ingle trees where
there was trouble with the pollination by artificially fertilizing, that
is, shaking the pollen from fertile trees, even black walnut, over the
barren pistillates. Birds, insects, and the breezes carry pollen from
one tree to another. Therefore, if nuts for seed are desired, keep each
grove of pure strain separate that there may be no deterioration owing
to cross-fertilization. But the mixed orchard may bear best. Some
varieties of walnut trees--notably the Los Angeles--are suitable only
for shade in Oregon and should not be planted with any other thought in
mind. The staminate blossoms of this variety appear six weeks ahead of
the pistillates and, there being no pollination, naturally there are no
nuts.

[Illustration: _Best in the World, Oregon Walnuts_]

[Illustration: _Drying the Nuts_]

THE HARVEST

The harvest comes in October, a convenient season where there are fruit
crops to be taken care of. The process is extremely simple, being little
more than an old-fashioned "nut gathering." When ripe, the nuts fall to
the ground, shedding their hulls on the way. They are picked up by boys,
girls, men and women.

During the harvest three or four rounds must be made through the grove,
perhaps a week elapsing between trips, each time slightly shaking the
trees to make the ripe nuts fall. On the last round, a padded mallet
with a long handle is used to dislodge the remaining nuts. The expense
of harvesting is slight, five or six people being sufficient to care for
a fifty-acre grove.

WASHING AND DRYING

When the nuts are gathered and brought in they are put into a revolving
barrel-churn holding about 12 to 16 gallons. Two buckets of water and
about the same of walnuts are put in together and the churn revolved for
some minutes. Then the nuts are taken out and spread on wire crates and
placed in the sun; they should be raked over two or three times a day.
Or, if the weather is wet, they may be placed in the dry-house in a good
draught at about 70 degrees F. In an artificial drying if the heat
becomes too great the nuts will be rancid, as the oil-cells will burst:
so better err on the side of underheating than overheating. If left out
of doors, cover carefully to protect from dew. The crates for outdoor
drying are placed on trestles in some California groves, in order that
the air may circulate through the nuts. This is much better than placing
them on the ground, where they draw dam