70 CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



of cuttings, which formerly were employed largely. This stock has 

 secured great favor for plums and prunes, and in some situations, for 

 the apricot, as it is hardier against extremes of drouth and moisture. 

 Prof. Newton B. Pierce, of Santa Ana, has discovered in California 

 upon imported seedlings a serious root-fungus which kills all kinds 

 of orchard trees in Europe, and he advises the use of home-grown 

 seedlings to escape this danger. 



Fruit Trees from Cuttings. It is feasible to grow a number of 

 kinds of fruit trees from cuttings, but it is not desirable in many cases 

 to do it. Trees grown from a graft or bud in a seedling root are 

 much better. The root system of a seedling is naturally stronger and 

 more symmetrical. The roots from a cutting start out at the bottom 

 and spread out horizontally and irregularly. This style of a root 

 system is expressively named "duck-foot roots," and they do not give 

 the tree a deep, strong hold on the soil. Trees can, however, be multi- 

 plied very fast from cuttings. Notable instances of this are the Myro- 

 balan plum and the Leconte pear. Cuttings of deciduous trees should 

 be taken from well-matured wood of the previous season's growth, 

 and planted in rows and in well-prepared soil, as has already been de- 

 scribed for the sowing of fruit tree seeds. The cuttings should be 

 taken before the sap begins running in the winter. A cutting about 

 ten inches long, four-fifths of its length buried in the ground, will 

 answer. Be sure that the ground is firmed well at the base of the 

 cutting, but keep the surface loose. Small wood is better* than large, 

 though, of course, the extreme ends of twigs should be rejected usually. 

 Cultivation of cuttings is the same as that of seedlings, and budding, 

 when the cuttings are to be used as stocks, is also governed by the same 

 rules. 



The orange and lemon can be grown from cuttings, but the work 

 is done during the summer while the ground is warm. Cut from wood 

 one or two years old; set in the open ground with partial shade and 

 give plenty of water (dry ground is death to their tender roots), but 

 be sure that there is free escape for surplus water. Cuttings started 

 in the warm weather and given partial shade and plenty of irrigation 

 are very apt to succeed. This method of growing these fruits is not, 

 however, in wide use or favor. 



The propagation of the grape, olive and fig from cuttings will be 

 considered in the chapters on those fruits. 



Planting Out in Nursery. For planting out in nursery, the 

 term "spring" is given as the proper time, but in California it must be 

 remembered that spring is not any definite division of the year. 

 "Spring weather" comes from the first of February to the first of May, 

 according to the latitude or elevation or exposure resulting from local 

 topography. Cherries may be ripe in Vaca Valley before fruit trees 

 put out leaves in Modoc county ; and between these extremes there 

 are advents of spring in other places according to the situation. These 

 facts are more fully set forth in the chapter on climate. Spring must 

 be detected in the behavior of vegetation and not by the calendar. 

 When the tree buds swell and the leaves appear, spring has come for 



