Arizona republican., 1910-12-24
THE CITRUS INDUSTRY
 IN SALT RIVER VALLEY
The Growers Of Mesa Told How to
 Expand 1t.

| r-
 ested audience.
 Professor Robertson opened the
 meeting with a few introductory re-
 marks. stating that the future of the
 sat river valley to a large extent de- bends upon it's citrus industries and predicts a great future for the orange growers. Professor Forbes of the Uni
 Nerslty of TuscOn was introduced and
 made few general remarks 70 the ef-
 rect that in the early days of the val Iey snort water and lack of knowledge
 Ied to no great profit to the pioneer
 orange growers. but merely to a bare
 exlstance. Now on the completion of
 the great dam at Roosevelt. bringing
 new water conditions. and with in
 creased knowledge of the citrus grow
 ing industries, we are on the thresh-
 old Of a great and everlasting industry.
 He further stated that his discussion
 would cover two main points
 First. the methods by which citrus
 groves are best brought to the state
 of bearing. which would be discussed by Mir Culbertson, and the things
 which growers must guard against to
 be discussed by Mir. Essig, both of
 these gentlemen having had large ex-
 perience in citrus industries in Cali fOrnia.
 MT Culbertson was first introduced
 and spoke upon the cultivation of cit
 rus groves. He said in part that they
 have been driven over the entire orange belt of the Salt river valley on
 both sides of the river and had seen
  the groves in California. On the oth- CT hand they had seen trees in as bad condition she had ever seen them anywhere. This being conclusive evil dence to his mind that climatic and soil conditions of the Salt river valley were such that citrus trees of the best variety could be grown here if prop- erly taken care of A thousand years ago this valley was without question Tn a high state of cultivation Why this race of people left the valley and where they went, we do not know. To- day. however, the structures of civiIi- zation which are being built in this valley are of concrete and not of mud and Mir. Culbertson predicts that one thousand years hence they will not have disappeared. and the citrus indus tries which are now in the very be- ginning of their development will have a large portion of success if carried on by competent growers
 In California great quantities of cit rus fruits are being grown under the same general conditions which pre- vail here. Citrus fruits can be made to grow upon almost any kind of soil
 If the individual conditions of the soil are taken cognizance of. and those chemical and food substances which are not present are supplied. The three essentials to a good soil are moisture. which is supplied by irrigation. warmth and air which are supplied by cultiva- tion.
 Cover crops of Ieguminous plants are essential to loosen up the soil and make it hold water. In addition to this they give to the soil nitrogen. the most expensive ingredient in the soil These crops when matured should be plowed into the ground to a depth of | eight or nine inches and later when | the vegetation is decayed should be thoroughly cultivatd. first by means of | a disc blow and then by means of an | orchard cultivator
 Irrigation on citrus groves should be | by means of the furrow system in | practically all instances The water | should run in the furrow from twenty four to seventy-two hours. After ir- | as soon as possible to take | horses into the grove the furrows | should be plOwed in and the grove | thoroughly cultivated to a depth of | about four inches. Then go back over | the same ground and cultivate to a depth of six or eight inches and the | soil will then hold moisture from five | to six weeks
 In Arizona, MT. Culbertson believes | that irrigation once every thirty days | is often enough providing thorough cul- | tivation is practiced. Frequent irri- sation with lots of water and no cul- tlvation tends to precipitate the solu- able salts in the water on the S, iI Gull tivation is essential to prevent this.
 The cost of irrigation in California is approximately $50 for a 1OO-inch head Tor twenty-four hours. This will irri- gate approximately twenty acres. and rrigatine four to seven times a year makes the total cost of water approxi- nately S10 per acre per year The to- tal cost for irrigation. cultivation. pruning. fumigating and spraying oft sn reaches $500 per year.
 The frosts in the Salt river valley 1 asst winter were not a normal condi- ion. In California, MT. Culbertson ;aid. they also had frost. In this par icular locality they handle the frost by means of coal baskets. The baskets are placed in the grove. 'ne to each tree. and in the bottom of he basket is a little kindling. on top If this some coke and on top of the 'oke is coal When it is decided to ight the baskets only about One-half he total number are ignited. If the continues to drop the oth- r half is lighted. The ignition is lone by means of pouring burning oil nto the basket. which percolates trough the coal and coke to the kindl- ng and the fire is quickly started. The i'd fashioned oil pot liberated too much soot and was a serious menace O the fruit. Nne improvements have cen made in these pots and they are 'eing extensively experimented with in ,alifornia this winter. MT. Culbertson tated that the methods of covering in fhn SaIt ritrar x-aIlax- bx- mo !