THE MONTHLY BULLETIN 



CALIFORNIA STATE COMMISSION OF HORTICULTURE. 

 Vol. V. March, 1916. No. 3. 



WALNUT CULTURE IN THE LOWER SAN JOAQUIN 



VALLEY.* 



By W. "W. Fitzgerald^ Stockton, Cal. 



There are imported into the United States from Europe annually about 

 16,U0U tons of walnuts, principally from France. California produces 

 more walnuts than any other country except France, and when the recent 

 plantings in the different parts of the State come into bearing it will take 

 first place. At present most of the nuts are grown in Southern Cali- 

 fornia and mostly from seedling trees. The California Walnut Growers' 

 Association this year made a price of 13.6 cents for No. 1 soft-shelled 

 nuts, and 17 cents for budded walnuts. Budded nuts mean those from 

 a budded or grafted tree, supposed to be typical varieties. 



Last week the California Walnut Growers' Association advanced No. 1 

 soft-shell nuts to 14 cents a pound and budded nuts to 17^ cents. As 

 there are practically no walnuts left outside of what the Association has, 

 and not many of these, the return to the growers, as estimated by Mr. 

 C. Thorpe, manager of the California AValnut Growers' Association, will 

 amount to nearly $4,000,000. This is mostly from seedling trees. We 

 must not overlook the fact, however, that if France is careful in grading 

 her nuts, she can put a good many tons in competition with our best 

 nuts. The time is rapidly coming when quality is what will be 

 demanded in the walnut. 



Today no one thinks of planting seedling trees, as seedling walnuts do 

 not come true any more than does the peach, plum, apple or any other 

 fruit. It is true that we get new varieties from these seedlings, but 

 commercially we are growing them for profit and not for experiment. 

 For this reason the San Joaquin Valley is being planted to budded and 

 grafted trees and the walnuts will all be of typical varieties, will com- 

 mand the highest prices and, with the acreage that is being planted, it 

 is safe to say that it will not be many years before this part of the State 

 will be the district which is noted for walnuts, because they will all be 

 typical varieties. 



SOILS FOR THE WALNUT. 



The walnut does best in a deep, fairly rich, heavy soil with good mois- 

 ture conditions, but well drained. It is not fastidious, ])ut responds 

 quickly to proper conditions, so one should not consider the cheapness of 

 land for growing walnuts, but how good it can be obtained for that pur- 

 pose. AValnuts should not be planted on shallow soil underlaid with 

 hard-pan, unless the hard-pan is not thick and is underlaid with good 



♦Address before the State Pruit Growers' Convention, Visalia, California, 1915. 

 22110 



