ENGLISH WALNUT. 273 



English Walnut. 



The English walnut (Juglans regia) is cultivated to some ex- 

 tent in the Eastern states south of Connecticut and west into 

 Texas, but in the section east of the Rocky Mountains, it has 

 not attained commercial importance. In southern California, 

 however, it is grown very successfully within a short distance 

 of the coast where the water table is near the surface of the 

 soil. Back from the coast, it may also be grown in favorable 

 locations, but the shucks do not separate from the nuts so well 

 and hence the product is not nearly so valuable as the product 

 from sections where the climate is somewhat humid. 



The flowers of the walnuts are monoecious, the male flow- 

 ers being produced in catkins and the pistillate flowers at the 

 ends of the short branches appearing with the leaves. 



Propagation. Most of the trees in the Eastern states are 

 grown from seed; the same is true of a large portion of the or- 

 chards in southern California, although in the last few years 

 there has been a large number of grafted trees planted. When 

 grown from seed, it is customary to select the largest, thinnest 

 shelled nuts from trees that are hardy and productive, and 

 that start late in the spring. These are stratified over winter 

 in the same manner as peach pits. They are generally allowed 

 to sprout in the spring before planting, when they are set about 

 one foot apart in rows four feet apart. For this purpose rich, 

 open, porous soil should be used. They are generally large 

 enough for budding the first season. If they are to be planted in 

 an orchard without budding, it is customary to leave them for 

 two or three years in the nursery. The trees are generally bud- 

 ded by the shield or ring method. Cleft-grafting and whip-graft- 

 ing have also been successfully used. 



Harvesting and marketing. In the best localities for the 

 English Walnut, the shucks open on the trees and the nuts fall 

 to the ground, where they are easily gathered once or twice a 

 week, and taken to the drying house. Sometimes it is necessary 

 to jar the trees in order to get the nuts in season. It is not de- 

 sirable to beat the trees with poles, as it frequently destroys 

 many of the fruit buds. The nuts are dried by exposure to sun 

 or by artificial heat. 



