Los Angeles herald., 1892-05-15
AMONG THE RANCHES.
Typical Facts About Southern
California Farms.
A Valuable Paper Upon the Culture
of Walnuts.
The Experience of Ventura County
Decentralization to Prune and
Cultivate Them-AbOut
the Olive.

the following well-written letter to
the state board of agriculture by N. B.
Smith, the well-known horticulturist Of
this county, and printed in the annual
report, is interesting as coming from a
practical grower:
l am located on Ventura ave-
nue., three miles from the coast, in the
cultivation OF various varieties of fruit.
My original idea was to have walnuts.
My first purchase of land had 1856 (what
is known as the hard shelly walnut trees.
They began bearing at seven years old,
and gave twelve pounds; at eight years,
226 pounds; at nine years, 2600 pounds;
at ten years. 1900 pounds; at eleven
years, $4,000 pounds, and at
present they continue to pro.
duce about the latter figure, and
are very renumerative crop, with less
labor attending cultivation and harvest
than any other kinds of fruit. AL.
though, no doubt, there are varieties
more productive, and many make it
more profitable, yet they are under
much expense, and then it's perishable
condition; and the prices are generally
governed by the condition of the crops
east and abroad. Take last year for an
illustration; while the year before every
one made money, owing, of course, to a
speculative movement and short crops
east.
The walnut seems to be confined to
certain localities in California, and is
not subject to go much competition.
Ventura county soil is we'll adapted
to its production, and particularly 90
in this valley. The thrifty trees and
their bounteous harvest show for
themselves. A few years ago a new
nut, called the softshell, seems to
have taken precedence with many, my
self as well. They produce much
younger. At five years old they yield
a good many nuts. As my trees are
young, l can hardly make good COM
parison with my bard-shell. so called.
They were very productive last year,
a fine-looking shell, and attractive. with
meat white and plump, weigh several
pounds more to the sack than the other
variety and command several cents
more per pound. Hence, it would
seem, it ''was the nut" NY soft
shells have not a fair show as vet.
have prunes and apricots between
which return immense crops, bat Of
course they retard the growth of the
nut, and, producing as they do, am
reluctant to remove them. Between the
1856 old trees before mentioned were ap-
Piles, but l removed them finally, and
such a marvellous growth as the walnuts
made the next year demonstrates the
fact that they need room. Mine are
forty feet apart, but fifty feet is better,
as many touch now. They need but
little pruning only to get them up.
When at proper height prune from
the under part of the limb. for if allowed
to grow to any size it pulls the more
upright ones down. We harvest the
nuts in October and November. 1 agi-
tate the limb with long pole with
hook in the end. Those that are ready
to drop come down easily. then pick
and dry them few days in the sun,
when they are sacked and ready for
market. make three such pickings as
described. The trade seems to demand
bleaching.
1t is quite interesting to watch the
nature OF the walnut. 1t has its STAN
mate and pistillate blooms separate;
both occur on the same tree; the stam-
mate develops into catkins, the pistil-
late into embryo nuts. Successful fruit
ing depends on these two forms of bloom
appearing at the same time. Now, with
nae they have never failed to con-
meet, but l can cite localities
where they do. They are fine,
healthy appearing trees, but fail to
develop the embryo nuts; they form,
but drop. The staminate for the COM
ing year begins to form as the nut is
developing, say the early part of July,
and by the last of August they reach
the state that nature has required.
Thus they remain until the following
spring, when they develop as I have
before stated. So one can generally es-
innate his crop for the ensuing year,
barring climatic changes. The first
year my soft-shells began bearing no
catkins appeared. 1t was peculiar, as
now they have plenty. / have thirty
4-year-old trees that gave me last year
thirty-two pounds of nuts. These trees
were grown from seed of my hard-shells,
and produce identically the same nut.
Why allude to this il, it has always
been the impression they did not bear
until 8 years old; neither did my old
ones. 1t is quite freak of nature.
Walnut growing is a pleasant and
agreeable occupation, and can be made
very profitable, providing one gives it
proper attention; but they cannot be
grown in all localities, by any means,
although thousands have been planted
where they will be worth more for wood
too exposed, cold, not moisture
sufficient. My soil is rich, sandy
loan, well drained, twenty-four
feet to water. have trees that have
given five sacks of sixty pounds, and
prices range from 7 to 1O1s cents.
Twenty-seven trees to the acre, one
can readily calculate their value. As
yet we have but little competition-on
this coast the Chile nut, in the east
the foreign ones. Withal, I believe
when our California nut, soft or hard,
is properly grown and put on the
market with as much care and judg-
ment as other fruits are given, that it
will rank fret on the list. I have seen
many foreign nuts, but have yet to see
the walnut that compares IN size, color,
clearness and sweetness to the meat OF
the soft.shell, although l have both, and
the two kinds are prolific.
The Olive and Labor.
Most of us, both raisin and fruit
growers, know by sad experience how
important part labor plays in profta-
BILE fruit growing here, and especially ia
this brought to our attention during the
picking season, when labor is at q
premium. How to OvercOme this diff.