148 CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



Prunings. Prunings of the orchard and vineyard should be 

 burned between the rows, in small piles, so as to distribute the ashes 

 well. Danger to adjacent trees may be avoided by using the portable, 

 home-made tin shields on the sides of the fires. It is not wise to carry 

 all the prunings to the side of the highway and burn them there and 

 allow the ashes to be lost. Vineyard prunings are sometimes cut up 

 with an arrangement like a straw-cutter, which reduces them to bits 

 about an inch in length. They are then scattered over the surface of 

 the ground, turned under at the next plowing, and soon decay. The 

 use of cut prunings on the lemon orchard has already been mentioned 

 in the chapter on Pruning. Where, through lightness of soil and short 

 rainfall, the woody fiber does not readily decay, burning upon an iron 

 sled about ten feet long are practiced. At its front is a V-shaped iron 

 rod, to which a horse can be hitched. On the sled are flaring sheet-iron 

 sides and perforated bottom. This is filled with brush, a fire kindled, 

 and as the horse moves forward fresh brush is added, while the ashes 

 by its motion are sifted out very evenly all over the vineyard. 



Refuse from Wineries. The fermented husks, stems, and seeds, 

 all containing valuable fertilizing properties, are often spread on the 

 road and in holes, where it is of no account whatever. If scattered 

 over the vineyard, much valuable substance would be returned to the 

 soil. Professor J. L. Burd, of the University of California, estimates 

 the contents and value of this somewhat variable substance as follows, 

 value increasing as water percentage decreases : 



Water Potash. Phosphoric Nitrogen. Value. 



%. Acid. 



Sweet pomace 50.00 12.6 2.80 19.1 $4.59 



Fermented pomace (impressed) . . . 70.59 7.4 3.98 9.6 2.49 



Fermented pomace (pressed) 54.92 16.6 5.0 17.6 4.60 



Mixed barnyard manure 75.00 11.4 6.0 11.4 3.15 



Grape pomace (old) 21.00 21.4 17.90 33.60 8.67 



The figures of potash, phosphoric acid and nitrogen are the num- 

 bers of pounds of each in a ton of pomace, and the value is that of a 

 ton. The barnyard manure is, of course, inserted for comparison. 

 Grape pomace, particularly when fresh, is likely to be acid, and it is 

 desirable that the acidity be neutralized with freshly slaked lime. The 

 use of large quantities of fresh grape pomace without this preliminary 

 treatment might act unfavorably upon soil and plants. 



Other Waste Products. There are available from various manu- 

 factories different waste products which can not be specified. When 

 any such material comes to the notice of the fruit grower, he should 

 seek advice from the Agricultural Experiment Station, at Berkeley, 

 as to the probable value of the material, and its special uses. 



CAUTION IN USE OF FERTILIZERS 



Besides the injunction already given against application of fertiliz- 

 ers when the soil is already quite rich enough to produce good fruit 

 and plenty of it, it should be noted that manures unduly rich in animal 

 matter should be used with caution, as they may over-stimulate the 



