HARVESTING WALNUTS 441 



have fallen ; second, picking up what have fallen and striking the limbs 

 lightly to dislodge others which are ripest ; third, picking up again and 

 then knocking off all that remain on the trees. In this way gathering 

 lasts a month or six weeks. Walnuts, after gathering, are treated by 

 some growers as described by F. E. Kellogg, of Santa Barbara County : 



As fast as gathered the nuts are placed in slat-bottomed trays, 6x3 feet, by 

 six inches deep, about fifty pounds in a tray, being thoroughly shaken up once or 

 twice a day. If the weather is very hot, they should be dried in the shade. When 

 the nuts are dry they are passed through an inclined revolving grader, making 

 about twelve revolutions per minute, having a one-inch mesh wire screen, and 

 all that fall through this are called "seconds." The lower end of the grader 

 dips into vat of water, thoroughly wetting the nuts and washing them to a 

 certain extent entirely sufficient for paper shells and soft shells,- and usually 

 enough for hard shells. A system of buckets attached to the drum of the grader 

 then elevates the nuts to a chute, which discharges them into a large box 4x4x8 

 feet high, with an inclined slat bottom two and one-half feet above the ground. 

 While in this box they are subjected to the fumes of sulphur for twenty to thirty 

 minutes for the purpose of improving the color. The second grade walnuts are 

 also put through the washing and sulphuring process. The nuts are next drawn 

 off from the bleachers into the drying trays, piled one on top of the other, to 

 prevent the sun from shining directly on the nuts, and remain there for ten or 

 twelve hours, until the nuts are thoroughly dried off. The trays are then emptied 

 into a hopper, from which the nuts are drawn off into bags containing something 

 over one hundred pounds each ; the bags are securely sewed up and stamped 

 with the producer's brand, and the nuts are ready for shipment. 



Col. A. S. Heath, of Carpinteria, uses a moist bleach and a drier 

 afterward, as follows : 



When the nuts leave the rotary washer they are entirely free of hulls and 

 clean. They are taken to the bleaching boxes, and here subjected to the very 

 minimum amount of sulphur necessary, and cold steam, being in the bleachers 

 about one hour. From the bleachers they are taken to the steam drier. In the 

 drier are 100 drawers, each capable of holding 40 to 50 pounds of walnuts. These 

 drawers have wire bottoms to allow the heat to pass through them. In the 

 basement beneath the drier Mr. Heath has some modern furnaces constructed, 

 and during the course of the drying about 130 degrees of heat is maintained. 

 The nuts are kept under this heat for eight hours. During the drying it is pos- 

 sible to watch the progress by pulling out drawers for inspection. 



J. B. Neff, of Anaheim, describes large handling of walnuts as 

 follows : 



The nuts are allowed to ripen and the hulls open on the trees. If the 

 trees have had sufficient irrigation and the weather is normal, a large part of the 

 nuts will fall clean from the hulls and will have to be picked off the ground once 

 a week in dry weather, but should be gathered oftener in damp weather. The 

 gathering can be hastened by gently jarring the branches with a pole which has 

 a light flat steel hook on the end. The hook is passed over the branch and pulled 

 quickly so as to jar the branch without swinging it. Any hulls that cling to the 

 nuts may be taken off by hand. The nuts are placed in trays made of sides 1 by 6 

 in. by 6 ft. and ends 1 by 6 in. by 2 ft. 10 in., with laths y?. inch apart for bottoms. 

 The sides are allowed to project for handles, and the tray measures 3 to 5 feet. 

 The imperfect nuts are picked out and the good nuts dried in the shade when the 

 weather is hot. Damp localities require some artificial heat, but care must be 

 taken to have only a mild heat, as the nuts will be damaged if high temperatures 

 are maintained. 



Grading and bleaching is usually done in the Association warehouses, as con- 

 siderable outlay for apparatus is required and some experience is necessary to 

 get the best results. When the nuts are thoroughly dried they are passed 

 through a revolving screen having meshes 1/4 inch square at the upper end and 

 1 inch square at the lower end. The small meshes take out the dirt, and the 



