Walnut Growing in Oregon Part 4

Rosin, 5 pounds.

Beeswax, 1 pound.

Finely pulverized charcoal. 1-2 pound.

Raw linseed oil, 1 gill

Be sure that the charcoal is finely pulverized. First melt the beeswax and rosin, being careful not to have the fire too hot. Add the charcoal, stirring constantly, and then add the oil. Mould into bricks by pouring into greased pans. When desiring to use break off a few lumps and melt in such a contrivance as is shown in the plate of grafting tools. The wax must be quite liquid if applied successfully.

Nursery grafting, or root grafting, is not a success as practiced at present. The best grafters do not succeed with more than 10 to 15 per cent. This makes the grafted tree cost from $1.50 to $2.00 per tree, and makes that kind of walnut planting expensive. However, Col. Dosch, in his article, quotes Professor Leckenby, the noted agrostologist, as saying that if directions are religiously followed ninety per cent of the grafts will grow. The directions are as follows:

"For walnut grafts on scions use one gallon of water with four teaspoonfuls of sulphate of quinine. Cut scions submerged in the solution, and wash the cut on tree at once, to prevent it from turning black, acting as an antiseptic; then insert, the scion as on other fruit trees."

This, from such authority, is worthy of a trial. A great amount of experimenting has been done in walnut grafting and a way to success will be found.

BEST STOCK ON WHICH TO GRAFT

Mr. Burbank, Judge Leib, and George C. Payne, all of California, think the California black or some of its hybrids make the best stock in California. Mr. Groner prefers the hybrid for Oregon.

Mr. A. McGill, of Oregon, thinks that neither the California black nor its hybrid are suited to this climate. Few have had more experience, costly experience at that, than Mr. McGill. He thinks the American black better for Oregon.

It is sometimes asked, why not plant seedling walnuts and top work those that are not good bearers? Because the grafts will not do so well on the English stock as on the black; and it is also found that the English stock does not make as good a foundation as the black.

Therefore, the best growers in Oregon conclude that the seed from a thrifty American Black, or close hybrid, is best for this state. In three or four years after planting cut off the trunk about as high as a man's waist or shoulder and put in the graft from the best variety available. The third year from setting of the graft you will have a crop of nuts.

Mr. Payne can set 250 to 300 grafts in a day. His wages are $8 a day, and he furnishes the wood. So you see that your trees would cost very little. Good black walnut seed can be had very cheap, probably at a cost of 50 cents to $1 per bushel, the Oregon product preferred.

Some of the California hybrids make rapid growth, but too rapid growth of wood may not be desirable. It may mean early maturity and early decay, and too few walnut bearing boughs.

GOOD PLAN FOR WALNUT ORCHARD

(3)---------<1>---------(3)---------<1>---------(3) : / : / : / : / : / : / : / : / : / : / <1>.........(2).........<1>.........(2).........<1> / : / : / : / : / : / : / : / : / : / : (3)---------<1>---------(3)---------<1>---------(3) : / : / : / <........6:0...... .=""> : / : / : / : / : / : / <1>.........(2).........<1>.........(2).........<1> / : / : / : / : / : / : / : / : / : / : (3)---------<1>---------(3)--30 _ft_--<1>--30 _ft_--(3)

Mr. Prince, of Yamhill county, has modified his views somewhat in regard to the grafted and seedling trees. He thinks that possibly the permanent orchard should be of the grafted variety, possibly on the Royal or California hybrid of rapid growth. He proposes the above form of an orchard. The princ.i.p.al grafted trees should be placed in square form 60 feet apart, represented by figures 3. In the center of these squares at figures 2 he would either plant the same trees or some other seedling variety which will bring the trees about 42 feet apart. Midway between the main grafted trees he would plant other trees, or apple trees, represented by figures 1 in the little squares. This would make trees 30 feet apart. At the end of 15 or 20 years, when the trees possibly become crowded, he would remove the No. 1 trees. If this were an apple tree, it would already have served its best days and no great loss would be had by its removal. At the end of 25 or 30 years we would remove No.

2, if the trees became crowded, leaving a permanent orchard of trees 60 feet apart, 12 trees to the acre. This is an excellent arrangement, and no doubt about the best that has yet been proposed for walnut culture in Oregon.

It is best to plant in square form, a tree to the center of each square, forty to sixty feet apart is the rule. Berries, small fruit, potatoes, vetch, peas, beans, etc., can be grown between the trees while they are young, leaving six or eight feet free to be cultivated each side of the trees.

Many plant apples, peaches, prunes or cherries between walnut trees, planning to cut them out when the latter are of such size as to need all the s.p.a.ce.

These crops between the rows produce an income during the eight years'

waiting for the walnuts to come into bearing. Each grower must decide this point according to his situation, always avoiding grains and gra.s.ses.

THE TAP ROOT

Some experimenting has been done and much speculation has been indulged regarding the tap root. One writer disposes of the whole subject in this manner:

"The cutting of the tap root in planting seedlings has been a question for much discussion, many growers formerly holding that to cut it meant to kill the tree. This has proved a mistake. It has been practically demonstrated that the tree thrives better with the tap root cut if properly done with a sharp instrument, making a clean cut. New growth is thereby induced, the abundance of lateral roots feed the tree more satisfactorily and the trees come into bearing from two to three years earlier than would otherwise be the case."

[Ill.u.s.tration: A Well Planted Tree]

Before accepting this as final it would be well to make further inquiry.

The summers of western Oregon are practically rainless and when the kernel in the formed sh.e.l.l is maturing unless there is irrigation a distress call is sent down to the roots for moisture, if the weather is very dry. The lateral roots cannot supply this dire need and if the main pump is not working away down deep in the moist earth the kernel will not fill well and may perish entirely. For this reason no fibre of the tap root should be disturbed, but rather encouraged by a well auger hole, bored before the tree is planted, down to the reservoir of moisture that will not fail in the dryest season.

The moisture in a dry season as a rule is nearer the surface in the valley than in the hills and gives a better filled nut. In a wet season, when the ground everywhere is full of moisture, the hills may produce a more abundant crop than the valley, but in the run of years it will require more time to prove which is most valuable for walnut culture.

Trees grow in either place, but he who cuts the tap root in any soil does so at the peril of his crop in dry seasons.

Of the taproot, Wm. M. Reece, of the firm of Epps, Reece & Tillmont, Eugene, Oregon, writes:

"The peculiar climatic conditions of the Willamette Valley, which at a certain season of the year becomes semi-arid, fully justifies the statement that trees not having a tap root are annually checked in their growth when irrigation is not used; while those that do have a tap root, as do walnuts, continue to grow and thrive even in the driest weather. The walnut should be planted, however, in soil having a subsoil free from any hard substance that will permit the tap root to grow downward into the strata of perpetual moisture.

"This has been most thoroughly demonstrated in our walnut orchard this, the driest year in the memory of old settlers in the Valley.

"When the growth of our apple, cherry and peach trees ceased because of the dry weather, our walnuts kept on growing as if supplied by continuous rains. It is true that liberal cultivation through the dry season will materially aid the growth of all kinds of trees not having a tap root and is indispensable to the growth of young walnut trees, trees that have not extended their tap root down to perpetual moisture.

"Walnut trees, in the opinion of the writer, cease growing upward when they cease growing downward; that is to say, when rock, shale or impenetrable hardpan stops the growth of the tap root, the tree has practically reached its height.

"Therefore, in planting a walnut grove, borings should be made to test the depth of the soil and character of the subsoil.

"Unquestionably the best variety for this climate is the Franquette and next the Mayette.

"Grafted trees are to be preferred to seedlings. Grafted trees bear much sooner and the fruit is more uniform in size, though a seedling that has attained the bearing age will produce as much fruit as a grafted tree of the same age; this we have occasion to observe from comparisons in our own orchard.

"We have trees 14 years old that bore 100 pounds at the age of 12 years and the product sold for 25c a pound for planting purposes.

"Those who had the misfortune to have the tender shoots of their walnut trees killed by the unusual frost early last May, should not be discouraged. Just examine the limbs now and you will find that three or four more shoots grew out where the one was killed. This makes more fruit buds for next year and the shortage of crop this year will be more than made up next.

"The writer believes that walnut growing will prove to be the most profitable industry in the Willamette Valley.

"WM. M. REECE."

It seems to be a characteristic of the walnut and hickory, and possibly other nut trees, to send down a tap root deep into the earth to draw up the distilled and purified moisture that has been refined and sweetened in the lower depths. The older boys of the Middle Western states can recall the time when they wandered through the woods in late winter time, with a long pole or rail on their shoulders with which they "pulled hickory root." The young sprout was "withed" around near one end of the pole, then all hands put their shoulders under the long end and with an "altogether, heave, oh," draw up a tap root 4, 6 and 8 feet long. The lowest end was the choicest and sweetest. It was delicious and in the division of a day's hunt some of these found their way to "his best girl" at school.

Whether the water down in these lower depths possesses these qualities, and that they are necessary to give the Oregon walnut its superiority is yet a matter of speculation, but that these conditions exist is well known and should have fullest consideration by the intelligent walnut culturist.

[Ill.u.s.tration: _Tap Root of a Two-year-old Black Walnut showing how the root grows down to permanent water level, thus insuring full crops regardless of weather conditions_]