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CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



The amount used in canning is, in a year of full production, about 

 one-quarter of that used for drying, while the weight of fruit sold 

 fresh to consumers, near and far, is about one-quarter of that used 

 by the canners. It is historically interesting to note that in 1918 

 apricot pits of the crop of 1917 sold at $32.50 per ton for war 

 purposes. 



LOCALITIES FOR THE APRICOT 



In discussing localities for the apricot, reference is, of course, 

 only made to its growth as a standard orchard tree without pro- 

 tection of any kind. It shows even in California that it does not 

 forget the conditions which destroy its thrift elsewhere, for late 

 frost in our upper coast counties render it, as a rule, unprofitable. 

 Speaking broadly, the quarter of the State lying northward of the 

 Bay of San Francisco and westward of the high ridge of the Coast 

 Range is not suited for commercial apricot growing; though here 

 and there are places where bearing may be regular and abundant 

 enough to make trees satisfactory for home gardens. The mountain 

 regions everywhere in the State above an elevation of 1200 feet are 

 also to be excluded. The lowest lands of the great interior valleys, 

 except here and there, where frosts are prevented by proximity of 

 broad streams or by favoring air currents, are unsuited for apricots, 

 and the bottoms of small valleys whence cold air cannot find drain- 

 age outlet, are also treacherous. It is evident then, that even in 

 regions of general adaptation to the fruit local discrimination must 

 be exercised in selecting land for apricots, and the occurrence of 

 spring frosts, which are usually governed by topography, must be 

 guarded against. This is not the same problem which arises in the 

 selection of land for fruits, because apricots are not open to injury 

 during December, January and February, and consequently they 

 may be successfully grown in places where winter temperatures 

 might injure the evergreen trees of the citrus family. Still, next 

 to the almond, the apricot is most liable to frost injury of all our 

 deciduous tree fruits, and commercial success depends largely upon 

 the selection of a proper place for them. The occurrence of even 

 light frosts during the blooming and setting, or soon after, may 

 strip the tree of its burden of fruit without injury to even the softest 

 twig and leaf ; consequently, regular bearing of the apricot can not 

 be expected where the temperature is apt to fall four or five de- 

 grees below the freezing point during the months of March and 

 April, even though the duration of such temperature may be very 

 brief. For this reason the area of California which is well suited 

 to apricot growing is limited when compared with the great area 

 of the State, though when counted by acres it is ample enough to 

 supply all the fresh, canned and dried apricots which the markets 

 of the world can be expected to take at profitable figures. 



It is often claimed that situations directly subject to ocean in- 

 fluences are best for the apricot. It is noted by many observers 

 that the apricot "points its best branches to the ocean, in the very 

 teeth of the constant breeze, and the landward limbs and twigs bend 



