APPENDIX. 235 



very susceptible to sudden changes, and a hot day suddenly followinf>- a frosty 

 night will chill the young wood, and often proves fatal to a young orchard, 

 setting it back a season's growth. The same is true in the springtime on the 

 opening of the flowers or catkins — a chill will frequently cause them all to 

 drop and render the cro]i a failure. For this reason a location free from 

 prevailing frosts, oi- one where the sun will not strike the trees until the 

 effects of the cold have been overcome, is very desirable. The latter trouble 

 can be largely overcome by planting some of the late-blooming varieties. 

 which do not send forth their catkins until danger from frosts is largely past. 

 California walnuts are fast su])planting those from foreign countries. 

 Only a few years ago the growers of these nuts here had a very hard struggle 

 to introduce them, being obliged to accept the humiliating price of from 

 three to six cents a jjound less than than that paid for imported walnuts. 

 (Gradually, however, a reduction came, in favor of the California product, 

 and now eastern dealers will take our best walnuts at prices equal to, and in 

 many cases exceeding, those obtained for those coming from abroad. Our 

 state affords a splendid Held for the walnut industi-y, and although thousands 

 of trees have been planted, and the acreage is being extended every year, it 

 is believed that overproduction need not be feared. Our producers have all 

 America for a market, and they are not slow to appreciate the advantages of 

 their position. 



THE "ENGLISH'" OK •TEKSIAN"" WALNUT. 



The walnut iJnghms* rcyia, Linn.) is a native of Persia, and is supposed 

 to have been introduced into our state by the Franciscan monies during the 



establishment of the California missions in 17()lt. Records of its early his- 

 tory are scant, but mention is made of walnut trees growing about the mis- 

 sions by most of the writers of the "Record of the Founding of Missions." 

 and the ''History of Franciscan Missions of California," and, therefore, it is 

 safe to assume that with the advent of the missions dates the introduction 

 of this valuable tree. In the mission yards are yet to be seen walnut trees 

 of those early plantings, and while age began to tell on these many years 

 ago, they still live and bear nuts, but few in number and small in size. 



The largest walnut orchai'd of early planting in the northern part of the 

 state is located near Los Gatos. in Santa Clara County ; it is about thirty 

 years old, and produces fair crops yearly. The largest orchards of recent 

 planting are in Lake and Sonoma counties. In San Lorenzo, on the William 

 Meek estate, is an extensive walnut orchard of early planting. In Sonoma, 

 at the Vellejo place, and at Mission San Jose, are many walnut trees that 

 show great age and are healthy in appearance. General Bidwell, at Chico, 

 has a considerable number of walnut trees, all vigorous and fruitful Many 

 such trees are to be found in Napa, San .Jose, Santa Clara, Merced, Modesto, 

 Fresno, and Visalia. Along the coast, in almost every county, are to be 

 seen large walnut trees of early planting. While these early plantings were 



*Juglans Is a genus of trees consisting of six species; tbree are natives of the United 

 States, viz.: ,/, nigra, or blacli walnut; J. cinera, or butternut, and J. fraxinifoUa, or asli- 

 l(>af walnut. The other three species are J. rcgia, "English" or "Persian" walnut; J.iJtcr- 

 ocarpa grows on Mount ( 'aucasus, and ./. haccoifa in Jamaica and Hpain. 



