6 THE WALNUT — " ENGLISH " OB " PERSIAN. " 



during the establishment of the California Missions in 1769. Records 

 of its early history are scant, but mention is made of walnut trees grow- 

 ing about the Missions by most of the writers of the " Record of the 

 Founding of Missions," and the " History of Franciscan Missions of 

 California," and, therefore, it is safe to assume that with the advent of 

 the Missions dates the introduction of this valuable tree. In the Mission 

 yards are yet to be seen walnut trees of those early plantings, and while 

 age began to tell on these many years ago, they still live and bear nuts, 

 but few in number and small in size. 



*"When [ first arrived in Los Angeles, in December, 1854, there were numerous small 

 bearing 'English ' walnut orchards and sundry isolated large trees which could not have 

 been less than ten years old, and some of which must, 1 am confident, have been more 

 than twenty-five (25) years old. 



"In talking to-day with Mr. Stephen C. Foster, he fully corroborates my view, that 

 the English walnut was first brought to Los Angeles, or to California, by the Missionary 

 Fathers, or by individual laymen during the missionary era. Mr. Foster says that when 

 he came here, in 1847, there were several large English walnut trees here, that he is 

 certain were not less than twenty years old. One of these was on the old Pryor place, on 

 Alameda Street, which I remember well, and another on the old Louis Vigne property, 

 etc., which would make their planting extend back to 1827, or before. So tnat I think it 

 would, without doubt, be historically true to say that the cultivation of the so-called 

 'English' walnut was commenced in California as early as the first quarter of this 

 century (and possibly still earlier), by the Mission Fathers, or under their patronage and 

 encouragement. 



" It would have been a very easy and natural thing to do, for persons coming here by 

 sea to have brought a few walnuts, and for the Friars to have planted some of them. 

 What could havebeen more natural than tor the priests or other officials, civil or military, 

 who came from Spain, to desire to raise, in this fertile country and mild climate, all those 

 useful fruits and food products that they were familiar with in their native land ? We 

 are all compelled to admire the practical forethought of the organizers of even the very 

 first expedition in 1769, Galvez, Serra, etc., in this respect." 



The most careful research as to the early walnut plantings has been 

 made, showing that among the first walnut orchards of early history, 

 planted outside of the Missions, were those of the late Col. J. J. Warner, 

 in San Diego (supposed to have been planted in 1843, on a ranch named 

 after him, and which name it still bears — "Warner's Ranch"), the 

 Pryor, Vigne, Wolfskill, Dalton, Boyle, Shaw, Childs, and Briswalter 

 orchards at Los Angeles, the Temple orchard at La Merced Ranch in the 

 San Gabriel Valley, the Heath orchard at Carpinteria, and the Wilson 

 and Kewen orchards at San Gabriel. A small planting was made in 

 1846, near Calistoga, by Frank E. Kellogg, Sr. The largest of these 

 plantings are the Heath, Briswalter, and Temple orchards. The Bris- 

 walter is of most recent planting; the Heath orchard is the largest in 

 the State of early history. It is impossible to ascertain the exact years 

 these orchards were planted, as all the persons above mentioned (except- 

 ing Mr. Heath) have since passed away. These orchards are said to 

 have been set out from 1850 to 1865; however, the only authoritative 

 information I can find is the statements of several persons, whose minds 

 are not clear as to the exact time. 



+ "In 1858, the year 1 obtained my walnut seed of Mr. Wolfskill, of Los Angeles, I 

 had no knowledge of walnuts being planted in this State, except those planted by the 

 Mission Fathers. The trees from which my seed was taken were planted by the Fran- 

 ciscan Fathers. The Wolfskill place, in Los Angeles, was an old garden of the Mission. 

 Mrs. Wolfskill was a native Spanish lady of Los Angeles, and informed me that the vine- 

 yard and walnuts were bearing when she was a small child, in fact she did not know the 

 age, they were large trees. Judging from the oldest trees I have at present, I think those 

 walnut trees must have been over fifty years old in 1858. I made inquiry for walnut 

 trees with the view of purchasing, and could not find any one who had tried their culture 



* Letter from H. D. Barrows, a pioneer, February 29, 1896. 



+ Letter from Hon. Russell Heath, of Carpinteria, February 27, 1896. 



