256 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA EXPERIMENT STATION. 



ducing nuts which may sell for at least 25 cents per pound, but pro- 

 ducing only 50 to 100 pounds on mature trees, as against a 12 or 15 

 cent variety which produces 200 or 300 pounds. The comparative desir- 

 ability of such varieties for planting, so far as they actually exist, can 

 be judged fairly well from our description of the various kinds. The 

 relation between quality of nut and the amount of the product should 

 be very carefully considered in choosing a variety for planting and the 

 grower should not be too much influenced by the appearance of a few 

 sample nuts without regard to the quantity in which they are produced. 

 The ideal tree, of course, is one which would produce large crops of the 

 most desirable type of nuts, but this combination has not been fully 

 attained. Another important point in regard to production is that of 

 the precocity or age of coming into bearing, in which great differences 

 exist in different varieties and between individual seedling trees. Some 

 varieties begin to produce nuts quite abundantly, even in the nursery, 

 and give a commercial crop within three years from planting in the 

 orchard, while others are several years later in coming into bearing. 

 Here, again, this quality must be carefully weighed in choosing a variety, 

 considering its relative value in proportion to other qualities. There is 

 in this connection the possibility of inter-planting, either with more pre- 

 cocious walnuts or some other crop, which may offset the disadvantage 

 of an otherwise desirable variety which is slow in coming into bearing. 

 The next important consideration is that of the size and weight of 

 the nuts. In almost all varieties and seedling trees the nuts are of good 

 size when the trees are young and first come into bearing, but in many 

 there is a tendency for the nuts to become smaller and smaller as the 

 trees get older and the crops heavier. The size of commercially first 

 grade California walnuts, as we have shown on page 197, is repre- 

 sented by nuts which will not pass through a one inch square opening, 

 while those above 1 3-16 inches command a considerable premium. 

 Nuts of a size considerably greater than this are in demand at still 

 higher prices to some extent, but ordinarily the market for such large 

 nuts is quite limited, owing to the fact that most varieties of this sort 

 are poorly filled with meat. Whether an extra large, well filled nut 

 and one of good flavor, if such exists or could be produced, would be 

 desirable for general planting, is somewhat problematical, although 

 certainly such a nut would command a ready sale and at a good price 

 to a considerable extent. However this may be, it is true that on the 

 basis of present standards the most desirable size is that which is not 

 graded out by a square-mesh screen of 1 3-16 inches, but not so very 

 much larger than this. The weight of the nut is equally important, 

 since this varies widely in nuts of the same size, as may be seen in the 

 table on page 300. It may be seen here that some of the largest 



