Many survivors of rare and highly important tree crops are still standing at the former site of John W. Hershey's tree crop nursery in Downingtown, Pa.
More information is available in this article on Hershey's nursery written by Small Acts in the Winter 2016 Permaculture Design Magazine
These two bur oaks frame the quaker meeting house across the street from Hershey's former nursery. These trees have enormous acorns with very low tannin content. As the head of the T.V.A.'s Tree Crop Program, Hershey scoured the country for superior trees. He was especially interested in the edible acorn (primarily for livestock feed).
Several American persimmons with respectably sized and delicious fruit stand in a row alongside the road (persimmons and pavement don't mix).
These grafted thornless honey locusts have quite large pods. Several of Hershey's high protein, high sugar honey locust introductions are still available and highly sought after (again the emphasis was for livestock feed).
Sadly this chestnut of unknown parentage has since been cut down. As it seemed to display moderate blight resistance this is extremely unfortunate and emphasizes the need to spread the word concerning Hershey's nursery.
A large grafted Northern pecan with large delicious nuts is in the foreground surrounded by several hicans and other economically valuable trees.
The graft line on many trees, such as the Northern pecan and hican above, is still quite evident.
This grafted hickory is loaded with superior nuts.
Although this undeveloped land alongside Lancaster Avenue might seem wild, the evenly spaced walnuts trees tell the astute observer that they are looking at a former nut grove.
Sorting out the viable from the unviable for planting. Pictured is a small assortment of hicans (top), Northern pecans (middle), shagbarks, and sweet pignuts (bottom-right to left). While growing from seed may produce interesting results, many of these species must be propagated asexually (grafted) in order to preserve the superior traits.
A day at Hershey's nursery. Persimmons, bur oak acorns, butternuts, buartnuts, black walnuts, chestnuts, shagbark nuts, northern pecans, hicans, sweet pignuts, and honey locust seed.