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Wisconsin Conservation Department- 
Madison, Wisconsin 
All Papers 
Madison, Wisconsin----A conservation department survey shows a 
short Wisconsin acorn crop this year, meaning a diminished food 
supply for such animals as squirrels and deer. 
Freezing of the flowers in spring is believed to be a major 
cause of the lack of nuts which in some localities has affected nut 
trees other than oaks. There are a few reports as to good acorn 
crops, especially in cities, but most reports cite few acorns. 
On Chambers Island, off the Door county shore, where deer de- 
pend heavily on acorns for food, the crop is much lighter than last 
year according to W. S. Feeney, Deer research biologist. 
In the Horicon marsh vicinity, J. R. Smith, local project 
leader, found a good to average crop of burr oak, but only a few 
acorns on black oak and one acorn on five red oak trees. Over half 
of the white oak trees had none or little fruit while a quarter of 
the trees had a good crop. 
Clyde Smith, in charge of the Kettle Moraine State Forest, 
reported poor crops in Waukesha, Walworth, Jefferson, Fond du Lac, 
and Sheboygan counties, except for burr oaks in Waukesha county. 
An unusual opportunity to observe the acorn crop at Tower Hill 
state park in Iowa county was afforded when a windstorm blew the 
tops out of many oak trees in late summer. Walter Scott, super- 
visor of coooerative game management, found very few acorns on any