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earlier lots meanwhile being exposed to the air in the shade 

 on frames to dry sufficiently for storing, covering them up 

 at night. If thus treated for about four days, and turned 

 over repeatedly, they will be dry enough, but will require 

 a little vigilance to prevent any mouldiness supervening 

 inside. The soft-shell walnuts require close attention so 

 as not to carry the desiccation too far else they are apt to 

 crack, let in air, and shrivel the kernels. All are best 

 temporarily stored in boxes until marketed in the usual 

 way in bags. The custom of Lagging at once and standing 

 the bags on the more or less damp earth is the main reason 

 that there are so many musty walnuts about. In Kent it is 

 usual to wash over the whole gathering with clear lime-water 

 and then dry quickly in a draught of air. The result is 

 that the brown, inner skin peels off very readily and the 

 flesh gains in plumpness. 



There are many good varieties known in France and 

 grown carefully to name. Prceparturiens is the earliest to 

 bear, as its name implies. Nursery plants only shoulder- 

 high will bear a little crop where they stand, although this 

 should not be allowed. The nuts are of fine quality and 

 good average size. 



Serotine is not quite so well-flavoured and a little dry, 

 but as the tree does not trust itself to leaf or blossom till a 

 week or ten days after the average of other sorts, it has a 

 special value for high cold localities liable to late frosts. 

 The shell is apt to thicken and prove hard if the soil is 

 poor, thin and dry. 



Mayette and Chabert. Both of these are good croppers, 

 hardy and rather large fruited. They are perhaps the 

 most common sorts in cultivation in France, and are seen 

 in the markets everywhere. 



Bijou. This is the largest walnut in cultivation. It is 

 sometimes shy of bearing and capricious, but mostly 

 through not getting its demands satisfied properly. The 

 nut is of first-rate quality. 



The walnut is remarkably free from parasitic enemies of 

 either kind. The only one to be feared is the red spider, 

 Tetranychus telarius, which spins its microscopic webs on 

 the under side of the leaves and produces a sickly condi- 

 tion, especially in dry seasons. The persistent use of 



