Los Angeles herald., 1892-01-10
THE RANCHES.
Typical Facts About South
ern California Farms.
A Valuable Article on Peach
Culture.
The Profits of Walnut Culture
Versus Grain.
A Fortune in Six Years From
Raising Nursery stock-Warning
Against Scale "A Gold Mine
of q Ranch.


At a meeting OF San Jose Grange
several years ago, says III. G.. Keesline
in the California Cultivator, the subject
for special discussion was peach culture,
and number of the leading fruit grow.
ers of the county took part in the dis
cussion. 1t was generally agreed that
the peach was one of the most difficult
trees to manage in order to keep up its
health and growth and produce good
crops of marketable fruit. One member
said that it was his belief that any fruit
grower who could successfully manage a
peach orchard would not be seriously
troubled with any other kind OF fruit
trees grown in this valley. In his opin.
ion, experience was necessary to pro-
duce best results in fruit growing, and
generally man must grow an orchard
into full bearing before he was fully
qualified to get the most out Of the
trees from the bud to full growth, OF
ten to fifteen years of age. 1t was also
the general opinion that pruning was
the most prominent part of the man.
agement of peach orchard, and no set
of rules could be laid down that would
always produce good results, either in
growth or fruit. My experience agrees.
in the main, with the experiences of
the members who expressed their views
at that meeting.
Location, soil, season and variety
cause much variation. Still there is one
rule that have kept in mind above all
others, and it is, make the trees produce
strong growth every year as founda-
tion for good crop OF fair-sized peaches.
It is almost always possible to do this,
even without recourse to irrigation in
dry seasons, for the peach trees may be
pruned without any bad effects up to
peas. Some growers prune even later,
in order to save work in thinning, but
do not like to see the vitality OF the tree
wasting, even in small degree, by sus-
tanning fruit that must be cut off. There
is waste enough in the fruit that must
be taken off in thinning after the prun-
ing is all done. But we are always GER
tain OF crop of nearly all varieties Of
peaches in this section, and fully nine
tenths OF the fruit that sets must
be taken off on an average, by
pruning and thinning. If asked to
specify the best time of the year to
prune peach trees, would answer, dur
ing the time that they are in full bloom.
1t is at this time that the experienced
pruner can save labor later on in thin
ming and at the same time leave the
buds that will naturally produce the
best peaches and not interfere with the
main object (Which should never be out
of mind) OF pruning for results in growth
one year and more ahead.
1t is real pleasure to the fruit grower
whose heart is in his work to prune
peach trees that have made the right
kind of growth and are consequently a
mass of bloom supported by brightly
tinted and shining twigs and branches.
To the uninitiated who sees no far
ther than the mass of buds and bios
SONS, the apparent devastation caused
3 by pruning is looked upon with horror,
for nearly all the blossom laden twigs
find their way to the ground and the
tree is no longer thing Of beauty. One
sees only the present beauty, while the
other sees in his mind the more lasting
and substantial pleasure of tree laden
with luscious peaches, than which there
is no fruit more tempting, more satisfy
ing to the palate, when picked ripe
from the tree, or more profitable when
the price is high.
A very rank growth is not desirable,
and does not produce fruit of the best
quality. A growth of from one to two
feet.of stocky wood we'll studded with
fruit buds, is all that can be desired,
and to keep this growth repeating itself
year after year throughout the life OF
the tree, is the object to be kept in view
if success in peach culture would be
attained.
lam we'll aware that large attractive
fruit sells well in market almost regard
less of flavor, but there can be but little
satisfaction in such fruit to either
grower or buyer, aside from the money
received by the former, and the pleas
ure OF looking at it by the latter, for
there is nothing in it" when it comes
to eating it. Peaches should be we'll
grown and neither over-grown or
stunted. Such fruit gives good satisfac-
ton to all concerned. It ships we'll,
sells we'll, cans well, drys well and eats
we'll. 1t is really fruit, with all it's ele-
ments in the right proportion, and not
lite the overgrown peach with its ex-
ceAs of water. or the stunted peach
which is composed principally of the
elements that make pits and skins.
Although pruning is such an important
item in peach culture, 1T is not all by
any means. The selection of pits for
planting, to produce stocks for budding,
is not unimportant, as lack OF vitality in
the root makes the growth of thrifty
tree impossible. Then only strong stocks
should be budded, and the buds should
be, naturally. taken from trees that are
thrifty and bear good fruit. There is
: also right way to grow the trees in the
nursery row. A rank. watery growth is
almost as useless for planting as the
etunted trees. Medium sized trees Of
hard stocky growth we'll studded with
buds from the ground up, are the best
for planting. Crowding too many trees
on an acre will not do with peaches.
They are no exception to the rule that
fruit trees must have room for roots as
well as tops, and sun and air for both.
A FORTUNE IN SIX YEARS.
The way some people in this region
pick up a fortune in few years, while
Others are thinking the matter over, is