THE WALNUT. 



By B. M. LELONG, 

 Secretary State Board of Horticulture, and Chief Horticultural Officer. 



(1) COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE. 



Holding a prominent place among the fruit products of California, 

 stands the walnut. This position has been attained in the past few years, 

 and is due to the results of experience — and many failures — which have 

 shown the proper conditions under which this fruit will thrive, its require- 

 ments in soil, climate, and location, and the production of varieties 

 adapted to the peculiarities of our State. The old-time saying that the 

 area of walnut culture in the State "is very limited" and confined to 

 any particular section, has, by happy chance, proved a fallacy, and is 

 disproved by the numerous productive orchards that bear witness to its 

 successful culture. While the early plantings were made in the southern 

 counties, where the culture of the walnut is pursued with great magni- 

 tude, the industry is gradually spreading and broadening. While the 

 walnut will withstand a very low temperature, it is very susceptible to 

 sudden changes, and a hot day suddenly following a frosty night will 

 chill the young wood, and often proves fatal to a young orchard, setting 

 it back a season's growth. The same is true in the springtime on the 

 opening of the flowers or catkins — a chill will frequently cause them all 

 to drop and render the crop a failure. For this reason a location free 

 from prevailing frosts, or one where the sun will not strike the trees 

 until the effects of the cold have been overcome, is very desirable. The 

 latter trouble can be largely overcome by planting some of the late- 

 blooming varieties, which do not send forth their catkins until danger 

 from frosts is largely past. 



California walnuts are fast supplanting those from foreign countries. 

 Only a few years ago the growers of these nuts here had a very hard 

 struggle to introduce them, being obliged to accept the humiliating price 

 of from 3 to 6 cents a pound less than that paid for imported walnuts. 

 Gradually, however, a reduction came, in favor of the California product, . 

 and now Eastern dealers will take our best walnuts at prices equal to, 

 and in many cases exceeding, those obtained for those coming from 

 abroad. Our State affords a splendid field for the walnut industry, and 

 although thousands of trees have been planted, and the acreage is being 

 extended every year, it is believed that overproduction need not be feared. 

 Onr prodnceis have all America for a market, and they are not slow to 

 appreciate the advantages of their position. 



(2) THE "ENGLISH" OR "PERSIAN" WALNUT. 



The walnut {Juglans* regia, Linn.) is a native of Persia, and is sup- 

 posed to have been introduced into our State by the Franciscan monks 



* Juglans is a genus of trees consisting of six species ; three are natives of the United 

 States, viz.: J. nigra, or black walnut; J. cmerea,or butternut, and J. fraxinifoha, ox 

 ash-leaf walnut. -The other three species are J. regia, " English " or " Persian " walnut ; 

 J. pteroearpa grows on Mount Caucasus, and J. baccenta in Jamaica and Spain. 



