The English Walnut. 251 



THE ENGLISH WALNUT. 



Before planting a walnut orchard select good, rich, deep valley 

 soil, with an abundance of available water. Plant about forty feet 

 apart — twenty-seven trees to the acre. An equal number of some 

 other kind of fruit tree may be planted between if desired. At 

 eight years of age the improved varieties of walnuts are estimated 

 to yield one hundred pounds to the tree, which at present market 

 prices are worth ten to fifteen cents per pound. But if } t ou can't 

 market them readily, you have the whole year in which to crack 

 them! 



Juglans regia is the botanical name of our English walnut or the 

 Madeira nut of commerce, and many cultural varieties have been 

 originated. In California have originated a number of so-called 

 hard and soft shelled varieties. Some strongly advocate the hard 

 shell varieties; others advance claims for the supremacy of the soft 

 shell, which is now gaining in popular favor, especially in Southern 

 California, where it is much more largeh' propagated than the other 

 sorts. 



The soft shell walnut originated in the orchard of Joseph Sex- 

 ton, of Santa Barbara, and Geo. W. Ford has since secured by 

 selection his improved soft shell, which has proved very prolific and 

 profitable, especially in Orange county. By courtesy of Mr. G. W. 

 Ford, of Santa Ana, California, we give an illustration of his im- 

 proved variety. The following notes on the culture of this variety 

 is extracted from an essa\ T by Mr. Ford, read before the Thirteenth 

 State Fruit Growers' Convention: 



My improved soft shell nuts took the premium at the last Dow- 

 ney fair. I had about one-third of a bushel there, and they averaged 

 twenty-four to the pound. Last year a well-known fruit grower at 

 Tustin raised some soft shells which ran as low as eighteen nuts to 

 the pound. 



I plant my walnuts in the nurseiy rows four feet apart b3' one 

 .foot apart in the row, and do not believe in planting nurser\^ stock 

 of any kind too close. CertaimV cheaper trees can be grown by 

 that method, but I have yet to find a stunted tree that ever gave 

 good satisfaction when planted in an orchard. 



In planting trees in an orchard, first of all plow the ground deep, 

 then go over it with a harrow or a pulverizer. Dig large and deep 

 holes; plant two or three inches deeper than the trees grew in the 

 nursery; lean them to the prevailing summer winds and you will not 

 have to stake the trees to make them grow straight. Press the soil 

 firmly around the roots, and if not ver}- moist give each tree five or 



