230 PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-THIRD FRUIT-GROWERS f CONVENTION". 



So we find many seedlings of the walnut first planted in California 

 bearing good annual crops of first-class .nuts, while the parent trees 

 were very unsatisfactory. Some of these have long- been recognized as 

 varieties, such as Santa Barbara paper-shell. Ford's Improved, Placentia, 

 Perfection, and others, many thousands of trees having been grafted 

 from the original ones, but, unfortunately, many more thousand seed- 

 lings have been grown, which has resulted in the production of a large 

 percentage of second-grade nuts. 



As I have on other occasions stated, it is a grave mistake to imagine 

 that these varieties do not succeed and bear well in almost any good 

 fruit section in northern as well as southern California. The trees 

 first planted, more than jralf a century ago,' in Sonoma and Napa coun- 

 ties, never bore well, and it is claimed the trees were frequently dioe- 

 cious; neither is there any record of their success elsewhere, but only 

 of their selected offspring. 



Since the advent of the walnut blight, given a specific name by those 

 who have studied the disease, the theory has been promulgated that 

 some French varieties would be immune, because growth is later in 

 starting in the spring. As this same disease is very . prevalent in 

 France, and as these varieties have only been planted in California to 

 any extent for comparatively few years, and are in new, rich soil, there 

 is nothing to warrant the assertion. We need to work out our own 

 salvation in regard to the walnut as in other things, and should not tie 

 ourselves - too securely to a record of experiences had under totally dif- 

 ferent conditions. The best of the California raised walnuts blossom 

 rather early, hull freely, and mature early, being in the sack before 

 the hulls of some French varieties have cracked. The French varieties 

 start to grow later in the spring, and are less liable to be injured by 

 frost or late rains in consequence. But they are very late in maturing 

 as a rule, and are apt to get caught in the fall rains. Growers must 

 choose between the two chances, but, for myself, I would, if possible, 

 determine what walnut trees are the most profitable in a given 

 locality, and plant the same. The blight undoubtedly may be con- 

 trolled largely by propagating from grafts of the healthiest trees, as 

 well as by careful selection of the root stock, and also by keeping the 

 trees vigorous by the best of care and abundant manuring or fertilizing. 

 There are many details, here barely alluded to, which the successful 

 grower can point out to those in search of knowledge. The walnut 

 requires rich soil and abundant moisture at the root. A climate mid- 

 way between the extreme heat of the San Joaquin Valley and the fog 

 of the coast line is to be preferred. 



Pecan.— The pecan has had no attention bestowed upon it of recent 

 years. The late Dr. Strentzel planted a grove at Martinez, and isolated 

 specimens are to be found in most of the older settled valleys of the 



