Madagascar, Australia and New Guinea. The nuthatches are placed in the passerine family Sittidae.