494 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



bearing. Some varieties begin to produce nuts even in the nursery and 

 give a commercial crop within three years from planting in the orchard, 

 while other varieties are several years later in coming into bearing. 



The next important consideration is that of the size and weight of 

 the nuts. The commercial No. 1 grade walnuts are of a size that will 

 not pass through a one inch square opening, while those above one and 

 three sixteenths inches which are generally considered as budded nuts 

 bring considerably more per pound and the demand is growing for 

 this quality of nut. I have already had a number of inquiries for fancy 

 varieties for next fall 's delivery. This shows that the demand is grow- 

 ing for the better quality of nuts. 



The weight of the nut is equally important since this varies widely in 

 nuts of the same size. Some of the largest varieties are considerably 

 lighter in weight than others in which the nuts are smaller. A desirable 

 nut should be well filled with plump meat without too much air space 

 between the shell and the meat. A comparatively heavy shell is more 

 desirable than a very thin light one, since the nut is better protected 

 from being mashed in handling and less susceptible to the perforation 

 disease, which is one of the most serious troubles of the walnut grower 

 in recent years. It consists of a non-development of the outer hard layer 

 of the shell. The hard shell is not actually perforated, but rather fails 

 to develop. This disease has become more prevalent in the last few 

 years and affects principally those with thin light shells. Nuts that are 

 prone to crack easily, and have a fine light shell, are more or less injured 

 in handling, thus contaminating the nut. 



It is also to be considered that since walnuts are sold by the pound, 

 the heavier the shell the greater the weight and the more the returns 

 for a given number of nuts. The leading walnut on the world's market 

 is known as the Grenoble. Strictly speaking, the Grenoble nut means 

 a Mayette variety. It is not a long nut, and is somewhat broader at the 

 base than at the apex. This is not very important, however, since the 

 smoothness, symmetry and uniformity of the nuts affect their appear- 

 ance more than their shape. An ideal nut should be quite smooth, free 

 from outside ridges and other irregularities of surface, and all nuts 

 should be of the same general shape and appearance, giAang them uni- 

 formity and individuality. A variety in which the nuts are decidely 

 uniform so that the variety is easil}^ distinguished and recognized even 

 to the consumer has a marked advantage over one in which the nuts 

 are of all sorts of shapes so that only an expert could distinguish the 

 variety from others. 



The color of the nut is not so important, as the trade demands 

 bleached nuts even though they may have an attractive appearance 

 without bleaching. By being bleached they are all brought to about 

 the same color. The quality of the meat is of considerable importance, 

 however, as nuts with the lightest colored meats are more desirable, 

 while those that are dark, even though plump and of good color, are 

 discriminated against. There is no doubt but 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. Although commercially there is not much importance placed 

 on their flavor except when they are bitter. Bitterness is the most 



