32 THE WALNUT — PRUNING. 



stock has come into great favor for budding and grafting onto. The 

 tree attains great height, and many trees are to be seen over 100 feet 

 high, and of great dimensions. This species has been confounded with 

 the "Dwarf or Wild Walnut (J. rupestris) indigenous to the southern 

 part of the State, extending from the Tehachapi Mountains into Arizona 

 and Mexico. 



Dwarf or Wild Walnut {Juglans rupestris, Eng.).— This species is 

 indigenous to the southern part of the State, extending from the Tehach- 

 api Mountains to the south. It is a small, dwarfish tree, but a vigorous 

 grower. " Comes the same " from seed, and is easily budded and grafted, 

 also bears transplanting. The nut is quite small, very hard and smooth,, 

 but of little or no commercial value. 



(12) PRUNING THE WALNUT. 



* " During the first year constant pruning is necessary to have the tree properly shaped. 

 I have pruned in a summer as many as four or five times. Branches are apt to grow too 

 rapidly, bear down with their own weight, and break off during high winds, destroying 

 the symmetry of the tree and occasioning much loss of time. All lateral branches 

 growing from the leader should be cultivated to assume an upward angle of about 15° ta 

 45° from the main leader. This can be done by clipping off all branches growing under,^ 

 and at times cutting oft the ends. A trunk should be maintained free from limbs S}4 

 to 4J^ feet from the ground. Earth should be kept away from the trunks, and if the top 

 roots near the trunk are exposed, so much the better ; it will assist the tree in breathing. 

 The most careful cultivation is necessary, and nothing, after the fifth year, should be- 

 grown between the rows, unless you have plenty of water to irrigate by flooding all 

 me ground once every eight weeks ; if you are so prepared, sow your orchard in alfalfa, 

 and do no cultivating." 



+ "Pruning the walnut is extremely simple and can be done by anyone. When plant- 

 ing the tree, don't cut the top oft of one-year-old trees, but it is absolutely necessary 

 to cut back a two or a three-year-old tree ; in fact, the finest young walnut orchard I 

 know of in Orange County (and we have lots of fine ones down this way) was grown 

 from two-year-old trees from 8 to 10 feet high, and cut back to about i}4 feet, and all 

 limbs below that trimmed off, except three or four, which were allowed to grow up and 

 make the top of the tree. Never prune the trees over 334 feet, as the bark of a tree is- 

 easily sunburned, and thus it is necessary for the foliage to shade the trunk. If the 

 lower limbs extend outward and are in the way of the cultivator, tie them up, for by so 

 doing yoa can train the lower branches uj)W3rd, so as to cultivate close to the tree, and' 

 when the orchard comes into bearing the limbs growing upward will not bend down to- 

 the ground with the fruit, so you cannot get within twenty feet of them with the culti- 

 vator." 



t "In pruning it has been the custom to trim to a height of 6 to 7 feet, but I think 4 

 to 5 feet better. Such high pruning makes the tree top-heavy, and the prevailing winds- 

 cause them to lean, exposing one Side of the trunk to the sun, thus causing sunburn. I 

 think it best to trim little, if any. It is the nature of the tree to allow the limbs to grow 

 downward and fill any space of account that may have been made by pruning, while 

 if allowed to grow in their natural state, the limbs will start near the ground, growing 

 upward and keeping out of the way much better than when allowed to hang down. I 

 have not been able as yet to grow them just as I would like in this respect, on account 

 of raising crops (mostly corn) between the trees, and I find it very difficult to save the- 

 lower limbs while young and tender, as a very little push or strain when plowing will 

 injure them next to the trunk, and they should then be cut off to save the tree from- 

 greater injury than the loss of a limb. Avoid crotches or forks. If a tree is about 

 evenly divided the abundance of foliage the tree has in summer will cause it to split 

 with a very little wind, and you will thus lose the use of the tree for several years, if 

 not altogether. If badly broken, start a new shoot near the ground, and in six years, 

 with care, it will be a bearing tree." 



*Hon. Ell wood Cooper, Santa Barbara, 



t George W. Ford, Santa Ana. 



JO. A. Caufman, of Eivera, in "California Cultivator and Poultry Keeper," October,. 



