The herald., 1895-02-18


these to survive is due to their being full
of fecula, and incapable of terminating
after being consumed by birds and ami
mails. While this may possibly account
for the destruction of these plants in the
wild state, yet it only applies to part of
the number, and many plants still sur
viving with these same peculiarites pos
sess as great an attraction for these ami
mails as those now extinct. As the 1000
years that are known to have elapsed
since some of our cereals and fruits We're
first cultivated, seems to be considered too
short time to lead to such variation
that the origin of these could not now be
discovered, we have not only to face the
problem how these edible species came to
be extinct, but also how such flowers as
the tuberose, the lilac, the imperial lily
and Others are unknown now in the wild
state. 1t appears to me most rational to
assume that the plants in question had
their origin in some land or continent
that has long since passed away; and no
supposition so accurately fultills the con-
dition requisite as that of the lost Allan
tbs. The inhabitants thereof were repre-
sented as being great and intelligent
people, in such condition of civilization
as to warrant us in ascribing to them not
only a care of the necessary, but also a
love for the beautiful in the floral world.
In the cultivation of fruits in this coun-
try we should not fail to consider that all
of them are foreign to our soil, and we
have to accommodate them to a condition
of soil and climate and general environ
ment that is at least a variation from
their previous habitat. The fact that
many other countries have had to do the
same, while it may prove the stability of
the species under varied conditions, does
not help us exactly in California. In
judging of the best soil and the method
of cultivation most appropriate to the
Il nt Nrpr st 70 L. rtItl lnc
the conditions of the soil and climate
under which they originally existed, and
the presence or absence of allied species
here.
In comparing countries by the similari-
ty of their native plants the country that
most closely resembles California is Chill !;
and Chill occupies the same latitude in
the south as California does in the north,
and enjoys climate very similar to ours,
which may, in part, account for the SINH
larty in its native vegitation. A large
number of species and genera in the two
countries are identical, or so nearly allied
as to favor the theory of a common origin
in times remote and conditions alike favor
able to their survival to the present times.
| have been unable TO find complete liter-
ature bearing on the agricultural indus
tries of Chilli but from what / have gath
cred it would seem that Chilli while grow
ing abundance of grain, grapes, and 9TH
CT well hilOWll DIOuuClS HAS llOG Ntb
entered on higher civilization, so that
we who have passed the experimental and
initial stages in horticulture cannot gain
anything from their experience at pres
ent. 1t might be well, however, to bear
in mind the similar conditions that pre-
vail in Chilli as some day the Chileans
may develop something that we with ed
vantage could introduce.
AS we have naturally no representative
of the orange family i'll the West. we must
Judge from experience what is best suited
for our our climate. This has been done,
but only in limited way When it was
known that California could grow oranges
everyone put in such varieties of trees as
they thought would suit the market, to-
tally regardless of whether or not they
suited the soil. The day has come when
the orchardst must discriminate and be
able to say This is good for navels, this
for seedlings, etc. The individual to
succeed must specialize. In the planting
of trees the grower is too frequently
can receive the largest trees for the least
money, caring nothing for the inherited
proelivities of his trees. The inherited
qualities of the stock is one OF the most
important points in horticulture, and one
that must be carefully considered if or
The individual who plants an orchard in
a district liable to frost goes II
long way on the road to success if
he acquires his trees from district
liable to severer frosts, and if the nur-
seryman has taken care to select
his buds from his harder trees, he is still
more certain of success The navel, which
has been greatly favored in Southern Cali
fornia, was originally an accidental sport;
it is seedless for the reason that it is Il
double orange, and the energy required to
develop two oranges on one small stem
does not leave enough for the development
of seeds.
AS it may not be generally known, |
may remind you that the tangerine orange
is really the supernumerary oranke that
forms the navel, developing at the expense
of the rest of the fruit. Its imperfect form
and development show in the ease with
which its segments split on peeling, re-
version to theH iginal type of the orange,
which is supposed to have been fruit
divided like the banana, but by long pro-
cess of cultivation has been brought to its
present condition.
Californians, even in the most favored
districts have many difficulties to con-
tend against, and to succeed they must
keep in view these two facts: First, they
must select their stock from trees most
suitable to the environment; second, as
the soil of Southern California, by it's
chemical constitution, tends to produce a
sweet fruit they must be budded, or 9TH
erwise create a new variety or improve
the old on these, the natural lines. The
ordinary methods of budding have been
tried in manifold ways, and the limits of
their usefulness are well nigh exhausted;
SO | wish to draw your attention to new
and ingenious method, successfully prac
ticed by its originator, Mr.. A.C. Thomson
of Duarte.. This shrewd horticulturist
conceived some years ago the idea of
taking two buds from different kinds of
trees, splitting them longitudinally, then
carefully opposing the pieces and grating
the compound bud in the usual manner.
This a is delicate and usually unsuccessful
oparation, but Mr.. Thomson, after many
crals, succeeded, and was rewarded by
the production of what is now so favorably
known as the Thomson improved navel,
navel which by its superior qualities has
won more individual distinctions than
any other variety of recent years. By
such means as these and the careful Sc
lection of stock, California may yet be
made to produce an orange charac cteristic
of its soil. The above remarks apply with
equal force to the Culture of the lemon
With the lemon, it has been found desira-
Bile to prevent the development of thorns,
which cause such serious injury in wind
storm and this in some varieties has
practically been accomplished. In plant
ing trees for this quality, care ought to be
taken to. select from nurseries near the
sea- as the dry air of the interior has a
great tendency to develop spines on both
lemon and orange trees. 1t is sufficiently
obvious that many citrus trees are planted
in districts anything but suited to the
profitable growth of such, and, uncharita-
Bile as it may seem, | think the best thing
that could happen our country would be