CALIFORNIA 
 AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE 
 
 CIRCULAR 117 
 JUNE, 1940 
 
 HOME FRUIT GROWING 
 IN CALIFORNIA 
 
 W. L. HOWARD 
 
 Cooperative Extension work in Agriculture and Home Economics, College of Agriculture, 
 
 University of California, and United States Department of Agriculture cooperating. 
 
 Distributed in furtherance of the Acts of Congress of May 8, and June 30, 1914. 
 
 B. H. Crocheron, Director, California Agricultural Extension Service. 
 
 THE COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURE 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 BERKELEY, CALIFORNIA 
 
CONTENTS 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Introduction 3 
 
 Limitations of fruit growing 4 
 
 Climate 4 
 
 Soil 6 
 
 Preferred sites and soils 6 
 
 What to plant 8 
 
 Care and management 9 
 
 Selection of trees 9 
 
 Spacing distances for planting 10 
 
 Interior plant-quarantine inspec- 
 tion 10 
 
 Planting 11 
 
 Protecting against sunburn, rab- 
 bits, and flat-headed borers 14 
 
 Irrigation 14 
 
 Cultivation 15 
 
 Pruning 15 
 
 Top-grafting 20 
 
 Spraying 20 
 
 Desirable fruits and nuts of Cali- 
 fornia 22 
 
 Almond 22 
 
 Apple 26 
 
 Apricot 30 
 
 Avocado 33 
 
 Blackberry 33 
 
 Blueberry and huckleberry 41 
 
 Cherry 41 
 
 Chestnut 43 
 
 Cranberry 44 
 
 Currant 44 
 
 Date 44 
 
 Feijoa and guava 45 
 
 Fig 47 
 
 Filbert 47 
 
 Gooseberry 48 
 
 Grape 49 
 
 Grapefruit 53 
 
 Guava 53 
 
 Huckleberry 53 
 
 Jujube 53 
 
 Lemon 53 
 
 Lime ' . 53 
 
 Loquat 54 
 
 Nectarine 54 
 
 PAGE 
 
 Olive 55 
 
 Orange 56 
 
 Passion fruit 58 
 
 Peach 60 
 
 Pear 63 
 
 Pecan 66 
 
 Persimmon 66 
 
 Pistachio 67 
 
 Plum and prune 67 
 
 Plumcot 71 
 
 Pomegranate 73 
 
 Prune 73 
 
 Quince 73 
 
 Raspberry 73 
 
 Strawberry 75 
 
 Walnut 76 
 
 Young berry 79 
 
 Condensed planting lists of fruits and 
 
 nuts 79 
 
 Varieties for a one-acre home or- 
 chard in the central and north- 
 ern coastal region and low moun- 
 tains (up to 3,000 feet) 79 
 
 Varieties for a one-acre home or- 
 chard in the Sacramento and San 
 Joaquin Valleys and adjacent 
 
 foothills 80 
 
 Varieties for a home orchard (of no 
 particular size), in the coast and 
 valley areas of California south 
 
 of the Tehachapi range 81 
 
 Dwarf fruit trees 81 
 
 Dwarf apples 82 
 
 Dwarf pears 84 
 
 Espaliered peaches 88 
 
 Dwarf cherries 89 
 
 Difficulties encountered in growing 
 
 dwarf trees 89 
 
 A few don'ts for the amateur fruit 
 
 grower 92 
 
 References for further reading 93 
 
 Bulletins and circulars 93 
 
 Books 94 
 
 Acknowledgments 95 
 
HOME FRUIT GROWING IN CALIFORNIA 
 
 W. L. HOWARD 1 
 
 INTRODUCTION 
 
 This circular is designed for those who wish to grow fruit and nuts on a 
 small scale for their own use and not for those who may grow fruit as a 
 business. Although nearly all the fruits that the amateur can hope to 
 produce are already available in our home markets, many of us desire to 
 raise something of our own. As a matter of economics, home fruit grow- 
 ing is a poor investment; but happily, no matter how much we may try to 
 convince ourselves to the contrary, we grow home fruits not for mone- 
 tary gain but as a labor of love. There is a pride of possession in produc- 
 ing some nice fruit, for it can be done; but the work is primarily a sport 
 or recreation. 
 
 It is the creative instinct that makes us want to dig in the soil and 
 plant something. The fructifying soil holds great mystery for us all. As 
 most people know, growing things out of the earth is a gamble, where 
 skill and chance combine to make a most fascinating game. If we persist 
 until we acquire skill and wisdom ; study our plants, treat them properly, 
 protect them from their enemies, we may be rewarded with all the fruit 
 we can use and (best of all) with some to present to our friends, which 
 is the sweetest of all rewards for the amateur. 
 
 As already mentioned, this publication is intended to help the begin- 
 ner. Whereas practically all of our books and experiment-station publi- 
 cations on the subject were written for commercial fruit growers, this 
 circular is frankly for the amateur, and all the discussions will be from 
 his standpoint. The professional orchardist is always cautioned, for ex- 
 ample, to select a site having the climate, soil, water, and marketing 
 facilities that will promote his financial success. The homeowner, on 
 the other hand, must use the site he has, whether all conditions are fav- 
 orable or not. His back yard may be only a second or a third-rate location 
 for fruit, but he wants to use it. Fortunately, practices unjustifiable on 
 a large scale may be followed in a small way : Poor soil can be greatly 
 modified and ameliorated if one will go to the necessary trouble and ex- 
 pense. To provide for a few trees only, a swampy spot may be reclaimed, 
 an unfavorable soil or subsoil completely made over. Individual fruits 
 or even whole clusters may be protected against diseases and insects by 
 enclosing them in bags made of paper, gauze, or cellophane. Even the 
 mean temperature for a few trees may be raised considerably in a cold, 
 
 1 Professor of Pomology and Pomologist in the Experiment Station. 
 
 [3] 
 
4 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 foggy, maritime climate by flattening them against a south wall — a com- 
 mon practice in England, where peaches otherwise would not ripen out 
 of doors. 
 
 Woody plants, including both trees and shrubs, are either deciduous 
 (shedding their leaves in the fall or early winter and remaining dormant 
 till spring), or evergreen (retaining their leaves all year). These con- 
 venient terms will be used often in the pages that follow. Although 
 most subtropical fruits are evergreens, evergreen and subtropical are 
 not necessarily synonymous. Both kinds, however, are usually tender. 
 Deciduous fruits, on the other hand, range in hardiness to cold all the 
 way from crab apples and the Sierra plum, which resist sub-zero tem- 
 peratures, to the fig, which is as tender as the evergreen olive. The great 
 range in climate and the large number of species produced in the dif- 
 ferent parts of the state make fruit growing in California especially 
 intriguing to the amateur. 
 
 LIMITATIONS OF FRUIT GROWING 
 
 Climate. — We think of cold and perhaps of extreme heat as natural and 
 positive delimiters of fruit growing. True; but fruits vary greatly in 
 their ability to withstand temperature extremes. Apples, the wild Sierra 
 plum (Primus sub cor data), gooseberries, currants, blackberries, rasp- 
 berries, strawberries, and eastern grapes may be grown at altitudes of 
 5,000 and even 6,000 feet in protected locations; but spring frosts may 
 often catch them when in bloom. Lower — up to 4,000 feet — they are 
 reasonably safe ; and at this level the eastern sour cherries and Wild 
 Goose type of plum might be added to the list. At 2,000 to 3,000 feet we 
 may include pears, the so-called "blue," or European, plums (Prunus 
 domestica) , sweet cherries, quinces, chestnuts, walnuts, and even peaches 
 in protected locations. Below 2,000 feet one may safely grow all the other 
 deciduous fruits such as peach, apricot, Japanese persimmon, pecan, 
 almond, and the more tender blackberry-raspberry-dewberry hybrids 
 like the Logan, Himalaya, Young, and Boysen berries. 
 
 Citrus and subtropical fruits can stand but little freezing weather; 
 and some, like the avocado, lemon, and lime, but very slight frost. One 
 may, however, grow tender trees such as the orange and lemon in border- 
 line locations by protecting them somewhat against freezing weather 
 with a 2- or 3-inch covering of cornstalks or tule reeds. The latter, a 
 variety of marsh bulrush, is especially good for the purpose, being 
 pliable and easily worked. They are bound to the trunk at the ground, 
 then drawn up over the tree to enclose all the branches, and finally 
 gathered together at the top and tied. Extra reeds may be needed to 
 
Home Fruit Growing 5 
 
 cover thin places. This protection is needed particularly by trees during 
 the first two or three years of their life or until they are well established. 
 Lemon trees may receive some protection if planted a few feet from the 
 south side of a residence or other building large enough to absorb suf- 
 ficient solar heat during the clay to ward off frost at night. 
 
 From Monterey Bay northward, oranges, lemons, peaches, and Japa- 
 nese plums directly exposed to the ocean will not bloom properly or ripen 
 their fruit because the mean temperature is kept too low by cold winds 
 and foggy days. The coastal influence may extend many miles inland, 
 particularly up valleys that open directly upon the ocean. 
 
 In the south, between Santa Barbara and San Diego, is a region where 
 latitude, topography, and ocean influences combine to produce a climate 
 mild enough for subtropical plants and yet invigorating enough for de- 
 ciduous fruits. This large area contains the famous citrus and walnut 
 district, together with spots of varying size where the tenderest fruits, 
 like the lemon and avocado, are at home and others where even the peach, 
 pear, and apple can be grown. Here the great danger is that the de- 
 ciduous trees will not be chilled enough in winter to break the rest 
 period, a difficulty that causes "delayed foliation" in spring. 
 
 California has almost all the climatic conditions to be found in the 
 rest of the United States, with some that do not occur in any other state. 
 We have high mountain valleys where only hardy northern fruits can 
 be grown, hot valleys and lowlands where even the date palm will thrive. 
 We do not, however, have tropical conditions : although there are frost- 
 free sites, the mean temperature is usually too low and the air too dry for 
 tropical plants to flourish. 
 
 In the Imperial and Coachella valleys of Imperial and Riverside 
 counties, in the southern part of the state, are large areas where the 
 mean temperature is too high for some deciduous fruits. Nearly all of 
 them can, however, be grown for a few years at least ; and some do fairly 
 well, although citrus would be more promising. 
 
 Finally, even where frosts and light freezes in winter occur regularly 
 or where minimum temperatures are too low for proper growth, there 
 may be warm spots or thermal zones that nullify the expected influence 
 of latitude and to some extent that of altitude. Notable examples are 
 found at Porterville and elsewhere in Tulare County, Oroville in Butte, 
 Mission San Jose in Alameda, and Esparto in Yolo County. Smaller or 
 more local warm spots are found at many other places from Red Bluff 
 to Bakersfield in the interior valley and likewise along the coast and in 
 the south. 
 
 For all practical purposes, then, deciduous trees (those that shed 
 
6 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 their leaves in autumn) can be grown in a small way in California where- 
 ever dry land occurs, except in the high mountains, where the trees or 
 fruit buds might be killed in winter or the blossoms continuously des- 
 troyed by spring frost. Nowhere in the state is the summer temperature 
 too high for growing at least some of the deciduous fruits on a small 
 scale. Winter temperatures, however, may be too mild; and two or three 
 winters in succession without frost or near frost will make the trees 
 sicken and die. 
 
 The evergreen or subtropical trees have a much more limited climatic 
 range in California than do the deciduous trees. In general they are 
 restricted to the warmer regions or to almost frost-free locations. Frost 
 is not, however, the only delimiter. A coastal region without frost may 
 still be unsuitable for subtropical fruits because of cold winds, low mean 
 temperature, and frequent summer fogs; most of these fruits demand 
 continuous warmth and long periods of sunshine. 
 
 Soil. — Wherever a home is likely to be built, the soil is probably not 
 so poor or unfavorable otherwise that it cannot be put into condition to 
 grow a few fruits. A too wet soil can often be improved by draining and 
 a too alkaline one by leaching out the salts or by draining and then leach- 
 ing. Impervious layers called hardpan, at or near the surface, may be 
 broken up and mixed with coarse sand and humus, or dug out entirely 
 and replaced with good soil. Even if the substratum consists of solid 
 rock, fruit trees can still be grown provided there is an overlying layer 
 of soil 18 inches deep. Stony soil is no deterrent if there is a free admix- 
 ture of soil. Poor soils may be manured and made fertile; harsh compact 
 soils may be made friable by the generous use of sand and composted 
 leaves or of stable manure. 
 
 Preferred Sites and Soils. — If a choice of site and soil is possible, as 
 with those who have considerable land in connection with their homes, 
 by all means seek good natural air and water drainage such as would be 
 afforded by a gentle slope. Air drainage is very important at high alti- 
 tudes or in other places where there is danger of late spring frost. 
 Cold air sinks to the ground at night, but will flow away like water and 
 settle in the low places. A difference of 2 or 3 degrees in night tempera- 
 tures may determine whether the blossoms are killed or not killed. 
 
 The best soil for fruits is one that is medium-textured, like a deep, 
 sandy loam. Such soil would not permit free water to stand on the sur- 
 face nor underground about the tree roots. Coarse soils such as sands 
 do not hold much water and ordinarily must be irrigated more often 
 than fine-textured soils. If the drainage is poor, a waterlogged condi- 
 tion may result. This would be fatal, for instance, to cherries, peaches, 
 
Home Fruit Growing 7 
 
 oranges, and avocados, which cannot stand "wet feet." Although pears, 
 plums, quinces, and apples are more tolerant, wet soils are bad for fruit 
 trees of any kind. 
 
 Most home owners have little or no choice of site or soil. Any fruit 
 trees grown must be planted in the restricted area of the yard or kitchen 
 garden. There may have been heavy grading. If there is a fresh fill, 
 it had best be allowed to settle for a year. In all cases, before planting 
 be sure that water does not stand on the surface for more than an hour 
 or two even after a hard rain. Wet soil may be underdrained by laying 
 3-inch drainage tiling at a depth of 3 or 4 feet or deeper, if an outlet can 
 be provided. Where tile drainage is not possible, dig holes even as large 
 as 6 or 8 feet in diameter and 6 feet deep; then bore still deeper holes 
 in the bottom of the pit and fill them with the coarsest sand obtainable. 
 Finally dump a wagon load of coarse gravel in the pit, and finish filling it 
 up with good top soil. Be sure that the soil is thoroughly settled before 
 planting. If underlaid with a layer of hardpan at a shallow depth, it 
 should be broken up by blasting or dug out and mixed with considerable 
 sand, gravel, and compost so that it will not become recemented. For 
 soil known to be poor the best fertilizer would be large quantities of 
 stable manure plowed or spaded under. Also, well-rotted manure should 
 be used around the newly planted trees and even in the bottom of the 
 holes at the time of planting. 
 
 Adobe soils, although usually fertile, are so crusty when dry and so 
 sticky when wet that they are difficult to handle. They may be greatly 
 improved by the addition of coarse sand and of any vegetable mold 
 such as decayed leaves or well-rotted barnyard manure. An insufficient 
 quantity of sand alone, particularly if too fine, would probably do more 
 harm than good. If alkali is the problem, the first step is to determine 
 how much of the salt is present. Pears, figs, and olives will tolerate con- 
 siderable alkali, but most fruits are definitely intolerant. If permanent 
 drainage can be provided to a depth of 6 feet or more, alkali can be 
 washed out by heavy waterings over a period of several months. For 
 black alkali a heavy application of common sulfur at the rate of 5 to 10 
 pounds per 100 square feet will be helpful. Peaches and plums may be 
 grown in a moderately alkaline soil by budding or grafting them on the 
 Chinese wild peach (Prunus Davidiana) . 
 
 A soil can be made too fertile with animal manures or with highly 
 nitrogenous mineral fertilizers like nitrate of soda or sulfate of am- 
 monia. Too much wood growth is then apt to be made at the expense of 
 fruitfulness. Trees planted on the site of an old corral or feed-lot are 
 usually undersized and look unhealthy. While no specific remedy is 
 
8 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cm. 117 
 
 known for this condition, known as "corral injury," it sometimes yields 
 
 to the treatment given for little-leaf, namely, to drive zinc glazing 
 
 tacks into the branches at the rate of two to the inch. 
 
 Although most of the soils in the northern half of the state are 
 
 naturally fertile enough for fruit trees, certain areas in the south and 
 
 elsewhere that have been clean-cultivated and intensively cropped for 
 
 years would benefit by an annual application of plant food. From % to 
 
 1 pound of ammonium sulfate per 100 square feet of land should meet 
 
 all requirements. 
 
 WHAT TO PLANT 
 
 The kind of fruits to plant depends upon the owner's taste and the 
 amount of land available. An acre would support a good all-round family 
 orchard of about seventy trees. Given sufficient irrigation water, with 
 favorable climatic conditions, one may select as many different kinds as 
 desired. Usually, however, one should limit the list to, say, apples, 
 peaches, plums, pears, cherries, walnuts, and almonds rather than try 
 to grow everything that could be grown; increasing the number of 
 species also increases the difficulties of management. 
 
 Climatic conditions permitting, one or more citrus trees should be 
 grown for ornament if for nothing else. A small space should also be 
 devoted to berry fruits and grapevines, the latter being ornamental as 
 well. If the area available is only the size of the average country garden 
 or city back yard, the selection will depend upon personal preference. 
 
 Space permitting, one should try to have a succession of fruits from 
 the earliest until the latest. Since one or two cherry trees are only tanta- 
 lizing because the birds will usually get all the fruit, cherries may be 
 omitted, and the list started with an early peach (freestone if possible) ; 
 then another peach or two ripening at later dates; then an apricot, a 
 Japanese plum, a summer apple, a European plum or prune, and one or 
 two late varieties of peaches or nectarines. In late June and July there 
 will be berries of all kinds, although strawberries will begin to ripen as 
 early as April. It is also easy to have grapes from July until frost. 
 Grapevines may be trained on a fence, against a wall, on an arbor, or on 
 a simple wire trellis. Bushberries do reasonably well in clumps stowed 
 away in a corner or trained against a fence or a two-wire trellis. Except 
 in cool locations, strawberries are rather troublesome because they need 
 frequent and regular irrigations ; but a few hills will yield a surprising 
 amount of fruit. In general, shallow-rooted small fruits of all kinds will 
 not endure so much neglect as the deep-rooted tree fruits. The wise 
 amateur, having studied his own virtues and limitations as a husband- 
 man, will choose his fruit collection accordingly. 
 
Home Fruit Growing 9 
 
 Along the coast an apple tree is always a safe choice. Pears also do well 
 there and need about the same treatment as the apple, particularly as to 
 pruning and spraying. Walnuts, apricots, European plums, and cherries 
 thrive in the coastal valleys. In the interior valleys and foothills, practi- 
 cally everything would do well except apples. Even there, early apples 
 can be grown, though late ones will not ripen properly. 
 
 Cherries, almonds, Calimyrna figs, dates, and (to some extent) plums, 
 pears, and apples have pollination difficulties. There is even one peach, 
 the J. H. Hale, that requires a pollinizer. All varieties of almonds and 
 most of the cherries will not set fruit with their own pollen, and apples 
 and pears are better for being cross-pollinated. One almond or cherry 
 tree (except sour cherry) would be useless unless the proper varieties 
 were growing in a neighboring garden so that the bees might carry 
 pollen for cross-pollination. One of the branches may be grafted to 
 another variety that will supply pollen for the rest of the tree, but this 
 work must be done by the owner after the tree is planted rather than by 
 the nurseryman before it is purchased. 
 
 CARE AND MANAGEMENT 
 
 Selection of Trees. — There are many good nurseries where deciduous 
 fruits are propagated. Some in the south specialize in propagating citrus 
 and subtropical fruits. Since nurseries in the central part of the state 
 usually handle citrus trees on consignment from southern nurseries, 
 one may generally buy whatever he wants from a single firm. Do not buy 
 from tree peddlers. Order trees as early in the autumn as possible, for 
 tree digging begins in December, and shipment usually in January. 
 Specify one-year-old trees. This means that the top consists of one 
 season's growth, although the roots (because of the necessary steps in 
 propagating) will usually be two years old. Older trees are more diffi- 
 cult to transplant and do not come into bearing any earlier than the 
 young ones. 
 
 Upon receiving the trees, unpack them at once, bury the roots in fresh 
 soil, and leave them there until ready to plant. Citrus and other ever- 
 greens are balled by the nurseryman ; that is, the trees are dug with a 
 mass of undisturbed soil about the roots, and the whole is securely 
 wrapped in burlap. These, too, should be "heeled in" until ready to plant. 
 
 Spacing Distances for Planting. — Fruit trees are spaced, in planting, 
 according to the size they will normally attain when full grown. Since 
 available moisture is an important factor in their growth, crowding will 
 tend to make them smaller. If badly crowded they will be tall and spin- 
 
10 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 dling, with the fruit confined to the extreme top. A deep, fertile soil 
 makes a larger tree of a given species than does a poor or shallow soil. 
 Species, and sometimes varieties, have their own peculiar habit of 
 growth, some being slender and upright, others low and spreading. The 
 shape may also be considerably modified by the pruning system em- 
 ployed. 
 
 Dooryard trees are usually not planted in rows ; but whether they are 
 or not, every tree should have room to develop properly. Trees in a single 
 row may be closer together than trees placed in rows both ways, provided 
 there is plenty of room on each side. 
 
 Walnuts and pecans require the most space — from 50 to 60 feet each 
 way or a corresponding area if they are not in rows. Apples and apricots 
 come next with a need of 25 to 30 feet each way. Almonds, cherries, and 
 pears will vary from 24 to 26 feet; peaches and plums from 18 to 24 
 feet, with an average for the peach of 18 to 22 feet. Prunes have ap- 
 proximately the same requirement. Since avocado varieties vary con- 
 siderably in size, the range of planting will be 25 to 40 feet. The same 
 is true of figs : the Kadota requires only 20 to 24 feet, whereas the Mis- 
 sion will need at least 40 feet between trees. Oranges, lemons, and grape- 
 fruit are usually planted 22 to 24 feet apart; and persimmons will range 
 from 15 feet each way in foothill soils to 24 feet in the valleys. 
 
 Interior Plant-Quarantine Inspection. — The State of California main- 
 tains plant-quarantine inspection at all interior points through the 
 county agricultural commissioners and their assistants, who inspect all 
 plants, nursery stock, seeds, bulbs, and other plant material, moving 
 interstate and intrastate. This service aims to exclude or check danger- 
 ous agricultural pests — that is, any insect, disease, animal, weed seed, 
 vegetable matter, or other form of life dangerous to the agricultural in- 
 dustry of the state. 
 
 Packages of plants and seeds arriving by common carrier are held by 
 the latter for inspection, normally made before delivery to the con- 
 signee. Packages so inspected bear the mark of the agricultural commis- 
 sioner or inspector of the county involved. Plant material moving within 
 the state by channels other than common carrier must carry a blue ship- 
 ping permit, obtainable from the county agricultural commissioner at 
 the point of origin, to give warning that inspection at the destination is 
 required. By state law, plants carrying the blue shipping permit but not 
 labeled, inspected, and passed, should be shown, before planting, to the 
 nearest agricultural inspector or to the agricultural commissioner of the 
 county of destination. One should not accept gifts of plants without hav- 
 ing them officially examined before they are unpacked for heeling-in or 
 
Home Fruit Growing 11 
 
 planting, since several pests, including noxious weed seed, may be ac- 
 quired in this way. 
 
 The inspection of plants and plant products by the county agricul- 
 tural commissioners and their assistants is supervised by the Bureau of 
 Plant Quarantine of the State Department of Agriculture at Sacra- 
 mento. The commissioner's office is usually located in the county court- 
 house. 
 
 Planting. — Deciduous trees should never be transplanted nor have 
 their roots disturbed while they are in leaf — that is, in a growing condi- 
 tion. Evergreen trees, on the other hand, may be planted at any time if 
 the roots are balled, although in the north it is best to wait until danger 
 of frost is past. The amateur who must transplant an evergreen should 
 first dig a trench around it (down below the side roots) , shave off as much 
 of the earth around the tree as will leave most of the root system intact, 
 enclose the ball with burlap, and wrap it securely with heavy twine. 
 Evergreen shrubs are usually grown in pots or tin cans and are success- 
 fully planted even in late spring. For best results, however, all woody 
 plants, both evergreen and deciduous, should be in the ground early 
 enough to receive at least one good soaking rain. Of course the climate is 
 a factor : where no rainfall can be expected, the garden hose or a pail of 
 water may be used to settle the soil about the roots as the hole is being 
 filled; but the job should be finished with a shovelful of unwet soil. 
 
 Deciduous trees and shrubs may be planted at any time between the 
 falling of leaves in autumn and the swelling of buds in spring. In most 
 parts of California, January is the best time because the ground will 
 then have been moistened by rains and more rain will come to settle the 
 soil about the newly planted trees. The size of hole for receiving a tree 
 will depend upon the condition of the land. If the soil has been plowed 
 or spaded deeply at some time before planting, the hole may be just 
 large enough to let the roots spread naturally without crowding, but 
 somewhat deeper than the root system in order to permit the placing 
 of a shovelful of fine soil in the bottom. If the soil is firm and unculti- 
 vated, the hole should be much wider than the root system; but other- 
 wise it should be as stated above. Try to plant the tree at the same depth 
 it stood in the nursery. Deep planting is dangerous, for if any part of 
 the trunk is buried, unless the soil is very sandy, the tree may die the 
 first season. Although a few trees survive deep planting by forming a 
 new root system above the old one, this does not happen often. Do not 
 unduly expose the roots to sun and wind while planting; keep them 
 covered with wet burlap until wanted. 
 
 Before planting a deciduous tree, give the roots some attention by 
 
12 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 cutting out the very fine ones that have become dried in handling; also 
 remove broken or badly damaged parts, and shorten those that remain 
 to a length of 6 to 10 inches. A young deciduous fruit tree and a walnut 
 tree ready for planting are shown in figure 1. The taproot, if any, will 
 have been cut off when the trees were dug in the nursery. 
 
 Do not attempt to plant a tree in soil that is too wet; it should be 
 friable and easily handled with a shovel. If uncertain, try squeezing a 
 handful to see whether it becomes doughlike, with particles of water 
 glistening on the surface. If it does, it is too wet for planting. This test 
 applies to top soil or loam, not to pure clay. 
 
 Set the tree upright, and adjust it to the proper depth. Since root 
 systems vary, it may be necessary to place more soil in the bottom of 
 the hole for the tree to rest on. One person should hold the tree, and 
 another gradually shovel in fine soil that will sift down between the 
 roots. This process should be assisted by gently agitating the tree or by 
 pressing the soil between the roots with the hands. Wherever possible, 
 firm the soil under the roots with the foot. When the first roots have been 
 covered, press the soil down firmly. After the remainder of the soil is 
 filled in, continue to firm it by trampling. When the planting is finished 
 and a final shovelful of fine soil has been spread without trampling, the 
 ground should be level. A good test to find whether the tree has been set 
 properly is to see whether it can be lifted out with one hand. If so, one 
 should plant it again, this time firming the soil better around and be- 
 tween the roots. This test does not hold good if the soil is sandy or too 
 dry for proper planting. If the soil is a little too dry, water thoroughly; 
 and then mulch it, to prevent cracking, by spreading a shovelful of 
 earth around the tree. A good rain has often corrected a bad job of plant- 
 ing. 
 
 In planting a tree, one is tempted to put fertilizer in the hole in order 
 to hasten the growth. Although this can be done, mineral fertilizers like 
 nitrate of soda and sulfate of ammonia should be avoided, as they are 
 too caustic for the roots. If the hole has been dug 5 or 6 inches deeper 
 than necessary, a shovelful of manure may be placed in the bottom and 
 then covered with 4 or 5 inches of soil. The roots might be killed by 
 direct contact with fresh manure. Likewise, the bark may be injured or 
 killed by fresh manure banked against the trunk of a newly planted 
 tree. One may safely use well-rotted manure mixed with the soil in 
 planting and also spread it around the trees. A good commercial fertili- 
 zer to use after planting would be dried blood, % pound of which may 
 be spread in a 3-foot circle about the tree and raked in. This material 
 could with safety also be used in the hole. 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 13 
 
 6rou/?d /eye/ 
 
 Fig. 1. — At the left is a young tree ready for planting, cut back 
 to a height of 24 to 30 inches. If there are side branches, they are cut 
 back to a single bud. At the right is a walnut tree ready for plant- 
 ing. The usual practice is to cut walnuts back to a height of 3 or 
 4 feet ; but in the warm valleys sunburn may kill most of the buds, 
 and it would be safer therefore for the amateur to cut back to three 
 buds (8 to 12 inches from the ground) and grow a new head from 
 the most vigorous sprout. 
 
14 California Agricultural Extension Service [ Cir - 117 
 
 Protecting against Sunburn, Rabbits, and Flat-Headed Borers. — In 
 hot locations some protection against sunburn will be needed for the 
 first two years. Do not, however, paint the tree trunk with any mixture 
 containing tar or creosote, for such an application will kill the tree. One 
 protective method is to apply a good coating of whitewash ; another is 
 to wrap the trunk lightly with burlap or, better still, with a special 
 wood-veneer wrapper made for the purpose. Four thin boards carefully 
 driven into the ground to enclose the tree will protect it from sunburn 
 and also from rabbits. If there is no sunburn, there will be no flat-headed 
 borers. Burlap wrappers, if used, should be removed as soon as cool 
 weather begins in the autumn. If whitewash is applied a new coat must 
 be given each year. In hot regions a local injury from sunburn has been 
 observed around the borders of the wound made by cutting off the seed- 
 ling after budding. The preventive measure is to plant the tree so that 
 the scar will be on the opposite side from the early afternoon sun instead 
 of facing it. 
 
 Irrigation. — Because of the variation in rainfall in California and the 
 inadequate distribution throughout the year, fruit trees must generally 
 be irrigated. 2 The precipitation varies from a few inches in the southeast 
 to 5 or 6 feet or more along the northwest coast ; but the rains are mostly 
 confined to the winter months, whereas the heavy demand for moisture 
 to support the leaves and fruit occurs in the summer. 
 
 The water requirements of fruit trees cannot be fully discussed here. 
 As a general rule, however, if the winter rains have not wet the soil to a 
 depth of approximately 6 feet, the deficiency should be made up by an 
 early-spring irrigation. The amount of regular irrigation will vary with 
 climatic conditions as well as with the kind and depth of soil. Along the 
 coast less moisture will be needed because of cooler weather and summer 
 fogs that reduce evaporation. In the interior, however, more water will 
 be demanded because of high temperatures and long periods of almost 
 unbroken sunshine, which cause a heavy transpiration of moisture from 
 the leaves, and thus create a maximum demand for water by the roots. 
 
 Under some coastal conditions fruit trees can be grown without any 
 irrigation at all; they may have to be watered a few times while young, 
 but afterward they can maintain themselves on the rainfall. Such trees 
 would, however, do much better if irrigated two or three times a season. 
 
 In the back-yard garden, fruit trees are usually irrigated from the 
 domestic water supply; the expense is usually not prohibitive. In the 
 interior valleys trees should not be planted unless they can be watered 
 
 2 Veihmeyer, F. J., and A. H. Hendrickson. Essentials of irrigation and cultivation 
 of orchards. California Agr. Ext. Cir. 50: 1-24. 1936. 
 
Home Fruit Growing 15 
 
 at least three times a year : first in March or April, if there has been de- 
 ficient rainfall, or in June, if the rainfall has been normal ; and then at 
 monthly intervals, preferably until September. Even in the interior 
 some trees may root so deeply as to live for several years without irriga- 
 tion; but they will produce little or no fruit. 
 
 As a rule trees on sandy soils are irrigated frequently, with relatively 
 small amounts of water, because of the limited moisture-holding proper- 
 ties of this type of soil. On heavy soils, on the other hand, irrigations are 
 given at longer intervals, but more water is used each time. Of course 
 the total amount required during the season will vary with the size of 
 the tree, large trees requiring more water than small ones. 
 
 Sometimes the amateur may think he has wet the soil thoroughly when 
 he has not. A sprinkler, if used, may well be left running all night. With 
 the soil wet to the proper depth all summer, it is not necessary or desir- 
 able to irrigate late in the fall; and watering after the leaves are off 
 would be useless. 
 
 Cultivation. — In the home garden, fruit trees will need no cultivation 
 except light hoeing to keep down the weeds in the area likely to be 
 occupied by the root system. Weeds must be kept down, for they use 
 more of the precious soil moisture than the young trees do. Trees planted 
 in a fertile, well-watered lawn usually thrive without any cultivation. 
 
 Pruning. — Before deciduous trees are planted, or immediately after- 
 wards, the tops should be shaped so that growth will be directed prop- 
 erly. The ideal tree will be vase or goblet-shaped, starting with three 
 primary branches. These, theoretically, will divide into five or six 
 branches at the end of the second season's growth. The next year some 
 of these will subdivide again. If all grew there would not be room for 
 them without undue crowding. 
 
 A wide-spreading tree like the apricot should have five or six scaffold 
 branches at 5 feet from the ground. Above this height there may be 
 further branching, so that the number in the end will depend upon the 
 height of the tree. In any case, the fruiting parts should have ample 
 room. Too many fruiting branches or fruit-bearing twigs may make the 
 fruit so small as to be almost worthless and may cause the spurs to die 
 out. Crowding also makes it harder to protect the fruit from diseases 
 and insects. 
 
 Practically all pruning should come while the trees are dormant; sum- 
 mer pruning, though helpful in maintaining a proper shape, is a weak- 
 ening process. Recommendations for pruning young deciduous fruit 
 trees may be summarized as follows : 
 
 Young trees must be cut back at planting in order to balance the loss 
 
16 
 
 California Agricultural Extension Service L Cir - 117 
 
 of the roots removed in digging from the nursery. Only three main or 
 "scaffold" limbs are ordinarily desirable. Wherever possible, 6 to 8 
 inches of trunk space should intervene between adjacent scaffolds. De- 
 ciduous trees when purchased may or may not have side branches. If not, 
 merely cut the whip back to a height of 24 to 30 inches. If there are 
 branches, stub them all back to a single bud (fig. 1) . For the later train- 
 
 Fig. 2. — Peach tree after one season's growth; before and after pruning. (From 
 California Agr. Ext. Cir. 98.) 
 
 ing of young fruit trees, see figures 3, 6, 10, 26, 27, 30, 31, and 32. The 
 general principles of training are approximately the same for all de- 
 ciduous fruits. The aim is to have three so-called "scaffold branches" 
 spaced from 6 to 9 inches apart and arranged spirally around the trunk. 
 Perhaps all the buds on the whip will begin to grow shortly after plant- 
 ing, and half or more will make branches. Out of the number select the 
 three that are best placed, and pinch back the others. This is done in 
 May or early June of the first season. At the close of the season, pref- 
 erably in January, the first pruning may be given. Despite the summer 
 pinching, if growing conditions have been favorable, there will be a mass 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 17 
 
 of branches to contend with. Usually, however, the three that were 
 favored will have dominated all the rest, and the original plan can be 
 carried out by cutting away those that are not wanted (fig. 2). A year 
 later, trim out the superfluous parts and select the secondary branches 
 (a total of five to seven) that are to complete the permanent framework 
 of the head (fig. 3) . Stone fruits like the peach and apricot are generally 
 
 Fig. 3. — Two-year-old peach tree before and after pruning. (From California 
 
 Agr. Ext. Cir. 98.) 
 
 headed lower than pome fruits like the apple and pear; and the walnut 
 will be higher still. This practice is dictated by the habit of growth that 
 the trees will assume later on. If the bottom branch is started 18 inches 
 from the ground, it will always remain at that height; and there will be 
 no changes in the distances between the branches. This statement refers 
 to the center of each branch, for all will increase in diameter, and their 
 enlargement will decrease the actual space between them as well as the 
 actual distance from the ground. The trunk of the tree does not, as in 
 the popular belief, undergo a process of stretching that will eventually 
 raise all the branches higher and higher. For further information about 
 pruning consult the discussions under the different fruits. 
 
 After securing the desired number of main branches with proper 
 spread, one gains nothing by a further heading back. Lightly pruned 
 nonbearing trees have stockier and stronger trunks and branches than 
 
18 California Agricultural Extension Service [ Cib - H7 
 
 trees heavily pruned. The lighter the pruning, the greater the develop- 
 ment. To check the development of any branch or part, cut it heavily. 
 To encourage it, prune it lightly or not at all. Lightly pruned trees 
 come into bearing from one to three years earlier than those heavily 
 pruned, and this early bearing is not incompatible with future produc- 
 tivity. 
 
 Summer pruning is weakening and results in somewhat smaller trees. 
 Early summer pinching back of surplus shoots the first and second 
 summer is, however, usually beneficial; it strengthens the shoots left 
 untouched and reduces the pruning necessary the following winter. 
 Summer pruning in later years may sometimes be desirable, especially 
 where there is a tendency to shade out the interior of the tree. Much of 
 it can be done at fruit-thinning time by plucking out the excess sprouts 
 that have arisen in the center and in other parts of the head. 
 
 In pruning a bearing tree the principal aim is to maintain the proper 
 balance between vegetative or wood growth and fruit production. Ex- 
 cessive growth is made at the expense of fruit production, while over- 
 bearing is generally accompanied by shorter growth and if continued 
 for several years will probably diminish the vigor. The ideal condition 
 is to have the trees making moderate growth each year, thus increasing 
 and maintaining the fruiting area while bearing a large but not an 
 excessive crop. Heavy pruning, especially a heavy cutting back of the 
 young growth to stubs, tends to increase vegetative growth, whereas light 
 pruning (the thinning out of undesirable branches and perhaps of some 
 twigs on the remainder, but without cutting them back) favors fruit- 
 spur formation and fruit production, along with shorter vegetative 
 growth. 
 
 If bearing trees are pruned by severely cutting back the new growth 
 each year, they often devote too much energy to the growth of long 
 shoots and not enough to fruit production. The fruiting wood of the 
 interior and lower portions is often shaded out by the dense top growth. 
 Peaches and, to some extent, apricots and Japanese plums are con- 
 spicuous examples of trees that bear their fruit buds on twigs produced 
 the last growing season. These buds occur in clusters of three each, the 
 small center one being usually a wood bud. Apples and pears, on the 
 other hand, produce most of their fruit on short spurs where nearly 
 every growing tip is terminated by a fruit bud. Cherries and plums bear 
 some of their fruit on the sides of twigs, but most of it on spurs. On the 
 Japanese plum these spurs are very numerous and very short. 
 
 Since the main limbs should be clothed with fruiting wood, the tops 
 of the trees should not be so dense as to shade out fruiting parts below. 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 19 
 
 Trees tend to form their fruit buds where they receive the most sunlight. 
 While the center of the tree should be moderately open to favor the for- 
 mation of buds and the proper ripening and coloring of the fruit, it 
 should not be too open, because of the danger of sunburning the wood. 
 
 1 v\ f, : 
 
 
 
 -v v |; , V&J \i 
 
 i : 
 
 
 MiM% 
 
 ^^mmr- 
 
 kSr%%iM 
 
 
 «HJK*^Lr- *S^II^ 
 
 ||&ff 
 
 ..,'■*.:; J '^kMI^ 
 
 %iP 
 
 ■-■;:,-!.:; ' - — 
 
 
 »^fe'€|ii 
 
 »lrv**'* 
 
 -■ 'i %^'Z. :■ ' ' : 
 
 .''•-'J' 
 
 .:?> : '"•'.. .--..j' . **■ 
 
 ^^p 
 
 -..,.;.;.. \--, ■..' "'■:■ :; : . " ■ "- 
 
 ' * ... J, ,- * , 
 
 '■'.•..-.../.••.'... , . ," t ;.v 
 
 ,:,,.,,,, .. 
 
 Fig. 4. — Dooryard Japanese plum trees. 
 
 Many species of fruits, but particularly apricots, peaches, and Japa- 
 nese plums, set such heavy crops in most parts of California that the 
 fruit must be hand-thinned if desirable size and quality are to be secured. 
 Since thinning is tedious and costly, the distribution of the fruits should 
 be regulated, as far as possible, by pruning. But even then some thinning 
 will be necessary, especially with apricots, peaches, and Japanese plums 
 (figs. 4 and 32). 
 
20 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 The exact pruning treatment selected will depend first upon the fruit- 
 ing habit of the tree and second upon the amount of new growth it is 
 making." 
 
 Top-Grafting. — Sometimes it is desirable or necessary to alter the 
 variety of a tree that has already been planted. This change can be 
 safely made, even after many years, by grafting. If the tree is no larger 
 than 3 inches in diameter, the trunk can be sawed off below the bottom 
 branch, the stump split open with a hatchet or long-bladed knife, one 
 or two scions of the desired variety inserted, and the wound sealed up 
 with grafting wax or with some other material obtainable from nursery- 
 men or dealers in orchard supplies. Old trees should be top-worked by 
 grafting the main branches. If a graft fails to grow, the sprouts arising 
 from the stump may be budded. Although grafting is done in spring 
 when the buds are swelling, the scion must be perfectly dormant — that 
 is, the scion wood must have been collected earlier and kept in a cool 
 place until needed. Budding is done in July or August or at any time 
 when the bark will lift and when dormant buds can be secured. 
 
 Though all fruits can be grafted or budded, some are more difficult 
 than others. Apple and pear grafts grow easily; plums, prunes, cherries, 
 apricots, and almonds are rather more difficult ; and peaches and walnuts 
 are difficult indeed for the amateur. On the other hand, the peach is 
 about the easiest of all to bud, and the walnut is the most difficult for 
 the beginner. 
 
 If desired, each branch of a tree may be grafted to a different variety. 
 For example, one peach tree may be caused to produce several different 
 varieties of peaches that ripen at different dates, say from June to 
 August. Or this same peach may be made to bear peaches, almonds, 
 nectarines, apricots, Japanese and European plums, any of which can 
 be grafted or budded upon the peach, although cherries, apples, and 
 pears will not grow upon it at all. 4 
 
 Growing several different species or varieties of fruit on the same tree 
 in this manner is a spectacular feat and a great curiosity. Commer- 
 cially, of course, it is impractical because there is then not enough fruit 
 at any one time to be of much use. For the amateur, nevertheless, it may 
 offer a way of deriving enjoyment from home fruit-growing. 
 
 Spraying. — The home owner is at a great disadvantage in fighting in- 
 sects and diseases that attack his trees or his fruit because he may not 
 consider it worth while to provide the necessary equipment and mate- 
 
 3 Tufts, Warren P. Pruning deciduous fruit trees. California Agr. Ext. Cir. 112 : 
 1-67. 1939. 
 
 4 Hansen, C. J., and E. R. Eggers. Propagation of fruit plants. California Agr. Ext. 
 Cir. 96:1-52. 1936. (Revision in press.) 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 21 
 
 rials for spraying. Unfortunately it is necessary to spray such fruits as 
 the pear and peach and sometimes others if satisfactory fruit is to be 
 produced; all fruits and nuts require some spraying, dusting, or fumi- 
 gating. On the market there are many types of small sprayers suitable 
 
 Fig. 5. — Types of low-cost spraying equipment. Prices will range from $3 to 
 $30. Type A is operated by compressed air, by hand. For low-growing things, 
 a device as shown in B is attached to a garden hose ; the power comes from the 
 water system. The concentrated spray solution is contained in the jar, and its 
 flow is released by pressure of the ringer on the trigger. At C is shown a rather 
 large outfit powered by a hand-operated pump and capable of handling an 
 acre of mixed species that need not all be sprayed at the same time. D, An old- 
 fashioned bucket sprayer, very powerful, capable of spraying the tallest tree, 
 and excellent for half-a-dozen trees or even more. E, A small example of type 
 C. A knapsack outfit is shown at F that the operator carries on his back and 
 pumps as he goes ; this is best adapted for use on low trees and shrubs. 
 
 for the owner of only a few trees. These range from a small device that is 
 attached to a garden hose to a barrel pump mounted on wheels; and 
 prices vary from $3 to $30. For $15 or $20 one may buy a spray pump 
 with a 10-gallon tank that is pushed like a wheelbarrow (fig. 5). This 
 would be large enough to take care of twenty to thirty trees. Although 
 
22 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 one man can operate the pump and direct the spray, a helper is almost 
 indispensable, particularly if it is necessary to climb a ladder to reach 
 the upper branches. By attaching the nozzle to a 10-foot spray rod, how- 
 ever, one can stand on the ground and reach the tops of most ordinary 
 garden trees. 
 
 DESIRABLE FRUITS AND NUTS OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 The discussions that follow include most — but not all — of the fruits and 
 nuts that can be successfully grown in California. Several that are ob- 
 scure or extra tender are intentionally omitted because they would prob- 
 ably be unsatisfactory for the amateur. Only a limited number of the 
 most reliable varieties of the different fruits and nuts are discussed. Lists 
 of varieties adapted to various districts are given on pages 79-81. 
 
 Users of spray materials should bear in mind that many of them are 
 highly poisonous and should be handled ivith proper caution. In all cases 
 they should be stored where inaccessible to children or livestock. 
 
 Almond. — In sections where the red spider 5 is not naturally bad or 
 can be controlled, the almond is a satisfactory tree for the home garden 
 because it usually requires little attention aside from a thorough irri- 
 gation about the middle of July. Two additional irrigations, one in June 
 and another after the nuts are harvested are advisable. As the almond 
 likes a warm dry climate, it is well adapted to the hot interior valleys. 
 Although it will grow along the coast, other things would be more satis- 
 factory there. The trees have much the same hardiness against cold as 
 the peach and so have about the same distribution. In planting, areas of 
 late spring frosts are to be avoided because the almond blooms very 
 early. In Los Angeles County and southward the warm winter tempera- 
 tures are apt to bring it into bloom even while there is still danger 
 from the normal winter frosts. 
 
 After reaching bearing age the almond requires little pruning. Merely 
 remove interfering branches, and do not let the head become too dense. 
 It is well to harvest the almonds when the hulls begin to crack open and 
 the nuts start to drop. If they are left on, they will be injured by the 
 birds; and those that fall will be quickly attacked by ants. After being 
 hulled, the nuts should be dried several days in the sun before storing. 
 
 As almonds do not set fruit from their own pollen, two varieties are 
 necessary to secure pollination. For this purpose the best two are the 
 Nonpareil and the Ne Plus Ultra, leading varieties that successfully 
 pollinate each other. If a third variety is desired, include the Peerless. 
 
 5 For the scientific names of the insect pests and further discussion see : Essig, E. 0., 
 and W. M. Hoskins. Insects and other pests attacking agricultural crops. California 
 Agr. Ext. Cir. 87:1-155. Reprinted 1939. 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 23 
 
 Almonds are borne largely on short spurs, although some are found 
 on one-year wood, especially in certain varieties. For economy's sake the 
 pruning of bearing trees is usually largely restricted to the removal of 
 limbs % to 1% inches in diameter wherever they are too thick; little 
 
 "\ 
 
 .£•*-; 
 
 6. — A well-groAvn six-year-old Nonpareil almond tree. 
 (From California Agr. Ext. Cir. 103.) 
 
 or no time is spent in thinning out the one-year shoots. This practice 
 seems to have given good results. Bearing almond trees are usually not 
 expected to make more than 8 to 15 inches of new growth annually. The 
 fruiting branch remains economically productive for about five years 
 (fig. 6). 
 
 Armillaria, or oak-root fungus, is a disease that attacks the roots and 
 crown of nearly all fruit trees. Its presence is indicated by declining 
 vitality of the tree and by the appearance of mushrooms around the 
 base of the trunk following warm rains in winter after the tree is dead. 
 Trees may live three or four years after being attacked but often die in 
 a year or two. The disease spreads from tree to tree as the healthy roots 
 come into contact with diseased ones. It is easily identified by the gray- 
 ish, fan-shaped mycelial growth on the underside of the bark at or near 
 the surface of the ground (fig. 7) . If a tree dies of the disease, it is useless 
 
24 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 to plant another one of the same kind in the same place. Only walnut 
 on black walnut root, pears on French root, and figs are resistant; and 
 even two of these, the walnut and pear, are occasionally attacked. 
 
 Fig. 7. — White, leathery, fan-shaped growth of oak-root fungus beneath 
 the bark of an almond tree. (From California Agr. Ext. Cir. 98.) 
 
 Crown gall, a bacterial disease, attacks nearly all tree and bush fruits 
 (fig. 8) ; the almond is very susceptible. Galls or large warty knots form 
 on any part of the roots, but particularly just below the surface of the 
 ground on the main roots and about the crown of the tree. Under good 
 growing conditions the trees may be affected throughout their lifetime 
 and still bear satisfactory crops. The greatest danger is that the crown 
 infection may girdle the trees. Galls at this point should be chiseled 
 off every year or two, and the wounds treated with a bordeaux paste 6 
 
 6 Formula for making bordeaux paste : 
 
 . j Bluestone 12 pounds -^ \ Quicklime 24 pounds 
 
 A I Water 8 gallons ** \ Water 8 gallons 
 
 Dissolve the bluestone and slake the lime separately in the amounts of water specified. 
 Then mix together equal quantities of A and B, making up only enough for each 
 day's use and diluting to the strength desired. The excess lime makes the material 
 sufficiently thick to apply as a paint. It is useful as a repellent for tree-boring insects. 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 25 
 
 or some other disinfectant and then covered with grafting wax or even 
 with a lead-and-oil paint, to prevent reinfection. 
 
 The shot-hole disease of almonds is caused by the same fungus as peach 
 blight and the same treatment may be used (page 62) . 
 
 The common red spider, or two-spotted mite, is the worst of the four 
 different mites that may attack almonds. It appears usually in June, 
 often in the tops of the trees or at the tips of branches, where it spins a 
 
 Fig. 8. — From left to right, crown gall on almond, apricot, plum, and peach. 
 Galls at the crown or above the root system are more dangerous than those lower 
 down or on the laterals, as they may girdle the trees. Only the galls near the 
 surface of the ground can be reached for treatment. They are chiseled off, and 
 the wounds covered with bordeaux paste. 
 
 fine web on the leaves, generally on the upper surface. It sucks the plant 
 juices from the leaves, which soon assume a yellow, mottled appearance, 
 die, and drop off. The trees may be completely defoliated by the end of 
 August; affected trees are very unsightly. The almond mite does not 
 spin a web. It works on the small twigs as well as on the leaves; and 
 though it may cause serious injury, it rarely defoliates the tree. Most 
 of the damage by these mites is done in spring and early summer. 
 
 Thorough watering of the trees will discourage the appearance of red 
 spider, as will also the killing of adjacent host plants, such as malva and 
 wild morning-glory. Spraying in late winter, just before the buds open, 
 
26 
 
 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 with 4 per cent commercial dormant oil emulsion 7 (4 gallons of the solu- 
 tion to 100 gallons of water), will destroy the eggs of the almond mite; 
 and during the growing season a summer oil solution, 1 to 100, will kill 
 the mites themselves. 
 
 The Pacific peach tree borer and the peach twig borer are discussed in 
 the section on the peach. 
 
 Apple. — The apple has such a wide adaptation to climatic conditions 
 that trees can be grown in every county in the state. The late varieties 
 
 Fig. 9. — White Astrachan apple tree thirty years old, 
 University Farm, Davis, California. 
 
 are unable, however, to ripen their fruit in the hot interior valleys; the 
 
 apple is best adapted to the cool coastal region and to low mountains. 
 
 Although the trees are not injured by a winter temperature of 20 degrees 
 
 below zero or even lower, the higher the altitude the greater the danger 
 
 from late spring frosts that might kill the blossoms. Valuable though 
 
 the apple may be as a fruit, it is often a disappointment as a dooryard 
 
 tree because of the difficulty in controlling codling moth; few home 
 
 owners have the proper spraying equipment. 
 
 The soil should be well drained, but the apple tolerates a wetter soil 
 
 than any other fruits except the quince, the plum on Myrobalan root, or 
 
 7 The owner of a few trees cannot well make a home mix of several of the sprays 
 and dusts. He had better purchase them in small quantities, as needed, from seed 
 dealers or dealers in orchard and garden supplies, and follow the manufacturer's 
 directions for using. 
 
Home Fruit Growing 27 
 
 the pear on French root. For the first ten years particularly, the tree 
 will require considerable pruning to keep the head open and to pre- 
 vent the crowding of fruiting parts. Figure 9 shows a well-shaped White 
 Astrachan apple tree. 
 
 Apples yield most of their crop on long-lived spurs, the economic pro- 
 ductive life of which is seven to eight years. The fruit is produced from 
 a terminal bud one season ; the next season the spur elongates a little and 
 sets another terminal fruit bud; and the following season fruit is pro- 
 duced again. Apples tend to be alternate bearers, although this tendency 
 is less marked in California than in the East. Pruning should consist 
 mainly in a judicious thinning-out of the new shoots, with the occasional 
 removal of a larger limb. 
 
 Varieties suitable for the apple-growing regions of California are as 
 follows : 
 
 Mountains : Benoni — red, early, blooms late and therefore escapes 
 frosts when others are killed. Red June — red, sprightly, good quality, 
 early. Grimes Golden — yellow, juicy, aromatic, of high quality; ripens in 
 late summer. Jonathan — red, juicy, acid, of high quality. Spitzenburg — 
 red, juicy, very acid, of highest quality; ripens late and is a good keeper. 
 Delicious — large, long and tapering, with five prominent knobs at the 
 blossom end; light red, very juicy, aromatic, mildly acid but of very high 
 quality; late fall or early winter. Winesap — red, juicy, acid; ripens in 
 late fall and is an excellent keeper. Arkansas Black — red, rich, juicy, less 
 acid than Winesap; ripens in late fall and is a good keeper. 
 
 Coast and coastal valleys : Alexander — an early apple, red or striped, 
 rather coarse, good for cooking. Gravenstein — red-striped, tender, crisp, 
 acid, aromatic, ripens in late summer and is of good quality but is not 
 a late keeper. Mcintosh — crisp, tender, very aromatic, subacid, of high 
 quality, ripening in the fall. Yellow Bellflower — yellow with prominent 
 dots and pink blush, large, long tapering, ribbed, tender, juicy, subacid, 
 not of high quality; ripens in September. Golden Delicious — medium to 
 large, oblong conic, clear yellow, smooth to somewhat ribbed; flesh firm, 
 crisp, tender, juicy, aromatic, mildly subacid; of very good quality; 
 ripens in the fall. Yellow Newtown — large, roundish, green to yellow, 
 often with greenish-red cheek; firm, crisp, juicy, of very good quality; 
 harvested in October and is an excellent keeper. 
 
 Interior valleys (summer varieties only) : Red Astrachan — red, me- 
 dium-sized, juicy, crisp, sprightly subacid, of medium quality. Yellow 
 Transparent — greenish to whitish yellow, tender, sprightly subacid, in- 
 clined to be mealy when overripe, of medium quality. Gravenstein — an 
 important coastal apple (see above) that is proving to be the best all- 
 
28 California Agricultural Extension Service t ClR - 117 
 
 round summer variety for the warm Sacramento and San Joaquin Val- 
 ley climate, where the fruit of winter varieties sunburns before ripening. 
 
 Southern California : At elevations of around 2,500 feet or higher, 
 varieties as listed for either mountain or coastal valley conditions will 
 be found satisfactory with the limiting factor of spring frost. On the 
 warm valley floors, if an apple tree is desired, though not advised, the 
 Winter Pearmain, Delicious, and Winter Banana will perform better 
 than other varieties. Crab apples would do well. 
 
 Where cold-storage facilities are not available, late-ripening apples 
 may be held for several weeks or months if kept in a cool place like a 
 cellar, where they do not warm up during the day. Winter varieties such 
 as Newtown and Winesap may be kept until April or May by burying 
 them in the ground. In a well-drained place, dig a shallow pit (12 inches 
 deep), line it with straw, pour in the apples (a cone-shaped pile), spread 
 a 4- or 5-inch layer of straw over the fruit, and then cover the mound 
 with soil to a depth of 4 to 6 inches. A hole may be made in the side, and 
 fruit taken out as needed, the opening being stuffed each time with straw. 
 
 The worst diseases of the apple are fire blight, the same bacterial dis- 
 ease that attacks the pear tree; mildew, which affects leaves and young 
 fruit; and scab, which disfigures the fruit. Cut out the blighted twigs 
 well below the point where diseased areas show; spraying does no good. 
 Mildew is a white powdery growth that covers leaves and shoots, and 
 thus checks the growth and distorts the parts. It is especially serious in 
 foggy sections. Cut out mildewed twigs as thoroughly as possible in 
 winter. Scab may be bad along the coast. It causes velvety dark moldy 
 patches on young fruit and sometimes on the leaves and twigs, and rough 
 corky spots on mature fruit, which is badly distorted. Spray with 2-2-50 
 (see footnote 7, page 26) bordeaux mixture or with 1-20 lime-sulfur 
 as the buds open in the spring, and again when the petals are falling. 
 
 Codling moth, the worst insect of the apple, so thrives in the California 
 climate that one can seldom grow apples without spraying the trees. Two 
 or three applications of standard lead arsenate (see footnote 9, page 30) , 
 3 pounds to 100 gallons of water, are necessary, first when the petals 
 begin to fall and once or twice more at intervals of a week or 10 days. 
 The first, or calyx, spray is the most important and can be applied prop- 
 erly only when the pump can deliver a high pressure — up to 300 pounds. 
 If aphids are present on the young leaves, add % pint of nicotine sulfate. 
 Do not let the drip deposit on vegetables or berries near the sprayed 
 trees; cover such plants with burlap or canvas before spraying. Burying 
 or burning the wormy windfall fruit and banding the tree trunk in late 
 summer are good supplementary control methods. A band placed around 
 
Home Fruit Growing 29 
 
 the trunk below the branch system will halt many "worms" 8 that have 
 emerged from fallen fruit and are climbing up the trunk to seek a place 
 in which to hibernate until they change into the moth stage. For this 
 purpose there are two kinds of bands — one made of burlap, and the other 
 made of a chemically treated corrugated paper. The burlap is effective 
 only if it is removed every ten days and the hibernating worms de- 
 stroyed, whereas the chemical paper kills the insects and therefore need 
 not be taken off until winter. A new paper band must be put on each 
 summer or when the first worms begin to leave the fruits. 
 
 The usual practice is to apply these bands early in June and leave 
 them on until February. If not applied in June, they may be fairly 
 beneficial if applied in September and October, before the rains, for there 
 is often a migration to the tree trunks when the top soil becomes wet and 
 cold. On both apples and pears the rough bark should be scraped from 
 the trunk during the winter in a ring 4 or 5 inches wide and approxi- 
 mately 18 inches from the ground. Late in May or early in June the band 
 should be applied single thickness to this cleaned area. The ends, which 
 should overlap about an inch, should be held tightly to the tree by a small 
 staple or a tack. 
 
 San Jose scale is found on the bark of the trunk and branches and 
 also on the fruit, causing conspicuous red spots with a white center 
 on the mature apples. Spray with lime-sulfur 1-10 or, better still, with 
 commercial dormant oil emulsion 5-100 (see footnote 7, page 26) in 
 mid- or late winter. 
 
 The woolly aphid, which attacks the tree both above and below ground, 
 may be troublesome in coastal areas, though inland it is of but minor 
 importance. It is easily distinguished by the reddish bodies completely 
 covered with white woolly wax. Spray the parts aboveground in winter 
 with 5 per cent commercial oil emulsion (see footnote 7, page 26) to 
 each 100 gallons of which has been added 3 pounds of caustic soda or 2% 
 gallons of lime-sulfur. For treating parts below ground, use 2 to 4 ounces 
 of paradichlorobenzene — PDB for short — spread in a ring around the 
 tree and covered with 3 or 4 inches of soil. The soil must be dry, and the 
 temperature above 75 degrees Fahrenheit. Refuse tobacco stems and 
 leaves buried around the base of the tree in contact with the main roots 
 during the rainy season may help materially. 
 
 Cankerworm, a light-green larva, popularly known as the measuring 
 worm, may attack the leaves in early spring. It is a greedy feeder and if 
 numerous may defoliate the trees. Placing bands of tanglefoot around 
 
 8 The common name "worm" is used in places in this circular, instead of the more 
 accurate term "caterpillar." 
 
30 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. H7 
 
 the trunks will help somewhat, but it would be better to spray with py- 
 rethrum in oil (see footnote 7, page 26) when the worms appear. 
 
 The red-humped caterpillar, red and yellow in color and 1 to 2 inches 
 long with conspicuous red spots on the back, feeds in large colonies. A 
 voracious feeder, it may in time defoliate limbs or entire trees during 
 the spring and again in the fall. It spins no web. Cut out and burn twigs 
 or branches on which it is still working; or spray with arsenate of lead. 9 
 
 The western flat-headed borer attacks trees only when they are weak- 
 ened or sunburned. It never attacks healthy trees. It forms a burrow in 
 the wood just beneath the bark and may easily girdle a branch or even a 
 large part of the tree. Dig it out with a knife, and cover the wound with 
 a tree wax or with lead-and-oil paint. 
 
 The green and rosy apple aphids may attack the tips of the young 
 growing twigs. They swarm along the veins and midrib of the young 
 leaves, causing them to fold up. Kill the eggs by spraying with 2 per 
 cent tar-oil emulsion (see footnote 7, page 26) before the buds open; 
 after the insects appear, spray with nicotine 1-800, adding soap as a 
 spreader. 
 
 Apricot. — Though the apricot can be grown in all parts of the state, it 
 is not adapted to the northern and eastern mountains because of frost 
 injury in spring. Although less severely affected by high winter tem- 
 peratures than many other fruits, it does shed its fruit buds as a result 
 of warm winters. It does not thrive under conditions of late spring fog 
 such as those common along the coast and in the San Gabriel Valley; 
 the skin cracks, and the fruit is wholly unsatisfactory. The trees, though 
 hardy, bloom early. The apricot can be grown in the Imperial Valley, 
 where the fruit ripens very early but the trees are short-lived. It should 
 be irrigated often enough to keep the trees thrifty. Ordinarily three to 
 five irrigations, the number depending on the soil and climatic condi- 
 tions, should suffice. Shot hole and brown rot are the worst diseases in 
 the interior, and brown rot in the coastal valleys. 
 
 The Royal is the most common variety. The Blenheim and Royal are 
 so nearly alike that one is as acceptable as the other. The Tilton is less 
 susceptible to brown rot, but it tends to bear every other year. The 
 Moorpark, of highest quality, is a light bearer but matures after Royal 
 and Tilton. 
 
 As the apricot usually sets too much fruit, it should be thinned se- 
 
 9 Formula for making standard lead arsenate spray (for biting insects) : 
 
 Standard lead arsenate (powder) 3 pounds 
 
 Water 100 gallons 
 
 To secure effective wetting of the foliage a spreader — for example, casein or blood 
 albumin — should be used as recommended by the manufacturer. 
 
Home Fruit Growing 31 
 
 verely when the fruits are % to 1 inch in diameter. On the long fruiting 
 twigs there should be about 3 inches between fruits. Where brown rot 
 is prevalent, fruits should never touch each other. Remove double speci- 
 mens, or break up the pairs. Trees that overbear may set little or no fruit 
 the following year. Also, unless they are vigorous and have been kept 
 well watered, the fruits will be very small. Often, therefore, more than 
 half of the fruits are removed. Thinning should be done while the wife 
 is not looking ! 
 
 Apricots bear most of their fruit on spurs, but some of it on one-year 
 wood as with the peach. Since the spurs are rarely profitable for longer 
 than three years, regular pruning is essential in order to renew them 
 continually. For apricots, however, it should be mostly a "thinning-out" 
 unless the trees are lacking in vigor. From 12 to 24 inches of new growth 
 each year is a desirable amount for this fruit under most conditions 
 (ng. 10). 
 
 For a discussion of armillaria, or oak-root fungus, see the section on 
 the almond. 
 
 Bacterial gummosis causes cankers on the trunks and large branches 
 and may also attack the blossoms, fruit, leaves, twigs, and dormant buds. 
 The cankers are elongated dead areas on the bark, characterized by 
 copious exudations of amber-colored gum. Where there is no gum, the 
 bark becomes brown, moist, and sour. This condition, though sometimes 
 called sour sap, should not be confused with the sour sap that develops 
 in the roots of trees in very wet soil. In its early stages the disease may 
 be cut out and the wounds sealed with a bordeaux paste (see crown 
 gall, in the section on the almond) or with some other good protective 
 covering. 
 
 Brown rot, the worst disease of the apricot, is especially bad in some 
 coastal areas and latterly is becoming known in the interior valleys. The 
 blossoms wither and die, and the affected twigs gradually perish as the 
 fungus spreads. Passing down the twigs into the branches, it usually 
 stops upon reaching old wood. It may affect most of the fruit-bearing 
 twigs, and thus wipe out a crop. The best preventive is a bordeaux spray 
 8-8-50, applied when the blossoms are opening. In rainy weather, addi- 
 tional sprays will be needed. In moist locations the disease attacks the 
 fruit particularly where it is growing in clusters. The decayed fruits, 
 often glued together, remain on the tree after the leaves fall. These 
 mummified fruits should be gathered and destroyed, as they spread 
 the disease. 
 
 Crown gall is discussed in the section on the almond. 
 
32 
 
 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 Fig. 10. — Five-year-old Royal apricot tree before and after pruning. 
 
Home Fruit Growing 33 
 
 Green rot attacks and rots the young fruits before the calyx husks 
 have been shed. No sure cure is known. 
 
 Shot-hole fungus kills the buds in winter ; in early summer the fruits 
 are bespeckled with small reddish spots, the leaves perforated with small 
 holes. The trees may be entirely defoliated, and the fruit much dis- 
 figured. Bordeaux mixture 5-5-50 10 in the early fall, applied before the 
 rain begins and followed up year by year, is a reliable preventive. 
 
 Brown apricot scale, the most important insect of the apricot, occurs 
 singly and in clusters on the twigs and small branches. The insects exude 
 a honeydew on which grows the black smut fungus that discolors the 
 fruit. Spray the trees thoroughly when dormant, from December to Feb- 
 ruary, with 4 per cent commercial oil emulsion (see footnote 7, page 26) . 
 
 For the Pacific peach borer and the peach-twig borer, see the section 
 on the peach. 
 
 Avocado. — The avocado, a very tender subtropical fruit, should be 
 planted only in regions of little frost.. Outside the southern citrus and 
 subtropical belt it can grow only in those favored spots where lemons 
 are known to thrive. For hot interior valleys or for colder locations the 
 Mexicola, Duke, Benedict, or Ganter varieties are recommended. For 
 cool coastal areas where the ocean breeze is regularly felt, the Anaheim 
 or the Dickinson is suggested. Under favorable climatic conditions the 
 Fuerte is the most popular; but any of the other varieties will also be 
 satisfactory and will provide fruit over a long season. 
 
 The avocado thrives on a wide range of soils — that is, from light sandy 
 to heavy adobe. It does best, however, on a medium-textured soil at least 
 3 feet deep. Being sensitive to poor drainage, it will not endure a water- 
 logged soil. As far as the home planter is concerned, it has few para- 
 sitic enemies. 
 
 Blackberry. — In this discussion the Boysen, Cory Thornless, Hima- 
 laya, Logan, Mammoth, Nectar, Phenomenal, and Young as well as the 
 
 10 Formula for making 5-5-50 bordeaux mixture (a winter spray against diseases) : 
 
 Bluestone (copper sulfate) 10 pounds 
 
 Quicklime 10 pounds 
 
 Water 100 gallons 
 
 To make 10 gallons of this strength, dissolve 1 pound of bluestone in 5 gallons of 
 water in a wooden or enamel container. (It corrodes metals.) Slake 1 pound of fresh 
 quicklime, and dilute to 5 gallons; or put 1 pound of hydrated lime in 5 gallons. 
 Pour the bluestone and lime solutions together, and stir well. Use immediately. The 
 lime must be fresh. 
 
 Several preparations of commercial bordeaux mixture are marketed as a paste or 
 dry powder to be diluted with water. Though the objection is sometimes made that 
 these preparations will not remain in suspension in water so well as the homemade 
 bordeaux mixture, some are probably equal to or better than the average mixture pre- 
 pared at home. The commercial preparations, though more expensive, are also more 
 convenient ; and they are of special value to the small grower. 
 
34 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 dewberries will be regarded as blackberry varieties. For convenience 
 they will be divided into two groups — the upright and the trailing types, 
 the latter to include the dewberries. 
 
 As a rule the old, upright-growing blackberries are very hardy against 
 cold ; but like other bush berries they do not like excessive heat. They do 
 
 Pig. 11. — Crandall (Macatawa) blackberry after winter pruning; bushes 
 supported by wires, one on either side. 
 
 best under coastal conditions and in the mountains. Crandall (Maca- 
 tawa) is perhaps the best all-round upright variety for southern Cali- 
 fornia; Lawton for the central and northern coast. There is little excuse 
 for planting either of these in the home garden except at high altitudes 
 where others would be winter-killed, for the trailing varieties would be 
 much more satisfactory in every way. The upright-growers may be 
 planted 6 feet apart, and the canes supported by a stake or a two-wire 
 trellis (fig. 11). 
 
 Some of the trailing sorts, here treated as blackberries to conform with 
 modern classification, are so different from the old-time blackberries 
 that they have acquired distinct type names. They are all hybrids with a 
 blackberry somewhere in their ancestry. In addition, the Logan, Young, 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 35 
 
 Boysen, and Nectar have a certain kinship with the raspberries. The 
 dewberry has always been known as a trailing blackberry; and so has 
 the Himalaya, introduced from southern Asia and much publicized by 
 Luther Burbank about 1897. The Logan, a vinelike berry, originated 
 
 Fig. 12. — A cluster of Boysen berry fruits. Individual berries may be more 
 than an inch long. (From California Agr. Ext. Cir. 80.) 
 
 in California about 1881. The Phenomenal, introduced by Burbank 
 about 1893, is of the Logan type but less acid. 
 
 From the Mammoth has arisen a mutant called the Cory Thornless. 
 The Young, a blackberry-dewberry hybrid, became very popular some 
 ten or fifteen years ago, and still dominates many retail markets. Then, 
 
36 
 
 California Agricultural Extension Service 
 
 [Cm. 117 
 
 in 1934, came the Boysen similar in type but better in some respects. 
 Four years later the Nectar appeared ; whether it will rival the Boysen 
 remains to be seen. Already the different types are developing thornless 
 forms, but no one of them is as yet outstanding. 
 
 Cory Thornless, without thorns except when sprouts arise from the 
 roots, is a shy bearer. The Mammoth is also a trailing variety and very 
 vigorous. The plants, therefore, should be set 8 feet apart each way or, 
 
 7^ & "#V 
 
 
 M "■*«'■ 
 
 Fig. 13. — Boysen berry pruned and trained upon a two -wire trellis. 
 
 if space is available, set 16 feet apart and trained on a trellis. If placed 
 in rows they should be at least 8 feet apart. This rule would serve for 
 the Himalaya as well as the Cory Thornless. Half a dozen plants of 
 either would supply fruit for a family. 
 
 The Boysen, Young, and Nectar varieties are so much alike in their 
 growth habits, with the berries so similar in appearance, that they will 
 be included in one discussion. One of these varieties should be in every 
 home berry garden. The berries of all three are 1 to 1% inches long and 
 sometimes longer, dark red, tender like a dewberry, and very juicy (fig. 
 12) . Although fairly acid, they are less sour than the Logan. When fully 
 ripe they contain a delicious blend of sugar and acid that makes them 
 excellent fresh or in jellies, jams, and pies. The Young, cultivated for 
 several years and extensively planted in the berry districts along the 
 coast, is now being rapidly supplanted by the more vigorous Boysen. 
 
 To the casual observer the Boysen and Young berries look alike; but 
 
Home Fruit Growing 37 
 
 there are distinct differences. The Young starts growth in spring con- 
 siderably earlier than the Boysen, as much as two weeks, and also ripens 
 several days earlier. Although the growth habits of the two are similar 
 (fig. 13) , the Boysen is usually more vigorous, and the leaves are a darker 
 green. The fruit spurs that grow in spring from each node on the prin- 
 cipal canes average about 2 inches longer on the Boysen than on the 
 Young. These stand out from the vines and facilitate picking. 
 
 The Boysen fruit has a distinct aroma which the Young has not. The 
 berries are covered with a dusty bloom, whereas the Young fruits are 
 shiny. There are one or two more berries per cluster than on the Young; 
 they are generally larger and ripen more slowly, but continue long after 
 the Youngs are gone. They have more of a distinct core than the Young. 
 The Boysen and Young yield the same quantity of juice, about 1 gallon 
 to 10 pounds of fruit. Both these and the Nectar are propagated by al- 
 lowing the tips of the branches to touch the ground and take root. Sprouts 
 are never formed around the old plants. The Nectar, introduced only a 
 year or two ago, resembles the Boysen and the Young but is still on trial. 
 Although of the same type, it is supposed to ripen earlier than either. 
 
 Dewberries should be planted at least 6 feet apart each way, and the 
 vines should be trained on a trellis. As a general all-purpose variety the 
 Lucretia is best. 
 
 The Himalaya is the most vigorous-growing of all the berries — capable 
 of making a growth of 20-30 feet and even more under favorable condi- 
 tions in a single season. It is often planted so that it may climb over an 
 arbor or small building or allowed to trail on a fence, for the vines are 
 perennial like a grape and need not be cut back for several years. If 
 planted in rows they should be set 10 feet apart each way and trained 
 on a two-wire trellis. Three or four canes are enough to leave to a hill 
 (fig. 14). The extra sprouts are usually removed as they appear during 
 the summer, for the bearing canes, unlike those of other berries, do not 
 have to be cut back to the ground annually. New shoots are encouraged 
 anywhere in the top where they may be useful for fruiting purposes. 
 Besides thinning out the suckers, which arise from the ground, it may 
 be necessary to do some summer pruning by tipping the pendulous fruit- 
 ing branches; otherwise, they would soon fill up the space between the 
 rows. The Himalaya yields heavily and ripens over six to eight weeks, 
 usually in July and August, though the period may extend into Septem- 
 ber. The fruiting canes should be cut out and removed as soon as the 
 yield begins to drop off. Winter pruning will consist in removing any 
 unwanted sprouts that may be left, thinning out the heads, and tipping 
 the new branches that will bear the fruiting wood the following season. 
 
38 
 
 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cie. 117 
 
 The fruit of the Logan is long, large, dark red, and of high quality. 
 Excellent for canning, it is grown in nearly all berry sections of Cali- 
 fornia. Unless fully ripe the fruit is too acid for some tastes. The canes 
 are vigorous, hardy, and especially productive. They are trailing in 
 habit and covered with numerous small spines. In commercial plantings 
 
 Fig. 14. — Himalaya berries in a back-yard garden. The vinelike canes in this 
 picture are supported by a wooden trellis; but wires are more common. Where 
 there is plenty of room it is permissible to retain many more than the usual 
 number of canes to the hill. 
 
 they are often set 6 feet apart with 6 feet between the rows. This spacing 
 crowds them considerably, and to keep up the yields and size of fruit the 
 land must be fertilized. In a home planting it would be better to give 
 them more room. They are usually trained on a two-wire trellis. A thorn- 
 less form recently developed is very promising. The Logan is propagated 
 by allowing the tips of the vines to touch the ground and take root. 
 
 The Mammoth is extremely vigorous and fairly hardy, a rapid grower, 
 and a heavy producer. Under some conditions the flowers appear par- 
 tially self -sterile and do not always bear well. The canes are not so vine- 
 like as those of the other varieties; they require less room but about the 
 same training. The fruit is very large, long, black, sweet, and soft when 
 fully ripe. It ripens somewhere between early and midseason, usually 
 
Home Fruit Growing 39 
 
 between the Logan and the Lawton, and is often sold as a "black Logan." 
 Unless the plants are well cared for, the berries tend to be small; and 
 the plant is subject to injury by the blackberry mite. 
 
 As the Nectar variety is much like the Boysen, no separate discussion 
 is necessary. 
 
 The Phenomenal variety is strong, vigorous, and productive. The fruit 
 is large, long, red, subacid, larger than the Logan but softer. The drupe- 
 lets are larger and more irregular. The variety is generally given the 
 same training and culture as the Logan. It ripens about a week later. 
 
 The Young so closely resembles the Boysen that one discussion will 
 suffice for both. 
 
 Pruning and training bush berries : Bush berries may be divided into 
 two classes : those that have a more or less upright habit of growth like 
 the old-fashioned blackberries, red raspberries, currants, and gooseber- 
 ries; and those that are vinelike, represented by the Logan, Boysen, 
 Nectar, Himalaya, Cory Thornless, Thornless Logan, and dewberry. One 
 principle of pruning holds good with all bush berries except the Hima- 
 laya, the Evergreen blackberry, and possibly the Ranere raspberry — 
 namely, that no matter how many sprouts there may be in a hill, only 
 four to seven are left for fruiting, while the others are cut back to 
 the ground. 
 
 Because the canes of most berry bushes bear one crop and then die 
 down, they are usually cut out and burned as soon as the crop is har- 
 vested. In a few instances they live more than one year and should 
 therefore not be cut out after fruiting. Examples are the Himalaya and 
 Evergreen blackberries, currant, and gooseberry; but even these should 
 be renewed every three to five years. The Ranere raspberry is in a class 
 by itself because it produces two crops a year; the sprouts grow up, 
 flower, and produce some fruit the first season at the ends of the new 
 growth. The new canes, therefore, should not be tipped in the spring 
 as are all the others, nor cut out after fruiting. Winter pruning will 
 be the same as for other varieties, and the following season branches will 
 be formed and will bear a heavy summer crop. All the other varieties re- 
 quire two seasons for completing their fruiting cycle — one for growing 
 the canes or fruiting shoots, the other for producing flowers and fruit. 
 
 The first step in the pruning of upright-growing berries (the Ranere 
 raspberry excepted) is to cut off the tips of the growing canes in spring 
 at a height of 18 inches to 2 feet to make them form branches. The second 
 step is to cut out the old bearing canes in July or August. The third 
 (including the Ranere) is to do the main pruning in the winter after 
 the leaves are off. This will consist of cutting out all unwanted canes 
 
40 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 and clipping off the tips of the four to seven remaining (fig. 11). The 
 fewest canes should be left where the growth is most luxuriant, for crowd- 
 ing must be avoided. Red raspberries sprout so abundantly from the 
 roots that they are not kept in hills but are allowed to form a hedge. 
 
 The first growing season, the trailing varieties are usually allowed to 
 lie on the ground. In winter all but three or four to seven (according to 
 their vigor) are cut out; and the remainder, after being tipped, are 
 trained upon a two-wire trellis. Instead of being tied to the support 
 they are twined around the wires or arranged in up-and-down spirals 
 (fig. 13). The top wire is 4 feet from the ground; the lower one, 2 feet. 
 The trellis is made of no. 14 galvanized wire, though no. 12 would be 
 better for heavy-growing sorts like Himalaya. As the trailing berries 
 are planted only 8 or 10 feet apart in the row, there will be some lapping 
 over when the canes are on the wire ; but this is not a serious matter, as 
 the fruiting shoots will push through the mass of vines to the light. 
 
 During the early summer, as the fruit is developing, new canes will 
 be sprouting from the roots and sprawling upon the ground. They may 
 be left there or, when long enough, may be wrapped around the lower 
 wire. When the fruit is gone and the old canes are cut out and pulled 
 off the wire, the young ones may be promoted to the upper support. This 
 work is done after the leaves are off. 
 
 Himalaya and Evergreen blackberries produce canes that are some- 
 what like grapevines : they do not die after fruiting, hence are not cut 
 out annually; instead, they are allowed to stand, the tops are thinned 
 out, and the new branches (which carry the fruiting parts) are short- 
 ened to stubs 6 to 12 inches long. There will be but three or four of the 
 old canes, since they make a very vigorous growth and more would be 
 unnecessary. They are pruned annually, as above, for three to five years 
 or until they show signs of weakening; then they are cut out and three 
 or four new ones allowed to replace them. As long as not needed, the 
 suckers that continually arise from the roots are cut out twice a year — 
 once in summer and once in winter (fig. 14). 
 
 Blue stem, verticilliosis, or wilt, may attack the various kinds of bush- 
 berry plants. It stunts or kills the new canes of trailing types like the 
 Boysen and Young. In raspberries all but a small tuft of leaves at the 
 top may fall off. First-year plantings may be severely affected and yet 
 recover the next year. The Young and Boysen berries are very suscepti- 
 ble. The disease enters through the roots, and the canes may wilt rather 
 suddenly or die gradually from the base upward. Diseased plants should 
 be removed and burned. The blackberry and raspberry, particularly the 
 Young and Boysen, should not be planted where potatoes or tomatoes 
 
Home Fruit Growing 41 
 
 have been grown for the past several years, as they carry the disease and 
 leave it in the ground. 
 
 Cane and leaf spot attacks the Young, Mammoth, Cory, and Logan 
 berries, causing brown or grayish spots on the canes and small dead spots 
 with brown or reddish borders on the leaves. Diseased plants may have 
 to be dug out after the second season. The disease can usually be con- 
 trolled by removing and burning all diseased canes immediately after 
 harvesting the crop. 
 
 The orange rust of blackberries and the leaf rust of raspberries are 
 kept under reasonable control by cutting out and burning the diseased 
 canes each summer at the close of the fruiting period, particularly if all 
 leaves under the plants are raked up and burned in early winter. 
 
 The blackberry mite is a tiny pest that attacks principally the Hima- 
 laya, Cory Thornless, Mammoth, Evergreen, and Crandall blackberries 
 and prevents their ripening. The berries reach approximately full size 
 but always remain hard, red, and immature. As the buds are opening 
 in spring, spray with 4 to 8 gallons of lime-sulfur solution to 100 gallons 
 of water. n 
 
 The raspberry horntail is a worm that girdles the tips of tender new 
 shoots especially of the Logan and Himalaya berries, and causes them 
 to wilt. It may work up or down the cane to a considerable distance. 
 The remedy is to cut off the canes several inches below the point where 
 the wilt shows and to burn the prunings. 
 
 Blueberry and Huckleberry. — These should be planted only in the cool 
 coastal region. The huckleberry grows wild among the redwoods. Both 
 these berries prefer an acid soil such as is found in cool, shady locations. 
 Naturally they grow where there is much decaying vegetation. The High- 
 bush blueberry of the East might do well under conditions favorable to 
 the huckleberry. The Pioneer is a good average variety. None should 
 be considered in southern California or in the interior valleys. For prun- 
 ing, see the section on the blackberry. 
 
 Cherry. — Though the sweet cherry is the type chiefly grown in the or- 
 chards of California, the sour cherry of the East would perhaps be more 
 satisfactory in the home garden. The latter will set fruit from its own 
 pollen, whereas the sweet cherry must be cross-pollinated and therefore 
 at least two trees are involved. Birds are very fond of sweet cherries; 
 
 11 Formula for mixing lime-sulfur (a dormant spray for scale insects and some 
 i : 
 
 Liquid lime-sulfur 8 gallons 
 
 Water to make 100 gallons 
 
 or 
 
 Dry lime-sulfur v . 16 pounds 
 
 Water 100 gallons 
 
42 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 and if there are only one or two trees in the home garden, the owner 
 may get none of the fruit. 
 
 Cherries do best near the coast and in the coastal valleys, less well 
 where the climate is warmer. The tree fails in the Imperial Valley but 
 thrives in much of the foothill country. In the south, sweet cherries will 
 do well up to 3,000 to 4,000 feet; but they do not flourish in any of the 
 valleys, for the winters are too mild. Sour cherries do moderately well in 
 many of the valleys and are hardy at elevations up to 5,000 feet. 
 
 Sweet cherries are borne mostly on long-lived spurs which are eco- 
 nomically productive for ten to twelve years. After the trees come into 
 bearing, they require little pruning. About all that is necessary is to 
 thin out the new shoots lightly each year and to cut out all weak and 
 interfering branches. Because of the upright habit of growth, the prun- 
 ing should be such as to spread the tree as much as possible. New shoots 
 coming out low down should be encouraged, and the u>ps kept from 
 getting too high by an occasional cutting back to strong laterals. The 
 desirable amount of new growth is about the same as for apples and 
 pears (fig. 15.) 
 
 The Royal Ann (Napoleon), a white cherry, and the Black Tartarian 
 are two of the best sorts for the coastal region. Bing and Lambert, both 
 black, are other good varieties. Black Tartarian will pollinate Royal Ann, 
 Bing, and Lambert and is itself pollinated by them. Although usually 
 first to ripen, it is followed closely by Bing and Royal Ann. Lambert is 
 late. One tree of Montmorency, a sour cherry, will furnish pies for the 
 family in season and enough fruit to fill several jars for canning. 
 
 Armillaria, or oak-root fungus, is discussed in the section on the 
 almond. 
 
 Brown rot attacks the blossoms, the spurs, and sometimes the fruit, 
 but is generally not serious on isolated trees. The remedy is bordeaux 
 5-5-50 to 8-8-50 (see footnote 10, page 33), applied in spring as the 
 first flower buds are opening. 
 
 For a discussion of symptoms and remedial measures in bacterial gum- 
 mosis, see the section on apricot. Black Tartarian and Royal Ann va- 
 rieties are the most susceptible, followed by Bing and Lambert. The 
 Lambert is seldom injured. Pie cherries are highly resistant. Trees grow- 
 ing in alfalfa are likely to be free from the disease. 
 
 Crinkle leaf, a relatively new disease, causes the leaves of bearing trees 
 to curl partially, as though wilted. If the trees decline in vigor they 
 should be removed, and something else planted, for no remedy is known. 
 Black Tartarian seems to be the most susceptible variety. 
 
 Black cherry aphids and slugs, the most prevalent insects of the 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 43 
 
 cherry, appear in spring and early summer. The former cause severe 
 curling of the leaves, while the latter eat away the epidermis and thus 
 skeletonize the leaves. Spray with nico-soap solution made by using 1 
 
 v t 
 
 ji n. / 
 
 X 'V I I '■> 
 
 Pi >ftr #.' ' JM- , 
 
 JMWw 
 
 Fig. 15. — Typical Black Tartarian cherry tree seventeen years old. 
 (From California Agr. Ext. Cir. 46.) 
 
 teaspoonful of nicotine sulfate (such as Black Leaf 40) and 2 table- 
 spoonfuls of whale-oil soap to 1 gallon of water (see footnote 7, page 26) . 
 Chestnut. — Though the chestnut would probably grow anywhere in 
 
44 California Agricultural Extension Service t Cl R- 117 
 
 the state, it does best in a cool climate. Both the American and French 
 types make large trees. While a single tree will produce a good many 
 nuts, it is best to plant two varieties to provide cross-pollination. For a 
 large tree, plant a Marron Combale or an American Sweet, and a Marron 
 Quercy, as they will pollinate each other. The Japanese chestnut, if ob- 
 tainable, makes a much smaller tree; but the nuts are inferior to the 
 French. Parry, a Japanese hybrid, is probably the best for California. 
 Italian seedling chestnuts are rather widely grown in the state, the nuts 
 selling readily in the local markets. 
 
 Cranberry. — Cranberries grow in peaty bogs near the ocean. In Cali- 
 fornia fairly good natural conditions exist in a few places in Mendocino 
 and Humboldt counties. The peat bog should be situated near a good 
 deposit of sand, and there should be an abundant water supply because 
 the bog must be flooded in spring, summer, and autumn to control in- 
 sects. Before planting, the bog should be made level and covered with 
 clean sand to a depth of 3 or 4 inches. Cranberries are propagated from 
 cuttings, which are set in the sand 12 inches each way. Planting may 
 be done from March to June. The McFarlin and Howes varieties have 
 done best in Oregon. 12 
 
 Currant. — Currants do not thrive outside of coastal conditions or low 
 mountains nor anywhere in the south, though a few bushes may be 
 planted where they are partially shaded. Plant them 3 feet apart each 
 way. Only the red currant is planted in California, the Perfection being 
 the best variety. Pruning consists of removing the three- and four-year- 
 old wood and in thinning out the new shoots when they are too numerous. 
 Ordinarily from three to five old stalks are removed each year, and an 
 equal number of young ones left to replace them. 
 
 Date. — With only slight injury the date palm can stand a tempera- 
 ture as low as 15 degrees Fahrenheit, but the fruit will not ripen where 
 there are early autumn frosts. For proper ripening the season must be 
 long and the summer warm. The date ripens satisfactorily only in a 
 very few spots outside the hot desert valleys of the southeastern part of 
 the state. Given a satisfactory climate, the greatest danger is injury 
 from rain after the fruit is two-thirds ripe. From the standpoint of pro- 
 duction, the date palm reaches perfection only in the Coachella and 
 Imperial valleys of Riverside and Imperial counties. 
 
 The Khadrawy and Halaway varieties are recommended : the former 
 appears adapted to a rather wide range of conditions, while the latter 
 ripens early and is little damaged by humidity or by occasional rains. 
 
 12 Brown, W. S. The cranberry in Oregon. Oregon Agr. Exp. Sta. Bui. 225:1-31. 
 
 1927. 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 45 
 
 For pollination it is necessary to have two trees — one with male and 
 the other with female flowers; the latter produce the fruit. In securing 
 trees one should keep this fact in mind. In growing dates from seed it is 
 impossible to tell which are male and which are female until they have 
 reached fruiting age — after five or six years or more. The pollen from 
 
 Fig. 16. — Cluster of fruit of the strawberry guava, used 
 for jams and jellies and for eating out of hand. Climatic 
 requirements are about the same as for the orange. 
 
 the male tree must be dusted on the female flower cluster by hand. Since 
 only highly specialized nurserymen in date regions handle the trees, 
 some amateurs may desire to grow them from seed. In any lot of seed- 
 lings there will be a good preponderance of males. The date of com- 
 merce is propagated from suckers that arise from the base of the trees. 
 These may be carefully cut away, rooted, and planted. 
 
 Feijoa and Guava. — Although classified botanically as belonging to 
 
46 
 
 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 different genera of the myrtle family, the feijoa and guava are similar 
 in many respects. The plants are shrubs of considerable ornamental 
 value, reaching a height of 15 feet or more, though they can be kept 
 lower by training. They produce fruit often considered unexcelled for 
 
 Fig. 17. — Mission fig; a desirable tree about any home for both 
 fruit and shade. 
 
 jam and jelly making or excellent for eating out of hand. The feijoa is 
 unique in that its large fleshy petals are edible. The flower may be 1% 
 inches in diameter. There is a considerable difference in hardiness of the 
 various species. The feijoa, commonly known as pineapple guava, is the 
 hardiest of all and will grow satisfactorily in most parts of the state, 
 
Home Fruit Growing 47 
 
 withstanding temperatures of 15 degrees Fahrenheit with little damage. 
 The strawberry guava, an excellent all-purpose fruit, can be produced 
 successfully wherever oranges are raised (fig. 16). The lemon guava, 
 being tender, can be grown only in the most protected places and is not 
 recommended for the general home garden. 
 
 Fig. — The fig, a deciduous subtropical tree, can withstand a tempera- 
 ture of 15 degrees Fahrenheit and is successfully grown at altitudes up 
 to 3,000 feet. Very young trees may be injured by frosts of early fall or 
 late spring. Only two or three varieties of figs are really suitable for the 
 home garden in most parts of the state : the black or Mission, which 
 grows all over California but is at home chiefly in the central and north- 
 ern valleys; and the Kadota, mostly used for canning and especially 
 adapted to the San Joaquin Valley, where it is dried as well as canned. 
 The Kadota is not recommended for Los Angeles County. The Mission 
 is desirable about any home : not only does it make a fine shade, but a 
 single tree, well grown, will produce an abundance of fruit (fig. 17). 
 In central California the first crop ripens in June; the second in August 
 and September. The trees will require practically no care. The large 
 white figs of commerce, chiefly the Calimyrna, are of the Smyrna or 
 Asiatic type, and are not recommended for home planting because of 
 pollination difficulties. They can be pollinated only if provided with a 
 supply of fig wasps. The procedure is to place young wild caprifigs con- 
 taining these insects in cans that are tied to a branch inside the Cali- 
 myrna tree; the wasps, having crawled out with pollen clinging to 
 their bodies, enter the blossom end of the Calimyrna and bring about 
 fertilization. The caprifigs have no value except to harbor the fig wasp 
 until it is needed. The Mission fig, on the other hand, is easy to grow; 
 it does not require artificial pollination and needs only ordinary atten- 
 tion otherwise. In the San Joaquin Valley the White Adriatic fig is 
 extensively raised for drying, but even there the Black Mission would 
 probably be more satisfactory as a back-yard tree. In Los Angeles 
 County the Turkey (Brown Turkey) is the principal fresh fig, both for 
 dooryards and for the fresh-fruit market. 
 
 Filbert. — This form of hazelnut does not, as a rule, produce well in 
 California. It bears best in the foothills, second best along the coast, and 
 only rarely in the interior valleys. It is not recommended for southern 
 California. Two varieties must be planted to insure cross-pollination. 
 The Barcelona, Du Chilly, and White Aveline are the most promising. 
 Filberts are bushes that grow to 8 or 10 feet. Though they can be trained 
 to a single trunk, they are usually allowed to sucker from the base and 
 form dense clumps (fig. 18). Plant them 20 feet apart each way. 
 
48 
 
 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 Gooseberry. — The gooseberry does best along the coast, particularly 
 around San Francisco Bay. It may be grown in a small way in shaded 
 places in the interior, but in southern California it is wholly unsatis- 
 
 Fig. 18. — Filbert, variety Barcelona, aged seven years ; trained in 
 the form of a dense clump. 
 
 factory. Mildew, the worst disease, can usually be controlled by cutting 
 out and burning the affected parts; all dead leaves should be raked and 
 burned. One spraying with lime-sulfur 1-10 just before growth begins 
 in spring will usually prevent mildew. The Houghton, a heavy producer, 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 49 
 
 is perhaps the best all-purpose gooseberry. The berries are small, round- 
 ish, dull red when fully ripe. It is earlier than the Downing, another 
 good variety, but is less resistant to mildew. The plants should be set 
 3 to 4 feet apart in rows 4 feet wide. For pruning, see the section on 
 currants. 
 
 Grape. — The owner of a home garden usually prefers to grow grapes 
 for the table only, not for drying or wine making. Grapes are produced 
 
 i 
 ! 
 
 I 
 
 1 ■ ■ 
 
 m¥Sm 
 
 * ' ml ^SmBM 
 
 1 ' ** ' 
 
 
 
 Sjfed*2Ks m 
 
 t 
 
 
 
 Fig. 19. — Grape-covered arbor. 
 
 in all counties of the state; but in cold, foggy situations along the coast 
 and in the high mountains (above 3,000 feet) they do not ripen well. 
 This is particularly true of eating varieties of the European grapes. 
 
 After the home garden is filled with trees, berry bushes, and the like, 
 a few grapevines may still be trained on a fence, against the sunny side 
 of a building, or on an arbor or pergola (fig. 19). Most of the grapes 
 grown in California belong to the European or vinifera type, which are 
 most at home in the warm valleys. Near the coast and for mountain 
 plantings, the hardy eastern varieties would be more satisfactory. 
 
 A good selection of table grapes for interior California would be 
 Ribier, Red Malaga (Molinera), Olivette Blanche, Flame Tokay, Thomp- 
 
50 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 son Seedless, Muscat of Alexandria, and Emperor. Ribier is a black 
 grape with very large berries. The clusters are usually medium-sized. 
 Imported from France by the California Experiment Station in 1904, 
 it is a valuable addition to our varieties. The Red Malaga has large, 
 deep-red berries. It can be produced in the hot valleys where the Flame 
 Tokay does not attain good color. Flame Tokay can be grown to advan- 
 tage in the foothill areas and in the cooler intermediate valley around 
 Lodi. The Olivette Blanche variety, sometimes known as Lady Finger, 
 has white, elongated berries, very pleasant for eating. Thompson Seed- 
 less (Sultanina) seems to suit all tastes. The clusters are large; the ber- 
 ries medium to small, white with a yellowish tinge, sweet but sprightly 
 subacid. The Muscat, an old-time favorite, has large berries that are 
 white, juicy, aromatic, and very sweet. The Emperor is mentioned be- 
 cause it is a very late variety, suitable for the interior valleys and for 
 southern California. The clusters and berries are large, dark red to 
 reddish purple, and firm. As the variety keeps well when stored, it is 
 extensively shipped to the eastern states for the Christmas trade. 
 
 For moderately cool locations outside the fog belt the varieties Pearl 
 or Csaba and Chasselas dore are recommended. Both are white grapes of 
 good eating quality. For the coastal region inside the fog belt and also 
 for the mountains, four eastern varieties — Concord, Pierce ( California 
 Concord), Iona, and Niagara — will serve very well. The Concord, a 
 black grape, is the most widely grown variety in the East. The Pierce 
 resembles the Concord but does better in warm places. The Iona is a red, 
 the Niagara a white grape. Eastern grapes are sometimes designated as 
 slip-skin because the skin parts readily from the flesh and may be dis- 
 carded along with the seeds. 
 
 For southern California the Concord and Pierce are recommended 
 for coastal locations; the Concord, Pierce, Ribier, Golden Muscat, and 
 Malaga for the intermediate climatic districts of the semicoastal valleys; 
 and the same list, plus Thompson Seedless, for the warm interior valleys. 
 
 Grapes must be severely pruned annually. When young the vines are 
 trained, usually to a single trunk extending as high as the permanent 
 parts are to go. At the top of the trunk are developed two, three, or four 
 short, permanent branches extending in the desired directions. Each 
 winter most of the current season's growth is removed, leaving one or 
 more short spurs or fruiting canes on each arm (fig. 20). If the current 
 season's growth is small and weak, less fruiting wood should be retained 
 than was left the previous year. If the growth has been vigorous, more 
 may be retained. If the variety produces fruitful shoots from buds near 
 the base of the canes, only spurs, usually two or three buds in length, 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 51 
 
 are left. Muscat, Ribier, Red Malaga, Tokay, and most wine grapes are 
 of this type. The Thompson Seedless, Olivette Blanche, and most eastern 
 varieties — Concord, Iona, Niagara — require long canes instead of spurs 
 to produce good crops. These canes are basal portions of current season's 
 
 Fig. 20. — Grapevine trained to a stake until old enough 
 to stand without support. The annual pruning consists of 
 reducing the new growth to a series of spurs, one or more to 
 each arm. This is the usual method of pruning and training 
 most varieties of vinif era grapes. 
 
 growth, from 2 to 5 feet long. The old fruit cane that has borne a crop 
 must be removed each winter, and a new one left in its place. Usually 
 not more than three or four canes are needed on each vine (fig. 21). 
 
 Vines of varieties that bear good crops with spur pruning may be 
 developed in the form of low, self-supporting shrubs (fig. 20). They 
 may also be used on a fence or arbor. Those requiring long fruit canes 
 require a trellis or an arbor on which the canes may be tied for support 
 (figs. 19 and 21). 
 
52 
 
 California Agricultural Extension Service t ClR - u 
 
 Grapes planted in deep soils usually need two or three irrigations each 
 season. On very shallow soils water may be applied as often as every 
 two weeks. 
 
 The worst common pests of the grape are mildew, leafhopper, and 
 phylloxera. Mildew, the worst disease, is widely distributed throughout 
 the grape-growing regions of California. It attacks all green parts such 
 
 Fig. 21. — Trellis-trained grape. Thompson Seedless, Olivette 
 Blanche, and all Eastern varieties require long canes instead of 
 spurs to produce crops. These are supported by a one- or two-wire 
 trellis. 
 
 as the leaves, shoots, and unripe grapes. If neglected, it causes curling 
 and withering of the leaves in the spring, dropping and discoloration 
 of the berries, and blackening and imperfect maturing of the canes. 
 It is controlled by dusting with very finely divided sulfur. Dust the 
 vines four times — first when the shoots are 6 to 8 inches long, second 
 when they are 15 to 18 inches, third just before blossoming, and fourth 
 when the grapes are about one fourth to one third grown. Along the 
 coast one or two additional dustings may be necessary. The grape leaf- 
 hopper or "vine hopper," which attacks the leaves, is the worst insect 
 pest in the hot interior valleys. Apply a pyrethrum oil spray when the 
 shoots are 3 to 6 inches long, and follow with one or two applications of 
 
Home Fruit Growing 53 
 
 a nicotine or pyrethrum spray or nicotine dust when the greenish 
 nymphs, about y 10 inch long, are found on the undersides of the leaves. 
 Phylloxera, a plant louse, harms only the roots. There is no remedy ex- 
 cept to use a resistant stock like the Rupestris St. George. 
 
 Grapefruit. — Grapefruit, or pomelo, has about the same climatic re- 
 quirements as the Valencia orange, but only in citrus areas of very high 
 heat does it achieve superb quality. Its cultural needs also resemble 
 those of the orange. If but one tree can be planted, the Marsh variety 
 would be best. 
 
 Guava. — The guava is discussed in the section on the feijoa. 
 
 Huckleberry. — For discussion of the huckleberry, see the section on 
 the blueberry. 
 
 Jujube. — This Chinese fruit was introduced, several years ago, by 
 the United States Department of Agriculture. The tree is deciduous 
 and, under favorable conditions, reaches 20 to 25 feet. It is well adapted 
 to regions of severe winter frosts. It thrives best in the warm interior 
 valleys of the central and northern parts of the state but is not valued 
 or often recommended for southern California. The tree begins bearing 
 the first or second year after planting. It yields great quantities of 
 small, dark-brown shiny fruits from 1 to 2 inches long, usually oval 
 but sometimes round, as much as 2 inches in diameter. When eaten 
 fresh from the tree, just as the skin is turning brown, the fruit is sweet 
 and crisp. It is also made into a jam, but most often into candied fruit. 
 The trees are ornamental and go well with the lawn shrubbery. Two 
 good varieties are the Lang and the Li; the former is pear-shaped, the 
 latter round. 
 
 Lemon. — Outside the proved citrus regions it is hazardous to plant 
 the lemon. One may, however, grow single trees in doubtful locations 
 by giving them the protection afforded by the south side of a house or 
 other large building. Though an established tree will not be killed by a 
 light frost, the fruit crop may be destroyed, for there is rarely a time 
 when the tree does not contain either flowers or fruit. The Lisbon, 
 being hardy, resistant to disease, and generally vigorous, is perhaps 
 best for home planting, although the Eureka and Villa Franca are both 
 popular. The best variety for cold locations is the Meyer, which is 
 readily propagated from cuttings; it may be injured but is not killed 
 by 10 to 15 degrees of freezing. It makes a tree 6 to 10 feet high (fig. 22) . 
 
 Lime. — The lime, the most tender of all citrus fruits, should be planted 
 in regions of almost frostless winters. It requires about the same atten- 
 tion as other citrus trees. (See the section on the orange). The Bearss 
 and Mexican varieties are suggested. 
 
54 
 
 California Agricultural Extension Service [ Cir - H7 
 
 Loquat. — The loquat, an evergreen, under favorable growing condi- 
 tions makes a tree 30 to 40 feet high. In the interior valleys it may be 
 only one third as large. Hardier than most subtropical trees, it thrives 
 almost anywhere in California except in the mountain and desert 
 regions, but does best near the coast. Unfortunately it is attacked by 
 pear blight in warm locations; affected branches should be cut out at 
 once, and the wounds disinfected. The fruits are usually sweet and rich, 
 
 Tig. 22. — Meyer lemon tree fourteen years old growing on the south side of a 
 residence in Davis. When seven years old this tree survived a temperature of 12 
 degrees Fahrenheit, although it was killed almost to the ground. There were twelve 
 dozen lemons on the tree at the time of the freeze. To the right, fruit and flowers 
 of the Meyer. 
 
 with a sprightly aromatic flavor, and make fine jellies. The loquat 
 ripens in early spring when other fruits are scarce. The variety Cham- 
 pagne is rather acid; the Thales much sweeter. The first does best in the 
 interior ; the latter on the coast. 
 
 Nectarine. — For all practical purposes the nectarine is a smooth- 
 skinned peach. The flavor, though often distinctive, is also reminiscent 
 of the peach. Peach and nectarine trees differ in no essential respect 
 from each other in appearance, growth responses, or bearing habits. 
 While the skin of the peach may be fuzzy or even only slightly pubes- 
 cent, the nectarine is as smooth as a plum, and its flesh has a more pro- 
 nounced aroma and a richer flavor than that of the peach. Both peaches 
 and nectarines may be either clingstone or free; and the flesh may be 
 red, yellow, or white. 
 
 The nectarine is one of the most interesting fruits in horticulture. 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 55 
 
 Nectarines have been grown from peach seeds, and peaches from nec- 
 tarine seeds; peach trees have produced nectarines by bud sports, and 
 nectarine trees, peaches. Trees have borne individual fruits that were 
 half peach and half nectarine. If only one variety can be planted, it 
 should be the John Rivers or Gower. If two, add Gold Mine; and if three, 
 
 Fig. 23.— A bearing Ascolano olive, not so desirable as the Mission or the Manza- 
 nillo, but of attractive appearance. 
 
 include Victoria. Where there is too little cold weather to break the rest 
 period thoroughly, Diamond Jubilee will give best results. For further 
 discussion, see the section on peaches. 
 
 Olive. — The olive, an evergreen tree, is hardy enough and adaptable 
 enough to be grown in all parts of the state except near the coast and in 
 the mountains where there is a severe winter climate. Although it will 
 survive great neglect, it responds to irrigation, pruning, and spraying. 
 It is perhaps the longest-lived of all of our fruit trees. Having great 
 ornamental value, it deserves a place in the home garden for that pur- 
 pose alone (fig. 23). In planting, cut back and shape the tree in much 
 
56 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cm. 117 
 
 the manner described for deciduous trees. Little pruning will be neces- 
 sary except further shaping during the first two years. Afterward an 
 occasional branch may have to be removed to keep the head from be- 
 coming too dense. The Mission and Manzanillo are leading varieties, the 
 fruit of the first being rather small and abundant, the second having 
 larger fruit but usually a light yield. The Mission makes a much larger 
 tree than the Manzanillo. 
 
 Black scale may be serious under coastal conditions but seldom occurs 
 in the interior. The insects attack chiefly the twigs. Spray with 4 per 
 cent commercial oil emulsion (see footnote 7, page 26), from December 
 to February. Some control may be obtained by thinning out many of 
 the affected branches in late winter. 
 
 Orange. — Though the orange is a subtropical fruit, mature trees will 
 stand several degrees of freezing. In doubtful locations it should be 
 protected during its first two or three winters. Older trees need not be 
 protected; they will stand more cold than young ones, and it is imprac- 
 tical to try to cover their tops. Sweet-orange seedling trees or, pref- 
 erably, budded trees of such varieties as Jaffa, Malta, Ruby, and 
 Pineapple seem hardier than the best market varieties; and the fruit, 
 when fully ripe, is excellent for home use, though it drops very soon 
 after ripening in spring or early summer. Besides being useful, such 
 trees are ornamental as long as the fruit lasts (fig. 24). Sour-orange 
 trees also have considerable ornamental value because the fruit, being 
 inedible, lasts a long time. 
 
 Budded varieties can be grown not only in all the counties south of 
 the Tehachapi Mountains but throughout most of the great interior 
 valleys and the adjacent foothills. Although the northern coast region 
 is ill-adapted to oranges, trees can be grown there in sheltered places 
 in the valleys with a fair degree of success. 
 
 Trees should be purchased with the roots enclosed in a ball of earth. 
 They should be planted early in March just as growth is beginning. 
 Although they will grow on a wide variety of soils, good drainage must 
 be provided. If the subsoil is hard, cultivation should be very shallow, 
 and water should be applied frequently but sparingly. Blasting for 
 hardpan is usually not beneficial to citrus. Trees should be set no deeper 
 than in the nursery; deep planting would be fatal. Open up a large hole 
 somewhat deeper than the tree requires ; throw in a few shovelfuls of top 
 earth in the bottom, until the tree stands at the proper level ; and then 
 deposit soil evenly around the ball, ramming it down with a board if 
 necessary, until the hole is half filled. Then go around and around the 
 tree, adding soil and tramping it down. Wet down after planting, in 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 57 
 
 Fig. 24. — A very old and highly ornamental seedling orange tree 
 in the Wolf skill Experimental Orchard near Winters (now owned 
 by the University of California). The orange is highly desirable 
 for the home planting, both for its fruit and for its ornamental 
 value. Sweet-orange seedlings, being apparently hardier than the 
 best market varieties, are suitable for cold locations. In the south 
 there would be little excuse for planting seedlings. 
 
58 California Agricultural Extension Service [ Cir - H7 
 
 order to settle the soil. Spread a layer of loose earth over the top. The 
 burlap covering is seldom cut away before filling in the soil. If it is old 
 and already decaying this will not be necessary. The wrapping cord, 
 however, should be severed, and the burlap folded back after the water 
 has been applied and the tree and ball have settled into place and before 
 the top 2 or 3 inches of soil have been filled in. Thus the ball itself is 
 never left unprotected until the dirt is settled in around it by soaking. 
 
 The tree, when received, will already be headed at about the right 
 height. The top may require some thinning, but not much. The object 
 of any subsequent pruning will be to prevent the head from becoming 
 so dense that the interior will die from overshading. Outside of citrus 
 districts, where groves are not numerous, insect pests are usually not 
 plentiful or serious. The home owner in the interior valleys, with only 
 one to half-a-dozen trees, may never need to spray or fumigate. This is 
 fortunate because the necessary equipment is expensive. In lower 
 coastal and intermediate districts, pests may make it inadvisable to 
 grow citrus unless they can be combated. 
 
 Orange trees should never be allowed to suffer from lack of water. A 
 single tree may be surrounded by a levee that extends a little farther out 
 than the tips of the branches and can be filled with water. When using 
 this type of basin irrigation, one must plant the trees high; then a bank 
 can be carried out from the trunk for 2 or 2% feet so that the water in 
 the basin will never get to the trunk. The number of irrigations will 
 depend upon the climate. In the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys, 
 bearing trees will need water every 2 or 3 weeks. Younger trees may 
 require even more frequent applications; they must be observed closely 
 and watered whenever the ground seems to be dry down to a depth 
 sufficient to involve the roots. Water them as often as necessary to keep 
 them growing, but not so often as to keep the soil continuously wet. The 
 ball of earth surrounding the roots of young trees is usually of rather 
 heavy soil. Planting them in light soil gives rise to watering difficulties. 
 Water must be held around the ball for a long time so that it will not 
 drain away through the light soil before the ball is wetted. 
 
 There are two types of market oranges, as determined by their season 
 of ripening : the Valencia, which ripens in the summer; and the Wash- 
 ington Navel, a seedless variety, which ripens in winter. If possible, 
 both types should be planted. Where the trees are planted in rows, they 
 should be given ample room — that is, 20 to 25 feet in each direction. 
 
 Passion Fruit. — The edible passion fruit grows well in California and 
 safely withstands frosts and even very light freezes. If planted on the 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 59 
 
 south side of a building it will endure several degrees of freezing with- 
 out the roots' being killed. The vines, woody perennials, grow very 
 rapidly and in two seasons will cover the side of a large residence. The 
 
 Fig. 25. — Purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis). The flavor is 
 delicious, and the flowers are unique and attractive. 
 
 fruit (fig. 25) is 2 to 2% inches long and slightly oval; it has many uses. 
 Inside the leathery rind are numerous small seeds, each surrounded by 
 a yellowish, aromatic, juicy pulp of distinctive and pleasing acid flavor. 
 The pulp may be eaten out of hand or used in fruit salads. The juice, if 
 
60 California Agricultural Extension Service [ Cir - H7 
 
 extracted, will serve as a beverage or may be used in various cocktails, 
 cordials, jellies, sherbets, ice creams, icings, candies, and cakes. 
 
 Peach. — As compared with other deciduous fruit trees, the peach is 
 relatively short-lived. If, however, wood decay is kept out, the tree may 
 be depended upon to live for at least twenty-five years. It comes into 
 bearing when three to five years old. It reaches its peak of production 
 at nine to twelve years and may decline rather rapidly if large branches 
 are cut or broken off and the wounds unprotected so that wood-decaying 
 organisms gain an entrance. Although hardy anywhere in the state, it 
 is not recommended for the mountains because of its early blooming- 
 habit in spring. Having a distinct rest period, it requires some cold 
 weather in winter. An exception to this rule is a new variety called the 
 Babcock. 
 
 The peach likes a deep, well-drained soil, which must be free from 
 alkali. It will thrive on soils more sandy than the ideal but will then 
 need more frequent irrigations, together with manure or some other 
 nitrogenous fertilizer. The trees should be given a good watering three 
 or four times during the season from spring to fall. The worst pests are 
 leaf curl, California peach blight, and the twig borer, which burrows 
 into the twigs and may seriously infest the fruit. 
 
 As the peach bears practically all its fruit on one-year wood, one must 
 usually prune peach trees more heavily than others in order to induce 
 sufficient growth. The desirable amount of new growth as a whole over 
 the bearing tree is somewhere betwen 12 and 30 inches annually. Besides 
 thinning out entire new shoots wherever necessary, one should cut back 
 the remaining shoots lightly or moderately to a strong lateral, and thin 
 out the remaining laterals. The number of shoots saved will depend upon 
 several considerations — for example, the total leaf surface resulting 
 from light or heavy pruning, and the probable water supply (fig. 26). 
 If the tree is off the lawn one should save as many hanging shoots as 
 possible, for these are very desirable for fruit bearing. The early train- 
 ing of the tree is discussed under "Pruning," in an earlier section. 
 
 Varieties in the home orchard should consist of early-, medium-, and 
 late-ripening sorts, preferably freestones of the highest eating quality 
 for their season. Mayflower and Alexander have white flesh and ripen 
 the first week in June, but they are not freestones. Briggs, also white- 
 fleshed, but a semicling, ripens the middle of June. Triumph and Hale 
 Early, one yellow and the other white, but both free, ripen the last week 
 in June. The St. John, a yellow-fleshed freestone, ripens the second 
 week in July. The Late Crawford, yellow and free, ripens about August 
 1; the Lovell, yellow and free, August 20; and the Salwey, yellow and 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 61 
 
 free, about the beginning of the second week in September. For quality 
 the Hale Early, St. John, J. H. Hale, and Late Crawford are the best. 
 The Babcock, a white-fleshed freestone, is mentioned because it has 
 practically no rest period and can grow where others will languish and 
 
 Fig. 26. — A well-shaped dooryard peach tree after pruning. 
 Because it is used as a lawn shade tree, hanging branches have 
 been discouraged ; they would be in the way. 
 
 die. The ripening date is about the first of July. The quality as com- 
 pared with others is rather poor. Varieties for the warmer portions of 
 southern California include Babcock, C. 0. Smith, Luken's Honey, and 
 Early Imperial. Other varieties resistant to delayed foliation have been 
 developed and may be ready for distribution in the next few years. 
 
62 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 The high mountain valleys of the south can grow all of the varieties that 
 have been mentioned. For additional kinds see tabulated lists on pages 
 80 and 81. 
 
 Armillaria or oak-root fungus may attack peach trees; for discussion 
 of this fungus see the section on the almond. 
 
 Peach-leaf curl appears in spring as red, crinkled, thickened dis- 
 tortions on the leaves and green shoots. A white mold that occurs on 
 affected parts is really the spores or fruiting bodies of the fungus. 
 Later the fruit may develop red, warty protuberances that will render 
 it unusable. If the disease is bad the tree may be defoliated. Though 
 another crop of leaves will develop, the trees have been considerably 
 weakened. If untreated for two or three seasons they may be killed. 
 This is the worst disease of the peach. Control consists in covering the 
 trees thoroughly with bordeaux mixture 5-5-50 (see footnote 10, page 
 33) before the fruit buds begin to swell in the spring. If the disease 
 has been bad, the first application may be made as early as January, 
 and a second one just as growth starts. 
 
 Peach blight appears first in early winter as small, circular, reddish 
 spots on the twigs. Later these spots develop into elongated, sunken, 
 brown cankers that kill the fruiting wood. When the leaves appear they 
 too, may be attacked, and when rains occur late in the spring the fruit is 
 also affected. In severe leaf infection, the trees are defoliated and there- 
 fore badly weakened. Spray in the fall (November 15-December 15) 
 with bordeaux mixture 5-5-50 (see footnote 10, page 33). 
 
 The Pacific peach tree borer in the larval stage burrows into the base 
 of the trunk and into the main roots, often girdling a tree and killing 
 it. Gum and excretions indicate the presence of the borer. It may be 
 controlled by spreading a double handful of the crystals of paradi- 
 chlorobenzene around the base of the tree but not in contact with the 
 trunk. Cover the crystals with soil by mounding up to a height of 6 
 inches, as some of the borers work a few inches aboveground. As the 
 crystals vaporize, the heavy gas penetrates the soil and the burrows, 
 killing the insects. Apply the material in late summer and fall (pref- 
 erably in October) when the soil is warm and the moisture not ex- 
 cessive. 
 
 The peach twig borer, a reddish-brown caterpillar about % inch long, 
 burrows into and kills the buds and twigs, sometimes seriously infest- 
 ing the fruit. The worms, having hibernated just beneath the outer 
 bark of the crotches of the framework and smaller branches of the tree, 
 emerge in the early spring to infest buds and new shoots. Spray with 
 
Home Fruit Growing 63 
 
 basic arsenate of lead' 3 when at least two thirds of the blossoms have 
 fallen and again early in May if wilted twigs, caused by a second brood 
 of the insect, are noted. 
 
 Pear. — The pear is not recommended for home planting in the Sacra- 
 mento and San Joaquin valleys because it is too much trouble to protect 
 the trees from fire blight and codling moth. Along the coast and in the 
 coastal valleys, as a rule, only the codling moth need be combated. 
 Although pears may require cross-pollination, there will usually be 
 enough scattered trees in any locality so that the bees will carry the 
 necessary pollen from place to place. 
 
 The pear yields most of its crop on long-lived spurs, the economic 
 productive life of which is seven to eight years. The fruit is produced 
 from a terminal bud one season; the next season the spur elongates a 
 little and sets another terminal fruit bud ; and the following season fruit 
 is again produced. Pears tend to be alternate bearers, although this 
 tendency is less marked in California than in the East. The pruning 
 should consist mainly in a judicious thinning out of the new shoots, with 
 the occasional removal of a larger limb. Where blight is a serious con- 
 sideration, the main limbs should be kept free from fruit spurs to pre- 
 vent the entrance of the disease, which generally begins in the flowers. 
 The succulent growth that follows the heavy heading often given pear 
 trees is much more susceptible to fire blight than are the short, firm shoots 
 that follow a thinning-out process. A new growth of 6 to 10 inches each 
 year is all that is needed (fig. 27) . 
 
 Bartlett is the leading variety in the state for all purposes. On the 
 coast the Cornice and Hardy do well. The Winter Nelis, though less 
 high in quality than the Bartlett, is also less subject to blight. The 
 fruit of the Seckel is small but of highest quality, and is not susceptible 
 to blight. All pear varieties are susceptible to delayed foliation; none 
 do well in the warm valleys of southern California, and pear growing 
 there should be confined to elevations of 2,000 feet or higher. 
 
 The black end of pears is really not a disease, for no parasite is in- 
 volved. It is caused by growing the trees on Japanese pear roots. As the 
 name would indicate, when the pears are nearly grown an area at the 
 blossom end blackens, becomes hard, and may crack open. The remedy 
 is to plant trees on French pear or quince roots. 
 
 Fire blight is the worst disease of the pear in all warm districts of the 
 
 13 Formula for basic lead arsenate (for biting insects) : 
 
 Basic lead arsenate (powder) 3 to 4 pounds 
 
 Water 100 gallons 
 
 To wet the foliage effectively, a spreader — for example, casein or blood albumin — 
 
 should be used as recommended by the manufacturer. 
 
64 
 
 California Agricultural Extension Service [ Cir - 117 
 
 state. It is seldom severe where the coastal influence is strong. In the in- 
 terior valleys it is so difficult to handle that the home owner is ad- 
 vised not to try to grow pears there. Fire blight is a bacterial disease 
 
 Yig, 27. — Bartlett pear about twenty -five years old, in Lake County. 
 
 that enters mostly through the flowers. It appears in spring just after 
 blossoming and spreads rapidly into all parts of the trees, reaching even 
 the roots. The only remedy is to cut out the affected twigs or branches 
 well below the signs of the disease and to disinfect with bichloride of 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 65 
 
 iy~ ■ 
 
 
 - 7* , 
 
 Fig. 28. — Seedling pecan twenty -three years old on the University 
 Farm, Davis. The tree, being too large for the yard or garden, is bet- 
 ter suited to country homes. It bears heavily in the interior valleys ; 
 but the nuts are small and usually hard-shelled. Note the many im- 
 mature nuts still hanging on after the leaves have fallen. Pecan trees 
 are likely to continue growing until overtaken by frost. 
 
66 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 mercury or cyanide of mercury. Spraying is ineffective. Blight on large 
 branches may be treated by carefully shaving off the outer bark till the 
 area shows white, then painting with the solution first mentioned, to 
 which has been added glycerine to prevent evaporation before the dis- 
 infectant can strike in. The Bartlett variety is highly susceptible. 
 
 Codling moth is the worst insect of the pear throughout California; 
 for further discussion of this pest, see the section on the apple. 
 
 Pear thrips is a tiny insect that attacks the fruit buds, blossoms, and 
 fruit when they are very small, causing blemishes that may destroy the 
 fruit buds or ruin the pears. A 2% per cent nicotine dust is very effective 
 if the temperature is 70 degrees Fahrenheit or above and the air is still. 
 Derris products are also effective, either as sprays or as dusts. (See foot- 
 note 7, page 26.) Heavy watering of the trees in October tends to destroy 
 the hibernating pupae. 
 
 Italian pear scale occurs in colonies under the moss or old bark and 
 may cover the trunks and main branches. It may greatly weaken the 
 tree. Spray in January and February with heavy commercial oil emul- 
 sion. (See footnote 7, page 26.) Thoroughly drench the limbs and the 
 trunks. 
 
 Pecan. — Pecan trees grow so large that they are more adapted to waste 
 places along streams than to the home orchard (fig. 28). In the country, 
 however, one or two pecan trees might well be planted somewhere around 
 the farm buildings, as they make a fine shade when they grow up. Al- 
 though the seedlings will grow everywhere, the improved varieties do 
 not always thrive in the interior climate. The pecan, a deep-rooted, mois- 
 ture-loving tree, is unsuited to dry places or to places with an impervious 
 subsoil. Being extremely susceptible to little-leaf, it should be planted 
 only in the best of soils. Both seedlings and varieties ripen very late, 
 usually after the leaves are off. Some seedlings and occasionally a variety 
 do not ripen all their nuts. The Schley, an old favorite, comes into bear- 
 ing earlier than others. This and the Burkett make a good pair. The 
 Success and Nillis are suggested for the south. 
 
 Persimmon. — The Japanese or Oriental persimmon is very desirable 
 in a home planting; the trees not only bear heavily of delicious fruit but 
 are very ornamental (fig. 29) . They need no attention except some trim- 
 ming to keep them shapely and well balanced to avoid breakage. Inter- 
 fering branches should be removed early. The persimmon will stand a 
 temperature of degrees Fahrenheit. Though it thrives best in the in- 
 terior valley, it may be grown fairly well all over the state ; it succeeds 
 under widely varying conditions of soil and climate. In planting, a 
 deeper hole will be necessary than for other deciduous trees except wal- 
 
Home Fruit Growing 67 
 
 nuts and pecans, for it is likely to have a rather long taproot. Hachiya 
 and Tanenashi are the leading varieties. The fruit must be served soft 
 ripe; only then does the astringency disappear. One can remove the 
 astringency artificially and still retain the firmness by placing the fruit 
 in a tight container and exposing it to the fumes of alcohol for about 10 
 days. The Fuyu, a nonastringent variety, can be taken right off the tree 
 and eaten like an apple ; but, since it is not a popular market sort, trees 
 
 Fig. 29. — Japanese persimmon trees. At the left is the variety Hachiya, and at 
 the right, Fuyu. The fruit of the latter is nonastringent and can be picked and 
 eaten like apples. 
 
 are difficult to obtain. Unfortunately it does not seem to live so long as the 
 others on the common rootstocks. 
 
 Pistachio. — The pistachio tree (Pistacia vera), which bears the small 
 nuts often used for flavoring ice cream, is easy to grow especially in the 
 interior of the state. The trees may attain a height of 25 or 30 feet, 
 though 20 feet would be an average size. Since the pistachio is dioe- 
 cious — that is, has the male and female flowers on separate trees — one 
 must plant two trees, selecting the pistillate, or female, for its nut-bear- 
 ing qualities. The variety Bronte is suggested, with Kaz as a pollinizer. If 
 one of the branches is grafted to a pollinating sort, only one tree will 
 be necessary. T"he tree is free from enemies. Because of delayed foliation, 
 it is not adaptable to the valley floors of southern California. 
 
 Plum and Prune.— The prune is merely a type of plum with a high 
 sugar content, that ripens on the tree and drops off of its own weight. 
 It may then be dried in the sun, preferably having first been passed over 
 a needle board to puncture the skin, which facilitates the drying process. 
 Plums, on the other hand, will not dry without fermenting around the 
 
68 California Agricultural Extension Service [ Cir - 117 
 
 pit. Growers who market prunes commercially clip them first in hot lye, 
 then in clear water; pass them over the needle board; and finally place 
 them on the drying trays. Care of prune trees is exactly the same as 
 for plums. 
 
 We are concerned with three distinct types of plums. The first is the 
 European plum, which includes all the so-called "blue" plums so largely 
 shipped to eastern markets and also includes the prunes. The second is 
 the Oriental or Japanese plum, the so-called "red," early-blooming sort 
 that includes many popular shipping varieties. The third type might in 
 general be called the native American plum, of which there are several 
 subtypes and many different species. 
 
 All the plum trees are hardy. The Japanese type, however, because of 
 its early-blooming habit, is unadapted to the higher elevations. It does 
 not thrive along the coast or in the coastal valleys, but it is at home in the 
 interior and fairly so in the foothills. The European type thrives wonder- 
 fully well in all the coastal valleys and may be grown up to an altitude of 
 2,000 feet in the mountains. It also does well in the interior. The native 
 American plums are best adapted to mountain regions; some of the wild 
 ones, native to California, will fruit at altitudes of from 5,000 to 6,000 
 feet. The native eastern plums of the Wild Goose type would do well up 
 to 3,000 or 4,000 feet. Although they will grow in the interior valleys, it 
 is not advisable to plant them there, for the European and Japanese 
 types are much better. 
 
 Plums of all kinds are usually propagated on myrobalan plum stock, 
 a moisture-loving plant. They will stand much wetter locations than 
 peaches and nectarines but will not live where water stands in the soil 
 for more than a few days at a time. Of their numerous enemies, none are 
 serious enough to prevent culture of the tree in the home garden. 
 
 Prunes make good plums for eating out of hand if one likes a very 
 sweet fruit. The French variety thrives everywhere, but the fruit is 
 small. For the table the Sugar would perhaps be more satisfactory. The 
 fruit of the Imperial is very large, but the trees are inclined to be shy 
 bearers. Tragedy, which is self -sterile, and Grand Duke, are excellent 
 blue varieties and they pollinate each other. The Burton (used either 
 as a plum or a prune), is large and of good quality. The Santa Rosa, 
 Satsuma, and Elephant Heart are three good Japanese plums. The Ele- 
 phant Heart, the last plum originated by Burbank (it was introduced 
 after his death), is regarded by some as his best for eating purposes. It 
 is very large, deep red, and red-fleshed. Unfortunately it does not set 
 fruit from its own pollen; and since no satisfactory pollinating variety 
 has been found thus far, it is apt to be a shy bearer. Also, being a patented 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 69 
 
 Fig. 30. — Mature prime tree. Note the extensive system of fruit-bearing spurs. 
 There are too many small branches. The top is too dense, and the spurs in the interior 
 are losing their vigor. (From Ext. Cir. 41.) 
 
70 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 variety, it costs more than ordinary trees. The Satsuma also has red flesh 
 and is a favorite for cooking. At high altitudes plant Primus subcordata, 
 the wild Sierra plum that is famous for jelly-making purposes. 
 
 In the south most of the Japanese plums do fairly well. For all-round 
 planting the Santa Rosa is the most satisfactory, producing a crop regu- 
 larly under warm valley conditions. The Beauty, Becky Smith, Burbank, 
 and Abundance, properly paired for pollination, would also be accept- 
 able. The Sugar prune will also tolerate southern climatic conditions, 
 but the Italian prune and the others of its group are not adapted to the 
 warm southern valleys. For other varieties of plums and prunes, see the 
 tabulated lists, pages 79 and 80. 
 
 Plums bear most of their fruit on spurs but some of it on one-year 
 wood as with the peach. As the spurs generally live five to eight years, 
 these fruits, except the Japanese plum, require lighter pruning than the 
 apricot. Unless the trees are lacking in vigor, the pruning for plums 
 should be mostly a "thinning-out." From 12 to 24 inches of new growth 
 each year is a desirable amount under most conditions. 
 
 In its fruiting habit the prune resembles the other plums except that 
 as the trees become older the fruit is borne almost entirely upon spurs 
 (fig. 30). The reason, of course, is partly the method of pruning com- 
 monly employed. A regular light thinning of the smaller branches (% 
 inch or less in diameter) is better than the spasmodic heavy pruning 
 often given to bearing prune trees. The spurs in old trees are often long, 
 slender, and much branched, in need of a thinning out and a cutting back 
 to one of the more vigorous branches of the spur. The desirable amount 
 of new growth is about the same as with almonds. The Sugar variety, be- 
 cause of its brittle wood and its tendency to overbear in alternate years, 
 must be pruned more severely than others (fig. 31) . Because most Japan- 
 ese varieties tend to overbear, pruning is somewhat heavier than with 
 European varieties except the Sugar prune. Judicious pruning will 
 materially reduce the amount of hand-thinning of the fruit (fig. 32). 
 Trees growing on the shallower or drier soils may require relatively 
 heavy cutting to reduce the yield and increase the size of the fruit. On 
 the early training of the trees see pages 15 to 20. 
 
 Armillaria, or oak-root fungus, is discussed under the almond ; brown 
 apricot scale under apricot; and the red-humped caterpillar under the 
 apple. 
 
 Red spiders are somewhat pale-green or yellow mites that appear in 
 mid- and late summer and greatly damage plum and prune trees by 
 causing the leaves to fall prematurely. Dusting and spraying as recom- 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 71 
 
 mended for the almond mite should be done very thoroughly and con- 
 tinued until the first good rains occur in the fall. 
 
 The Italian pear scale is discussed in the section on the pear. 
 
 The mealy plum louse is a pale-green aphid covered with a fine white 
 mealy wax; it collects in great numbers on the undersides of tender 
 
 wml 
 
 Fig. 31. — Because of its brittle wood and its tendency to overbear in alternate 
 years, with consequent breakage of branches, the Sugar prune must be pruned more 
 severely every year than other plum varieties of the European type. Tree shown before 
 and after pruning. 
 
 leaves and shoots in May and June. The eggs may be destroyed by tar oil 
 emulsion or dinitro (short name for dinitro-o-cyclohexylphenol) during 
 the dormant period (see footnote 7, page 26). Spraying with 1% to 2 
 gallons of light summer oil and % pint of nicotine sulfate to 100 gallons 
 of water as the leaves begin to curl will control the aphids after the 
 eggs hatch. 
 
 Plumcot. — Beginning in 1901 and through succeeding years Burbank 
 advertised several varieties of "plumcot," a cross between an apricot 
 and a Japanese plum. Since then M. Sharpe and R. E. Burton of Vaca- 
 ville, California, have made the same cross. The fruits are characteris- 
 tically large but often resemble the apricot externally ; the skin is fuzzy 
 as in that fruit, but the color may range from bright yellow to mottled 
 red. The flesh also has similar variations in color. The quality in the dif- 
 
72 
 
 California Agricultural Extension Service [ Cir - H7 
 
 Fig. 32. — A dooryard Japanese plum tree, variety Satsuma, after pruning. 
 Note that all the principal branches are clothed with fruit-bearing spurs. Severe 
 hand-thinning may be necessary to keep the fruit from being too small. 
 
Home Fruit Growing 73 
 
 f erent varieties ranges from very good to poor. The Apex, formerly listed 
 as a plumcot, is now regarded as a plum, and the Yakimene as an apricot. 
 Still rated as plumcots are the Rutland, Sharpe, and Stanford. The cul- 
 tural requirements are the same as for the apricot. 
 
 Pomegranate. — The pomegranate is usually planted as an ornamen- 
 tal; it makes a sturdy shrub 6 to 10 feet high that may be trained as a 
 bush or left to spread from the crown and become a clump. The large, 
 red flowers, lasting several weeks, are highly attractive ; and the numer- 
 ous fruits are showy, particularly those that turn red in autumn. The 
 fruits may be 3 to 4 inches in diameter and are almost the shape of an 
 apple. They contain a great mass of hard seeds; but the tissues surround- 
 ing these are filled with a sweetish, highly acid, somewhat astringent 
 juice, which when squeezed out makes a sprightly drink. The pome- 
 granate thrives in almost any part of California where the temperature 
 does not go much below freezing. It has no serious enemies. The Wonder- 
 ful is a variety with highly colored fruit. 
 
 Prune. — For a discussion of prunes see the section on the plum. 
 
 Quince. — The quince is hardy in all climates where ordinary fruits 
 can be grown. Because of its late-blooming habit, it escapes spring frost. 
 Although it does best in a good soil, it withstands more abuse than most 
 fruits and is therefore often grown in spots unadapted to other trees. 
 It has no serious enemies and requires little priming except a slight 
 annual trimming to remove interfering branches (fig. 33). The Smyrna 
 would perhaps be the best single variety. 
 
 Raspberry. — There are two kinds of raspberries — the red and the so- 
 called "black-cap" or "purple-cane." The red raspberries are adapted to 
 the entire coastal region, do fairly well in the interior valleys, and are 
 hardy even in the mountains. They are planted in rows 6 feet apart and 
 3 feet apart in the row. Being upright growers, they need no trellising. 
 They spread from the roots and will soon form a solid hedge. Each 
 year, after the fruit is harvested, the old canes should be cut out. Prun- 
 ing will consist of tipping the sprouts when 18 inches high to cause them 
 to branch. Then, in winter, the side branches should be tipped. Only 
 enough fruiting canes should be left to permit them all to assume their 
 natural habit of growth. A little experience will teach how many to leave 
 for best fruiting results. 
 
 Perhaps the best red raspberry would be the Ranere, sometimes known 
 as St. Regis, which under coastal conditions produces a fall as well as a 
 summer crop. The Cuthbert, also known as Cassberry, is especially popu- 
 lar in the southern part of the state. 
 
 Black-cap raspberries thrive only in a coastal climate or in the moun- 
 
74 
 
 California Agricultural Extension Service t ClR - 117 
 
 tains. In habit they are semitrailing, and the branch system may be sup- 
 ported on a single wire 4% feet high or on a two-wire horizontal trellis 
 of the same height. The vines spread only if the tips of the drooping 
 branches are allowed to touch the ground and take root; otherwise they 
 
 VmS-P? 
 
 A**;* 
 
 jSS*JIeI? 
 
 Fig. 33. — Mature quince tree, variety Burbank. Note the character- 
 istic warty growths on the main branches. This is not a diseased con- 
 dition. 
 
 remain in hills 4 to 6 feet apart as originally planted. The rows should 
 be 6 feet apart. 
 
 In early summer of the first season, when the canes are about 2 feet 
 high, they are tipped to cause them to branch. At the main pruning, 
 which takes place after the leaves are off, the excess canes are cut out; 
 and the side branches of those remaining are shortened back to 6-inch 
 stubs. About five canes should be left for fruiting purposes. For addi- 
 tional information on pruning, see the section on blackberry. 
 
 The black-cap raspberries, though somewhat seedy, are juicy and 
 
Home Fruit Growing 75 
 
 finely flavored. In the market, they bring a much higher price than the 
 red raspberry. They are very popular for jams and jellies, whereas the 
 red raspberries are too soft for cooking. The latter are usually served 
 fresh with sugar and cream. The best variety of black-cap is perhaps the 
 Munger. 
 
 Although raspberries have several enemies, verticillium wilt is per- 
 haps the worst. Since this is a soil disease carried by potatoes and toma- 
 toes, raspberries should never be planted where these crops have been 
 grown within the past several years. There is no good remedy except to 
 cut out affected parts and burn them and also to rake up and burn the 
 dead leaves. Disease and insect control are discussed under blackberry. 
 
 Strawberry. — This delicious fruit has a place in any home planting. 
 Fortunately it thrives even where there is much snow and heavy freezing 
 weather, provided the plants are covered, while the ground is frozen, 
 with a 4-inch layer of clean straw. If early irrigation is unnecessary or 
 if the watering can be done by sprinklers, the mulch can be left on until 
 after the fruit is harvested. Be careful to secure young plants with white 
 roots for setting out. They may be planted 14 inches apart in a row; or 
 staggered on a raised ridge 12 or 14 inches wide; or in solid beds, which 
 may or may not be raised. In any case, they will soon cover all the space 
 not used for cultivation. 
 
 The strawberry spreads by means of runners, which creep along the 
 ground and take root at every other joint. The object of growing the 
 berries on a raised ridge is to make it easy to irrigate them without wet- 
 ting the leaves and fruit, by allowing the water to flow in the ditches 
 between the rows. If they are grown in beds, a levee can be thrown up 
 around them, and water supplied by flooding; but this arrangement will 
 ruin much of the fruit, which becomes dirty or rots when in contact 
 with the wet soil. 
 
 In the East mostly a one-crop variety is grown. Everbearing sorts are 
 also available that can be relied upon to produce both a summer and a 
 fall crop. In California are varieties that might be called true ever- 
 bearers, fruiting continuously throughout the season. 
 
 Klondike is the standard variety for the southern part of the state. 
 The fruit is of medium size, but becomes small at the end of the season. 
 It produces heavily in the spring but has no fall crop. For the central 
 coastal region the Marshall (Banner) would be satisfactory. The fruit 
 is medium to large, conical, often rough with an irregular surface, and 
 deep red, with a tendency to remain white on the unexposed side; the 
 quality is excellent. Marshall is very susceptible to the yellows and 
 crinkle diseases but resistant to verticillium wilt. It does reasonably well 
 
76 California Agricultural Extension Service [ Cir - 117 
 
 on heavy or moderately wet soil. A standard variety, it is more widely 
 used than any other in the central valley section and northern part of 
 California. In the central part of the state, including the Sacramento 
 district, the Oregon, of the same type and general appearance, is also 
 very popular. Among the everbearers, Rockhill 26 is highest in qual- 
 ity but is susceptible to the verticil] ium disease. The berries are medium 
 to large, of good appearance. The variety forms few or no runners 
 and can therefore be planted in hills 2 to 3 feet apart. To propagate 
 it one must subdivide the old plants, using the newest and whitest parts. 
 The Rockhill will bear itself to death very promptly unless disbudded 
 until the plants are at least 3 months old, stand 8 inches high, and have 
 a spread of 1 foot. The worst disease of strawberries is the verticillium 
 wilt. Diseased plants must be dug out. Do not plant strawberries where 
 tomatoes or potatoes have been grown, as this is a soil disease carried by 
 these crops. 
 
 Walnut. — The walnut thrives both under coastal and interior-valley 
 conditions, also on mountain slopes and in mountain valleys up to 3,000 
 feet elevation. In high places where there is danger of late spring frost, 
 however, late-blooming varieties like the Franquette should be planted. 
 Since walnuts form large spreading trees, they are unadapted to the 
 home garden and are best planted in the barnyard or along avenues for 
 their shade (fig. 34). The tree is not exacting as to soil, but it must be 
 watered a few times during the year in order to produce good crops. 
 Though the walnut is affected with certain pests like codling moth, 
 aphids, and a blight disease that attacks the twigs, leaves, and fruit, little 
 control work can be done by the home owner, because the trees are too 
 large to be sprayed except with a power outfit. 
 
 In planting a walnut, perhaps the safest plan for the beginner would 
 be to cut the tree back to two or three buds (8 to 12 inches from the 
 ground) and grow a new head by leaving only one sprout (fig. 1). The 
 others should be retarded by pinching out the tips during the early sum- 
 mer. In planting, deep holes may be necessary, as the trees may come 
 from the nursery with a long taproot. The trees should not be allowed to 
 head out too low if it is desired to have the branches high enough to walk 
 beneath them. The walnut is peculiar in that the tips do not continue in 
 the direction they start : new growth each spring comes from a bud a few 
 or several inches back from the terminal, and on the underside. After a 
 few years a branch will be almost horizontal to the tree; and under its 
 own weight, plus a crop of nuts, it will soon sag almost to the ground. If 
 the top is not cut back the tree will branch naturally. Branches lower 
 than 5 or 6 feet may be cut away the second year, the terminal being 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 77 
 
 allowed to continue growing. Where possible, the branches should be 
 spaced 18 inches apart. To prevent breakage from the wind the first 
 year, the tree should be tied to a stout stake. 
 
 Later pruning of the walnut should be moderate. Remove superfluous 
 and interfering branches while small and always when dormant. To cut 
 
 Fig. 34. — Concord walnut seventeen years old. The trees grow 
 too large for most dooryards. 
 
 off branches 4 inches in diameter or larger is hazardous because the 
 wounds may heal with difficulty. In the home orchard the first two years 
 will determine the branch arrangement and the shape of the tree. If this 
 preliminary work has been carefully done, little pruning will be neces- 
 sary thereafter. 
 
78 California Agricultural Extension Service [ Cir - n ? 
 
 For home use in the Sacramento and San Joaquin valleys and in the 
 north coastal region, the French varieties are generally best : they are 
 high in quality, resistant to blight and codling moth, and not often in- 
 jured by frost. This group includes Franquette, Mayette, and many 
 varieties developed as seedlings from these and related sorts such as 
 Treat Franquette, Hartley, San Jose Mayette, and Triple-X Mayette. 
 This last is a good pollinizer for the Treat. The Eureka, although a some- 
 what unreliable bearer, has certain advantages for home planting in 
 northern California : it produces a large nut of good quality, with a hard 
 shell and a very tight seal that largely resists the invasion of the storage 
 moth. The Concord, though of lower quality than those mentioned, is 
 extensively planted in the Sacramento Valley because it is easily grown 
 and bears well. For southern California the Placentia and Chase are 
 recommended, but they must be budded on white-walnut root. 
 
 Crown rot is beginning to be the most destructive disease of the wal- 
 nut, for it attacks trees on black-walnut root. It kills many trees in home 
 plantings each year, particularly when it is grown on a lawn or with 
 flowers or vegetables and is therefore watered frequently. The disease 
 is caused by a soil fungus that attacks the bark of the crown just below 
 ground. Wet soil may cause rapid development of the disease. Trees 
 grown on white (English) stock or Paradox hybrids are more resistant 
 than the northern California black. Remedial measures would be to keep 
 irrigation water well away from the crown or to remove the soil from 
 around the crown so that the part can dry out quickly. If an open hole 
 is undesirable, it may be filled with stones, which would allow free circu- 
 lation of air. 
 
 Walnut blight is another destructive disease. Though it varies con- 
 siderably in severity from year to year, it is usually worse in the foggy 
 coastal districts than in the inland valleys. A bacterial disease, it attacks 
 the young and tender growth as well as the more mature wood, blacken- 
 ing and killing the affected areas. It also attacks the nuts, making them 
 turn black and drop off when very small. It causes full-sized nuts to be- 
 come blanks, or spoils their appearance by staining the shell. It shows 
 on the nut as black spots, most prevalent at the blossom end but often 
 scattered over the entire surface. Unfortunately there is no specific 
 remedy. 
 
 Codling moth is a major insect pest of the walnut in the south, al- 
 though fortunately it has not yet become prevalent in all parts of the 
 state. Every variety is attacked; but Placentia, Chase, and Payne are the 
 most susceptible, whereas Eureka and Franquette appear more resist- 
 ant. Spray with basic lead arsenate at the rate of 4 to 5 pounds to 100 
 
Home Fruit Growing 79 
 
 gallons of water. If aphids are present add % to 1 pint of nicotine sul- 
 fate. If spraying is impracticable, dust with a mixture of basic lead 
 arsenate (see footnote 13, page 63) mixed with dehydrated lime at the 
 rate of 40 per cent of poison to 60 per cent of the lime by weight. 
 
 Red spider occurs occasionally in the dry, interior valleys during mid- 
 and late summer on trees where soil moisture is deficient. The only safe 
 treatment is to use a dust based on a dinitro compound (see page 71). 
 Sulfur dust, though effective, burns the foliage. 
 
 Walnut aphid ranks second to the codling moth as a walnut pest. The 
 insects not only withdraw considerable sap from the twigs but give off 
 a honeydew in which grows a sooty-mold fungus. They cause heavy 
 dropping of the leaves during midseason, and this may result in sun- 
 burning of the nuts and possibly of the main branches. Four to 5 per 
 cent nicotine dust is perhaps the most practical remedial treatment (see 
 footnote 7, page 26) . 
 
 Young Berry. — For a discussion of Young berry, see the section on the 
 blackberry. 
 
 CONDENSED PLANTING LISTS OF FRUITS AND NUTS 
 
 For convenience in making up planting lists, the desirable varieties for 
 the different climatic regions of California are herewith presented in 
 tabular form. In the first two lists the fruits are arranged in the order 
 of their importance and the varieties are given in the order of time of 
 ripening. Pears and apples are not included in the valley regions because 
 of the difficulty in controlling the codling moth and fire blight. 
 
 Varieties for a One-Acre Home Orchard in the Central and Northern Coastal 
 Region and Low Mountains (Up to 3,000 Feet) 
 
 Apple 2 each of Red June, Yellow Transparent, Gravenstein, 
 
 Golden Delicious, Grimes Golden, Jonathan, Delicious, 
 Spitzenburg, Yellow Newtown, and Winesap. 
 
 Plum 2 each of Beauty, Santa Rosa, Burbank, Tragedy, Satsuma, 
 
 Elephant Heart (only if a pollinizer can be assured), 
 Yellow Egg, and President. (The Tragedy is self -sterile 
 but is pollinated by the Sugar prune, mentioned below.) 
 
 Cherry 2 each of Black Tartarian, Royal Ann (Napoleon), and 
 
 Montmorency. 
 
 Apricot 2 each of Royal and Moorpark. 
 
 Pear 2 each of Bartlett and Cornice. 
 
 Prune 2, French, and 1 each of Burton and Sugar. (The Sugar is 
 
 a satisfactory pollinizer for the Tragedy plum.) 
 
 Walnut 1 each of Treat Franquette, Triple-X Mayette, Eureka, and 
 
 Concord. 
 
80 California Agricultural Extension Service t ClR - 117 
 
 Quince 2, Smyrna. 
 
 Chestnut 2, Italian seedlings. 
 
 Persimmon 1 each of Hachiya, Tanenashi, and Fuyu. 
 
 Filbert 2, Barcelona; 2, Du Chilly; and 1, White Aveline. 
 
 Blackberry 5 each of Lawton, Crandall (Macatawa), Himalaya, Mam- 
 moth, and 10, Boysen. 
 
 Currant 5, Perfection. 
 
 Gooseberry 5, Houghton. 
 
 Raspberry 10, Ranere (St. Regis). 
 
 Peach 1 or 2 each of St. John, White Heath, and Salwey. Planting 
 
 not recommended except in warm spots or well away from 
 direct influence of the ocean (cold winds, summer fogs), 
 or at altitudes well below 2,000 feet. 
 
 Grape Same conditions as for peach. Two or 3 each of Pearl of 
 
 Csaba, Chasselas dore, Concord, Pierce, Niagara, and 
 Iona. The last 4 are slip-skin or eastern varieties. 
 
 Varieties for a One- Acre Home Orchard in the Sacramento and San Joaquin 
 Valleys and Adjacent Foothills 
 
 Peach 2 each of Florence, Hale Early, Triumph, St. John, Ideal, 
 
 J. H. Hale, Curry, White Heath, Paloro, and Salwey. 
 
 Plum 2 each of Beauty, Santa Rosa, Burbank, Tragedy, Satsuma, 
 
 Yellow Egg, Elephant Heart (only if a pollinizer can be 
 assured), and President. (The Sugar prune, mentioned 
 below, is a satisfactory pollinizer for the Tragedy plum.) 
 
 Nectarine 2 each of John Rivers, Gold Mine, Gower, and Victoria. 
 
 Almond 2, Nonpareil, and 1 each of Ne Plus Ultra and Jordanolo. 
 
 Apricot 2, Royal, and 1 each of Tilton and Moorpark. 
 
 Cherry 2 each of Royal Ann (Napoleon), Black Tartarian, and 
 
 Montmorency. 
 
 Prune 1 each of French, Burton, and Sugar. (The Sugar will serve 
 
 as a pollinizer for the Tragedy plum.) 
 
 Walnut 1 each of Treat Franquette, Triple-X Mayette, Eureka, and 
 
 Concord. 
 
 Persimmon 1 each of Hachiya, Tanenashi, and Fuyu. 
 
 Fig 1 each of Mission and Kadota. 
 
 Quince 1, Smyrna. 
 
 Grape 2 each of Thompson Seedless, Red Malaga (Molinera), 
 
 Ribier, Muscat of Alexandria, Flame Tokay (Sacramento 
 and San Joaquin counties only), Olivette Blanche, and 
 Emperor. 
 
Home Fruit Growing 81 
 
 Varieties for a Home Orchard (op No Particular Size), in the Coast and 
 Valley Areas of California South of the Tehachapi Eange 
 
 Apple Winter Banana, White Pearmain, Bed Astrachan. 
 
 Apricot Boyal, Newcastle. 
 
 Cherry Morello (sour). 
 
 Fig Turkey (Brown Turkey), Kadota, White Genoa, Mission. 
 
 Peach CO. Smith, Babcock, Lukens Honey. 
 
 Pear Bartlett, with Winter Nelis as a pollinizer, Flemish Beauty. 
 
 Plum Santa Kosa and Beauty (both should be planted to insure 
 
 pollination). 
 
 Persimmon Hachiya, Fuyu (on rootstock of Diospyros virginiana). 
 
 Quince Smyrna. 
 
 Grape Pierce, Niagara, Thompson Seedless. 
 
 Almond Nonpareil and Ne Plus Ultra (both should be planted to in- 
 sure pollination). 
 
 Pecan Success, Nillis. 
 
 Walnut Placentia. 
 
 Blackberry Crandall (Macatawa), Boysen, Logan (Thornless), Young. 
 
 Raspberry Cuthbert. 
 
 Strawberry Dorsett, Eockhill. 
 
 Avocado Fuerte, Mexicola, Anaheim. 
 
 Cherimoya Booth, Deliciosa. 
 
 Orange Washington Navel, Valencia. 
 
 Lemon Eureka, Meyer. 
 
 Grapefruit Marsh. 
 
 Lime Bearss. 
 
 Tangerine Dancy, Clementine. 
 
 Feijoa Coolidge, Superba (both necessary to insure pollination). 
 
 Guava Strawberry. 
 
 Loquat Early Eed, Champagne, Premier, Thales. 
 
 Pomegranate Papershell. 
 
 White sapote Pike, Suebelle. 
 
 DWARF FRUIT TREES 
 
 In this country comparatively few persons have explored the possibili- 
 ties of dwarf fruit trees for the home garden. In Europe the partial 
 dwarfing of peaches and pears and the complete dwarfing of apples are 
 common practices. Europeans have also perfected special methods of 
 training known as espalier and cordon, with numerous variations, which 
 cause the trees so treated to be smaller than normal. Climatic conditions 
 of western and southern Europe are very well adapted to fruit growing, 
 
82 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 and the people as a whole are far more garden-minded than we are. 
 Since, however, land is scarce and the average citizen with a tiny garden 
 wants to grow as many things as possible, dwarf fruit trees seem to have 
 been the answer to his problem. 
 
 Most if not all of our deciduous trees are reduced below their normal 
 size in three general ways : by heavy pruning, especially in summer ; by 
 partially starving the roots by confining them in pots or boxes; or by 
 grafting them upon the roots of other trees that naturally grow more 
 slowly or remain smaller. The use of dwarf or partially dwarfing stocks 
 is the method chiefly employed both here and abroad, although careful 
 pruning is important in holding down excessive wood growth and in 
 keeping dwarfed trees both small and fruitful. 
 
 Although pears are commonly grown as dwarfs in this country, dwarf 
 apples are seldom seen. In Europe peach trees are reduced in size in 
 order to adapt them to cold foggy climates by growing them against 
 walls or under glass. The small need for such special-purpose trees in 
 this country accounts for their scarcity. 
 
 Dwarfing a tree is popularly supposed to shorten its life. This is not 
 necessarily true, although in practice dwarf trees are often permitted to 
 overbear and consequently do not live so long as they might otherwise 
 do. Under expert management such as English and French gardeners 
 give their trees, dwarf pears, for example, may live to a ripe old age. 
 
 Dwarf Apples. — The Paradise apple, a natural dwarf, serves as a stock 
 for reducing the size of any variety of apple grafted upon it. On this 
 stock trees may be so much reduced in size that they can be grown in 
 10- or 12-inch flower pots. If planted in the ground they will range in 
 height from 3 to 6 feet, the height depending upon the variety (fig. 35). 
 The training they receive — that is, the kind of pruning — has much to do 
 with their size. The Doucin apple is a natural half -dwarf. Varieties 
 grafted upon that root attain about half their normal size. 
 
 Dwarf apples are trained to various shapes. The young trees are often 
 set 2 or 3 feet apart and made fast to a three-wire trellis for no particular 
 purpose except the ornamental effect they give. They are generally tilted 
 over at an angle of about 65 degrees and kept pruned to a system of spurs 
 (fig. 36). They will begin bearing the second year. This is a favorite 
 method of training in the English fruit gardens, but the trees require 
 much detailed attention. It would be safer for the amateur to set them 
 about 4 feet apart. 
 
 Another method of training, a favorite in Continental gardens, is the 
 "cordon" style. This requires one-year-old trees with straight trunks 5 or 
 6 feet long and, if possible, without branches. They are planted against 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 83 
 
 a single-wire trellis 18 to 20 inches from the ground and about 6 feet 
 apart. Beginning at one end of the row, the gardener bends the tree 
 over as nearly as possible to a right-angle turn, ties it to a stake to hold 
 the stem upright, and also ties it to the wire to hold it in a horizontal 
 position. He then treats the next tree similarly and so on, with all trees 
 pointing in the same direction except that the one at the end may be 
 
 ■ %$Nlfc« 
 
 
 \M* ^^^^^S^^ 
 
 
 
 rT -»* : / - k - "'■■ -,V V '■*<■* vN * 
 
 
 
 Fig. 35. — Dwarf apple tree, variety Lane's Prince Albert, on Paradise root. 
 The tree is about five years old and 6 or 7 feet high. East Mailing Research 
 Station, East Mailing, Kent, England. 
 
 pointed the opposite way. When the first tree in the row has grown until 
 it reaches the second, it is grafted into the trunk on a level with the wire. 
 The others are treated the same except that the end tree, which has been 
 turned in the opposite direction, will be grafted into the tip of the tree 
 that it meets rather than into the trunk. The trees, when grown together, 
 form a living cordon both unique and ornamental (fig. 37) . Such cordons 
 are used as borders for driveways and garden paths. They must be kept 
 carefully pruned, as nearly as possible to a system of spurs. Much sum- 
 mer pruning may be necessary; with European gardeners, this consists 
 mostly of pinching out terminal buds and undesirable twig growth. 
 
 Dwarf apple trees usually bear too heavily but, if judiciously thinned, 
 will produce larger fruit than the same variety does on standard roots. 
 Even with only fair treatment, dwarf apples should live for twenty-five 
 years, provided they are kept fertilized, are properly pruned, and are 
 
84 
 
 California Agricultural Extension Service 
 
 [Cm. 117 
 
 not allowed to overbear — the last being the most important. Under ideal 
 conditions they will live much longer. In a dry climate, since the root 
 system is small and shallow, they must be carefully watered. If treated 
 as border plants and watered accordingly, they should grow satisfac- 
 torily. If allowed to suffer for water even for a few days, however, they 
 may be sunburned at the point where they are bent over and thus be- 
 come infested with flat-headed apple tree borers, which will quickly 
 
 Fig. 36. — Dwarf apple trees beginning to bear one year after planting. 
 Trained to a three-wire trellis. East Mailing Research Station, East Mailing, 
 Kent, England. 
 
 girdle the trunk. Along the coast or in the coastal valleys it should be 
 
 easy to grow apples "cordon" style or in any other dwarf form. 
 
 On the Pacific Coast there is a growing interest in espaliered apple 
 trees; such trees are offered for sale already trained in various shapes 
 and designs. They are growing in boxes of soil and, when planted, will 
 bear the same year, as the roots may be three or four years old. They 
 may be trained on a wire trellis or against a wall. In Europe, on the 
 other hand, the present writer did not notice a single espaliered apple 
 tree during 30 months of travel and sojourn in a dozen different coun- 
 tries. Though there may be some, they are certainly not common, 
 whereas espaliered pears are universal. In California, however, the 
 apple would be safer than the pear for espaliers because of the danger 
 of pear blight, a disease that is not a problem in Europe. 
 
 Dwarf Pears. — The pear is dwarfed by budding or grafting it upon 
 quince root, the Angers quince being the stock generally used. Pears so 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 85 
 
 grafted may be purchased from almost any nursery. The Bartlett, a 
 popular pear, will not make a good direct union with the quince. The 
 tree, therefore, is double- worked by grafting the quince to a Hardy 
 or some other variety that does make a good union, letting it grow 
 one season, then grafting it to a Bartlett. Dwarf pears are trained 
 in various ways. In this country they are planted in orchard form 12 
 
 Fig. 37.— Apples trained cordon style; age four years. The tree at the right, 
 variety Gravenstein, bore seven apples the second year after planting in Davis. 
 When the horizontal-growing trees meet, they are grafted into each other to 
 form a living cordon. 
 
 to 16 feet apart each way and then handled like standard trees. They 
 will attain a height of 10 feet or perhaps more but can be kept smaller 
 by pruning. In European gardens they are always grown espalier style 
 and trained in various ways, some truly fantastic. One common method 
 is to flatten them against a garden wall or against the individual spikes 
 of a picket fence. Manv ornate iron fences surrounding parks or public 
 gardens have pear trees trained against them. Perhaps the tree will be 
 caused to fork, forming many branches near the ground, each of which 
 is trained against a separate picket (fig. 38). Another geometric form 
 is that of the "specimen" tree, which stands in the open with the branches 
 trained to grow on the horizontal in four directions. The tree is tied to 
 a small post, which is made the center of a trellis running in two direc- 
 tions — say east and west, and north and south. The trellis will consist 
 of several wires (five to eight) 12 or 15 inches apart. When the horizontal 
 branches have reached a length of about 3 or 4 feet they are caused to 
 turn upward by being bound to a stake. Upon reaching the next branch 
 
86 California Agricultural Extension Service [Cir. 117 
 
 Fig. 38. — -Espaliered pears at the Experiment Station of the Province of 
 Saxony. The branches are trained against an ornate picket fence. The diagram 
 shows in detail how the trees are trained. 
 
E^pj§^§^ 
 
 SSa&.lk^^aE RHv 1 ^iiiiWilMr 
 
 Jim) ^I^^S 
 am % / -11 t. 
 
 
 m «i~, : t'-Jl 
 
 
 Fig. 39. — Pear tree with branches trained to grow horizontally in 
 four directions from the trunk. When a branch has reached the re- 
 quired length, it is caused to turn upward and grafted into the next 
 branch above. See the diagram for the complete plan. 
 
88 California Agricultural Extension Service [ Cir - H7 
 
 above, they are grafted into it. If the work is carefully done the trees, at 
 about eight or ten years of age, present a striking effect (fig. 39). 
 
 Another common way of training pears is to plant them along a five- 
 wire trellis and to train the branches so that they will grow in a hori- 
 zontal position in two directions (fig. 40) . When the branches meet they 
 are grafted together, thus forming a series of living cordons across the 
 garden. In this country, where pear blight is prevalent, only the most 
 resistant varieties should be used for espalier purposes. 
 
 Fig. 40. — A single tree in a row of old pear trees in the town of West Mailing, 
 Kent, England. The branches, trained originally on wires, are now supported by 
 stakes. When the ends of the branches met, they were grafted together, which formed 
 a series of living cordons across the garden. Growth has been reduced to a system of 
 spurs. Heavy fruit-bearing discourages shoot growth. The English climate is not 
 favorable to pear blight. 
 
 Espaliered Peaches. — The peach is considerably dwarfed by budding 
 it upon the St. Julien plum. This procedure reduces the size of the tree 
 by 40 to 50 per cent. If grown under glass for forcing fruit out of season, 
 the tree should be planted on the east, west, or south side of the room, 
 and the branches trained to rest as nearly as possible against the glass 
 (fig. 41). This is the method of growing hothouse peaches in England, 
 Belgium, and in other regions where there is much fog and cloudy 
 weather. 
 
 The most common use of dwarf peaches is to form espaliers against a 
 wall. The trees are caused to branch profusely at the ground, and these 
 branches are trained against the wall in the shape of a fan (fig. 42). 
 Fruit can be grown this way only in a cool climate, where, of course, a 
 south wall should be selected. In England, where the mean temperature 
 is too low to ripen peaches naturally, the wall is sometimes made hollow 
 
Home Fruit Growing 
 
 89 
 
 to permit of being heated. There is no reason why plum trees on St. 
 Julien stock should not also be grown as espaliers. By using Prunus 
 Besseyi, the Western sand cherry as a stock, one may reduce plum, 
 peach, and cherry trees to flower-pot size ; but they demand expert han- 
 dling and often disappoint the amateur. 
 
 Dwarf Cherries. — Sweet-cherry varieties are successfully dwarfed by 
 budding them upon the Stockton morello rootstock. In a wet or shallow 
 soil, where other cherry stocks do not thrive, trees can be held to a size 
 
 Fig. 41. — Example of peach tree grown for forcing purposes, in County Kent, 
 England. Note how the peach has overgrown the St. Julien rootstock. 
 
 of 8 or 10 feet if trained to a spreading rather than an upright habit of 
 growth. They begin bearing when three or four years of age. Their 
 tendency is to overbear, in which case the individual fruits may be 
 undersized. The remedy is to reduce the bearing wood by pruning. The 
 Chapman is the only variety tried that does not make a safe union with 
 the dwarfing stock. 
 
 Though the Stockton morello does not come true from seed, the sprouts 
 that arise about the trees make reliable stock for budding. One objection 
 to the morello stock is its habit of sprouting. Mahaleb cherry stock re- 
 duces the size of the trees considerably — though not nearly so much as 
 the morello — and does not sprout. Chapman and Burbank do not do well 
 on the mahaleb. 
 
 Difficulties Encountered in Growing Dwarf Trees. — Lest there be dis- 
 appointments in growing espaliered trees under California conditions, 
 a few difficulties should be mentioned. The first arises in connection with 
 spraying trees trained against buildings. Our two chief sprays are lime- 
 
90 
 
 California Agricultural Extension Service [ Cir - H' 
 
 sulfur and bordeaux mixture. The former would discolor an unpainted 
 wall and blacken a painted one because of a chemical action between the 
 sulfur in the spray and the lead in the paint; and the bordeaux would 
 stain either a painted or an unpainted surface a most unattractive dirty 
 green. 14 Spraying with arsenate of lead would leave no stain, but only a 
 
 Fig. 42. — Espaliered peach grown against the south side of a board fence at East 
 Mailing Research Station, East Mailing, Kent, England. Numerous wires attached 
 to the fence hold the branches in place. The root system of this tree was four or five 
 years old when transplanted from the nursery, where it had been espaliered. Being 
 balled, it did not suffer from transplanting. 
 
 light deposit of lime on the wood, which could be brushed off when dry 
 or washed off with a garden hose. Nicotine sulfate sprays used against 
 aphids would probably discolor the wood, particularly if a soap spreader 
 was used to make them stick. 
 
 The pear would be the safest fruit to flatten against a wooden wall, as 
 spraying could generally be limited to arsenate of lead against codling 
 moth to prevent wormy fruit. If the trees became infested with San Jose 
 scale or other scale insects, an oil spray could be carefully painted on 
 the trunk and branches with a brush. 
 
 14 A possible substitute for bordeaux would be the ammoniacal copper carbonate 
 solution sometimes used to spray ornamentals or fruit that is nearly ready to harvest. 
 It leaves no discoloration ; but the fungicidal value is not equal to bordeaux, and the 
 expense is a little greater. The solution is made as follows: in a nonmetal vessel 
 (wood, glass, enamel, crockery) stir 1 level tablespoonful of copper-carbonate powder 
 in sufficient water to make a thick paste. In another vessel (of any kind) measure out 
 y 2 pint of strong ammonia and dilute by adding 1 quart of water. Now add the 
 ammonia water to the paste, and stir. Finally add water to make 10 gallons of spray 
 material. 
 
Home Fruit Growing 91 
 
 It is not safe to try to grow espaliered pear trees in California except 
 along the coast where blight is not prevalent. In doubtful locations, use 
 only varieties known to possess a high degree of immunity — for example. 
 Dearborn Seedling, "Winter Nelis, Beurre Hardy, or Clairgeau. Bartlett 
 is among our most susceptible varieties. 
 
 Peaches and nectarines should not be grown against wooden walls, as 
 the trees must be sprayed every spring with bordeaux mixture against 
 leaf curl. They should be grown out in the open on a true espalier, con- 
 sisting of a series of wires strung between posts. On St. Julien stock and 
 with considerable summer pruning the trees can be held down to a rea- 
 sonable size. They are kept flat by tying the branches to the wires. With 
 eight, ten, or even more branches radiating out from near the ground 
 the trees do not grow tall, so that all needful spraying can then be safely 
 done with a knapsack sprayer or with some other small, low-priced out- 
 fit. Espaliered pears or apples may be grown similarly except that the 
 branches are trained on the horizontal or vertical. 
 
 Though peach-leaf curl is known in England and France, where es- 
 paliered trees are extensively grown against walls, that disease is by no 
 means the serious problem that it is here, and gardeners do not spray 
 against it. In both countries codling moth is exceedingly bad; but, again, 
 little or no spraying is done. In England, at least, there is now a growing 
 interest in spraying; but the peaches there are grown on such a small 
 scale that they are not likely to be included in the spraying program. 
 
 Another drawback to growing espaliered trees has been the difficulty 
 of obtaining trees upon dwarfing stock, especially in the West. The larger 
 nurseries are now beginning to cater to this limited trade ; and firms here 
 and there specialize in espaliered trees that have been properly trained 
 in the nursery for three to four years and are sent out growing in tubs 
 or with the root system balled. In either case, the trees are all ready to 
 plant and begin fruiting the first year. Naturally they are expensive as 
 compared with ordinary trees, but amateurs who are willing to pay $5 
 to $25 for a single tree may save several years' time and avoid many 
 possible mistakes in the training process. If, however, the home owner 
 likes to work with trees and is willing to devote many hours to the com- 
 plicated details, he may handle the whole job himself and derive enjoy- 
 ment from the work. 
 
 In planting trees on dwarfing roots, one must be careful to have the 
 point of union aboveground. If the variety part is in contact with the 
 soil, it will take root ; and the result will be a tree of standard size instead 
 of a dwarf. This is particularly true of apples and pears. 
 
92 California Agricultural Extension Service [ Cir - 117 
 
 The final drawback is the annual pruning that must be given all es- 
 paliered and cordon trees. The whole secret, in brief, is to cause all the 
 branches to become clothed with spurs and not to allow them to form sub- 
 ordinate branches. The work is done mostly by pinching off the tips in 
 summer or by removing undesirable parts entirely. Heavy fruiting also 
 tends greatly to reduce vegetative growth. As excessive summer prun- 
 ing is dangerous, some undesirable branches will insist upon starting de- 
 spite all our efforts. These, of course, must be removed in winter, so that 
 some winter pruning will always have to be done. 
 
 A FEW DON'TS FOR THE AMATEUR FRUIT GROWER 
 
 Do not transplant or otherwise disturb the roots of a deciduous tree or 
 shrub while it has green leaves on it ; wait until it goes dormant. 
 
 Do not cultivate the soil while it is too wet to crumble. Handling wet 
 soil cements the particles and makes it impervious to water. 
 
 When fertilizing with fresh stable manure, never allow the material 
 to come in contact with the trunk or roots of the tree. Well-rotted manure 
 that is through fermenting is safe to use. 
 
 When planting or handling trees, do not expose the roots to sun or 
 wind any more than necessary. Keep them covered with moist soil or 
 with a wet gunny sack. 
 
 Do not waste time and money by planting trees that are more than two 
 years old (unless they are growing in tubs or boxes). One-year-olds are 
 to be preferred. 
 
 Do not fail to keep young trees adequately watered the first season 
 after planting. If allowed to dry out and stop growing they will surely 
 sunburn and will then be attacked and girdled by flat-headed borers. 
 This may happen to neglected trees at any time. 
 
 Do not overwater or underwater fruit trees. Learn how much water is 
 required to wet the soil down to where it is already moist. Merely sprink- 
 ling a dry soil does no good. Thrust a stiff wire into the ground to see 
 whether the soil is really wet down to the roots. 
 
Home Fruit Growing 93 
 
 REFERENCES FOR FURTHER READING 
 
 Bulletins and Circulars 
 The pamphlets listed below were published by the University of Califor- 
 nia Agricultural Experiment Station and may be obtained free by ad- 
 dressing the Publications Secretary, Agricultural Experiment Station, 
 Berkeley, California, as long as the supply lasts. 
 
 Allen, F. W. 
 
 1937. Apple growing in California. Bui. 425. 96 p. Revised. 
 Batchelor, L. D., and O. Lee Braucher 
 
 1936. Walnut culture in California. Bui. 379. 112 p. Revised. 
 
 BUTTERFIELD, H. M. 
 
 1937. Bush berry culture in California. Ext. Cir. 80. 64 p. Revised. 
 Caryl, R. E. 
 
 1940. Citrus culture in California. Ext. Cir. 114. 48 p. 
 Davis, Luther D., and Warren P. Tufts 
 
 1940. Pear growing in California. Ext. Cir. (In press.) 
 Essig, E. O., and W. M. Hoskins 
 
 1934. Insects and other pests attacking agricultural crops. Ext. Cir. 87. 156 p. 
 Hansen, C. J., and E. R. Eggers 
 
 1936. Propagation of fruit plants. Ext. Cir. 96. 96 p. (Revision in press.) 
 Hendrickson, A. H. 
 
 1937. Apricot growing in California. Ext. Cir. 51. 64 p. Revised. 
 Hodgson, Robert W. 
 
 1934. The California avocado industry. Ext. Cir. 43. 96 p. Revised. 
 Jacob, H. E. 
 
 1940. Grape growing in California. Ext. Cir. 116. 80 p. 
 Philp, Guy L. 
 
 1930. Cherry culture in California. Ext. Cir. 46. 44 p. 
 Philp, G. L., and G. H. Vansell 
 
 1932. Pollination of deciduous fruits by bees. Ext. Cir. 62. 28 p. 
 Philp, G. L., and L. D. Davis 
 
 1936. Peach and nectarine growing in California. Ext. Cir. 98. 64 p. 
 Smith, Ralph 
 
 1940. Diseases of fruits and nuts. Ext. Cir. (In press.) 
 Thomas, Harold E. 
 
 1939. The production of strawberries in California. Ext. Cir. 113. 94 p. 
 Thomas, H. Earl, and P. A. Ark 
 
 1934. Fire blight of pears and related plants. Bui. 586. 44 p. 
 Tufts, Warren P. 
 
 1939. Pruning deciduous fruit trees. Ext. Cir. 112. 68 p. 
 Wood, Milo N. 
 
 1937. Almond culture in California. Ext. Cir. 103. 96 p. 
 
94 California Agricultural Extension Service L Cir - H7 
 
 Books 
 
 Wickson, E. J. 
 
 1926. California fruits. 3 Oth revised ed. 502 p. Pacific Kural Press, San Fran- 
 cisco, Calif. Out of print, but available in many libraries. Valuable for 
 early history of varieties. 
 Chandler, W. H. 
 
 1928. North American orchards. 516 p. Lea and Febiger, Philadelphia, Penn. 
 Treats briefly of fruits and nuts of America. 
 Popenoe, Wilson 
 
 1920. A manual of tropical and subtropical fruits. 474 p. The Macmillan Com- 
 pany, New York, N. Y. A treatise of most subtropical fruits, exclusive of 
 citrus. 
 Bailey, L. H. 
 
 1914-1917. Standard cyclopedia of horticulture. 6 volumes. 3639 p. The Mac- 
 millan Company, New York, N. Y. Valuable for propagation and botanical 
 relations of fruits and ornamentals. 
 
Home Fruit Growing 95 
 
 ACKNOWLEDGMENTS 
 
 The author appreciates the assistance of many experts who have offered 
 suggestions and criticisms. The divisions of Pomology, Entomology, 
 Plant Pathology, Subtropical Horticulture, and several members of the 
 Agricultural Extension Service have been particularly helpful. 
 
 Acknowledgment is made for the loan of photographs as follows : 
 From the Deming Company, Salem, Ohio, for A, C, B, E, and F of figure 
 5 ; Knott's Berry Place, Buena Park, California, figures 11 and 13 ; Arm- 
 strong Nurseries, Ontario, California, figures 22 (right) and 29 ; and the 
 Hawaii Experiment Station, Honolulu, Hawaii, for figures 16 and 2f). 
 
 25m-7,'40(4945)