Los Angeles herald., 1892-03-06
Typical Facts About South
ern California Farms.
Points About Propagating Cut
tings.
The Strawberry Guava Well Adapted
to This Country.
1t IL Both Profitable and Beautiful
Pruning Prunes - A Sweet
Olive - Nitrate OF
Soda.

Allow an old stager in the work to
tell how to propagate plants from cut
tings, especially such as are refractory
about striking roots. The ends to be
attained to insure success are to give
the bottoms of your cuttings heat,
moisture and exemption from contact
with the atmosphere. Give the tops
moisture and dense shade. Here is the
way do it.. Say wish to start 200 re-
fractory roses or other plants from cut
tings. dig straight V-shaped trench
due east and west, sixteen feet long,
eight inches wide at top, both sides
sloping like V to the center in the
bottom. I make my cuttings about
nine inches long, with bud near the
top of each. L set these an inch apart,
along the north slope of my trench.
Then fill up the trench, pressing the
earth firmly about the cuttings. Then
take an eighteen-foot board-a fence
board will do-and nail it to stakes at
each end OF your row Of cuttings, 80 that
it stands on edge two inches south of
your row of cuttings. Put up another
board in like manner a foot north of this
one, then nail in end pieces and you
have the tops OF your cutting in box.
Cover your box with old grain eacks,
and sprin kle them to thorough wetpess
in the hot part of every day.
Now about the bottoms of your cut
tings. If you've followed my directions
the bottom ends of your cuttings are
eight inches under ground, forming a
straight row two inches south of your
box, but be sure to have five inches, at
least, of earth between the bottom of
your trench and your cuttings. Fill
this trench with water two or three
times q week, 80 that the bottoms of the
cuttings shall be constantly moist. The
water should be poured into the trench
only in the hottest part of the day, 30
that it shall be at least slightly warmed
by the sun before it reaches the cuttings.
A few years ago the daughter Of my
friend, Rev. Mutersbsugh Of Reedley,
was bemoaning the waste of valuable
citrus wood when the lemon and or
ange trees were pruned. gave her the
directions that / have written above;
today she has dozens of thrifty citrue
trees from just such q sixteen-foot row
as l have described. Another lady in
Los Angeles to whom wrote instruc-
tions about propagating cuttings, writes
that she has produced more of the rarest
products found in her locality than che
could buy with $40 from the nursery.
She adds: "Write up this matter Of
raising refractory plants from cuttinge,
for the Rural Press, or l will do it aud
use your name in so doing" Believing
that she has good cause for her request,
I've written it up.-[W. r. Sanders in
Rural Press.
THE STRAWBERRY GUAvA.
The strawberry guava (psidium cattle
yanum) is one of the fruits that is
destined to find great favor in South
California. The plant takes the form
of shrub, attaining height of ten to
twenty feet. The flowers are white and
the fruit OF deep claret color. The
skin resembles that of fig but is thin
ner, and the interior is soft, fleshy
pulp, purplish red near the skin, pale
toward the middle, and the center
white. The flavor resembles that of a
strawberry, and is considered superior
even to that delicious fruit by those
accustomed to its use. The compact
form of this shrub, with it's glossy ever
green foliage and its fruit of rich color,
makes 1t very ornamental.
1t bears fruit in less than a year from
planting, and thereafter produces abun-
dainty. The branches are laden at the
same time with clusters of fragrant flow
ers, green fruit of different sizes and
ripe fruit. 1t bears for six months of
the year, and it is said it can be made
to produce the year through. The fruit
is firm, bearing transportation we'll, and
finds ready sale in the market. In
size the fruit is from one to two inches
in diameter.
This fruit is peculiarly we'll adapted
to culture in this part of the country, as
it will stand much greater degree OF
heat than is experienced here, and the
fruit is we'll protected from the sun by
the dense foliage. 1t is worthy extern
alone, but when the profusion of luscious
fruit it produces is considered, it will be
seen that it is especially desirable and
profitable. One has but to see it as 1t
appears in orchard form to appreciate
its merits. II Redlands Citrograph.
PRUNING PRUNEs.
After prune trees have borne good
crop, and the branches have bent out
ward and downward, / would advise
cutting back some to give the tree SYM
metry and strength. I am supported
in my theory by many successful grow.
ers Of the sacramento valley, whom
met at the Marysville convention. The
tendency of the prune there is to over
bear, thus overtaxing itself Of dry and
hot season such as the one, just past.
Therefore believe its productive capac-
ity should be curtailed by system OF
judicious pruning that the shape and
vigor OF the tree may be retained, and
the size and quality OF the fruit be i'm
proved. --(C. L. Hiscock in Colusa Sun.
A SWEET OLIVE.
William Pfeffer brings a real curiosity
in the shape of q sweet olive--sw eet not
only by the entire abeence of the bitter
taste which olives generally have-but
having really sweet taste, indicating
the presence Of minute quantity OF |
sugar. This is not apparent except in q
certain condition of maturity.
The tree on which these olives grew
was purchased six years ago Of John |
Rock, Of the CalifeTnia Nursery COM