FILBERT AND PEANUT 451 



has several such varieties, of which the "Rochester No. 20" has 

 seemed most promising. The California Mountain Fruit Co. of 

 Grass Valley has a ten-acre orchard of chestnuts planted to test 

 bearing and profitability. The fruit ripens in October and the tree 

 has also late blooms and burs setting at the same time which 

 creates a doubt as to whether the American species knows how to 

 behave in our salubrious foothill climate as well as the South 

 European species do. It is stated that American varieties do not 

 graft on Japanese or European seedlings as well as they do upon 

 seedlings of the American, wild nuts. 



THE FILBERT 



The best English cob-nuts have been quite widely tried in Cali- 

 fornia without successful results. Improved Spanish and French 

 varieties of the filbert were early introduced by Felix Gillet, of 

 Nevada City, and have been favorably reported by him as to growth 

 and bearing. A few other growers in foothill situations have re- 

 ported success, but as a rule disappointment has attended ventures 

 with the filbert. The most favorable regions for farther experiment 

 are apparently the north slopes of the Coast Range, from Santa 

 Cruz northward, and other cooler and moister situations, as well as 

 at an elevation on the Sierra foothills. Mr. Leonard Coates of 

 Morgan Hill has recently given much attention to the filbert and 

 has introduced the most prolific European varieties. He has assur- 

 ance of the fruitfulness of the plant when pruned to encourage 

 growth of fruiting wood and necessary pollination is provided for. 



THE PEANUT 



A few peanuts have been grown in California in a great many 

 localities for perhaps fifty years, and most of the attempts to pro- 

 duce them have proven unprofitable and been abandoned. At one 

 time Orange County produced something like twenty carloads an- 

 nually, but later abandoned the crop as unprofitable. During 1919 

 and 1920 peanut growing was taken up by Mr. A. R. Miller of Fon- 

 tana, San Bernardino County, on light, sandy soil and is credited 

 with producing 1500 Ibs. per acre on a large acreage in 1920. The 

 crop was handled from planting to threshing with modified bean- 

 growing implements and machinery the whole crop being sold in 

 Los Angeles. The "Spanish" peanut was planted in April and May 

 and harvested in September. Furrow irrigation was employed,) first 

 after planting and three more at intervals of about three weeks. 



For small scale growing these hints may be given : peanuts 

 require sandy sediment to give the best results. It is better to shell 

 the seed and plant one kernel in a hill, 18 inches apart in the rows 

 which are three feet apart. Plant the seed two or three inches deep, 

 in good moist earth so as to insure germination. Plant as soon as 

 frosts are over, in April or May, as they need about six months to 

 complete their growth. There is very little land that will produce 



