THE WALNUTS JAPANESE WALNUTS. 41 



years of age the trees of this variety are said to produce no male blossoms, though 

 female flowers or nutlets are frequently found even on very young trees. Such nutlets 

 may be grown to maturity if pollen is supplied from other walnut trees in the neigh- 

 borhood. For the family garden Mr. Gillet thinks this variety has superior claims in 

 quality of kernel, thinness of shell, fruitfulness, and precocity in bearing. Mr. Gillet 

 reports that in 1881 grafts of this variety were set in a large walnut tree at Nevada 

 City. The tree was 21 years old and measured 2J feet in diameter, but had previously 

 borne only 17 nuts, all in one year. In 1884 those grafts bore over 400 nuts, and in 

 1887 their yield was 5 bushels. Mr. Gillet asserts that the trees grown in California, 

 from nuts borne on trees grafted from the imported, bear nuts of larger size than the 

 parent trees. These he designates "second generation" trees. Seedlings from these 

 (third generation), he says, show a marked deterioration in size, though they retain 

 the thin shell and good quality. 



SANTA BARBARA (Softsliell). This variety is about ten days later than the Mission 

 in'Starting growth and in blooming in the spring. It fruits at from four to six years 

 from seed, and usually produces a full crop every year. It is not as strong a grower 

 as the common walnut (Mission), and more trees can be planted to the acre. The 

 shells are thin and easily broken, consequently the nuts are sometimes damaged in 

 long shipment. The kernel is white and of very flue quality. 



SEKOTINA (Late Walnut, St. John). A nut of medium size, with high-flavored 

 kernel. This is perhaps the latest walnut in putting forth growth in the spring on 

 the Pacific Slope, and for this cause it- is especially selected by planters for sections 

 liable to have late frosts. It is an old French variety described by Loudon. Mr. 

 Gillet says : " It is this variety that produces the 'After St. John walnut,' nursery- 

 men marking out every Serotina in nursery rows that puts forth [blossoms?] about St. 

 John's day [June 24], and selling such trees under the name of 'After St. John walnut.'" 



SEXTON (Papershell). Named and propagated by Joseph Sexton, of Goleta, Cal. 

 It is a very thin-shelled nut of good quality. It is about ten days later starting growth 

 in the spring than the Mission nut. It is more upright in growth of tree than the 

 Mission, and for this reason is set in orchard by Mr. Sexton at 40 by 40 feet. 



VOUREY. Recently introduced from southeastern France. Similar to Mayette 

 in form, and said to be one of the hardiest varieties yet introduced. 



A few other varieties are catalogued by Mr. Gillet, but they lack sufficient test 

 to prove their value in this country. 



JAPANESE WALNUTS (Juglans sieboldiana Maxim. ; J. cordlformis Maxim. ; J. mandshurica Maxim). ' 



These nuts, the two former of which are natives of Japan and the latter of east- 

 ern Asia, have been planted for some years in California and other States with a good 

 prospect of becoming useful economic trees. They are certainly worthy of widespread 

 trial where our native walnuts thrive. They are very closely allied botanically, and 

 no distinct characters seem to have been noted except in regard to the form, size, and 

 smoothness of the nuts, the varying thickness of shell, and the quantity and quality 

 of the meat. Of the three, the nut of J. mandshurica bears a close resemblance to 

 our butternut, J. cinerea, while that of J. sieboldiana more resembles an elongated 

 form of Persian walnut, and J. cordiformis a small, thin-shelled, heart-shaped form of 

 the same species. Of the similarity of wood, foliage, and manner of growth of the 

 different species of Japanese walnuts, Luther Burbank says: 1 "Among the many 

 thousand seedlings which I have raised from J. sieboldiana and from the Towerhouse 

 trees I have watched in vain for the least variation in foliage or growth. Even J. 

 mandshurica and all the various forms which are obtained from Japan and Korea are 

 so much alike in foliage and growth that no one has been able to observe any difference 

 in young trees." 



1 American Garden, March, 1891. 



