7975 



BETTER FRUIT 



Page 9 



Splendid Variety of Franquette Walnuts 



[From the St. Helena, California, Star] 



ONE of the largest and most inter- 

 esting farms among the many pro- 

 ductive ones in Napa Valley is that 

 owned by John H. ^^^leele^, at Zinfan- 

 del, near St. Helena. 



On this splendid estate will be found 

 a large vineyard and well equipped 

 winery, a thriving prune orchard, a 

 suflicient number of acres of alfalfa to 

 support a fine dairy herd and sleek 

 bunch of hogs, and such a diversity of 

 things that the visitor is at once im- 

 pressed with the wisdom of its owner 

 in not putting all his eggs in one basket. 

 At Mr. AMieeler's place will be found, 

 therefore, diversified farming carried 

 on scientifically and with gratifying 

 results. 



But the feature of the ^^^leeler farm 

 that impresses one most and is just 

 now attracting widespread attention, is 

 the grove of 140 acres of walnuts, now- 

 coming into hearing. About two tons 

 of nuts were marketed at a fancy price 

 this week, and each year from now on 

 the yield will be larger until, when the 

 trees have attained an age of ten years 

 and have come into full bearing, it is 

 confidently expected that there will be 

 harvested annually from this one wal- 

 nut grove a ton of nuts to the acre, or 

 a total of 140 tons. 



Walnut growing in Napa Valley, as 

 an industry, is new, and consequently 

 interesting from that viewpoint, i)ut 

 growers and others interested in wal- 

 nuts are probaiily most impressed by 

 the variety Mr. Wheeler has selected 

 and that predominates in his grove. 



After very wide investigation, Mr. 

 AMiceler selected the Franquette as the 

 best variety for this valley, and, in fact, 

 it has taken the lead in California, be- 

 cause of the large size and splendid 

 quality of the nut. 



The Franciuette walnut has easily 

 taken the lead in grafted and budded 

 stock in California. The nuts are eag- 

 erly sought by dealers and conunand a 

 premium of several cents per pound 

 over all others. 



The variety was first brought to Cali- 

 fornia by the California Nursery Com- 

 pany in early days, from the Grenoble 

 district in France, where it developed 

 from a century or more of breeding up 

 in a climate much more severe than 

 ours. It comes out a month later and 

 sheds its foliage several weeks earlier 

 than the Concord and Santa Barbara 

 varieties, though the nuts ripen later. 



Grafted by all leading nurseries onto 

 California Black stock, the I'ranquette 

 seems best qualified for all require- 

 ments of the central and northern part 

 of the state, where it is blight proof. 



Many seedlings have resulted from its 

 wide distribution, some of which show 

 marked improvement over the original 

 European stock. One strain, the exact 

 life size of which appears in the illus- 

 trations that accompany this article, 

 represents an extreme variation se- 

 lected by Mr. Wheeler as his specialty. 

 It is a veritable "whale" among wal- 

 nuts, weighing five ounces and measur- 

 ing eiglit inches around one way and 

 eight and three-quarters the other. This 

 weight and the measurements, of 

 course, include the shuck, but the nut 

 itself is exceptionally large, is full of 

 white meat, and has a light, firm shell. 



The Franquette is wonderfully pro- 

 lific when on trees old enough to bear, 

 though not so precocious as some oth- 

 ers. Mr. Wlieeler grafts his California 

 black walnut stock to this strain of 

 Franquette only, and his product has 

 attracted wide attention, excelling all 

 others thus far produced in the state. 



Some have objected to other Fran- 

 quettes for their shy-bearing qualities. 

 The strain in Mr. Wheeler's grove is 

 certainly an exception, for the mature 

 trees yield crops difiicult to maintain 

 without idacing props under the trees. 

 Mr. Wheeler lost three nine-year-old 

 trees this year from breaking under 

 their heavy loads. 



The shucks of this strain, like all 

 Franquettes, are remarkably heavy, so 

 much so that they may be utilized 

 separately for making valuable walnut 

 pickles, if the nut be picked and re- 

 moved therefrom at early maturity. 

 The pickle somewhat resembles the 

 olive, and is very palatable, being con- 

 sidered a great delicacy by many. 



Mr. Wheeler has saved several hun- 

 dred pounds of nuts of this year's crop, 

 and these will form an attractive fea- 



Same Nut cut tlinnigli center, sliowing how IhoroiiRliIy meat flUs the shell 



