THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 97 



viridis), which formerly laid its e^cjs in abundance in the loose sand 

 on the noi-th coast. The destruction of insectivorous birds, snakes, 

 and lizards was followed by an increase in several injurious insects, 

 particularly ticks, which became a serious pest, and a Coccid moth, 

 the larva? of which bore into the pimento trees. In 1890 a com- 

 mission was appointed by the government to consider whether 

 measures slioidd be taken to reduce the number of the animals, and 

 the evidence collected showed conclusively that the evil results of 

 the introduction of the mongoose far outweighed the benefits 

 rendered to the sugar and coffee plantations." 



For the peace of mind of those to whom this article is particularly 

 addressed — the crop producers of the State of California — their Horti- 

 cultui-al Quarantine Division assures them that there is not a living 

 mongoose in the State today, neither is there going to be as long as the 

 Quarantine Service is master of the situation at the maritime ports of 

 entry in California ; and over and superior to this assurance is the fact 

 that the Federal Government maintains an exclusion against this pest 

 through its Bureau of Animal Industry, and this long capable arm ex- 

 tends to and controls every port of entry in the United States. 



RENEWING OLD LEMON TREES.* 



By J. D. CuLBERTSONj Limoneira Company, Santa Paula, California. 



The announced subject of this paper is "Renewing Old Lemon Trees," 

 but we shall attempt nothing more than a discussion of heavy pruning 

 in its relation thereto. Though ordinarily subordinate to the four indis- 

 pensable needs of irrigation, handling of the soil, pest control and food 

 supply, the pruning problem may in some cases and at certain times in 

 the life of a tree be of pre-eminent importance. This is not an attempt 

 to tell just how to renew a declining orchard — we would not be so pre- 

 sumptuous as to try to tell others how to do what we ourselves do not 

 know how to do. Rather, we bring you only a few fragments of data 

 gathered from a pruning experiment on the Limoneira Ranch at Santa 

 Paula, an experiment conceived and suggested by its manager, Mr. C. C. 

 Teague. 



First Ave enumerate somewhat in detail the symptoms of decline in a 

 lemon orchard as we have observed them, not all of which, however, 

 appear simultaneously in each and every tree in a given orchard. 



Perhaps the most common symptom, be the crop large or small, is the 

 tendency to produce a high percentage of fruit Miiieh habitually matures 

 undersize, despite generous fertilization, resulting in an undue pro- 

 portion of ripes, and small sizes overabundant, not only in the ripes 

 but in all of the better grades as well. This forces a larger proportion 

 of the fruit to sell at a discount — some of it possibly not at all — besides 

 causing greater expense in handling and packing, and loss due to heavier 

 decay. 



To this poorer quality is often added the loss from greatly reduced 

 yield. Frequently many lemons hang far out on the ends of rather 



•Address before Hie State Fruit Growers' Convention, San Bernardino, California. 

 1916. 



