BUDDING THE WALNUT 435 



"The Royal hybrid (every cross between the native Eastern black 

 walnut and the native California black walnut is called a Royal hybrid), 

 is, in my opinion, the most magnificent growing tree in the walnut line, 

 and I believe that in the future some Royal hybrids can, by persistent 

 selection, be sufficiently fixed to furnish the strongest possible roots of 

 substantial uniformity on which to graft. At present I know of only 

 one tree, picked out from many hundreds, which is sufficiently fixed to 

 grow a fair percentage of seedlings equal to itself. Only from one to 

 two per cent of the seedlings of most Royal hybrids is equal to the 

 parent, and the percentage of even the best straight California is only 

 from fifteen to twenty per cent, and the poorest give less than one 

 per cent. 



"At present, we, by a system of sprouting, are able to eliminate 

 four-fifths of the weakest growing nuts, and we plant the remaining 

 fifth in the nursery. Twenty-five per cent of such remaining nuts from 

 our selected trees of Royal hybrid blood, and fifteen to twenty per cent 

 from our selected California trees, grow three to four feet in the first 

 year. The three to four foot seedlings in the nursery are grafted when 

 one year old, and the remaining smaller trees are left for another year ; 

 and for this reason a small per cent make a disproportionately large 

 growth of root compared to its moderate top the first year, and make 

 an immense growth of top the second year. 



"All Paradox hybrids (English walnuts crossed with California 

 black), make a large root and but a moderate top the first year, as do 

 many seedlings from the Royal hybrid, and as do very, very few from 

 the straight California. These few trees, which make good the second 

 year, three or four per cent, possibly, of the trees left to grow another 

 year in the nursery, are grafted at the end of the second year, and the 

 balance thrown away as unworthy to be grafted and given a chance 

 in. orchard form; for a tree which is to have in the orchard from 

 sixteen hundred to thirty-six hundred square feet can not be too good, 

 either as a root or top." 



Budding the Walnut. In working 1 on the native California 

 seedling stocks, Mr. Clowes, of Stockton, buds by the common method, 

 removing the wood from the inside of the plate of bark, as advised for 

 the orange. Twig buds as used with the olive are also successful, and 

 ring budding works well on shoots of a year's growth, which have at 

 least attained the thickness of the middle finger. Mr. Gillet advises 

 that the buds should be set at the base of these shoots where the wood 

 is perfectly round. The bandage should pass above and below the bud 

 so that the bark under it may be pressed down close upon the stock, 

 and this is more surely gained by shaving off the base of the leaf 

 stem, below the bud, about to the point where it would separate when 

 the leaf naturally falls off. 



Mr. A. W. Keith, of Selma, has hit upon a very interesting method 

 of preparing walnut buds. In taking a fresh bud .from the new growth 

 of the walnut he found the large leaf stem a serious impediment in 

 firmly placing a shield bud upon the cambium of the stock and binding 

 it there. Shaving it away with a knife left too much exposed tissue. 

 If the leaf stem would drop off as it does when mature and leave a 



