28o 



THE GARDENERS' MONTHLY 



[September, 



myrobalan stock. At O'Neil's nothing could look 

 healthier, or more promising; apples and pears 

 also were growing one and two years from the 

 bud, I think, finer than any I have seen in the east. 

 At Collins' I think are cherry trees as healthy as I 

 have ever seen anywhere. Strong shoots, fine 

 foliage, magnificent growth — and of course as a 

 result, wonderfully large and luscious fruit. So 

 far as I have seen, the most popular cherries are 

 Black Tartarian and Napoleon Biggareau— or, 

 "Royal Ann," as it is called here. It appears that 

 one of the early distributors read the illegible label, 

 "Royalann" instead of Napoleon, — a very shrewd 

 guess, as any one will see who tries to write the 

 word out, without being very careful of the letters. 



There is not much variety of ornamental trees 

 under culture in California; but the great number 

 I saw thriving at Mr. Collins' nursery, shows the 

 variety is only through not knowing what to plant. 

 At Mr. Shinn's, at Niles, were growing also a very 

 great variety of ornamental trees, as well as fruits. 

 This nursery also is not dependent, to any great 

 extent, on irrigation, though water is often applied 

 to advantage. The gopher — as one might say, a 

 cross between a squirrel and a mole — is the great 

 agricultural wretch of California. Several acres of 

 friend Shinn's alfalfa, were well-nigh ruined by the 

 miserable creatures, which, however, seemed 

 happy enough in what was clover to them. But 

 Mr. Shinn was also happy in the thought that he 

 would let in his irrigating ditch on them in the fall, 

 when they, at least, would have water enough and 

 to spare. Mr. Shinn pays particular attention to 

 peaches and apricots, and it was a rich treat to 

 wander among his numerous varieties, and listen 

 to the lessons drawn from his long and intelligent 

 experience. He believes that there is yet room for 

 a much better apricot than has yet been seen in 

 California. The apricot, nectarine and plum are 

 great successes in California, because the curculio 

 has not as yet made its appearance. The general 

 impression se^ms to be that the climatal conditions 

 are not favorable to its existence, or it would have 

 certainly been seen before this. The traffic 

 between the East and the West has been so enor- 

 mous that in some form or another it ought to have 

 got across. 



The funniest thing I have heard here is about an 

 embargo on Eastern plants and fruit trees, for fear 

 of introducing the curculio — and 1 believe there is 

 a commission, appointed by the State, to look after 

 the introduction of insects. It does not seem to 

 occur to these worthy gentlemen that the curculio 

 would be much more likely to come in bv the earth 



round a pot-flower in k lady's satchel, or in the 

 cleft of an old log, than by the roots of a fruit 

 tree, or the moss in which it is packed. Still, 

 commissions are profitable concerns in some 

 respects. As Captain Morse says about Arctic ex- 

 plorations, "it is just as well for people to believe 

 there may be an open Polar Sea, and to send ex- 

 peditions in search of it, though I believe there is 

 no such thing, they find something that pays for 

 all. De Long's discoveries in ocean currents, will 

 pay navigators and students of physical science 

 for all time, though his own life terminated in the 

 search for it, some years sooner than it otherwise 

 might." 



Speaking of insects, the codling moth is begin- 

 ning to be a terror to California apple-growers, as 

 it is to us. The scale insect, in various species, is 

 however the great foe to the fruit-culturist. I have 

 seen orchards that were merely dry sticks — every 

 tree deadl Some however are profiting by the 

 teachings of the Gardener's Monthly, and use 

 linseed oil. Pure linseed oil painted over the in- 

 fested trunks and main branches — the smaller ones 

 when infested being cut away — destroys the scale, 

 and does not injure the trees. It is to be remem- 

 bered that in our part of the world, while large 

 numbers have used oil safely, some have found the 

 trees die after using it ; why, has never been un- 

 derstood, except the guess that the oil was not 

 pure. Any light and cheap vegetable oil, ought 

 to be quite as good. If, however, trees are cared 

 for regularly the scale does not seem to get a foot- 

 hold. On the grounds of the University at Berke- 

 ley, I saw an orchard of pears in a state of health 

 and beauty I have rarely seen anywhere. There 

 is no sign of scale, or of any insect on these trees. 

 They happen to be under the care of one of the 

 most intelligent gardeners in the country, Mr. 

 Clay. All he does is to have the stems regularly 

 washed with lye once a year. It was wonderful 

 to see such pretty trees, on a dry hill, and in such a 

 dry climate. And yet, dry as it is, it is not unusual 

 to have orchards pointed out that have suffered 

 from too much rain — peaches especially. From 

 October to May. rain is often continuous. If 

 peaches or other trees commence to grow before 

 the rainy season is over, they suffer, if "hard-pan " 

 is beneath them. In well drained ground they get 

 httle hurt. 



At San Jose — pronounced here, San O'Say, or 

 O'Zay — which is the great nursery center of Cali- 

 fornia, I found the question, which in some form 

 or another, is the great question of California — 

 water, still the staple topic. Here Artesian wells 



