THE WALNUT. 231 



Michael Floy, who early in the. present centnry had 

 quite extensive grounds devoted to fruit and ornamental 

 trees, near what is now the centef of New York city, as 

 we learn from his "Guide to the Orchard," published in 

 1833, claims, in this work, that the Persian walnuts 

 thrive well in this country, but admits that he had never 

 succeeded in grafting the trees, and with the hickories 

 had no better success, although he had tried them many 

 times; but he adds: "Still I do not say it is im- 

 possible either to bud or graft them ; but there is 

 something peculiar about it, for both the bud and graft 

 turn black when cut, almost instantaneously. Others 

 may succeed better, but let them try it before they 

 affirm it upon hearsay ; they may succeed very well by 

 inarching. " 



Coming down to the present day, in our search for 

 facts and information in regard to the propagation of 

 varieties of the walnut, we may find it interesting to 

 visit California, which, of all the States of the Union, is 

 perhaps the best adapted to nut culture in general ; 

 besides, a larger number of nut trees of various kinds 

 have been planted there than elsewhere in this country; 

 It is in California that we find such men as Felix Gillet, 

 of Nevada City, an enthusiastic propagator and culti* 

 vator of fruit and nut trees, and especially of the latter, 

 if we may judge by his works and writings on this 

 branch of horticulture, — and so far as I have been able 

 to learn, he is the only nurseryman in the" United States 

 who has grafted walnut trees of many different varieties 

 for sale. 



In regard to modes of propagation, Mr. Gillet says 

 that the common mode of shield budding, as employed 

 on fruit trees, fails entirely with small walnuts from one 

 to three years from the seed, and it does but seldom suc- 

 ceed even on larger stocks. When tried on large, old 

 stocks, he advises removing all the wood from the inner 



