514 THE MONTPILY BULLETIN. 



see the graduate school, connected with our citrus experiment station, 

 developing into a great, valuable institution ! 



A few years ago, because of the attractiveness of the business, a large 

 acreage came into the possession of non-residents who managed it by 

 proxy. In the future I see the orange groves, as a rule, owned by 

 growers trained to the business, carried on by their own hands, or 

 directly under their supervision. 



EXPERIMENT STATION. 



In my vision I see the newly established experiment station, a tremen- 

 dous, practical force in developing the industry along new and impor- 

 tant lines. Its great influence is already indicated by the frequent 

 visits of large delegations of growers from distant sections to the 

 original Riverside station, where the limited field experiments under 

 process for several years are now exhibiting definite results. Several 

 hundred acres of new grounds are to be covered with experimental tests, 

 including every unsettled cultural question in producing citrus fruits. 

 It is difficult to realize the favorable bearing that the results of these 

 tests will have on the future prosperity of the citrus industry. It is 

 confidently believed that orchardists will generally avail themselves of 

 the results of completed experiments. The practical experiments in 

 irrigation, cultivation, fertilization, pruning, etc., Avhich the manage- 

 ment is just entering on in the twenty-acre old, badly conditioned 

 grove, must result in most valuable object lessons to owners of old 

 groves. 



I confidently look for one result — the re-establishment of the neigh- 

 l)orhood horticultural clubs, so popular and useful a few years ago. It 

 will not be enough to read reports and listen to addresses of the 

 specialists, or even visit the experiment grounds. Discussions of pres- 

 ent work, and even suggestions for new work to be undertaken by 

 station managers, will be considered by these local organizations. 



A NEW LINE OF POMOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION. 



Probably the most important single investigation to affect the future 

 of the inclustry is the one undertaken by the Federal department in 

 charge of Mr. A. D. Shamel. It has been demonstrated that from 10 to 

 40 per cent of trees in our bearing orchards produce fruit either inferior 

 in cpiality or unprofitable in quantity per tree. This heretofore has 

 been considered unavoidable. Mr. Shamel has been at work along an 

 entirely new line of pomological investigation, and now after six years 

 of much careful and intelligent effort, is prepared to demonstrate that 

 the causes of these great losses to growers are avoidable. Instead of 

 seeking for new or improved varieties, the object has been to find some 

 means of preserving the varieties that have proven to be satisfactory 

 and adapted to our conditions. It was found that the practice of 

 propagating from bud sports caused such desirable varieties as the 

 Washington Navel, Lisbon lemon, and others to rapidly deteriorate, 

 and to produce inferior types. It is now demonstrated that by proper 

 budding the true, normal type of these varieties may be preserved, and 

 the product kept to the standard, both as to character of fruit and 

 quantity per tree. Granting this, it is difficult to fully comprehend 

 how vastly the possibilities of our orchards have been increased. Of 



