120 Report of State Board of Horticulture. 



very large. Oregon has not yet had sufficient experience to determine 

 what may be reasonably expected in this state and it is the safe plan not 

 to count on more than the amount stated by Mr. Cooper. When a man has 

 a walnut grove which can be depended upon to annually produce a crop 

 worth a hundred dollars per acre it will be found no easy matter to per- 

 suade him to sell that grove for five hundred dollars per acre. The groves 

 which have come into bearing in Oregon have so far borne every year. 

 The cost of taking care of the grove is not great after the tree has estab- 

 lished its top. After that time there will be little pruning to do and there 

 will be little if any spraying. The work of gathering, cleaning, drj'ing and 

 packing the nuts for market is less expensive than that of harvesting, 

 curing and packing prunes, pound for pound of finished product. 



SITE AND SOIL. 



The most important thing to consider in the selection of a site for a 

 walnut grove is tlie nature and depth of the soil. To obtain a satisfactory 

 growth of trees and paying returns within a reasonably short period of 

 time the soil must be both deep and rich. The soil and subsoil should be 

 of such a nature that a hole or well can readily be dug to a depth of at 

 least ten feet with a common spade, and without running into actual sand 

 or gravel. Below that depth it is desirable to have either sand or gravel 

 to give the land good drainage. Thorough drainage is essential and water 

 should not stand for many days at one time within ten feet of the surface. 

 Frosty swales should not be chosen. While the walnuts of the French va- 

 rieties are rarely caught by frost in Oregon, yet a location which is not sub- 

 ject to late frosts should be selected. 



VARIETIES ADAPTED TO OREGON. 



The varieties of walnuts grown in France are those which are adapted 

 to Oregon. Many varieties have been introduced from France, but of 

 these only a few" have yet been suflieiently tested to justify their recom- 

 mendation for planting on a commercial scale in Oregon. The two great 

 standard market varieties are the Franquette and the Mayette. These do 

 not differ greatly in size and general appearance. Both are market nuts of 

 the highest quality. The Mayette is the older variety and the nuts of 

 this variety have long been known to the markets of the world as "Gre- 

 noble walnuts" and command the highest prices paid. The Franquette 

 nuts are also sold as Grenoble walnuts. They are equal in quality to the 

 Mayette; are a little larger; are better filled and the trees appear to yield 

 rather better. In proportion of meat to shell the Franquette leads all other 

 standard varieties. For home use the Proeparturiens is worthy of con- 

 sideration. It bears early and heavily and the quality of the nuts is 

 extraordinarily high. The only objection to the variety is that the nuts 

 are not large "enough to command the best prices in the market. In France 

 the Chaberte is grown quite extensively in mountainous districts where the 

 climate is too severe for other varieties. The nuts are smaller than those 

 of the Mayette and Franquette and do not command as good prices, 

 although much used by confectioners. 



Of the newer varieties, one of the most promising is the Meylan. It is 

 up to the standard in quality and is unusually attractive in appearance. 

 The Lanfray is another nut of most attractive appearance and is very 

 heavy in proportion to its size, as it is so well filled with meat. The Paris- 

 ienne was formerly thought the most promising of the comparatively new 

 varieties, but it is now believed that it is a light bearer. 



Those who enjov growing big things will be attracted to the Gant 

 or Bijou; the Mammoth Proeparturiens and Ford's Mammoth.' These are 

 varieties which bear nuts of extraordinary size and which for that reason 



