English Walnuts | Page 3

the time
that the tap-root reaches this moisture and before the tree starts its rapid
growth, very few young trees are lost in the process of transplanting.
[Sidenote: =Orchard Planting=]
For orchard planting the trees should be placed from forty to sixty feet
apart and by staggering the rows a greater distance is gained between
individual trees. Any other small fruits may be planted in the orchard
between the walnut trees or any cultivated crop can be raised
satisfactorily on the same land, many orchardists gaining triple use of
the soil in this way. Besides, the cultivation of the earth in proximity to
the walnuts proves of great benefit to the trees. Before trees are planted
the tap-root should be trimmed or cut back and most if not all the
lateral branches trimmed from the tree. The tree itself should not be cut
back as is customary with either fruit trees, but by leaving the terminal
bud intact, a much better shaped tree is developed. It is not necessary to
prune English Walnut trees except in cases where some of the lower
branches interfere with cultivation.
Cultivation in the North should be stopped about the first of August,
thus halting the growth of the trees and giving them a chance to harden
their wood for Winter. This is a good plan to follow in the cultivation
of nearly all the smaller fruit trees.
When planting on the lawn for ornamental purposes a ring from two to
three feet in diameter should be cultivated about the base of the tree.
[Sidenote: =Selection of Varieties=]
The tender varieties that have been used in Southern California must

not be experimented with in the North, as they bloom too early and are
almost certain to be caught by the frost. These varieties have been tried
in Northern California without success, and the venture is quite likely
to be disastrous in any but the warmest climates.
[Illustration: MR. E.C. POMEROY, GATHERING ENGLISH
WALNUTS ON HIS FARM IN LOCKPORT, N.Y.]
The uncertainty of a crop is often due to the very early blooming of the
kinds planted. These start to grow at the first warm spell in the latter
part of the Winter or at the first blush of Spring, and almost invariably
become victims of frost and consequently produce no fruit.
Planting in the Northwest and the East until recently has been limited to
an extremely narrow area. There was need of a variety possessing
strong, distinct characteristics, hardy, late to start growth, and with the
pistillate and staminate blossoms maturing at the same time and bearing
a nut of good quality and flavor with a full rich meat. This variety has
now been found, as will later be shown.
English Walnuts grown in the North command from three to five cents
more a pound than the other nuts in the markets, as the meat is plumper
and the flavor better. Most fruit is at its best at the Northern limit of its
range.
One experienced grower, in reference to transplanting has said: "I have
transplanted all the way from a year to six and the trees have grown and
done well, but so far as my experience goes, I prefer to move them at
three years of age or about that time. The best trees I have were
transplanted at this age."
[Sidenote: =Fall or Spring Planting?=]
The following extract on tree planting in general, pertaining to all kinds
of trees, is contributed by O.K. White of the Michigan Experiment
Station:
"The advisability of Fall or Spring planting depends upon several

conditions. Fall planting has the advantage over Spring planting in that
the trees become firmly established in the soil before Winter sets in,
and are able to start growth in the Spring before the ground can be
marked and put in condition for planting. This is important because the
trees get a good growth in the early part of the season before the
Summer droughts occur. On the other hand there is more or less danger
from Winter injury during a severe season or from the drying out of the
trees if the Winter is long and dry. Fall planting is much more
successful with the hardy apples and pears than it is with the tender
plums, cherries and peaches.
"The convenience of the season will determine in a majority of cases
whether or not the planting shall be done in the Fall or Spring. Very
often the rush of the Spring work induces the grower to hurry his
planting, or to do it carelessly; and as a result a poor start is secured,
with crooked rows. Others have large crops to harvest in the Fall and
would find it more convenient to do the planting in the Spring. If there
is any doubt as