Los Angeles herald., 1891-10-11
THE RANCHES.
Typical Facts About Southern
California Farms.
A Valuable Paper on the Nal
de Coma.
An Experts Advice About Chrysan-
themum Culture.
Remedies for a Bad Disease of Orange
Trees-Caprifed Figs at Fresno.
News Notes.

John B. Wetherell, of De Land, Fla,
has written for the Florida Agriculturist
an article on the NAL de gonna, from
which the following excerpts are taken
"The symptoms vary but little. In
some groves drop of gum resembling
peach tree gum may be noticed on the
roots or the bark OF the tree near the
| ground.
''In other groves insread of the gum
substance like spittal appears TO be
oozing through the bark, and this is
generally accompanied by sour smell
from the fermented sap of the tree, and
the bark is soft and rotten, while in the
first case the bark has dry rot. The
disease is the same. Occasionally it
breaks out on the body of the tree, but
is generally confined to the roots or
near the ground. -.
| am satisfied that while wet land
and deep planting may also be con-
ducive, the chief cause is excessive fer
tilizing too close to the tree.
The remedy applied in Italy is sui
phurous acid. | have heard sulphuric
acid suggested, but should suppose that,
unless very carefully used, to be
dangerous remedy. My plan is first to
clear away the soil from around the tree
with hoe as much as possible without
scraping the bark off the roots, then
with a wooden paddle clean out the dirt
| from between the roots, so as to expose
them and the body of the tree complete
| ly. whisk broom is handy to clean
! the sand off so the diseased parts can
readily be seen. A three-quarter inch
chisel, gouge chisel of the same size,
mallet, good strong straight-bladed
knife, a hooked pruning knife, and
basket or pail to carry the tools are
necessary to work with throughout an
expedition.
it is absolutely necessary to cut away
all the diseased bark back to the sound
parts, and if the tree is large and badly
affected it is a slow and tedious task,
but remember the secret OF success is in
being thorough. The gouge chisel will
be indispensable to work in the corners
between the roots.
l have tried several mixtures, but the
following has given the best results
One gallon coal tar, two pounds of sui
phur and one-half pint crude carbolic
acid; put in a tin Or iron pail and boil
together; keepwell stirred; apply warm
to the cleaned wood with small paint
brush; being applied warm it works
easily. 1t is good idea to clean and
prepare number of trees at time, this
gives the rotten bark and sap time to
dry before applying the mixture.
| Care should be taken to paint over all
the parts completely, so that no spot is
! kCt tl,O Ofy In fnx be
over again, and if the disease is still
gum oozing out Often, if attended to
at the right time, a piece of bark cut off
not much larger than silver dollar will
arrest the spread of the disease. And be
sure to leave all the diseased parts ex-
posed to the light and air; do not cover
up the roots.
CAPRIFIED FIGS.
G. G. Roeding, of Fresno, is a firm
believer in the caprifcation of figs.
Five years ago, when he was in doubt,
he sent to Smyrna for capri and real
Smyrna cuttings, which he planted here.
The result is beyond his hope in perfec
ton, and he presented some of the fruit
yesterday to the state board of trade.
Accompanying the exhibit is the ex-
planation that in 1SSS-90 all the figs that
grew on the Smyrna cuttings, which
produced abundant crops, did not ma
ture, but fell to the ground before they
were ripe. This year he took the
pollen from the capri, or wild fig which
contains the male flower, and inserted it
into the Smyrna figs. As result, all
the pollenated figs filed and matured,
while the uncaprified fruit fell to the
ground.
The seeds of the ripened figs were
found to each contain fertile kernel.
The fruit also came up to the standard
in taste with the genuine high favored
Smyrna figs.
While this does not settle that an
orchard grown from Smyrna seed may
not produce new type of Smyrna fig,
it does settle the question that the fig
grown upon the many importations of
Smyrna figs may be made marketable
by introducing pellen from the capri fig
by aid of the insect recently imported
by Nj. Shinn of Alameda.
THE FALL ROSE.
Miss Sessions, in the San Diego Union,
says: "The chrysanthemums are full OF
buds, and will soon be out in their COLDS,
whites, reds and terra cottas. The dates
are all fixed throughout the land for the
carnivals, and dame chrysanthemum
will be in readiness for each one. First
OF all, give your chrysanthemums a
generous daily allowance OF water, and
one more good enriching. The plants
next need supporting, and it is best,
with large plants. to use several slim
stakes set among the branches, letting |
the tops of the stakes come just below
the top of the plant 30 they will be
partially hidden. Tie the branches
loosely to the supports, and endeavor to
give the plant as symmetrical a shape
as possible without any trimming.
The chrysanthemum is protuse
bloomer, and to such an extent that un-
less we interfere, quantity is. at the ex--
pense of quality. Every one interested
in chrysanthemum culture, the amateur
as we'll as the professional, disbuds the
plants, and now is the time for that
work. Select the most perfect bud at
the end Of branch and the rest destroy
by nipping them off with the forefnger
and thumb. Plan the work with the