436 



THE IBRIGATION AGE. 



The elder Pomeroy's remarkable success has at- 

 tracted the attention of nut culturists, horticulturists an<5 

 progressive farmers in all parts of this country and Eu- 

 rope. Nut specialists from California came east and ex- 

 amined the Pomeroy trees, and were well satisfied that 

 a hardy variety for the colder states had at last been 

 found. 



Realizing the value of his father's discovery, Mr. E. C. 

 Pomeroy, a lew years ago, set out several orchards of the 

 variety which had thriven so well, and all these trees are 

 now in a fine state of healthy growth, and are known by 

 nut growers all over the country. Only the other day a 

 prominent physician in Atlantic City, just returned from 

 a tour of Austria, told Mr. Pomeroy of the fame which 

 his orchards enjoyed abroad. As an instance of this, the 

 doctor mentioned the name of an Austrian nut grower, 

 who declared the Pomeroy nut to be the very best variety 

 in the world. These nuts do not become rancid in warm 

 weather, having been kept for several years in perfect 

 condition, without cold storage. 



So profitable has the culture of the English walnut 

 in the eastern and northern states become, that owners of 

 farms and suburban tracts are beginning to set out large 

 orchards, in preparation for the immense demand that is 

 already being shown for this most edible of all nuts. 



It is only a few years ago that the cultivation of the 

 English walnuts for the market started in California, and 

 today they are shipped from that state in car and train 

 loads. To show, however, that the supply does not begin 

 to meet the demand in this country, it may be stated that 

 the United States consumes more than 50,000,000 pounds 

 of English walnuts a year, and that about 27,000,000 

 pounds of these have to be imported every year. And 

 when it is known that the price is steadily advancing, it 

 will very readily be seen that the possibilities of commer- 

 cial success are unusually great. 



In California the nut industry is rivaling that of the ' 

 erange, and even now there are more dollars worth of 

 nuts shipped from the state per year than there ar'e of 

 oranges. This statement is meant to include all varieties 

 of nuts, although the English walnut figures largest in the 

 proportion. 



As to planting and cultivating English walnut trees 

 seem to require no particular soil, but should not be set 

 out where it is low and wet. The trees should be planted 

 forty to fifty feet apart each way. A cultivated crop, such 

 as corn or potatoes, with small fruit trees for fillers, can 

 be made to yield an income for the brief period, com- 

 paratively, before the walnuts begin to bear. The prun- 

 ing should be done between fall and spring, only such 

 branches as would interfere with cultivation being re- 

 moved. 



In planting on the lawn the ground about the base 

 of the tree should be kept spaded for three feet in 

 circumference, and after the first year some well-rotted 

 manure should be worked into the soil around the tree. 

 No cultivating should be done after the first of August, 

 as it would encourage further growth and from then 

 until winter the annual growth of wood is ripening and 

 hardening. 



No more beautiful shade tree is known than the 

 English walnut. They make comparatively no litter, have 

 a pure white bark, very closely resembling that of the 

 white birch, and bear a heavy foliage with a rich, glossy 

 leaf. They are almost immune from insect pests, a cer- 

 tain alkali sap which they possess serving to drive away 

 the parasites which are so ruinous to the chestnut and 

 nearly all other fruit trees. 



In the English walnut at its best the male and female 

 blossoms mature at the same time, insuring perfect fer- 

 tilization. Under favorable circumstances the trees will 

 bear nuts three to five years from transplanting and in- 

 crease in yield yearly. As a food nuts are becoming 

 less a luxury and more a staple article of diet. Their 

 value is being recognized and they are being used more 

 and more as a substitute for meat, one pound of walnut 

 meat being said to equal eight pounds of steak in nutri- 

 ment. 



In transplantation most growers have found that two 

 to four-year-old trees are most readily transplanted. At 

 this age most of their growth has been in roots and re- 

 moval causes them to throw out additional roots and 



thus give increased vigor to the tree. Then again the 

 smaller the tree the more safely may it be packed and 

 shipped to its destination. 



The eastern grower has many advantages over his 

 rival of the west. First of all, there is the consideration 

 of freight charges, which on a carload from California 

 amounts to such a sum that, added to the cost of the 

 nut, naturally increases the price per pound several cents 

 over the variety grown in the east and placed in an eastern 

 market. 



A California grower of English walnuts who recently 

 visited an orchard in western New York declared the 

 specimens which he saw there to be "the very finest I 

 have ever seen." "You have a better flavored nut and 

 you have proved beyond a doubt that the variety is thrifty 

 and hardy," were his exact words. This same grower 

 said that his tew acres of young California trees gave him 

 in 1911 a crop which he sold for $10,000. 



IMPORTANT AMENDMENT OF THE RECLAMA- 

 TION ACT. 



The President recently signed one of the most im- 

 portant amendments to the reclamation act. The latter 

 has been on the statute books for ten years. About 

 $75,000,000 have been expended in building works which, 

 although not yet completed, are already furnishing water 

 to about 15,000 farms. One of the difficulties experienced 

 by the settlers upon the public lands reclaimed under the 

 terms of this act, has been that they could not obtain 

 patent to the land until the water provided under the 

 terms of the act had been paid for and thus they could 

 not use the land as the basis for borrowing money to .im- 

 prove their farms and enable them to get a start. 



The recent amendment provides that these settlers 

 may obtain patent to the land upon compliance with the 

 provision of law applicable to such lands as to residences, 

 reclamation and cultivation. In other words, if they have 

 lived upon the lands for three years, have reclaimed at 

 least half of the irrigable area and have kept up the 

 charges, patent can issue and thus the entryman will be 

 in a position to borrow money upon his land. 



While this is the primary object of the law, there are 

 also other even more far-reaching provisions, the most 

 important and radical of which is the absolute limitation 

 of water rights obtained under the reclamation act to not 

 to exceed 160 acres. Under the law as it formerly stood, 

 it might be possible for a man or corporation to purchase 

 several reclamation units and combine the farms into a 

 considerable holding. Now. however, if this is done the 

 water right will be forfeited and provision is made that 

 any excess land over 160 acres which is acquired in good 

 faith by descent, by law, or by foreclosure of the lien 

 may be held for two years and no longer, and the excess 

 holding shall be forfeited to the United States. This pre- 

 vents consolidation of lands irrigated by works built by 

 the government, and while it may work a hardship in 

 some cases, it is believed will result beneficially. No 

 large owner can thus enjoy the liberality of the 

 government. 



Attempts have been made in the past to evade the 100- 

 acre limitation by subdividing the lands, putting the title 

 in the names of near relatives, but it is probable that 

 under the wording of this act such attempts to evade the 

 letter of the law may jeopardize the ownership of the 

 property to an extent at least to prevent any considerable 

 evasion of the intent. 



Another provision which will greatly add to the con- 

 venience of the water users is that permitting payment. to 

 be made directly to the local office of the reclamation 

 service, instead of requiring payments to be made at the 

 remote land offices involving in some cases expensive 

 journeys. This also reduces the cost of accounting, as 

 only one set of accounts need be kept, and that upon the 

 project itself, cutting out the records which formerly have 

 been maintained in the land offices. 



Send $1.00 for ] year's subscription to the IRRIGA- 

 TION AGE and bound copy of THE PRIMER OF IRRIGA- 

 TION. If you desire a copy of The Primer of Hy- 

 draulics add $2.50 to above price. 



