The average nut set per tree is 7,568, up 42 percent from 1998. The Nonpareil average nut set of 8,054 represents a 57 percent increase from last year's set. The average kernel weight for all varieties sampled was 1.47 grams, down 16 percent from last year. A total 99.1 percent of all nuts sized were sound. To determine tree set, nuts are counted along a path within a randomly selected tree.
Work begins at the trunk and progresses to the end of the terminal branch.
Using a random number table, one branch is selected at each forking to continue the path. A branch's probability of selection is directly proportional to its cross-sectional area. This methodology is used because of its statistical efficiency. The method also makes it possible to end up at any one of the tree's numerous terminal branches. Since the selected path has a probability of selection associated with it, this probability is used to expand nut counts arriving at an estimated set for the entire tree.