Amador ledger., 1902-11-14
Walnuts in Amador County.
ICommunicated.l

called English walnut counld not profit
ably be grown anywhere in California
except on certain deep rich soils near
the coast in the southern part of the
state. 1t is still true that the most
productive walnut orchards are found
in that locality: but repeated trials and
the introduction of new varieties have
proved that softshell walnuts can be
grown to advantage in other localities
with quite different climatic conditions,
notably in the foothill region of central
California, of which Amador county
forms a part. The success of Felix
Gillet OF Nevada county, and of other
pioneer growers in the introduction of
new varieties, harder than the old Los
Angeles nut, has greatly extended the
area of walnut culture in the state, and
demonstrated that the softshell walnut
may be successfully grown wherever a
moderate depth of soil and adequate
moisture may be had, coupled with
reasonable freedom from late spring
frosts.
Such situations may readily be found
In Amador county, as is shown by the
results obtained at various points in
this neighborhood, particularly at the
Agricultural Experiment Station,
where number of the best varieties
are now in bearing.
Early paintings of walnut trees in
this county were made on the creek
bottoms, where they have seldom borne
fruit, the blossoms being usually nipped
by frost. The trees at the station are
on hilltop. or, to be more exact, on a
high saddle between two SUBMITS, at
an elevation of nearly 1000 feet above
sea level-a location much less subject
to frosts than the low lands along the
creeks, but no more favored in this re-
spect than many other places in the
foothills of this county. Here, there
were planted in 1889, the following soft
she'll varieties; The Common English
or Madeira nut, Santa Barbara soft
shell, Dwarf Prolific or Praeparturiens,
Mayette, Franquette, Vourey, Serotina
or St. John, Chaberte, Kaphazi per-
sian) and Bijou. These began to bear
in 1896, though Bijou and Santa Bar
bara softshell bore little the previous
year. Madeira and Chaberte have
never borne more than few nuts until
the present year, but the other varie-
ties have gradually increased their
crops as the trees grow older.
Bijou, variety of French origin,
has so far proven the most productive,
and also bears the largest nut. The
nut is peculiar in shape, oval, pointed
at both ends, in size about 2t inches by
IL inches. The shell is much cor
rugated, and is very soft, so as to be
easily broken by the fingers. 1t does
not fill perfectly, and consequently the
kernel is not as large as one would sup
pose from the size of the shell, but it is
nevertheless much larger than that of
any other variety. The tree is a Wig
orous grower, and so far regular and
heavy bearer. Its crop this year was
lis pounds.
Next to Bijou in productiveness
comes the Santa Barbara softshell and
Praeparturiens Dwarf Prolific). both
good growers and regular bearers of
good crops. The nuts of each are of
medium size and excellent quality.
Each bore about so pounds this year.
None OF the other varieties approach
these trees in growth or bearing, but
it should be noted that these are on
deeper soil than the others, and re-
ceive some irrigation by seepage from
the garden, as also does the Persian.
The other varieties have so far had no
irrigation, and have borne but small
crops, in no case exceeding 16 pounds
to the tree. The best of them are the
Franquette, Mayette and Vourey, all
French varieties of much promise,
hoOo vi l1I &c o1Lo anu bu0 uu6SG
quality, the flavor being particularly
delicate. Franquette, the largest of
them. has shell naturally so light
colored as to need no bleaching. May
cite and Vourey also are noteworthy in
this respect. Considering the size and
quality of their fruit, and the import
ant fact that these varieties put forth
their leaves three weeks later than
those previously mentioned, and are
thus mnch less likely to be caught by
spring frosts, they undoubtedly deserve
wide trial in the foothills. On deeper
soil with more moisture than they have
had hitherto at the station they would
probably bear better; indeed, it is not
unlikely that they may improve in this
respect at the station as the trees grow
older.
Serotina and Chaberte also leaf out
late in the season, but so far they have
not berne well enough at the station to
merit recommendation.
-@~~O~o
Astounding Discovery.