THE .MONTHLY IJUrXETIlsr. 85 



The color of the shell is not important, as the trade demands bleached 

 nuts even though they may have an attractive appearance without 

 bleaching. Bleaching brings tliem all to about the same color. The 

 quality of the meat is of considerable importance, however, as nuts with 

 the lightest colored meats are considerably more desirable, while those 

 that ai'c dark, even though plump ami of good Havor, are discriminated 

 against. There is no doubt that the dark meated varieties will become 

 more objectionable as more of the lighter colored ones are produced. 

 The flavor of the meat varies considerably in the different varieties and 

 is of much importance in a high class fancy trade. Commercially there 

 is not nuu'h importance placed on their flavor, except when they are 

 bitter. This is the most undesirable quality and should be guarded 

 against in choosing the variety and to formulate an idea of what will 

 constitute an ideal walnut. 



Fig. 38. — Economical way of watering young trees. Wiien the tree 

 receives enougli water the end of the liose is pulled up hig'her than the tank 

 by the rope over the pulley on the end of the upright — then the wagon is 

 taken to the next tree. (Original.) 



The most important qualifications in a variety from a strictly com- 

 mercial standpoint are that it should be a uniformly large producer of 

 nuts, the majority of which will not pass through a one and three-six- 

 teenth inch mesh, well sealed even though hard shelled, and should be 

 uniformly well filled with meat of light yellowish brown color, or not 

 darker than light brown or amber. For a fancy trade the nut should be 

 of an attractive uniform shape and color, with a fairly smooth surface, 

 agreeably flavored meat, and no bitterness. 



The next important consideration is the choosing of a variety that is 

 resistant to blight, a bacterial disease which affects the young growth 

 when it first puts out in the spring and requires for its development 

 moist weather conditions. Blight is not as yet very prevalent in 

 northern and central California, on account of the drier atmosphere, 

 and also because the groves are young and have not as yet been infected 



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