THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 493 



In a paper like this it is impossible to give a detailed survey of the 

 whole subject. I want to call the attention of all orcharclists to one 

 thing : With unsettled conditions of legislation there is a tendency 

 among vineyardists who have enough capital or credit to permit them to 

 make the change, to dig out every third vine, and in the hole plant a 

 prune, a pear, an almond, or some other fruit. This is being done on a 

 large scale in some counties on soils which are adapted to fruit pro- 

 duction. If the orchardist thinks the viticultural industry deserves 

 protection and the support of the citizens of the State, let him do Ids 

 share toward its stability, and protect it against legislation which, if 

 long continued, will result in a tremendous increase in competitive 

 orchard plantings, reducing the value of every present orchard in the 

 State. 



I want to thank Dr. Cook for his wisdom at this time in asking for 

 concrete statements as to the outlook in different lines of production. 

 We should have such definite summings up each and' every year. 



With all our agricultural undertakings the economic problems are 

 coming to overshadow the technical ones, and if California growers are 

 to succeed, if they are to avoid the wholesale tearing out of orchards 

 that occurred at the expense of millions of wasted dollars in the decade 

 of 1900 to 1910, then there must be better means of posting the intend- 

 ing planter, the enthusiast, the newcomer, than now. 



The orchardist must not forget that his fortunes are linked with those 

 of the vineyardist, and neither should ever forget, in admiring the 

 importance and progress of California horticulture and viticulture, that 

 they are not the only worth-while industries in California, but that Cali- 

 fornia 's sound and safe agriculture of the future— the one big industry 

 that from present appearances can never be overdone — is to be largely 

 based upon general farming and animal industry. 



THE OUTLOOK FOR THE APRICOT.* 



By F. B. McKevitt, President California Fruit Distributers, Sacramento, Cal. 



Although ten minutes is the allotted time for this subject, a request 

 from the State Commissioner of Horticulture has been received to make 

 it as short as possible, hence the brevity of this paper. 



The world's production of the apricot is limited. It is not grown 

 extensively in the United States except in California. 



It is an early bloomer and can not be successfully grown where spring 

 frosts are common or severe. 



It is particular as to soil, a rich sandy loam well drained being best 

 suited to its needs. 



As the apricot tree increases in age it can not be depended upon for 

 regular crops unless irrigation is practiced. 



Both trees and fruits are very subject to a disease commonly known 

 as the Shot Hole Fungus, for which an entirely successful remedy has 

 yet to be found. 



*Address before the State Fruit Growers' Convention, Palo Alto, Cal., July, 1915. 



