236 REPORT OF STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



small, and many consisted of isolated trees, as were those in the mission 

 gardens, yet those trees mark a special epoch in the horticultural history of 

 our state, as they have proved the great longevity of the walnut, and 

 enlightened the growers as to their culture and future possibilities. 



LONGEVITY OF THE WALNUT. 



The great and prodigous age attained by the walnut can only be con- 

 ceived from records of its early history. All the early botanical writers — 

 English, French, Italian — point out the fact that the walnut, in their respec- 

 tive provinces, does not bear until it has reached the age of fifteen to twenty- 

 four years, and hardly becomes a paying investment until it attains a prodi- 

 gious age. In California, the walnut begins to bear at the eighth year from 

 the seed, and from that time on the crop increases, and the orchards become 

 remunerative. It is now not uncommon to see walnut orchards from thirty 

 to forty years old, in the prime of health, producing every year bountiful 

 crops. 



* "In Persia, the tree comes into bearing at eight years from the planting 

 of the seed ; in Italy, Spain, and the Island of Maderia, in about sixteen 

 years ; in France — the southern part — in eighteen years ; in England, in 

 twenty-four years, and in California, in eight years, the same as in Persia. 

 So, I take it, the southern part of this state is nearest its home." 



t "After fifteen or twenty years from the time of planting, the walnut 

 gives only hopes, so to speak, for its yield is yet so small that its value can 

 hardly be reckoned: it is only from thirty to sixty yeai-s that this tree can 

 otter each year a product sufficient to increase the income of the landlord. 

 It takes a century, and over, before the wood is good to be used in the arts." 



X "Walnut trees are spoken of that bear, in good years, fifty thousand to 

 one hundred thousand nuts ; such trees are truly very rare, and their trunks 

 are not less than fifteen to twenty feet in circumference." 



POLLINATION. 



Until recent years no attempt was made to improve the varieties of the 

 walnut in cultivation by cross-pollination, but the universal practice has 

 been to plant the nuts selected from fruitful and rapidly-growing trees, and 

 the seedlings grown therefrom, on not becoming regular bearers, were dug 

 up, as were also all trees producing inferior nuts. Trees producing nuts 

 deficient in kernels were not uncommon, but were frequently reported, and 

 many such trees still exist. From past experience it is readily to be seen 

 how important it is for the grower to study and know the varieties, so as to 

 plant and locate them iu the orchard so that they may assist in the pollina- 

 tion of one another. In fact, the study of pollination becomes essential as 

 the first step to successful fruit culture. 



*Hon. Russell Heath, in essay before Eleventh State Fruitgrowers' Convention, 1889. 

 tMaison Rustique, Vol. 2, Chapter XII. 

 i Maisou Rustique, Vol. 2, p. 148. 



