and from one large orchard of the Franquette, and the numerous ones of 

 the Santa Rosa, now In full bearing, the nuts have so far brought in all 

 cases 18 to 20 cents per pound or even more, by the ton, when walnuts 

 from anywhere else were selling at from 9 to 14 cents per pound. 



Judge Leib of San Jose, who made a special study of the walnut in 

 every condition for several years, has obtained samples and definite par- 

 ticulars from many American and foreign growers, and with a careful per- 

 sonal inspection of the best orchards in this State, has after the most 

 severe tests, decided that for growing in Northern and Central California 

 but two varieties need be considered, the Franquette and the improved 

 Santa Rosa. Taken point by point, with all others now known, they 

 appear to stand at the head for general culture here. The Franquette is 

 a well-known French walnut grown only by grafting. The Santa Rosa so 

 far has been grown mostly as seedlings, and even grown this way has 

 proved to be ail that could be desired in early ripening, early bearing, produc- 

 tiveness and quality. But among these seedlings are found some trees 

 which are most remarkably early and constantly productive of astounding 

 crops of nuts of most perfect form, color and quality. Some of the best 

 of these will in my opinion supplant the Franquette, for though the Fran- 

 quette blooms later than the Santa Rosa and produces a fair crop each 

 season almost without fail, but rarely a full one, yet in a series of years 

 the Santa Rosa generally will outyield it two to one, besides being harvested 

 with much less care and expense, ripening as they do two to four weeks 

 earlier when the air is clear and the ground dry. The greatest fault of the 

 Santa Rosas is the tendency to start early in the spring. The greatest 

 fault of the Franquette for growing in this part of the State is their late 

 ripening, causing much care and expense in harvesting and curing. The 

 size, appearance and quality of the nuts of either is all that could be desired, 

 though the Santa Rosa generally has a whiter shell and the husk does not 

 require removal by hand as is the case with a large part of the crop of 

 Franquettes. To those who have had experience with this kind of work 

 on a rainy day nothing more need be said. The Franquette seems to be 

 well adapted to some of the larger interior valleys, but there are many other 

 good varieties which may prove to be better adapted to growing in some 

 locations than the ones here mentioned. 



In all cases without regard to varieties the best results will be ob- 

 tained by grafting on our native California black walnut, or some of its 

 hybrids. No one in Central or Northern California who grows Royal walnuts 

 on their own roots need expect to be able to compete with those who grow 

 them on the native black walnut roots. For when grown on these roots 

 the trees will uniformly be larger and longer lived, and will hardly be affected 

 by blight and other diseases, and do and will bear from two to four 

 times as many nuts which will be of larger size and much better quality. 

 These are facts and not theories, and walnut growers should take heed. 

 Although not popular among nurserymen yet the best way to produce a 

 paying orchard of walnuts is to plant the nuts from some vigorous black 

 walnut tree, three or four in each place where the tree is to stand. At 

 the end of the first summer remove all but the strongest grower, cultivate 

 the ground well; any hoed crop may be grown among them, or even other 

 trees or berries. Let the trees grow as they will for from three to six 

 years until they have formed their own natural vigorous system of roots, 

 then graft to the best variety extant which thrives in your locality, and 

 if on deep well drained land you will at once have a grove of walnuts which 

 will pay at present, or even very much lower prices, a most princely interest 

 on your investment. 



By grafting in the nursery or before the tree has had time to produce 

 its own system of roots by its own rapid growing leafy top, you have gained 

 little or nothing over planting trees on their own roots, for the foliage of 

 any tree governs the size, extent and form of the root system. Take heed 



