THE WALNUT. 



Juglans Regia L. 



Maltese = geuza. Italian noce. French = noytr. 



The walnut thrives well in any soil and in all situa- 

 tions, but prefers a deep soil moderately moist and a 

 cool situation, where it makes rapid growth and attains to 

 a large size. In dry and too open situations the tree has 

 a tendency to spread out and remain a dwarf. It is 

 liable to die off suddenly in soils heavily charged with 

 organic manure, particularly if also badly drained. 



The tree is raised exclusively by seed, the small 

 seed of half-wild sorts being generally preferred for 

 raising stock, and the plants when the stem is about 

 3 c.m. in thickness, are grafted with the large-seeded 

 cultivated varieties. The graft is generally performed 

 close to the ground, in January or February. Budding 

 may be done early in summer, making use of buds taken 

 from the young wood well ripened, but the walnut is 

 rarely propagated by budding. Several varieties come 

 true or nearly true from seed, and therefore are more 

 often propagated directly, sowing well formed walnuts 

 from a typical tree. Sowing may be done in January, 

 and February, and walnut plants or young trees with a 

 stem not more than 5 or 6 c.m. can be transplanted 

 safely during winter. 



The walnut has a powerful root system, and if 

 planted close to an underground tank will probably 

 damage the rendering. It is also capricious as regards 

 productiveness, often producing heavy crops, and as often 

 refusing to bear well for several years in succession. But 

 it is highly ornamental, and in suitable places becomes a 

 tree of magnificent proportions. The foliage is aromatic, 

 and both the foliage and the fleshy husk or pericarp con- 



