Appendix. 181 



walnuts. He said the climate of the Willamette Valley was very 

 similar to that of parts of England, where they raised large quantities 

 of walnuts, and he thought this valley was an ideal country for that nut. 



I learned that Felix Gillet, of Nevada City, California, was regarded 

 an authority on nut culture, and I at once opened correspondence with 

 him. He expressed confidence that the late-blooming French varieties 

 •of walnuts would thrive here. He said he had furnished trees to parties 

 here, who had already obtained results, and he had no hesitancy in 

 advising me to set out some trees of those varieties. 



As I did not feel like setting out a few trees and waiting eight or ten 

 years to demonstrate the success or failure of the experiment, I took 

 ■chances on the outcome, and set a considerable number of trees, in order 

 to secure the benefit in my life time, if the experiment should prove a 

 success. The result is that I have about 1,500 trees, eight and nine 

 years old, which have commenced to bear, and I feel highly gratified at 

 the prospect. 



Last season I had about two tons of nuts equal, if not superior, to any 

 Ungiish walnuts gro\vn anywhere. I have shipped my nuts to Portland, 

 to various other places in the State, and also to the East, and they have 

 given universal satisfaction. I have received a higher price than that 

 paid for the California nut, and I know that my walnuts have retailed 

 at a higher price, in competition with the California product. 



I do not believe there will be any occasion to bleach the French walnut 

 grown in this valley, as they are of light color and very attractive. 



The trees are very hardy. I have planted about 3,500 trees, alto- 

 gether, and have not lost more than a dozen. They will bear a few 

 nuts at seven years, and increase production annually. The quality of 

 nuts depends largely on the size of the tree. 



I have a few nine-year-old trees which are one foot in diameter, and 

 "vvhose tops have a spread of twenty-five to thirty feet. Last season a 

 few of the trees yielded from twenty-five to forty pounds of nuts. 

 There is quite a lack of uniformity in the size of the trees, some of 

 the nine-year-old trees being no larger than a five or six-year-old tree 

 should be, and bearing a few nuts. I think the average yield of the 

 Tiine-year-old trees last season was eight to ten pounds. I take no stock 

 whatever in the extravagant claims put forth by interested parties, 

 regarding the yield and profits of a walnut grove. 



There has been considerable said of late about the advisability of 

 grafting the French varieties onto the black walnut. I can say but 

 little on that subject. I have seen nuts from trees produced by that 

 union, and Mr. McDonald of the Oregon Nursery Company exhibited the 

 same kind of nut at your meeting here two weeks ago; but such nuts 

 do not appear to me to have the fine appearance of the nuts raised on 

 the grafted tree or the second generation tree, and I believe it is yet 

 an experiment. I am going to try it myself in a small way. It is 

 •claimed that such a union will produce a more vigorous and I'apid- 



