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Culture. The first essential is a proper choice of variety for a given locality; 

 the beginner should seek reliable advice from the Agricultural Experiment 

 Station or elsewhere. The northern California black walnut is the usual root. 

 The older groves of the state are of seedling trees, 'but these are no longer 

 planted. Franquette, Mayette, Concord, Eureka, Placentia Perfection, and 

 El Monte are the best varieties. Promising new varieties are appearing. Trees 

 cost from 75 cents to $2 each. Some plant black walnuts in orchard form to 

 top graft later; this method is only of advantage where no irrigation can be 

 practiced. Planting averages 50 x 50 feet, requiring seventeen trees per acre. 

 Young groves may be interplanted with alfalfa, tree or small fruits, vegetables, 

 or other crops, provided plenty of water is available. Producing groves are 

 usually plowed in spring, irrigated in June, August and in winter if the rainfall 

 is short, and cultivated after irrigation and occasionally between. Little 

 pruning or fertilization is practiced, although desirable in older groves. Spray- 

 ing is commencing to be practiced in some sections against two pests, the 

 blight and aphis. Walnuts should pay expenses by the fifth year after 

 planting and reach good bearing at ten. The production should continue to 

 increase for many years; the tree is long-lived and fairly hardy. 



Harvesting. The nuts ripen in September and October and are picked from 

 the ground after light shaking of the trees. They are then usually washed, 

 dried in the sun, bleached and graded. In the south, most of the growers 

 belong to co-operative associations with central packing houses, where the nuts 

 are bleached, graded and shipped. 



Marketing. The demand for walnuts is greater than the supply. Prices are 

 established by the associations and the crop sold through brokers. Independent 

 growers easily sell to private customers. 



Cost of Production. Harvesting, preparing and marketing the nuts averages 

 three cents per pound. Production expenses vary from $10 to $50 per acre, 

 averaging nearer the lower figure. Taxes and interest on the investment must 

 be added. 



Returns. Groves average 1000 pounds of nuts per acre per year, with an 

 average selling price of 12% cents per pound for all grades and sizes. The 

 better varieties frequently produce 2000 pounds per acre and average 16 cents 

 per pound. Greater returns are exceptional. This gives a net income of say 

 $80 to $200 per acre. Groves average from ten to forty acres. 



Cost of Groves and Land. Walnut groves in Southern California can be 

 bought for $700 to $2000 per acre. One thousand dollars is an average price. 

 In this section good bare land with water costs at least $400 per acre and 

 usually more. In the central or northern portion of the state $150 to $300 per 

 acre are average prices for desirable land with irrigation possibilities. 

 Labor. The crop is well adapted to a working family. Father or sons can 

 do the heavy work, while women and children can pick up the nuts. Labor 

 costs about $2.25 per day for able-bodiexi men, or $5 per day for a man and team. 



Troubles. These are due principally to sandy or shallow soil, lack of water, 

 improper varieties, bad treatment, injurious climatic conditions, and the disease 

 called blight. These conditions can be largely avoided by proper choice of 

 locality and varieties, and good culture. 



