Arizona weekly enterprise., 1890-09-20
Orange Trees and their Selection.

would not result from the budding. 1t seems to be the desire of some, and espec ially of those who worship the almighty dollar, regardless of results, to raise something that they can offer, though at d price somewhat lower than that asked for good trees. It Is the opinion of some of those raising citrus trees, that the num- Der of trees that will be in the market two or three years hence, will be So great that first class trees will then be sold for less than the prices they hope to get next winter and spring for scrubs.
 Observation teaches me that the best trees are really the cheapest that can be grown: and that it is better to pay from Sl or S2 each for the best than to pay p or 50 cents for half the size or even accept the latter as gift.
 Orange trees that have been well grown ought to be large enough to bud in the fall of the third year of their growth; the plants having been transplated from the seed bed to the nursery, not later than the following spring after the sowing of the seed. Even then if the smallest plants be transplanted, they would not be large enough to bud in the time speci- fled above, but should remain year longer in the nursery before being bud ded. By the way, it is better to reject the very small plants, and if more be de sired, raise more.
 WHEN TO BUD.
 Where there Is not danger of frost enough to kill tender growth, it is best to bud in the fall; then the buds ought to start ill the winter or early ill the spring. They have whole season then in which to make a growth, and, cOnse- |, than could be expected of buds inserted i'll the spring or summer. Not all Of those inserted In the fall, even though they grow, will be equally large. The best to set are the largest of those of one years growth on strong roots.
 Many persons buy the low priced trees, some because they have not the means to pay for all good trees they would like to set; some because they cannot cOnven- iently get No. l trees; and some because they are too economical to pay for the best trees. or because some nurseryman who has but inferior trees, perSuades the would be purchaser to believe the small ! trees will soon be as good as larger ones.
 DORMANT BUDS.
 l Though transplanted dormant buds in l deciduous stock often make good trees, ] 1 in citrus stock The writer has seen some 1 that were transplanted in orchard form, because no other kind of budded trees could be obtained They brancheJ when only few inches high, and are now low and bushy, and it will be be almost. if not quite, impossible ever to make anything but scrubs out of them.
 The excessive heat for few days this year, and at a time just before oranges were fairly set, caused nearly all of the young fruit to drop in some localities. This may cause a temporary lull in the orange boom. Again: the heavy failure of the delicious fruit crop in the east ern potion of the United States, and the consequent high prices now obtainable in California for decldous fruits may cause many persons, and especially of tine class who are ever ready to jump at conclu- sions and assert them for facts without having first given the subject under con sideration careful investigation, to think there Is no more to be made in raising the latter than in raising citrus fruits.
 Some have set citrus trees where con- ditions were such that the raising of good fruit and i'll paying quantities would bt an impossibility. Water, soil climate must be taken into consideration. In 2 mountainous country it is often possible to find greater difference in climate iI places GAly few miles apart than car be found in hundreds Of miles on the level prairies of the West.
 SOIL.
 It Is thought by many persons that | rich, sandy loam Is the only kind that car produce good fruit. 1 prefer it, partly on account of the ease with which 1t ca1 be cultivated Hard ground is not desir able. especially land underlaid with hard pan near the surface. 1t has been assert ed that some of the oranges grown ol stiff, red clay land on which it Is neces sary to allow water to run from twelve to twenty four hours at one irrigation and in one of the celebrated orange grow ing districts of this country, are branded and shipped as Los Angeles oranges while the oranges that are grown are real , ly inferior to those grown under othe conditions equally as favorable. but wher, { there Is less fog, and where the averag, temperature, especially that of the sum mer, is higher.
 Permit me to say in conclusions: D, not buy scrub trees of any kind. If vol are not familiar vi h varieties, ask for ill iOIHldllOn Ol SOHle person WHO IS u | the opinion of many that it is advisabl to plant mostly of varieties other than tn Washington Naval, as there are thousand of trees of this one variety now in orchard i They ripen early and do not hang wei after having ripened. The Mediterra mean Sweet is good where there is no fog ! if any. But where there is much fog tn black scale are apt to thrive well, and vii make the tree and fruit black and smutty There are other good varieties ripeninl later than the Navel, and that hold thei fruit well. Some of the Navels shoul, be in every collection enough for hom r use Consider well conditions of soi climate, water and facilities for market ing befqre deciding whether you vii plant citrus or deciduous trees, and als
 what varieties of either or both.-D. w
 Warner in September Rural Californian