BULLETIN 231] WALNUT CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 141 



does grow upon dry, exposed hillsides rather than in deep, rich, moist 

 soil, to which the original groves of the northern California type are 

 confined. In a similar situation, the southern California tree grows 

 rapidly and vigorously, forming particularly a very thick trunk, but 

 with a round, bushy top rather than with a single, erect, continuous, 

 central axis. Along the road between Ventura and Nordhoff and in 

 the hills about the latter vicinity, trees of extremely great trunk 

 diameter may be seen, but the tops are very broad, low and bushy. 

 Professor Jepson has well characterized this form as "elephantine" in 

 comparison to the erect, arboreous habit of the northern type. There is 

 an immense tree of apparently the southern type on the premises of 

 F. M. Gifford, at No. 18 East Haley street, Santa Barbara. This tree 

 is of unknown age and over four feet in diameter. There is another 

 extremely large one a few miles northwest of Covina, forming a well- 

 known landmark and resting place by the roadside. Many other 

 instances could be cited to show that the southern California black wal- 

 nut is not at all a dwarf tree, but is rather one of rapid growth and large 

 size in diameter when growing under conditions at all favorable. 



The nut of the southern type varies considerably in size on different 

 trees, but in general it is much smaller than that of the northern type. 



Relationship Between the Southern and Northern California Types of 

 Black Walnut. Assuming that the southern California type of black 

 walnut is indigenous to the region where it is found, which fact there is 

 no reason to doubt, the question arises, whence came these three, isolated, 

 original groups of the northern tree 1 It is most natural to agree with 

 Dr. Jepson that these northern trees were planted by the Indians many 

 years ago, either intentionally or by chance, with nuts which they had 

 brought from the south for food and exchange. Each of the three local- 

 ities is known to have been the site of an abundant Indian population, 

 and it is also well known that walnuts and other nuts were carried about 

 by the Indians for such purposes. 



Mr. Joe Gordon, alluded to above, whose memory goes back to about 

 1846, states that in his youth, when Indians were abundant in Solano and 

 Nap a counties, they frequently used black walnuts with which to trade 

 with the white people for various articles which they desired. On being 

 questioned as to his idea of the origin of the old walnut trees in his 

 vicinity, Mr. Gordon stated that he had heard that black walnuts grew 

 wild in the southern part of the State and that his idea had been that the 

 Indians brought nuts from the south from which these trees originated. 

 The more erect type of tree and the larger nuts of the northern type are 

 explained by Professor Jepson as an influence of environment. 



In order to obtain further light upon this question, we commenced 



