CHAPTER XL 



NUTS OF MINOR IMPORTANCE 



Nut-bearing plants from all parts of the world have been intro- 

 duced to California and probably all of them, except those of strictly 

 tropical requirements, may be found growing successfully here and 

 there throughout the State. Only the almond and the walnut have 

 risen to great commercial importance and only a few others have 

 passed beyond amateurs' interests. 



THE CHESTNUT 



The chestnut is not yet produced in large amount in California, 

 and certain quantities of the nuts are annually imported, the Amer- 

 ican, Italian, or Spanish and Japanese all being found in the San 

 Francisco markets. Of chestnuts grown in California, the Italian 

 predominates, and judging by its success it may be said that a large 

 area of California is well suited for the growth of the chestnut, as 

 there are bearing trees in nearly all parts of the State. The chestnut 

 succeeds on heavy, clayey soil, even if it be rocky. 



Chestnut trees are readily grown from the seed, and come into 

 bearing from six to eight years, though the Japanese sometimes 

 bear sooner. The growth of chestnuts from the seed is described 

 in Chapter VIII. In growing from seed of the improved varieties, 

 there is a tendency toward reversion, and budding and grafting 

 may be done by the methods described in the chapter on the fig. 

 The chestnut can also be grafted with the ordinary cleft graft. 

 Buds or scions should be taken from trees which are fruiting satis- 

 factorily, and in this way seedlings which have a tendency to bear 

 empty burs can be turned to good account. Chestnuts can be grown 

 in the nursery until several years old, providing they are lifted at 

 the end of the first year, the tap-root cut off, and the trees reset, 

 giving them rather more room than during their first year's growth. 

 In permanent plantings the trees should have plenty of room, as 

 they ultimately attain great size. Trees at Grass Valley, Nevada 

 County, when about twenty years old, fifteen inches in diameter of 

 tlrunk, and forty feet high, are reported to bear a barrel of nuts 

 to the tree regularly. Felix Gillet of Nevada City for many years 

 made a specialty of propagating a large collection of the improved 

 French varieties known as "Marrons," which were distributed to 

 some extent. The chestnut, aside from its desirability as an orchard 

 tree, can be commended as a tree for hillsides or a shade tree for 

 waysides of pastures, and should be more widely planted in Cali- 

 fornia. The chief product is in the foothill district east of the San 

 Joaquin Valley. 



Quite a number of improved chestnuts of the American species 

 have been planted in California. Mr. A. L. Wisker of Grass Valley 



