Los Angeles herald., 1891-11-22
THE RANCHES.

Gently before the Pathological society on
Apricot Culture, from which the follow
ing points are taken:
The question of sufficient help toprop-
erly and in due season gather and pre-
pare the crop for market is perplexing
and quite difficult of solution. The ten
dency now is, and very properly SO, to
plant small orchards, and is factor in
solving the problem of help. Generally
speaking, family can care for suffi-
cient orchard in all its stages to make a
good living and save something for fu-
ture emergencies. The time is near
when school vacations will be so ar
ranged as to admit of the employment
of the children of the state during the
fruiting season of this and other desira-
BILE fruits. Children six years old and
upwards can be profitably employed in
the gathering, pitting, and the various
branches of the harvesting OF the crops.
This state is essentially fruit producing
country, and we must adapt ourselves to
the situation in practical manner
without delay. During the worlds
fair Californias exhibit will bring our
fruits and their superior excellence
prominently before vast numbers of
people, and the result no doubt will be
the increase in a short time of our
orchards to an unprecedented extent.
We will come to be known as the fruit
garden of the world, and California will
eventually be one grand fruit orchard.
We will become noted for the size, flavor
and general superior excellence of our
fruits and the apricot in particular.
Practically, first, soil-The soil for an
apricot orchard should be deep, warm,
rich, alluvial loan, and well under
drained. Apricots should not be planted
on cold adobe or heavy soii. A windy
location is no detrimenu to their success
provided other conditions are favorable.
The tree in it's growth enjoys windy
situation; while other varieties of de-
ciduous fruit trees lean from the wind,
the apricot leans to the wind.
Selection of Trees-This is an impor
tant part of the consideration. The
trees should be grown naturally, with
out undue forcing by irrigation, thus
securing healthy, natural growth, car
rying good strong roots. This class OF
trees transplant with greater success
than trees grown and forced by irriga-
ton. Two year old trees are admissible.
One year old trees are the best and will
give the most satisfactory results. A
full success has in some rare instances,
been made in planting dormant trees.
out generally speaking the experiment
of planting them in orchard form has
proved failure. The proper care and
management of an orchard of dormant
buds is not generally understood. Nur-
serymen and pomologists of many years
OF experience in planting trees have
made success. On the whole, after the
results of the planting of this class of
trees the last two seasons they cannot
be recommended for future planting.
Plant good l year old trees, and if not
obtainable contract for the dormant
buds, but allow them to remain in nur-
sery year before planting.
Planting-The most important point
in planting in this state is to plant
early. Late planting usually does not
prove a success. January, February
and March are the three best months to
set deciduous fruit trees. February is
the best month of the year. April
planting has never been success and
should be discouraged. Twenty-four by
twenty-four feet is proper distance to
plant the apricot orchard; the holes to
receive The trees in good, friable loam
soil, should be dug eighteen inches by
two feet, in adobe or stiff clay soil,
three and four feet is not waste OF la
bor. Pare all broken or bruised roots
with sharp knife, and plant as deep
as the trees were in the nursery, never
more than one or two inches deeper
than they grew. Place the top soil in
the bottom OF the hole and press the
soil firmly around and upon the roots
while filling the soil around the trees.
Should the locality be windy tie the
tree to stake until the roots have
made growth sufficient to anchor the
tree firmly in the earth.
Pruning-When planting the trees
out cut them back severely. Never
leave the stem more than two feet long.
Then let them alone until the seasons
growth is completed and fully mature.
Then shorten in the branches to
eighteen inches or two feet, cut out all
interfering branches that cross each
other and remove all superhuous small
twigs. Endeavor to bring the tree into
an even-balanced shape, making a nice,
symmetrical, handsome top to the tree.
The third year shorten in the current
years growth one-half to two-thirds and
remove as in the previous year, all un-
desirable wood. The tree is now estab-
lished and ready for future business
After the tree comes into full bearing
the pruning should be done Immediately
after the fruit is gathered. Shorten in
the current years growth one half, and
look out for unruly branches and remove
them.
Varieties-The Royal is at present a
we'll tried favorite and should be planted
in large proportion. The Prewit and
Blenheim are excellent varieties and do
not overbear as does the Royal, and the
planting of these varieties in equal pro-
portion can be consequently recon-
mended. The st. Ambrose and Hern-
skirk are coming into some favor in
some localities. The Moorpark, while
an excellent variety, is Improbable, it
being an uncertain and irregular bearer.
The Royal requires thinning when the
fruit is small, otherwise the fruit is
small and insipid. With these sugges-
1ions leave the subject matter in your
hands.
YIELD OF THE SEEDLEsS GRAPE.
The evidence multiplies that this va
riety is one OF great value. John s.
Dare, writing from West Park, Fresno
county, to San Francisco paper re-
garding the new variety OF seedless
grapes, says:
II have grown at my vineyard at
West Park two acres of Thompson's
seedless grape vines, planted in 1890,