HARVESTING WALNUTS 



trees at one operation ; some go over the ground three times, first 

 picking up what 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. 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 ready for 

 grading, washing and bleaching. All of these operations are per- 

 formed in the Walnut Growers' Association's warehouses, which are 

 established in all the leading producing districts. Even small lots 

 are handled, which is of advantage to the grower, as considerable 

 outlay for apparatus is required and some experience is necessary 

 to get the best results. 



Appliances and materials are being improved and changed from 

 time to time as walnut handling is a progressive business. For 

 bleaching, direct use of commercial chlorine has been introduced 

 in some of the packing houses, but prevailing practice still employs 

 proper machinery and dipping tanks in which the bleaching fluid 

 consists of 25 Ibs. of chloride of lime and 18 Ibs. of sal soda, dis- 

 solved in 50 gallons of water. After this solution is made and drawn 

 off clear from the settlings, sulphuric acid is added to it at the rate 

 of 1*4 Ibs. of acid to 425 Ibs. of the solution. In this dip the nuts are 

 quickly dipped (five to ten seconds) and then thoroughly dried at 

 once. This process is hardly available for use on a small scale. In 

 such case the walnuts can be improved by washing, brushing, or 

 rolling in a perforated barrel to remove dirt, and then treated to 

 sulphur fumes as has been described for almonds in the preceding 

 chapter. In using sulphur it must be made sure that the walnut is 

 well dried and then very lightly sprayed, so that only a film of mois- 

 ture is present on the outside of the shell or the flavor of the kernel 

 may be impaired. The walnut should be more lightly sulphured 

 than the almond, as the same color is not desirable. 



Grading Walnuts. Walnuts are commercially graded through 

 a screen with square holes, measuring one and one-thirty-second 

 inches square. The so-called No. 1, sold by the California Walnut 

 Growers' Association, are the nuts which do not pass through this 

 screen, and the No. 2's are those which pass through. Budded 

 varieties are graded through a similar screen with holes measuring 

 one and three-sixteenths inches square. The Diamond Brand Buds 

 do not pass through, and the Golden State Buds are those which 

 fall through. 



CALIFORNIA WALNUT VARIETIES 



Which is the best walnut variety to plant in California or in 

 any particular region of the State is an open question and decision 

 apparently still rests upon many coming years of experience in 

 which all observant growers may participate. 



