946 EXPERIMENT STATION RECORD. 



In investigating the moisture content of hardpan soils at the Southern 

 Coast Range Substation it was found that the uncultivated soil con- 

 tained 2.6 percent moisture, while cultivated orchard soil contained 

 3.3 per cent moisture. With the same rainfall, cultivated adobe soils 

 (not hardpan) contained 12.3 to 16.1 per cent of moisture. Trees on 

 the ado})e soil made a growth of from 20 to 26 in., while those on the 

 hardpan soils made growths of from 1 to 10 in. 



A number of illustrations, with some data, are given, showing the 

 \'d\uo of gypsum in the reclamation of alkali lands at the San Joaquin 

 Valley Substation. 



At the Southern California Culture Substation a test was made of 

 canning peaches. Six boxes of Yellow Tuscany Cling, California 

 Cling, McDevitt Cling, Kunyon Orange Cling, Sellers Cling, and 

 Nichol Orange Cling were assorted and sent to a cannery and put 

 through the process with the regular pack of other fruits supplied ])y 

 local growers. At the end of the season the cans were opened ;uid the 

 fruit examined with reference to the appearance of the f I'uit as to color, 

 absence of red at the pit, firmness of flesh, and clearness of juice. 

 The results, as determined by the best local experts, were as follows: 



"Sellers Cling and Yellow Tui^can}' stf)od first in firmness, absence of red at the pit, 

 and color. Yellow Tuscany stood first in clearness of juice. . . . McDevitt Cling 

 stood second in this respect, and the other clings were considered decidedly inferior 

 to the above as canning peaches, not only in quality, Ijutin firmness and appearance. 

 California Cling had the greatest number of split pits; Nichol Cling and McDevitt 

 came next in this regard. Sellers Cling was entirely and Yellow Tuscan}^ Avas practi- 

 cally free from split pits." 



Yellow Tuscany is considered a very productive variety. Lov(41 is 

 regarded as the most promising of the yellow freestones for canning 

 or drying. 



Some experiments with self-pollenized olives were carried on at this 

 station. Blossoms tied in paper l)ags failed to produce any fruit 

 except in one or two cases, with medium .sized olives. On a larger 

 scale in the station orchard the value of mixing varieties was apparent. 



As yet cotton has not proved a paying crop in southern California, 

 where land and lalior are so high priced. 



California apples, G. E. Colby {California Sta. Rpi. 1898, jjjk 

 JJ^3-14B). — Physical, food, and ash analys(\s are given of 7 varieties 

 of apples grown in difl'erent pai'ts of the State. The largest apples 

 and the ones richest in juice, sugar, and acid were grown in the high 

 foothills and mountain localities. The percentage of sugar in whole 

 I'l'uit averaged ll.<)2, as compared with S to per cent in eastern grown 

 and European apples. So far as examined, the apple seems to with- 

 diiiw nuich less mineral matter from the soil than any of the other 

 orchard fi-uits (except pears), averaging only 0.264 per cent of ash in 

 the whole fruit. The ash averaged oxer k potash and g phosphoric 

 acid. 



