66 



circumstances is considered to yield up to 

 60 bushels of nuts ; the ordinary 

 average yield is said to be 6 or 7 

 bushels. A relative near Faversham has 

 kept a record of the nuts sent to Covent 

 Garden from two walnut trees during 29 

 years, it amounted to 330 bushels of nuts, 

 which sold for £66 10s. 6d., giving an 

 average of 11^ bushels per year, at an 

 average price of 4s. per bushel, being 

 £2 5s. lOd. per year, or 22s. lid. per tree. 

 In 1919, the nuts of the two trees sold for 

 £10 at 2Cs. per bushel. One tree is a 

 soft-shelled variety, having a hen run 

 under it (which manures it well), the other 

 tree near by is a hard-shelled variety; 

 the trees are thought to be 70 to 80 years 

 old, such trees (pre-war) would be worth 

 £5 or more as timber. 



On some fruit farms one may see single 

 rows or avenues of walnut trees which are 

 yearly beaten for their nuts, the beating 

 knocks out dead wood, and it is a pro- 

 verbial saying the more you beat the wal- 

 nut tree the better it yields. For beating 

 off the ripe nuts in the autumn long supple 

 ash rods are used from long ladders. 



Walnut trees to grow well are considered 

 to need lime in the soil, and if lime is 

 known to be deficient as in most clay and 

 sandy soils, a barrowful of chalk may be 

 put in the hole and well mixed with the 

 •soil before planting. 



A large proportion of the crop is 

 gathered green for pickling, being picked 

 in the first or second week of July. The 

 following is a Eecipe for Pickling, given 

 by W. P. M. in " Food," July 12, 1917. 



" The nuts should be picked when green 

 before they have attained full growth, and 

 when still soft. Prick each all over with 

 a large needle, and place in strong brine, 

 formed of lib. salt to every half-gallon of 

 water. Leave the nuts in this for four or 

 five days, then transfer to fresh brine for 

 a similar period. Take out and leave in 

 the sun, spread out on trays, till they turn 

 black. After placing in bottles pour over 

 them boiling vinegar in which has been 

 boiled an assortment of spice. A good 

 mixture of spice is: — One teaspoonful of 

 cloves, 2 tablespoonfuls of peppercorns, 

 3 tablespoonfuls of allspice to every quart 

 of vinegar. Strain before pouring over 

 the walnuts, cork and seal the bottles and 



keep them for a couple of months before 

 use." 



A bushel of walnuts in the husk weighs 

 about 401bs., and yields about half a bushel 

 of nuts, containing about 1,000 nuts. 



A considerable proportion of the walnuts 

 that come to England from the Continent 

 have been washed and put in a kiln with 

 sulphur, which kills the life germ of the 

 nut, they therefore keep better than the 

 English walnuts. 



The walnut does not come " true " to 

 its seed; seed should, however, be chosen 

 from a good variety. The thin-shelled 

 English walnut is considered a good sort 

 to sow, but it does not always come true. 

 Grafting is the only way to keep a variety 

 " true." Of the large soft-shelled French 

 varieties, the following are among those 

 most recommended at present for planting 

 in France: — "La Tranquette," the 

 " Mayotte," and the " Parisienne." 



The late Mr. George Bunyard wrote that 

 the large French walnut succeeds in the 

 warmer parts of England, but unless the 

 summer is a warm one, the nuts which 

 are very large do not ripen well, the edible 

 part being only half-formed. 



Among the English varieties are " High 

 Flyer," " Large Double," and " Thin 

 Skinned." 



The planting of the English walnut is 

 recommended by authorities for road-side 

 planting where soil, etc., favour, being 

 both useful and beautiful. 



The pollination of walnuts is commerci- 

 ally worth consideration. A walnut tree 

 planted alone will probably not bear fruit 

 as well as where there are two trees (pre- 

 ferably of different varieties) planted near 

 enough for the wind to carry the pollen 

 from tree to tree, and thus effect cross- 

 pollination. Professor E. J. Wickson, the 

 horticultural lecturer at the University of 

 California, writes as follows in his ex- 

 cellent book, " Californian Fruits": — 

 " The walnut has its staminate and pistil- 

 late blooms separate, but both occur on 

 the same tree. Successful fruiting depends 

 upon the appearance of these two forms 

 of bloom, without too great interval of 

 time, and although there seems to be quite 

 a retention of vitality, the lack of bearing 

 of some varieties has been found due to 

 the fact that the catkins disappear too 



