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CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



ploding a quarter-pound cartridge quite near to a tree suffering 

 from standing water, putting in the charge during the dry season. 



There are many situations where such practice would be bene- 

 ficial, and in some cases mere digging or boring through the im- 

 pervious stratum avails much. There are spots where "lava crusts" 

 overlie gravel, and trees have been well grown by cutting holes 

 through the lava to the gravel, filling with good soil and planting the 

 trees in these holes. Their roots penetrate to the gravel stratum 

 and obtain abundant moisture and nutriment. In certain situations 

 where a shallow layer of soil overlies a heavy clay, trees have been 

 blown over, but when a cut has been made through the clay, the 

 trees have rooted deeply and have withstood the winds. 



Shooting Holes For Trees. Upon the basis of these pioneer de- 

 monstrations, California claims priority in the now widely prevalent 

 "dynamite farming." The most minute descriptions of approved 

 methods are now available in the publications of the powder manu- 

 facturers and their traveling demonstrators give field instructions 

 in materials and appliances to those who ask for them. It is very 

 important to proceed wisely, for if the subsoil is not in the right 

 condition or the charge of powder not properly chosen for the pur- 

 pose, there is danger of making a pot-hole in which water will stand 

 and kill the tree. It is also important to do the blasting some time 

 in advance of planting so that irrigation or an adequate rainfall can 

 settle the disturbed subsoil. The trees planted on a fresh blasting 

 have sometimes sunk a foot by settling after planting and have been 

 ruined thereby. 



Digging the Holes. Holes for tree planting may be dug at a 

 leisure time after the laying off of the field, even though it is not 

 designed to plant the trees immediately, but our largest planters 

 do not approve the practice. In such cases the sides of the holes 

 should always be freshly pared off before the trees are put in, be- 

 cause the rain and sunshine are apt to cement the sides. In digging 

 holes the surface earth should always be thrown to one side and the 

 lower soil on another. The object of this is to have the top soil to 

 place in direct contact with the roots when the tree is planted, the 

 lower soil being used to fill up the hole. 



TREE SETTERS 



No matter how carefully the stakes are placed in laying off the 

 orchard, the trees will not easily come in line unless some handy 

 device is used for bringing the stem just in the place occupied by 

 the stake which was thrown out in digging. These devices are called 

 "tree-setters," and there are a number of designs. Two are given, 

 either of which will give good results. Take a piece of board one 

 inch thick, four inches wide, and five feet long; bore an inch hole 

 in the center, and one at each end at equal distance from the center ; 

 then cut a piece from one side of the board, marked by a square, 

 the corner resting in the middle of the center hole. Make two stakes, 

 each one foot long, that will easily pass through the end holes. Place 



