BULLETIN 231] WALNUT CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 285 



Precocity. 



Fair. Commences bearing fairly well while quite young, at least in 

 southern California. 



Production in Older Trees. 



Very good, but not exceptionally heavy, so far as can be learned from 

 present plantings. 



Susceptibility to Blight and Other Troubles. 



Badly affected by blight under conditions favorable to the disease. 

 Nuts sometimes badly perforated, especially on young trees. Otherwise, 

 not especially susceptible to disease. 



GENERAL REMARKS. 



The Placentia Perfection is in many respects the best walnut which 

 has yet been thoroughly tried in southern California, and, all things con- 

 sidered, is entitled to be called the best proven variety for that part of 

 the State. It comes close to being an ideal nut save for two defects, but 

 these are so great as to preclude all idea of considering it a thoroughly 

 satisfactory variety. These defects are the poor sealing of the nuts and 

 the susceptibility of the variety to blight. The nuts crack open badly 

 in ordinary handling, and still more so if exposed to the sun to any 

 extent in drying. In regard to blight, the Placentia Perfection is very 

 susceptible to the disease, which again belies its name. Aside from these 

 two defects, however, the variety is one of high quality and is probably 

 unequaled by any other as a commercial walnut for southern Cali- 

 fornia. It is of a desirable and attractive form and size, heavy and 

 very plump meat running a full 50 per cent or better. The meat is of a 

 very attractive color and appearance and can easily be taken out of the 

 shell whole with the fingers. The nuts are almost invariably well filled, 

 even in seasons when the average quality of walnuts in this respect is 

 very poor. The tree is thrifty and vigorous, one of the easiest to propa- 

 gate by grafting, quite precocious, and becoming large and well formed 

 while still comparatively young. In regard to production, the variety is 

 not old enough to be critically judged. Trees in their fifth year from 

 planting in the orchard have produced from twelve to twenty pounds 

 of nuts, which is as good as almost any other variety will average, and 

 better than most. We know of one grove which produced slightly more 

 than one ton of nuts per acre in its tenth year, which is a very satisfac- 

 tory yield compared with present groves, although by no means up to 

 the possibilities of an ideal variety. Since the Placentia has no im- 

 munity to blight and is superior only in the quality of the nut and satis- 

 factory development of the tree, it is probable that varieties will be 

 found among our present seedling trees equally good in these respects 

 and at the same time less subject to the defects mentioned. The 

 Placentia Perfection is usually looked upon in southern California at 



