1462 FRUIT-GROWING 



old soil and the yields are quickly affected, necessitating treatment or 

 renewal of soils after two or three seasons' use. 



4. The drying of the soil during the idle summer period seems to 

 adversely affect the soil conditions for tomatoes, but not for lettuce. 



5. Summer manure mulch is recommended to check adverse soil 

 conditions for tomatoes and cucumbers. 



6. Summer mulch may not obviate the necessity for soil sterili- 

 sation, but, in part, it appears to answer that purpose. 



FRUIT 1085 - California Grapefruit. — Shamel. a. D. in CaUjomia state CommLision ol HoTlicul- 



GROWINC- ^^'''^ Monthly Bull-tin, Vol. IV., No. 7, pp. 239-240. Sacramento, Cal.. July 1916. 



The early plantings of grapefruit in California were made with Florida 

 varieties which were selected without much knowledge of their adaptability 

 to California conditions. 



It is only in recent years that any data has been gathered as to the com- 

 parative value of several varieties with regard to their adaptabiUty. Among 

 these varieties the Marsh Seedless takes the first place. 



It has also become evident from these studies that the grapefruit 

 planted on rather light, porous and sandy soils produce fruit of a superior 

 commercial quantity, colour and texture of rind to those planted on the 

 heavier clay soils. W'hile most of the older plantations were made in the 

 lower valleys, most of the more recent plantings have been made on high»:;r 

 lands having lighter soil of more suitable texture. The other Florida 

 varieties most largely grown in California are the Triumph and Duncan. 



The orchards of Triumph grapefruit in Southern California are very 

 productive, but the fruit is rather small and contains numerous seeds, from 

 25 to 50 ; this seriously hinders its spread in the commercial orchards. 



The Duncan grapefruit trees tend to produce large round fruits, but 

 these also contain too may seeds for market purposes. The other varieties 

 cultivated to a certain extent are the Imperial, Colton Terrace Seedling, 

 Aurantium, Commercial and the Blood. The results so far obtained with 

 those varieties can hardly be considered successful, so that the A-ariety 

 Marsh or Marsh Seedless will gradually replace all the others. 



According to Vaile 600 acres of grapefruit trees are in bearing in Cali- 

 fornia, capable of yielding 250 carloads of fruit per annum. 1 100 additional 

 acres of trees under five years of age will soon double the present output. 



According to the same writer, Florida has 16 000 acres of grapefruit 

 trees in full bearing, yielding 8 000 carloads of fruit, and in addition about 

 45 000 acres of trees under five years of age which will eventually ^aeld at 

 least 35 000 carloads of fruit. 



Porto Rico, in IQ13, exported to the United States 500 carloads of fruit, 

 and Cuba, in iqi2, 250 carloads. The export from Jamaica is also rapidly 

 increasing. Although the cultivation of grapefruit in California is esta-b 

 Ushed on a sound basis, Vaile thinks that much prudence should be exer- 

 cised in the future extension of the orchards. Two facts must be borne in 

 mind in this connection. First of all, the importation of grapefruit into Ca- 

 lifornia has been stopped in order to prevent the introduction of insect pests 

 and fungous diseases by this means, and probabl}^ other ,States where the 



