NOTES UPON CALIFORNIA PRODUCTS, 



SUBMITTED TO THE AMERICAN POMOLOGICAL SOCIETY AT THE 

 ANNUAL MEETING IN RICHMOND. 



BY DR. J. STRENTZEL. 



Numerous books and innumerable newspaper articles have from time 

 to time heralded to the world the wonderful resources of California, the 

 prolific and mammoth growth of its forest trees, gigantic pumpkins, 

 hefty pears, and luscious grapes, so that but little more on that scope 

 remains to be said. Otherwise, it is of the utmost interest to every 

 terraculturist repeatedly to dwell tipon the conditions favorable to the 

 'development of those products; to unravel the mooted points regarding 

 the culture of our fruits, and decide upon their adaptability to different 

 sections of the country; and finally, to relate, compare, and compile the 

 individual efforts and experiences. 



Favored by a most genial climate and a virgin soil rich in all the 

 elements of plant food, the first seeds here given to the earth grew up 

 luxuriantly, amply rewarding the labors of the culturist. Still, at the 

 threshold of our efforts, we were controverted by the advocates of deep 

 and of shallow plowing, or even trenching, as a preliminary operation 

 to planting. The conviction here appears to be settled, that a deep, 

 mellow, and friable soil will do with less plowing; but heavy, adhesive 

 clays cannot be worked too much, provided the soil is well stirred but 

 not turned over to a great depth nor left too flaky, but well pulverized 

 and compressed. In this during six months rainless climate, if the soil 

 is well pulverized, corn, beans, and many vegetables are raised success- 

 fully without a drop of water, and fruit trees develop thriftily. Some 

 ascribe this to capillary attraction of moisture from the bowels of the 

 earth; others, with better reason, to the known processes of condensa- 

 tion. With twenty inches of yearl} T rainfall favorably distributed, all 

 grain and fruits yield abundant crops. Still, judicious irrigation would 

 enable us to grow perpetual crops during the year, and also, if applied 

 early in the season, would improve the size and juiciness of our fruits 

 without deteriorating their keeping qualities. Newly transplanted trees 

 can gain by irrigation in one the growth of three seasons. 



