The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1882-12-27

out so much capital in grove plant
ing. The people will certainly ex-
pect it of them. l.. G.
Citrus Culture i'm Central Cali
fOrnia.
RiUerside Press
Remarks submitted to the Execu>
tive Committee of the Third Annual
Citrus Exhibition, at Riverside,
March, 1881, by F. Strentzel, of Con,
ira Costa county:
/ have had orange and lemon trees
in bearing since 1860 from seeding
trees raised in 1858. Some old bear
ing trees grace the residence of Gen.
Vallejo near Sonoma. Younger trees
are reported in Sacramento, Marys-
Vile, Stockton, San Jose, Chico,
Knights Ferry, Martinez and many
other places and their environs; in
fact, many thousand trees are grow
ing scattered through the central
counties, reported mainly as bearing
abundantly and the fruit of excellent
flavor, thus signally showing the con-
stltutional hardness and adaptability
OF the tree to sustain varied climatic
conditions.
Considering that the original hab-
itat of the citrus family is in coun.-
try of perpetual summer and humid
atmosphere, reverse to this of arid
dryness and high heat during the
summer months, with a depression
often below the freezing point in
winter, makes it evident that great
care is required to acclimatize and
retain in good health this tender
child OF the tropics. Its cultivation
through Central California in orchard
oIs esC essSceptiSpsaias be aiae ggTts ggT5fS
conditions.
AS il is designed by your associa>
ton to publish an exhaustive treatise
on orange culture, l will confine my,
self to such statements as are espe~
cially applicable to Central Calitor-
MIA, or are of general import in cit-
rus culture.
So far as can be assumed for the
northern part OF our State, Seeding
trees are more hardy, of thriftier
growth, and longer lived than for
eign varieties. The fruit has thick.
er rlnd, rich in oil, and the pulp well
favored, even luscious, and keep
we'll. As the fruit repruduces itself
nearly true from seed, the great i'm
portance of selecting the best seed
fruit is obvious. 1t should be per>
fectly ripe, and the seed planted
fresh, when it readily terminates,
and the seedlings will be large enough
the third year to be transplante9 in
chard.
Some localities claim to be within
the thermal belt, so>called, where to-
matoes, heliotropes, ETC., keep grow
ing during the winter. Such privi-
legged hooks are the very places tor
the orange, but even there some win
ters are more severe, or uniavorable
atmospheric conditions reduce the
temperature some nights below the
freezing point, injurious to young
trees; and it is absolutely necessary
to shelter or cover such trees for
about three months during the wins
ter. This can be easily done at Its
tie cost beyond labor by sticking
closely around them branches of ev-
ergreens, topped with some old can
vas, and wrapping the stems In straw
to keep off the rays OF the sun after
freeze. When the tree has acquir-
ed heavy leafy top, any occasional
injury from extra heavy frost can be
averted by showering the tree with
water at sunrise and clouding the at
mosphere with smoke. AS rule,
the westerly slope of hill, with belts
of timber and higher-ra lging hills
cutting off the prevailing air currents,
is most desirable for an orangery.
The top soil can be enriched when
ever required, but the subsoll should
be porous and well drained. A stiff,
cold, impervious clay is as badly in
furious to the tree, which becomes
diseased in the roots, as a freezing
location. Even on the best ot soil,