14 CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



at the north because the ocean winds are colder. Directly on the 

 coast, at Pescadero, San Mateo County, for example, fruits ripen 

 about a month later than in Santa Clara Valley, which is just across 

 the Coast Range. Napa Valley, though about forty miles inland and 

 sheltered by ranges of hills, still is sufficiently affected by the coast 

 influences to mature fruits considerably later than Vaca Valley, ten 

 or fifteen miles further east, beyond a higher range, which completely 

 bars out these influences. Similar local effects are found in southern 

 California. For instance, in Ventura County in a canyon sixteen miles 

 from the ocean, and at an elevation of sixteen hundred feet, fruits 

 ripen three weeks earlier than on the coast or in the valleys opening 

 thereon. 



Failure of Certain Fruits. Though killing frosts are few directly 

 on the coast, the deficiency in summer heat and sunshine renders 

 some fruits unsatisfactory. This is especially the case in the upper 

 coast region. Grapes and figs ripen imperfectly, while but a short 

 distance back from the coast, in situations, sheltered by ridges parallel 

 to the coast, they do well. Elevation sometimes produces correspond- 

 ing effects. 



Pests and Diseases. Certain blights are more prevalent under 

 coast conditions. The scab blight of the apple, the curl-leaf of the 

 peach, and some other blights, are prevalent on the coast and in 

 coast valleys, on the river bottoms in the interior, and on the moun- 

 tains, and less serious, or wholly absent, in the hot interior valleys. 

 Some insects prefer the coast but thrive also in the interior, as hot 

 dry wind is excluded by dense growth of the tree* and the included 

 air TDecomes moister above irrigated soil. "A notable instance is the 

 black scale, which, with the black slnuf which attends it, has long been 

 a grievous pest of growers of olives and citrus fruits, and has re- 

 cently become prevalent on deciduous fruit trees in some regions. 

 On the other hand, in the face of ocean winds the codlin moth seems 

 to have less chance to fill pears and apples with her destructive off- 

 spring, than she enjoys in interior valleys and mountain regions. 

 Directly under coast influences, moss and lichens gather quickly and 

 should be removed. Spraying with alkaline washes not only kills 

 insects but cleans the bark from parasitic vegetable growth. Although 

 fruit trees on the coast are not so subject to sunburn as in the interior, 

 there is especial value in low heading to withstand winds ; there 

 should also be plenty of room given the trees, that sunshine may have 

 free access to warm the ground all around the tree, which may be 

 undesirable in the interior. 



VALLEY CLIMATE 



The characteristics of the interior valley climate are higher 

 summer and lower winter temperatures than on the coast, the range 

 of temperature being 1 nearly the same both north and south; rainfall 

 abundant in the north and decreasing rapidly southward, so that as 

 a rule the interior valleys in the south half of the State require irriga- 

 tion; very dry air and almost constant sunshine, freedom from fogs 



