On every farm there is a landmark or reference point that locates the area. The Peterson farm had several. One point that has always stood out is a pair of walnut trees. We would refer to them in telling where a cow had a calf or the spot that grandpa shot a deer . The marsh was next to them and when the water was high it is where the boat was tipped over on the bank. It seemed that everything was relative to the area.
They were two large black walnut trees on the side hill way back next to the marsh. One was straight and solid , the other was crooked and hallow. At some time someone had built a fire in its interior to smoke out some animal. It had a hallow spot way up it as a swarm of bees had taken up house keeping there. In spite of its troubles this tree always was filled with quantities of nuts. The other one seldom had a nut on it. When we were small these trees stood out way above any of the surrounding brush. Our dad had chopped down most of the sapling oak and other trees starting up. He left all of the young walnut trees. Over the years all of the trees have reached a height that the walnut tree no longer stands above them. There is almost a walnut grove on the side hill. On time a squirrel hunter shot five squirrels out of the tree at one time with a twenty two rifle. These trees were our main source of black walnut nuts. I had a forester go around the woods and advise on the condition of the timber. He stated that the straight tree had reached its maturity and should be harvested immediately to insure the most quality log. I waited about five years before harvesting the tree. It was docked as being over prime and we lost about eight feet of the but log. The other tree still stands as it always has but its supply of nuts has diminished.
Our reference points around the farm has changed in recent years. We now refer to the area's as being by some deer hunting blind. Most of the blinds have been given name such as the "Hilton" Or "Tahj Mahall "and the "Out house".
In the cow barn years ago there was a pojection of the cement manger. It was an ideal place to crack nuts . Many stormy winter day was shortened by indulging in a few nuts. One time a neighbor was there while we were enjoying some nut meats. The conversation got around as to the proper way to hold a nut to crack it. One said it should be hit on the end to let the meats fall out easier. the other said you should hold it on the side and hit it on the high side. Each maintained they were right and there voices and arguments became heated.. I have cracked bushels of nuts in my life time and I can truly say that I have never found that one way was better than the other. You have to know your trees. One tree will crack cleaner one way and another better the other. Some trees have a nut meat so difficult to remove that I have dropped it from my list of trees to harvest nuts from. We leave them for the squirrels, they do a good job. We have to be on time in our harvesting or they beat us to it. They don't leave a one.
When we were kids we brought the nuts up as soon as they fell from the tree. We bored a hole in a board just large enough for the shucked nut to pass through. A wood mallet was used to drive the nut though leaving the shuck on top. Then we peeled the final pieces off with our hands. The walnut stained the hands until they were nearly black, and the stain wouldn't come off until it wore off several weeks later. Now days I pour a pail of nuts on a hard surface and step on each nut squashing the outer shell. A pair of rubber gloves keeps the stain off the hand as we remove the nuts from the shucks. They are then put in a pail and washed using a long stick. We rinse them several times until the water comes out clear. Any nut that floats is discarded. Then we lay them out to dry in a place that the squirrels can't find them. By the Christmas holidays they are usually dry enough to eat. I spend long hours in the winter removing the meats. We store them in sealed containers in the deep freezer. That keeps them from becoming infested with worms and other insects and they stay nice and fresh.