Pomona College Joitrnal of Entomology 517 



after the matter as he has. Tliis work has been treated of more at length in former 

 Cultivators; the carbolic spray wliicli is proving so successful is the result of 

 Mr. Essig's investigations. 



The orchards of the Little Santa Clara Valley are practically all thrifty and 

 well cared for. This little valley, but a few miles wide, extending from the 

 northern end of the Southern Pacific tunnel in Los Angeles County through 

 Ventura County, bending toward tlie ocean near the little city of Ventura, is one 

 of the prettiest in the state of California. The orchards are watered eitlier from 

 the Santa Clara or its tributaries coining down from the mountains along the 

 eastern side of the valley. The section about Santa Paula is largely devoted to 

 lemon and apricot culture, though the English walnut groves cover many acres. 

 Plantings of the last few years are more given to citrus than to deciduous fruits, 

 and while some apricots are still being planted, we believe there are a far greater 

 number of wahiut trees being uprooted to make way for lemons than are being 

 set out. The thrift of citrus trees was manifest on all sides, though in occasional 

 instances the twig ends give evidence of the wither-tip fungus. Tlie wither-tip 

 has lost its terror now, for it has been proven both by work conducted under the 

 direction of Mr. Essig and others that the application of Bordeaux is abundantly 

 able to care for it; it is simply a question of carefulness on the part of the operator. 

 In the matter of red spider control we saw work being done in the large orchards 

 of the Teague-McKevett Company, and it was easy even for the layman to see 

 the vast difference between trees recently sprayed and those not sprayed. Scarcely 

 a leaf could be picked from the latter that was not covered with myriads of eggs 

 and young of the red spider, while on the sprayed trees many leaves could be 

 examined without detection of a single insect. The best part of this treatment is 

 that it is economical. The ordinary commercial sulphur-lime mixture, 2^/2 gallons 

 to 100 gallons of water, is used. Mr Essig assured us that this was an absolute 

 remedy for the red spider. Formulas for the Bordeaux mixture and the carbolic 

 have been given in former Cultivators. The carbolic acid mixture has been 

 successful not only on mealy bug but many other pests, and it, too, is a remarkably 

 cheap mixture. 



Part of the day was spent on the great Limoneira ranch, with its 3,000 rich 

 acres, of which 520 acres are in lemons, 450 acres in walnuts, and the balance in 

 beans, hay and grazing land. It is a beautiful ranch, a profitable ranch, because 

 given the very best of care. A visit to such a place is an education which other 

 fruit growers should avail themselves of. 



