THE MONTHLY KU.I.KTIX. 



451 



PEARS. 

 By Howard G. Kkkchkvai.. County Horticultural Commissioner, Sacramento, CaL 



Sacramento County ranks first in the production of pears in the state of California, 

 there being over 5,000 acres planted mostly in the delta regions of the Sacramento 



and American river districts. While a great bulk of these pears, which are mainly 



Bartletts, are shipped to the large eastern markets, 

 there are still a great quantity that are bandied by 

 local and outside canneries, there being three large 



canneries in the city of Sacramento, while more than 

 150 carloads are shipped to other canneries in the 

 state. 



For the past several years the prices Obtained from 

 the canneries have been fairly satisfactory, ranging 

 from .$30 to $45 per ton. However, with the 

 increase in production, it has become necessary for 

 the growers to form themselves in an organization 

 known as "The California Pear Growers Associa- 

 tion." It is hoped as a result of this movement 

 that much better prices can be obtained by pooling 

 the crop as well as greater efficiency in spraying, 

 better cultural methods and more careful harvesting. 

 The price obtained should be commensurate with the 

 continual increased cost of production. 



During the past season a great many tons of pears 

 were wasted on account of a lack of labor to handle 

 the crop, and it has been suggested, in addition to the 

 canning activities, that several drying plants he established adjacent to the large 

 pear areas. This would result in the saving of considerable fruit that can not be 

 harvested in time for either Kasteni shipment or the canneries. This would also 

 afford an opportunity for the use of schoolboy labor, which has not as yet proven to 

 be quite satisfactory in this industry. 



OBSERVATIONS ON PRUNING YOUNG APRICOT TREES IN 

 SAN BENITO COUNTY. 



By Leonard H. Day, County Horticultural Commissioner, Hollister. Cal. 



The ideal tree which most apricot growers here have in mind is a tree branching 

 near the ground and spreading gradually with a more or less open center, filled in by 

 some branches higher up from the ground, the tree being held in to a height of 



twelve to fourteen feet by heavy annual cutting back 

 as soon as it reaches mature size. This ideal form 

 has no doubt arisen from the necessities of climate 

 and economy in picking fruit. The more or less 

 open center seems to be necessary to admit light 

 enough to mature a proper amount of stocky fruit 

 wood, spurs and buds, and to sweeten the fruit. Of 

 more recent years the brown rot disease (Bcleratinia 

 fructigrna) has become quite prevalent. This fungus 

 attacks more readily the less Sweet, slow-maturing, 



shaded fruits. 



Perhaps the greatest diversity of pruning practice 

 has been in regard to (T) amount of top removed 

 each year, I J I number of main branches retained, 

 (3) summer pruning, and (41 attention to develop- 

 ing strong, fruit-bearing laterals and spurs. In 

 regard to the amount of top removed each winter a 



very prevalent idea has I n that heavy Cutting back 



must be done to develop stocky main branches, the 



contention being that "long pruning" would develop 



slender main branches and trunk, and encourage such 

 heavy bearing as to exhaust the inherent strength of the tree while it is young. The 

 fruit spurs, it was thought, would be weakly in the lower parts of the tree aud 



