BULLETIN 231] WALNUT CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 307 



BISHOP. 



We designate by this name a tree of some local fame, which stands 

 on the Bishop, formerly the Colonel Hollister and still earlier the Denn 

 Ranch, north of Goleta in Santa Barbara County. This tree is upwards 

 of forty years old, and is the one remaining survivor of a former plant- 

 ing, now surrounded by a young orchard composed of its own seedlings. 

 The tree is said to have been grown from a French nut and is called 

 locally a Grenoble tree. It is a large, heavy-bearing tree, coming out 

 decidedly late in the spring and practically free from blight. The nuts 

 are not particularly attractive, though of average quality. The tree 

 is not extremely late, but would probably come out about with Con- 

 cord and Eureka if grown in the same locality. We doubt whether the 

 nut is good enough to make the propagation of this tree desirable as a 

 special variety, by grafting, although its good bearing qualities and 

 freedom from blight are valuable characteristics. Many nuts from this 

 tree have been planted by Mr. Robert Main, superintendent of the 

 ranch, and in this way a local seedling strain has been developed, called 

 the Main nut. There is a large orchard of these seedlings on the Bishop 

 place surrounding the old tree, Mr. Main has a number of acres of 

 them on his home place at Goleta, and there are others scattered about 

 the neighborhood. Many of these are now old enough to bear consid- 

 erable crops. It is remarkable that the seedlings of this comparatively 

 late and blight-free tree have proved almost without exception to be 

 early in coming out and particularly susceptible to blight. The tree 

 has apparently been crossed by the surrounding Santa Barbara Soft 

 Shell seedlings, or in any event almost all of its own seedlings come out 

 decidedly early in the spring and blight very badly. Only one of the 

 seedlings of this tree has yet been found which shows any promise of 

 freedom from blight. This is the so-called Hicks tree, growing on Mr. 

 William Hicks' place, between Santa Barbara and Goleta. This par- 

 ticular tree comes out early in the spring, but has thus far been quite 

 free from blight, although surrounded by badly affected trees. It bears 

 a nut of rather rough shape, but well filled, well sealed, light colored 

 meat, good size and excellent flavor. 



There is reason to hope that among the seedlings of the old Bishop 

 tree there may yet be found some particularly good and blight-free 

 individuals. 



CHABERTE. 



An old French variety which was introduced into California by 

 Felix Gillet and considerably planted in the central and northern part 

 of the State some years ago. The tree is a good producer of small nuts 

 with plump, light colored meat. Not worthy of commercial planting 

 in California. 



