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
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 principal 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, rep
resented 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.