154 CALIFORNIA FRUITS I HOW TO GROW THEM 



growth of fruits. Many who long scouted the suggestion that irriga- 

 tion was necessary for deciduous fruit trees in their districts, have 

 found that water, in addition to the rainfall, was very profitable, either 

 to enable large, bearing trees to produce larger fruit, or to maintain in 

 full vigor their later summer growth and to make strong fruit buds, 

 which insure the following year's production. It has also been widely 

 demonstrated that a tree which is adequately supplied with water, no 

 matter whether it be directly from the clouds or through the irrigating 

 stream, yields fruit of better size, aroma, flavor and carrying quality 

 than a tree which, from any cause, falls even a little short of an ade- 

 quate supply. It is clear then that neither irrigation nor non-irrigation 

 are in themselves principles, but are merely methods to be employed 

 when conditions demand the one or the other. 



Several claims against irrigated products may be stated and opposed 

 in this way : 



(1) The claim that nursery trees grown by irrigation are, from 

 that mere fact, inferior is based upon experience in transplanting trees 

 unduly forced by over-irrigation. Immense growth from the bud in a 

 single season of an inch and a half in diameter and ten feet in height 

 tempted buyers who wanted to get as much as possible for their money. 

 The result of setting out such trees created a strong prejudice against 

 irrigated nursery stock. It is now clearly seen that moderate, thrifty 

 growth is the ideal in a young tree, and if the soil does not hold rainfall 

 enough to secure this, water enough to secure it must be applied. 



(2) The claim that irrigated fruit lacks aroma and flavor is based 

 upon observation of monstrous, insipid fruit forced into such abnormal 

 character by excessive irrigation. Growers who concluded therefrom 

 that irrigated fruit was necessarily inferior, denied water to their trees 

 and gathered small, tough, unmarketable fruit, because there was not 

 enough rainfall to enable the trees to perform their proper function. 

 As it is now conceded that the highest quality, including the delicate 

 aromas and flavors, can be secured only by adequate moisture, it matters 

 not how long since it fell from the clouds nor by what route it reaches 

 the roots of the trees. 



(3) The claim that irrigated fruit could not endure shipment was 

 based upon the bruising and collapse of fruit which was unduly inflated 

 by over-irrigation. The best fruit for shipping is the perfect fruit and 

 that is secured as just stated. The fact that the greater part of the 

 fresh fruit shipped across the continent from California has been more 

 or less irrigated, according to the needs of different localities, has 

 settled the point beyond further controversy. 



(4) The claim that canners objected to irrigated fruit was based 

 upon the early experience with over-irrigated fruit, which lacked 

 quality and consistency. At present the canners encourage irrigation 

 and all other arts of growing which bring the product up to the 

 standards they insist upon. 



(5) The claim that irrigated fruit is inferior for drying has the 

 same foundation as the preceding claims and is just as clearly based 

 upon misapprehension. Watery fruit is obviously inferior for drying 

 but such fruit is the fault of the irrigator, not of irrigation. One of 



