Los Angeles herald., 1892-11-13
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA FARMS,
Typical Facts About Semi.
TrOpic Ranches.
A Writer Shows That Prunes Are q
Very Profitable Crop.
Instructions As to Prune Planting and
Cultare-A New Ffg-FrOst Pro-
tectors-The Land OF
Gardens.

Gardens.
The article on this subject written BY
E. G. Thurman and copied in the Sep
tember number of the Rural will moi
stand the test of critical examination
says J. M. Warner in the same maga
zine. l. He says the trees must be
budded or grated on plum stock. 1t is
said that this stock will stand more
water than peach stock will, and hence
that it is better for land go damp as to
need no irrigation. Many kinds of plum
stock (perhaps all, but do not know
sucker badly, and for this reason
this stock is not in demand for
dry land. / am informed that
the Myrobolan plum stock does not
sucker, as some other kinds do, but it is
not go vigorous grower as the peach or
the almond, and think it is not used
extensively as stock for the prune, for
land requiring irrigation. 1t is used as
a stock on which to bud or graft some
varieties of trees the wood of which will
not unite with the wood of the peach.
2. He says the trees must be planted
25 feet apart, requiring 100 trees per
acre. The science of mathematics is an
exact science. There are 1850 square
feet in an acre. At 25 feet apart, and in
what ia termed the regular order, each
feet; and 625 is contained fraction
square feet in an acre. 1t can easily be
demonstrated by geometry that if the
number that can be set in the regular
order be divided by $3.50 (the square
root of three-fourths). the quotient will
be the greatest number that can be set
on the same piece of ground, due allow
ance being made for margin. This gives
between 80 and 81 for an acre. 8. He
says the holes should be dug from two
to three feet square, according to the
nature of the soil.
1t is advisable, oftentimes, to use a
subsoil plow in plowing the ground pre-
paratory to setting the trees; but land
that is underlaid with hardpan near the
surface is worthless for prunes, and not
worth much for any agricultural pur-
pose.
As he allows nothing for irrigation,
we naturally suppose that his estimate
of cost is for the damp land in
the vicinity of Pomona, his article hav-
ing been copied from the Pomona Pro-
gress. He makes no allowance for prun-
ing. The trees should be pruned well
when young, to make them stocky,
otherwise the branches will be long and
and not strong enough to sup
port the fruit they would bear.
Many persons, and especially those
real estate agents who are strangers to
and some persons who are
always ready to jump at conclusions,
and assert them for facts, without hav-
ing first given subject a careful and
critical examination, ascertain the pro-
fits for year exceptionally productive,
and when the price is above the average,
and endeavor to make public the idea
that such profits may reasonably be
hoped for every year.
Sometimes cold wet weather when the
trees are in blossom causes failure of
a crop, as was the case this year in the
central and northern part of this state.
While some articles written for publi-
cation are true in every particular, their
effects are sometimes worse than those
of an absolute falsehood. My own ex-
perience IN raising prunes. added to
what observation has taught me, causes
me to think that prunes are larger, and
the crop more abundant, on land nat
urally somewhat damp, or on strong
soil retentive of moisture, and irrigated
we'll early in the season, especially
where the rainfall has been light, as it
was in Southern California last winter.
1t is not best, in some cases, to irrigate
later than about the 1st of July, as later
irrigation might cause the prunes to
ripen so late it would be difficult to dry
them we'll in the open air.
The birds were severe On prunes this
season in some localities in the foothills,
because the fall of rain last winter was
too light to cause elder bushes to pro-
duce good crop. This fact, the quality
of the soil. and the supply of water for
irrigation, if this be necessary, should
be taken into consideration in selecting
q location for prunes. Machinery is
being used in some parts of this state
for gathering prunes, ,'grading them, ETC.,
the cost OF complete outfit being
about $1,000, according to recent state
ment in San Francisco paper. Now,
though several owners of small prune
orchards might combine and purchase
the necessary machinery, a person of
limited means could not reasonably
hope to engage successfully in prune
growing in an isolated locality.
A New Fig.
Mr.. J. E. Cutter of Riverside has pro-
duced variety of fig called the 'Dota-
to-" for which many excellencies are
claimed. 1t is a small, light colored fig
with rather thick skin, but most deli
cate in texture and flavor, says the
Press. The specimens submitted to us
for testing were the finest favored ol
any we have ever eaten, and we should
place it at the head of all we are ac-
quainted with for table use. It is said
that this variety is never exported from
Italy, but used entirely at home. We
can think uf nothing more delicious thar
such fruit, when with the skin removed
it is sliced in cream for desert. If i!
were inferior in flavor it would still be
worth propagating if it shall continue
to prove free from the souring which
affects the fig SO generally in irrigated
sections.
Pruning Trees.
There are two schools of opposite ex
tremes in regard to pruning, says Nee
h 3c N6ankb1xx ~ L. -