Walnut growing in Oregon / by Charles Trunk, Dundee, Oregon.

Historic, Archive Document

Do not assume content reflects current
scientific knowledge, policies, or practices.

I

Walnut Growing
in Oregon

By CHARLES TRUNK
Dundee, Oregon

SECOND EDITION

Reprinted by

CAPITAL CITY NURSERY COMPANY
Salem, Oregon

HORTICULTURAL

A Black Walnut tree top-grafted to the
Vrooman Franquette variety.

There are hundreds of Black Walnut trees
scattered throughout the country that can
be made very valuable by top-grafting.

L 2 ]

Walnut Growing in Oregon

As Viewed by Mr. Chas. Trunk, of
Dundee, Oregon, in 1915.

The reader will observe the following
article is in two sections. The first section
was written by Mr. Trunk in 1915, while
the last section was added in 1917.

It is thought that Walnut Growing in
Oregon will become one of our leading in-
dustries.

Planted Seedling Trees.

The first commercial grove of 100 acres
was grown by Mr. Thos. Prince, of Dun-
dee. His trees are now 18 or 19 years
old. This planting consists of seedling
trees, with a small sprinkling of grafted
trees. Being a close neighbor of Mr.
Prince’s and seeing his trees come into
bearing, and having increasing crops
from year to year, we decided in the
winter of 1906 to plant 10 acres to wal-
nuts. At the time we planted our trees,
there were but few grafted trees to be
obtained, consequently we planted seed-
ling trees, as practically all other grow-
ers in this neighborhood did.

In the year 1907 we planted 10 acres —
1908 five acres, and in 1909 we decided
to plant 13 additional acres, but thought
we had better plant the seed where
trees were to grow, planting four nuts,
taking out the following year the poorest
trees and leaving the best to grow.

In 1910 we made another planting of
12 acres, making our grove to contain 50
acres. This last planting was of the
Vrooman Franquette, being three
years old at the time of planting.

[3]

Walnut Growing in Oregon

Use Prunes as Fillers.

All this land is rolling, having shotty
soil. Three years ago we planted 14
acres to prunes, planting every 30 feet
in every fourth row, four black walnuts
—both eastern and California, which
young trees were grafted this spring
with scions from our best seedling trees.
We have another small planting eight and
nine years of age on waste land which
gave us the past two years fair returns.

Trees Planted 50 Feet Apart.

All of our trees are planted 50 feet in
square, except the 14 acres with prunes
as fillers. Our seedling walnuts of the
first planting are Mayette, Franquette
and Parisienne varieties, leaving out the
Parisienne in later plantings. All of our
seedling trees were planted one year old,
planting the same two to three inches
deeper than grown in nursery. It would
lengthen this article too much to explain
the planting and cultivation up to the
present time. We would like to impress
on the minds of prospective walnut grow-
ers, that the best care is none too good
if you want your trees to come to bear
early and bring you returns on invest-
ment and labor.

Seedling Trees Regular and Heavy
Bearers.

At the present time there is a move-
ment to plant grafted trees only — some
growers and nurserymen recommend
this plan very strongly. Being located
in the walnut center of the State, having
under close observation our own trees,
both seedling and grafted, also neighbor-
ing groves, we feel we have a good in-
side view of the merits of both. I wish
to say here, that I am not a nurseryman,
having neither seedling or grafted trees
to sell, but want to state plainly the
facts as they appear here.

[4]

Walnut Growing in Oregon

Take our first three plantings — seven,
eight and nine year old seedling trees,
at the present time, consisting of 25
acres, which came into bearing in 1911,
getting that year a three-fourths of a
flour sack full; 1912 one grain sack; 1913
six and a half sacks; 1915. 100 sacks of
walnuts. Our seedling trees of 1909
have a fine sprinkling of walnuts; our
grafted trees started to bear two years
ago, having a half gallon of nuts, last
year three grain sacks full and this year
will have a small crop, approximately
two to three gallons — a decrease of two
and three-fourths sacks.

Looking over the groves in this neigh-
borhood, we find the same conditions,
seedling trees well loaded, grafted trees
comparatively few walnuts. A five acre
tract of 18 year old trees located near
here is bearing very sparingly this sea-
son. These trees are goood size and
ought to produce 75 pounds of walnuts
per tree, but will have hard work to tip
the scales at 30 or even 20 pounds.

Meat Rather Than Shell Counts.

Some growers put forth the statement
that grafted trees put forth a larger nut.
This is true to some extent, because
these trees are grafted with scions taken
from trees bearing large nuts, but let
nobody be deceived at picking time, you
will find large and small nuts just like
you find on seedling trees. You get the
type of nut, but size will vary. Same as
you will find apples grown on grafted
trees, get both large and small apples.

We find the French imported nut is of
medium size, as is also the California
walnut. On opening walnuts we find the
medium size walnuts have more meat in
proportion to the size than the larger
ones, and sharp housewives of the future
we think would rather have the meat
than shell.

[5]

Walnut Growing in Oregon

Seedling Trees Have Less Blight.

Comparing the seedling with grafted
trees as to blight, we will say, the graft-
ed tree in this vicinity shows 25 per cent
more blight tree per tree than the seed-
lings. We have in our groves seedlings
that have not and never have had any
blight, but not a single grafted tree but
that did not have the blight from the
beginning. We are strongly consider-
ing the replacing of grafted trees in our
grove, where we used prunes for fillers,
with seedling trees, if the grafted trees
in this vicinity do not bear better next
year. Some put forth the statement
that they can sell the grafted nuts at a
higher price than the seedling nuts.
Will there not be more money in selling
two pounds of seedlings at 20 cents per
pound, than having one pound of graft-
ed nuts to sell at 25 cents?

Grafted Trees May Bear First.

The claim is often put forth that the
grafted trees will come into bearing at
two, three and four years of age. Ad-
mitting this fact, what does the few nuts
grown on these young trees amount to,
compared to the injury it does the trees?
We have a seedling tree that bore 24
pounds of walnuts at seven years of age,
increasing this yield from year to year.

Planting seedling orchards of the
higher standard, all undesirable trees
ought to be taken out, or top grafted.
This can easily be done if you know how,
and every grower should be able to do
so. Any trees that do not leaf out before
June 15th may not mature their nuts,
only increasing the culls, and should
either be removed or top grafted. The
idea is to make every tree a producer,
and if you have seedlings of this kind
you cannot ask for anything better; also
any seedling trees that bear small or ill-
[6]

Walnut Growing in Oregon

shaped nuts should be replaced with
others.

Protection Against Frost Losses.

One more point that is in favor of
seedlings is this, they leaf out during a
period of six to eight weeks, from the
15th of April to the 15th of June. Our
12 acres of grafted trees come out in
leaf and set the fruit inside of a few
days in April. Suppose we have a hard
frost — the whole crop is practi-
cally gone, but if a frost should strike
our seedlings in the range of eight
weeks, there will be only a small percent
injured as some have already their fruit
set or not far enough advanced to be
damaged, insuring almost a full crop, so
don’t let us be hasty to condemn the
seedling tree until we have had exper-
ience with both kinds — grafted and
seedling trees.

Two Years After.

As time goes on I find I made a wise
move when I decided eleven years ago
to plant my land to walnuts.

Time Proves Judgment Good.

From a financial standpoint our trees
are doing all that can be expected. They
are repaying the capital we invested to
raise and bring them into bearing. I am
often asked what income one can expect
of a walnut grove, and how many nuts a
tree has to bear to pay interest on capital
invested. Take our grove, for instance,
where we planted the trees 50 feet in the
square, about 18 trees to the acre, it will
only take 35 pounds of nuts per tree at
16 cents a pound to bring 10 per cent on
$1000.00 per acre land. There are many
[7]

Walnut Growing in Oregon

of our trees that are in their 11th year’s
growth, which have fifty pounds or more
of nuts this year. Many of the trees in
the Thomas Prince grove, which are in
their 20th year’s growth, have three,
four and more sacks of walnuts this
year. Our first three plantings of 25
acres, where the trees are in their 9th,
10th and 11th year’s growth, and which
are all seedlings, brought last year
128 1-2 sacks, or three tons of nuts, of
which only eleven sacks were second
grade. This year these trees are bear-
ing heavier than ever before, and be-
ing larger, we believe double of last
year’s crop will be the result. Our
7-year-old seedlings are coming into
bearing. Some of these trees had a fine
crop of nuts at six years of age, while
this year every tree has more or less
walnuts of a fine grade.

Our Best Paying Trees.

Our grafted trees had a promising
outlook for a good crop the fore part of
the season, but unfortunately, as in
past years, the blight will reduce the
yield. At the present time, just before
harvest, these grafted trees show from
50 to 60 per cent blight. There seems to
be not a single tree immune from it. On
the other hand, as I wrote two years
ago, we have hundreds of seedling trees
that are entirely free from blight. So I
find at the present time, our seedlings
are our best paying trees, until such
time as a remedy for blight is found, if it
ever will be found.

Are Fillers Advisable.

I am also often asked if it would be
advisable to use a filler with walnut trees.
This depends entirely on the size of your
pocketbook. If you can afford to plant a
walnut grove and are willing to wait un-
til your trees bring returns, I would not
18]

Walnut Growing in Oregon

advise to use a filler, as the walnut trees
planted by themselves and having and
getting the full strength of the soil
they grow in, make a more vigorous
growth and bear heavier. On the other
hand, if you like to have an income from
your land until your walnut trees come
into bearing, I would advise a filler. In
our neighborhood the Italian prune brings
the best returns, starting with seven
years of age. It is safe to plant walnut
trees where the Italian prune will bear
and where the prune blossoms are not in-
jured by frost. There are many prune
orchards planted on low ground or in the
frost line, and the crop of these orchards
is not always certain. To plant walnuts
on this same kind of ground, would
make the nut crop as uncertain as the
prune crop. Prunes make a fine filler
with walnuts on higher ground, that is,
land that is fairly free of frost. When
prunes begin to bear they have to be
cultivated a little later in the season, a
little longer than walnut trees have to be
cultivated. Consequently you have a
more tender growth on your walnut trees
late in the season, which may easily be
damaged by an early Fall frost if
located on low ground, as was the case
last year. If you intend to plant a wal-
nut grove on low ground where the trees
may be injured by an early Fall frost, it
would be advisable to plant a filler that
does not need as late cultivation as the
prune. Some of my trees that are plant-
ed on low ground I do not cultivate after
the 15th of June, consequently have
never lost any new growth. If you plant
walnut trees and use prunes as fillers,
the walnuts should not be planted closer
than 60 feet, or every third row. In my
last planting they are planted 80 feet
apart. If you do this you will have a
large number of prune trees left when
[9J

Walnut Growing in Oregon

you have to begin to take out some of
them to make room for the walnuts,
which need not be done before the wal-
nuts are 16 or 18 years old. The rest of
the prune trees can be removed when
they are 20 or 25 years old.

Elements of Success.

Just a few words more to those who
intend to plant walnuts the coming
Spring. Prepare your soil in the most
thorough way you can. If you can afford
it, plow at least 12 inches or more deep.
Remember this will be your last chance
to do so. Plant your trees very care-
fully. Rather plant 15 or 20 a day and
have them grow well, than plant 40 or
50 or as some do 100 trees a day, and
have later -a stunted tree. Cultivate
thoroughly and persistently. Make up
your mind to be as enthusiastic about
your walnut grove in six or eight years
from now as the day you are planting
them and you will succeed. If you buy
the best trees in the market and do not
give them the best of care for at least
seven or eight years, you may be disap-
pointed. Don’t leave everything to the
hired help. They are naturally not as
much interested in the welfare of your
trees as you are yourself. If you follow
this advice, you will never regret that
you planted a walnut grove.

[10]

A 4-year-old Vrooman Franquette Walnut belonging to
L. E. Blaine, of Albany, Oregon, which is estimated to
have a half bushel of walnuts on it.

[11]

MR. CHAS. TRUNK
IN HIS GROVE
ADMIRING THE
GOLDEN
NUGGETS
AS THEY
HAVE BEEN
COLLECTED
UNDER THE
TREE

<J The Vrooman Franquette is the
most aristocratic nut on the market,
brings the highest price and is
called for by the best trade. Plant
the Vrooman Franquette if you want
the winner.