Walnut Growing in Oregon. 121 



attract much attention, but it is thought that it will not be profitable to 

 raise them on an extensive scale. Tlie meats are not near as large in pro- 

 portion to the size of the nut as is the case with the standard varieties. 

 The Bijou is probably the best of these for Oregon conditions, although the 

 ntatter has not yet been sufficiently determined by experience to justify a 

 positive 0])inion. The Mammoth Ford is doing fairly well in one or two 

 places in Oregon, but it originated in f'aliforiiia and is believed by many to 

 be not a safe variety for Oregon. 



Tn time new varieties will undoubtedly be originated in this 8tate which 

 will prove better than any we now have, especially for growing in Oregon. 

 The great number of seedling trees which have been and will be planted 

 in this State will give unusual oj)portunities for the origination of new 

 varieties of value. There are now in the grove of Mr. Prince at Dundee 

 several trees which appear to be superior in merit to the parent varieties. 



Planters should be sure the trees they plant are of the French varieties. 

 They are adapted to this climate for the reason that thev start into growth 

 late in the spring and escape danger of injury from late frosts, whereas 

 the trees of the Chilean type grown in Southern California start into growth 

 very early in the spring, and for that reason are rarely fruitful in Oregon. 

 The trees of the Chilean type are in all resjjects more tender than those of 

 the Frencli varieties. 



Owing to the fact that the process of grafting walnut trees of nursery 

 size is a difficult matter, with a great percentage of failures, the supply of 

 grafted trees is always very small and the prices are necessarily high. 

 It is necessary therefore to plant for the most part seedling trees. It is 

 well known to horticulturists that there are varieties of peaches which 

 can be propagated by raising seedlings and still produce fruit quite like 

 that of the parent tree, while other varieties, if propagated in this way, 

 would result in fruit of widely different quality, size and appearance from 

 that of the parent tree. The same appears to be true of walnuts. The 

 planting of large and excellent nuts has sometimes resulted in trees bearing 

 nuts of most inferior size and quality. The standard French varieties 

 appear to fairly well reproduce themselves through seedlings. There is 

 much variance, it is true, yet on an average the nuts on the seedling trees 

 will average as large and as good as those grown on the parent tree. 

 There is usually enough resemblance also in appearance to enable one to 

 tell which variety the seedling nuts belong to. Both in France and in this 

 country it is the practice of reputable nurserymen to plant only nuts 

 which have been grown on grafted trees. This rule has evidently been 

 based on long ex})erience in France, and ])lanters will do well to insist on 

 having trees of this kind. The idea naturally suggests itself, also, that 

 the chances for variation will be least if the nuts are not only grown on 

 grafted trees but also on trees so situated that there if? no opportunity for 

 cross-jiollination. 



While the nuts grown in Oregon and Washington on seedling trees of 

 the character above described (called second-generation) and of the stand- 

 ard French varieties command the highest prices paid for walnuts in the 

 markets of this country, it will undoubtedly be found the most ))rofital)le 

 in the long run to top-graft the trees in the grove when they are three or 

 four years old. This will insure the bearing habit of the named variety, 

 and a uniformity in the appearance of the product which can not fail to add 

 to its market value. 



X[':\ri5ER OV TREES PER ACRE. 



The walnut tree becomes in time very large, and it has been found every- 

 where that it does best when^ the trees are not too close together. If one 

 is planting with the intention of top-grafting when the trees are three or 

 four years old, it may be well to set the trees four rods apart, which will 



