Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-22
FRUIT FARMING.
An Interview with Profess
sor J. L. Budd.
HIS OBSERVATIONS HERE.
Canneries Badly Needed-Hints 10
Those Interested in H0rtl-
culture.

Cann0rioS Badly Neeueu-uin'S w
Those Interested in HOrti-
culture.
Professor ]. L. Budd, Of the Iowa
horticultural College, and horticultu-
raj editor of the Iowa State Register,
one OF the most prominent and best
posted men in the United States on
all matters pertaining to garden cul-
tnre. has been in Los Angeles county
for the past month on tour Of inspec-
ton. Mr.. Budd brings with him a
worldwide experience, as, in addition
to his labors in this country, he was
six wears ago selected by the United
States to visit Europe and Central
Asia and report ON the most avallao Die
and best suited trees and plants Tor
importation to America. A HERALD
reporter had the pleasure Yesterday OF
meeting Mr.. Budd, and the following
conversation took place:
CT suppose" queried the reporter,
ssthat YOU have by this time formed
some sort of an opinion as regards
this section?"
" Yes, sir, l have" was the reply,
ssand l think fair one, for l have
visited all the principal points OF in,
terest, and have made. close ana
careful investigation OF everything
pertaining to my mission. Of course
YOU want to know what that opinion
Ia. and the best way that can satisfy
YOU is to give you the benefit OF the
notes have made for future publica-
ton, during my visit here.
REGARDING citrus fruit-there
are certain sections here as fav-
orable for its production
as any in the world and I think that
the most successful results as regards
the growing Of lines, oranges and
lemons will be reached on the higher
levels rather than the dips or val
leys. The navel orange is very
fine fruit, but l am inclined to dis
courage it's being very widely propo-
gated in preference to other varieties.
Though it is an early bearer OF fine,
merchantable and certainly popular
fruit, yet it has many defects that
scarcely recommend it for ex.
tended planting. Its habit OF
growth is such that it is especially Ii
able to be split or broken by weight
Of fruit and wind storms and after it
has fully matured, unlike the other
varieties, it's fruit-producing property
diminishes. / should therefore ad-
wise all those who plant orange groves
not to give too much preference to
the navel, but cultivate the older and
more reliable varieties, the Mediter-
ranean, Konah, etc.
The scale-bug is a very great dlsad-
vantage that is met with here, and
the regulations and orders of the in
spector of fruit pests should be strictly
enforced. You see that the climate is
Just as favorable to insect increase as
it is to everything else, and unless
the war Of extermeration, which has
been well begun, is waged to the bit
ter end, the evil will become more
and more great, whereas by strict
observance of the discovered RENE
dies this great blot may, in time, be
quite removed.
Raisin grapes come, l believe, next
in importance as regards the interests
of this country. Here, again, arises
the fault which is observable all over
this section-that of planting and
laying out without any regard at all to
elevation, soil, or locality. The result
of this will be that thousands of acres
of raisin grapes that have been
planted will never pay expenses.
Here, as in Southern Europe, the
profitable growing and successful
drying of the Malaga grape
will depend on what the
Spaniards call 'air drainage In
other words, the raisin vineyard site
must be on the more elevated mesas
where the fogs and cold night air will
rest on the lower adjacent levels
Then again, as regards the irrigation
pruning and cultivation, great deal
of the work done now is simply ex'
perimental, and when the best results
are obtained, and the circumstances
attending them strictly adhered to-
Lucu Will NC ICuOfCu duOeiOi LII
cubus that at present exists
There is no doubt whatever
but that the raisin industry will prove
one of the most profitable in this part
of the country.
Now, as to pears, more hardy
specimen should be planted than that
generally in vogue, and the thick
leaved varieties Of China and Central
Asia will be found to thrive much
better than thin-leaved and delicately
barked fruit. The same remark is
equally applicable as regards the pro-
duction Of apples.
Of cherries there are, comparatively
speaking, very few orchards planted,
and though the varieties have seen
do very well, yet an improvement
would be obtained by culturing the
thickly-leaved trees of Spain in prefer
ence to those raised in France and
Western Europe.
The olive, almond, ounce, fig and
walnut, l am certain, will all do well
here by strict attention, as I have
said before, to the fact that certain
productions only do well in certain
districts, and though they may all
grow wherever planted yet the best
results can only be obtained under
peculiar and stringent conditions.
Turning to the culture Of apricots,
peaches and canning fruits in general,
/ find a wide scope for improvement,
especially as regards the disposition
Of the crop. In the first place there
are not enough canneries distributed
throughout the producing districts,
and as in a warm climate there is
only very short time at ones dis
posal after fruit natures, it becomes
doubly necessary that there should be
ample accommodations for the hand
ling Of the crop. Of course if a cheap
system of cold storage could be
inaupurated to hold it during the can