THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 93 



by iuterplaiiting with walimts. One slioukl not by any means grow 

 anything within 6 or 8 feet of a walnut tree, and as it gets larger it 

 should be given more room each year. I do not advise strongly, how- 

 ever, to interplant walnuts with other fruit trees, as by the time that 

 both come into bearing it is too nnicli of a drain on the soil and moisture 

 cojiditions and the development of the walnut grove is delayed. It is 

 much better to grow some annual crop, such as beans, sugar beets, 

 berries, alfalfa, or corn. Of course, when one interplants one must be 

 prepared to furnish that nnich extra irrigation or the walnut trees will 

 be starved to that extent. Perhaps the most remunerative intercrop is 

 alfalfa, if you have the capital to stock your place with either hogs, 

 sheep or cattle. In this way you get full value of your alfalfa. Hogs 

 are the best as they do not injure the young trees, and if you can raise 

 corn on a portion of your orchard to fatten your hogs in the fall you 

 will get ideal results. Sheep are apt to gnaw young walnut trees and 

 cattle will brush and rub against them. Another very good way is to 

 interplant your walnuts with an early fruiting variety. If you have 

 your permanent crop of Eureka, Franquette, or Mayette, you can inter- 

 plant with Placentia, Ware's Prolific or Neff's Prolific, which are 

 varieties that come into bearing very early and can be cut out after 

 your permanent crop comes into full bearing. In this way you have 

 your planting 30x60 feet. The interplanted walnuts will bear about 

 as soon as peaches and give larger returns, although they are nuts that 

 do not bring as good prices as the later varieties in this district. 



PLOWING AND CULTIVATION. 



The general practice is to plow a grove deeply once a year during the 

 spring if possible, plowing under a cover crop of burr clover or Melilotus 

 indica, which will make a good winter growth if sowed in September and 

 irrigated at the start of each season. The September irrigation is also 

 an advantage in helping the hulls to crack open and the nuts to drop. 

 The ground should be thoroughly cultivated and a good mulch produced 

 after each irrigation. 



PRUNING. 



As a rule the second year the trees will not make so much growth in 

 height but will throw out side branches. If they fail to do this they 

 should be topped about 7 feet above the ground. This will force out the 

 side branches. Any limbs that are too low and that cross each other 

 should be cut off. When the tree has a tendency to grow away from 

 the wind the limbs on that side should have about one-third of their 

 length cut off. This will force the tree to grow up against the wind. 

 By topping back one-third of their length on trees that are old enough 

 to bear, but have a tendency to grow too much wood, you can encourage 

 them to throw out fruit spurs. The center of older trees should be kept 

 open to allow the sun and air to go through the trees. 



HARVESTING AND MARKETING. 



Under proper conditions when the nuts are mature the hulls crack 

 and the nuts fall on the ground. In dry localities it is often advisable 

 to give an irrigation about the time the hulls should crack. The mois- 

 ture from the irrigation hastens the cracking. This irrigation also pre- 

 3—22110 



