same blossom. It sometimes happens that the 

 male blooms (catkins) mature and release their 

 pollen grains before the pistillate or female 

 bloom is in the receptive stage and when this 

 occurs the nuts are hollow shells and it is 

 therefore advisable in planting a pecan grove, 

 to plant the two or three varieties and alternate 

 with several rows of each. Trees should be 

 planted not closer than 40 feet and on rich bot- 

 tom soils 50 feet is better. It is entirely practicable to 

 plant some other variety between temporarily until 

 the Pecan commences to bear profitable crops, when 

 the other trees can be dug up. The oft repeated remark 

 that only trees which have never had their tap root 

 cut will bear, has time and again shown to be fallacy, 

 in fact no harm will result from the shortening in of 

 the tap root, for the tree is really benefited by the more 

 spreading root system. The difficulty of securing a uniform 

 stand and protecting the trees from injury; the marked varia- 

 ation in the size of the trees when the nuts are planted in 

 the orchard where the trees are to grow, has further discour- 

 aged this method of procedure by practical men. 



In setting a Pecan tree, a hole 24 inches in diameter 

 and 30 inches deep is usually large enough. The trees should 

 be set at least two to three inches deeper than they stood 

 in the nursery rows, proper precaution being taken to have 

 the reddish, brown tint which is the crown of the root, 

 underground, and it should never be exposed even after the 

 earth around the tree is settled. When set the trees 

 should 'be cut back to within 3 feet of the ground. The 

 head of the tree should be restricted to about three frame- 

 work branches. 



As a general rule the Pecan requires comparatively little 

 pruning. Moderate pruning of the main branches for the 

 first three years, will promote stability in the entire tree. 

 After this about all the pruning necessary is to remove dead 

 or injured branches and cut back those which have a tendency 

 to run beyond their neighbors. 



The harvesting of the nuts is very simple. They mature in 

 November. In most cases, unless the nuts in very large trees 

 are beyond reach, it is better to gather the nuts by hand 

 rather than threshing them off with poles. As soon as the 

 hulls are removed, dry the nuts on trays, spreading them out 

 about two inches deep, stirring them occasionally for a week, 

 when they are ready to be sacked for market. Seedling 

 pecans are polished by putting the nuts with a little dry sand 

 in a barrel, fixed so that it can be rotated like a revolving 

 churn, and turning until the nuts receive the desired polish. 

 The markings on the named varieties of papershells should 

 not be interfered with, as they are rendered far more attrac- 

 tive with their natural marks, dots and streaks. 



THE WALNUT 



Among the edible nuts grown in California, none equal in 

 commercial importance the walnut. Under favorable con- 

 ditions of soil and climate the tree attains an immense size, 

 specimens some sixty feet high, with a spread of fully one 

 hundred feet, being often conspicuous features of the 

 landscape. It prefers a rather loamy, deep, rich soil, finding 

 its greatest luxuriance in such lands. No nut yields larger 

 and more profitable returns than the walnut; the tree is 

 practically free from insect pests, and when once established 

 it requires little care as far as pruning is concerned. Good 

 and thorough cultivation is necessary for activity in the 

 growth of the tree, causing it to respond with bountiful 

 crops. The planting of seedling walnut trees has been gen- 

 erally abandoned on account of the many advantages of 

 grafted trees, which may be summed up as follows: (1) they 

 usually commence to bear profitable crops much earlier than 

 of seedlings; (2) they reproduce the variety from which buds 

 and grafts were taken, so there is an absolute certainty 

 that the character of the parent tree will be transferred 

 to the young stock; (3) perpetuation of the bearing quali- 

 ties of the parent tree with nuts of identical quality. These 

 points form the basis of success for the grower, for the extra 

 price realized for the product of the grafted trees in connec- 

 tion with their early bearing qualities more than offsets 

 the additional first outlay. In addition to other facts men- 

 tioned, the California Black Walnut (Juglans Californica) 

 root which is used as a stock has a decided influence in caus- 

 ing the graft to grow more vigorously and it will also adapt 

 itself to a wider range of soil conditions than trees on their 

 own roots. 



For commercial planting, trees are usually set 40 feet 

 each way. although in some instances where the soil is ex- 

 ceptionally fertile, trees are set 50 feet apart, for as the 

 tree matures, it makes a wide spreading top, so that it is 

 no uncommon sight to see branches even at the latter dis- 

 tance interlacing. 



All the talk that the cutting of the tap root of the walnut 

 interferes with its bearing qualities is nothing more or 

 less than twaddle. Numbers of commercial orchards and 

 very profitable ones too are transplanted trees. The walnut 

 even If trees are ten feet high, should be cut back to 3 feet 



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