CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



Recent experience has enabled fruit growers in all parts of Cali- 

 fornia to arrive at a truer conception of the relation of irrigation 

 to the growth of fruits. Many who long scouted the suggestion that 

 irrigation was necessary for deciduous fruit trees in their districts, 

 have found that water, in addition to the rainfall, was very profit- 

 able, 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 adequate 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 irriga- 

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

 standards they insist upon. 



