BULLETIN 231] WALNUT CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 299 



condition. For a few, extra handsome walnuts of average quality we 

 have no variety at present equal to this. As a commercial nut, however, 

 little more can be said in its favor. The tree is of slow growth and 

 scanty foliage, a light producer, and the nuts are extremely light in 

 proportion to their size, poorly sealed, susceptible to perforation or 

 poorly formed shells, and with small, poorly developed meats. 



OPINION OF AN EXPERT WALNUT BUYER. 



Samples of all these varieties were submitted to the head buyer for 

 one of the largest fancy grocery firms in California for his opinion as to 

 their relative merits. This gentleman had already expressed himself in 

 regard to the Placentia as follows: "The nut we have found most sat- 

 isfactory is the Placentia. This variety combines good size, handsome 

 appearance, good quality, good color and full meat." There would be 

 little question of the all-round superiority of this variety over any other, 

 for southern California at least, were it not for its blighting and poor 

 sealing qualities. Fair samples of the following varieties were submitted 

 to the expert, each under number rather than by name: 1, Eureka; 

 2, Franquette; 4, San Jose; 5, Concord; 6, Disher's Prolific; 7, Chase; 

 8, El Monte. His opinion follows: "Numbers 1, 2 and 8 are the finest 

 nuts in the assortment, although it is very difficult to say which might 

 be the best of the three for the reason that all possess some qualities 

 which the others lack. For instance : No. 1 has a very handsome shell, 

 a good fat kernel with exceptionally fine flavor, but the meats tend 

 slightly toward a brown shade. No. 2 has a handsome shell but the 

 kernel is not so fat as in No. 1, although the color of the meat is very 

 good and the flavor excellent. No. 8 is not so handsome in appearance 

 but the kernel is fat with good flavor but meat slightly brown. We 

 believe, taking all things into consideration, that No. 1 has the most good 

 points and if this variety bears well it would undoubtedly be a big 

 success. No. 4 has the advantage of a thin shell, although this tends to 

 perforation and we notice that the shell is not well filled, although the 

 meat has a good appearance and flavor. No. 5 can hardly be compared 

 with the others. This nut is more like the ordinary seedling nut which 

 has been on the market for many years, although of a better quality 

 than the average. No. 6 we find very similar to No. 1. This nut is very 

 symmetrical in appearance, having a full, fat kernel but not quite so 

 good a flavor as No. 1, while the meat is quite brown. No. 7 is good as 

 far as size and quality of meat is concerned but in appearance not so 

 good and the meat is too dark. Now to take all things into considera- 

 tion, we would rate these nuts in the following way : Nos. 1, 2, 8, 6, 4, 7, 

 5." It should be understood that this gentleman passed simply on the 

 quality of the nuts, without considering the producing or other quali- 

 ties of the tree. 



