USPP1963P - Walnut tree - Google Patents

Description

Aug-r 9, 1960 c. E. SULLIVAN Plant Pat. 1,963

WALNUT TREE Filed March 13, 1959 WITNESs lNVENTOK 63607795 [dwam 621K! 27/512 A T TY5.

1 Plant Pat. 1,963 Patented Aug. 9, 1960 WALNUT TREE Charles Edward Sullivan, Garden Highway, Yuba City, Calif.

Filed Mar. 13, 1959, Ser. No. 799,394

1 Claim. (Cl. 47-62) This discovery relates to a new' and distinct variety of walnut tree especially adapted for use as a rootstock for all varieties of English walnuts. The present variety of walnut tree is particularly, and desirably, characterized by substantial vigor and relatively great resistance to oak root fungus, crown rot, root rot, and nematode infestation, together with wide tolerance to soil conditions; i.e., wet, dry, and heavy soil. As a result the variety provides an excellent rootstock which remains strong and healthy over a long period of years, and notwithstanding adverse growing conditions to which the variety may be subject, such as those mentioned above.

A further outstanding characteristic of the present variety is that it is capable-when used as a rootstockof producing a grafted or buddedEnglish walnut tree which is commonly much larger--in any growing periodthan the same English walnut implanted on the conventional black walnut rootstock (unpatented).

An. additional important characteristic of the present variety is its ability to produce an implanted English walnut tree which will consistently bear a larger crop of commercially acceptable nuts than otherwise; this for the reason that the tree grows larger than on a conventional rootstock, thus bearing a proportionately larger crop.

The present variety of walnut tree was discovered by me in my orchard located near Yuba City, Sutter County, California, under the following circumstances:

A block of Franquette (unpatented) walnuts grafted, with the exception of one as hereinafter noted, on conventional (Northern California Black Walnut) rootstock were grown in such orchard, and with the passage of time allsave such one-of the trees within a certain area died of oak root fungus. Such one remaining tree in said area continued to thrive, growing strong and vigorous, with a heavy production of nuts. All this led me to the recognition that the rootstock of the tree which survived was a variety distinct from such conventional rootstock and that it was a seedling which I knew, after inspection, to have originated-as a Paradox Hybridfrom a black walnut as the seed parent and an unknown variety of English walnut as the pollen parent.

After this discovery I selected the rootstock of such one tree for experimentation and testing, and subsequent California, by the trench-layering method. More particularly, scions of the variety were grafted on a black walnut rootstock and grown to a one year tree in a nursery. Such tree was then removed in toto from the soil and laid in a trench; the root system of such tree having been covered with soil but the rest of the tree initially remaining exposed in the trench. Thereafter leaf buds broke into growth, formed shoots, and as the latter grew the trench was gradually filled with soil, and so as to cover the lower portion of such shoots. Roots then developed from the base of the shoots. After developing sufliciently, such shoots-including the roots--were severed from the parent layered tree and grown in an orchard; all having reflected the desirable characteristics of the original tree, and ran true thereto in all respects,

including when used as rootstock.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows a leaf comprised of a plurality of leaflets attached to a rachis.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged bottom plan .view of the blade of a leaflet; the slight irregularity of the margin being illustrated, but existent serrations being too minute for effective illustration and are thus omitted.

Fig. 3 is a top plan view of the blade of a leaflet as shown in Fig. 2.

As the primary novel characteristics-of the instant' Tree:

Size-Large.

Growing habit.Strong; vigorous; upright; tendency to large numbers of side branches.

Form.-Substantially round or spherical, but somewhat fiat on top.

Adaptability-New adaptable to heavy, sandy, wet,

dry, or poor soil. I

Pr0ducIivity.Few or no nuts, as is common with a cross between a black walnut and an English walnut.

Bark.-Color of new shoots-olive green. Color of twigslight green. Color of trunk-greenish brown, turning to light brown as the tree matures. Bark at first smooth similar to English walnut, but roughens as the tree matures. Bark of new shoots non-pubescent but smooth and shiny.

Wood.-Pith very loose and open, with webbed sections in the core. Sap wood solid and firm, almost white in color. Heart wood solid and firm, almost white in color. Lenticels-very small.

Foliage.--Lustrous.

Disease resistance.-Highly resistant to oak root fungus, crown rot, root rot, and nematode infestation.

Buds-Plump; Well matured; semi-oval, with blunt point. Oolor-tan. Pubescent.

Leaves: Average length-10 to 12".

her-3 to 5 per twig. Leaflets: Average number per leaf9 to 15 or more;

Margin.Slightly irregular, with minute spaced serrations.

Petiole.--Round; very short, almost non-existent or substantially sessil.

Glands.-None.

Form-Elliptical, with pointed tip.

Pubescence.-None.

Colon-Blades of leaflets: Top sidemedium green (22-11-11); under side-lighter green (2l-L-7). Prominent ribs on under side of blades-light greenish yellow (l8-I 1). Shoots-medium to light green (19L6) with olive brown streak (15-L6) on top. Rachis-medium to light green (19-L6).

Average num- Leaf scars.--Heartror wing-shaped about,%.i"long: Center portion sunken,- with a raised lobe at each ofthe' threecornersr The variety is known to have substantial resistance to area, as well as certain peach trees therein died .of; oak rootfungus, saving and excepting such parent tree of: the

instant variety. The latter continuedetoagrow strong,;

vigorous,..-and largein the midstrofr theloak root fungus infestation and. bore heavy crops of nuts.-

Further; as to ,the resistance .ofthe present variety 10-,

crown rot and root rot,-: this is believed tostem from thefact thatthe. variety,as apparently a Paradoxz Hybrid,

has a resultant natural resistance to crowne and root:

damage :from excesswateriand; wet or heavysoil.

As :to.inematode infestation, reproduction of the variety by the University of California at Davis, California, and hits experimental'or test plot, has substantiatedthe fact that the variety-in comparison to some other Paradox Hybrids-has greater resistance to this type of infestation.

The following is claimed:

A new and distinct variety of walnut tree, as shown and described, characterized; by vigorous, upright, and strong growth with a tendency to large numbers of side branches; the bearingofifew.'flowers and nuts; lustrous medium green-foliageeleavesr averaging three to five per shoot and ten to twelverinches-intlength, with nine to fifteen or more leaflets; elliptical leaflets with pointed tips; leaflets: whose petiolelis very short, almost nonexistent or substantially sessil; relatively greater resistance to oak root fungus, crown rot, root rot, and nematode infestation, together with wide tolerance to soil and moisture conditions; and-as a rootstock-the ability to producean English walnut tree which isvigorous in growth, large in size, and highly-productive.

No references cited;

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