24 



THIRTY-FOURTH FRUIT-GROWERS^ CONVENTION. 



scions that will grow the first year, and never head back the growth from 

 a scion while it is in a growing condition. If more scions have grown 

 than are needed, they can be thinned out the next winter, and if some 

 scions should fail so as to leave a stub without growing scions a sprout 

 may be trained and budded the following August or September, or may 

 be grafted the following spring. 



Trees that are fifteen years old when top-grafted may reasonably be 

 expected to have a spreacl of 30 feet in four years and to be in full bear- 

 ing. It is not at all unreasonable to expect an orchard to average 150 

 pounds to the tree, and trees that are 50 feet apart should produce an 

 average of 200 pounds when well fertilized and well cultivated. Graft- 

 ing may be done at any time within six weeks of the time the buds will 

 open, and the scions may be cut as needed. Heavy fertilization will 

 produce larger crops, even where blight is serious, and by this means 

 production can be increased until the orchard ma}^ be gradually changed 

 to the more resistant varieties. The most economical method, and at 

 the same time the best, is to grow green manure crops and supplement 

 with acid phosphate, or superphosphate, as commonly known. Buy acid 

 phosphate that will run 18 to 20 per cent available phosphoric acid and 

 sow broadcast 10 to 15 pounds per tree at the time the green crop is 

 sowed, or it can be sowed just before plowing at any time, the object 

 being to get the phosphate as deep as possible in the ground. 



Walnut orchards have not had the care that has been given to oranges, 

 neither in selection of varieties nor in culture and fertilization of the 

 soil. It is possible that the blight may cause growers to use better 

 methods of culture as well as selection of varieties, and in the end be 

 the means of largely increasing the production and value of walnut 

 groves. The largest annual production of walnuts was 8.000 tons, but 

 with increased planting this has fallen off until the production is only 

 6,500 to 7,500 tons per year. Individual trees that produce 200 pounds 

 per year are not uncommon, so it can readily be seen that if only the 

 best trees are used for propagating, the yield of walnut orchards can 

 be greatly increased without much additional expense and the profits 

 be correspondingly greater. 



It is very probable that seedling walnuts will become as scarce as 

 seedling oranges are at present. In fact, there is no good reason whv 

 they should not be entirely replaced by the better grafted varieties. 

 The markets demand the best in other fruits, and the seedling walnuts 

 will eventually be left without friends. 



PKESIDENT JEFFREY. We are now ready for discussion of Mr. 

 Neff's paper by a young man who has had a great deal of experience 

 along certain lines in efforts to better the resistant qualities of our 

 walnut trees. As you are aware, some of our old walnut sections are 

 nearly out of the race. The trees are there, but the blight is bad, and it 

 has been the duty of Professor Rardsey to try to find some better resist- 

 ant varieties, and he is here now and will come to the platform and tell 

 you what his experience has been. Professor Ramsey of the Southern 

 California Pathological Laboratory. 



