14 
Citrus and Tropical Fruit Culture 
ing for land for citrus planting should make sure that 
the water supply is sufficient for a mature orchard. 
As trees reach the bearing age they gradually require 
more water in order to support a crop. 
Along the coast where the climate is tempered by 
the ocean breezes and occasional fogs it is estimated 
that an inch of water, continuous flow, is sufficient 
to properly irrigate seven or eight acres of orchard. 
This is assuming that the supply can be accumulated 
and taken at thirty or forty-day intervals; in other 
words, a party having forty acres of land with a 
water right of one inch to eight acres would be en- 
local conditions and ideal lands are to be had in 
some localities where water is abundant and cheap. 
PREPARING THE LAND FOR ORCHARD 
Having selected the location, the next important 
problem is preparing for the new orchard. This is 
a matter that too many orchardists do not realize 
the importance of until later years when it is too late 
to correct their errors. By all means have the land 
in perfect condition both as to tilth and grade before 
starting to plant a tree. Better postpone planting 
Lath house containing ten thousand balled trees ready for shipment. 
titled to five inches continuous flow, or one hundred 
and fifty inches for twenty-four hours, if taken every 
thirty days ; but as one hundred and fifty inches is 
usually more than can be handled to advantage on 
forty acres, fifty inches could be run for seventy-two 
hours, or twenty-five inches for one hundred and 
forty-four hours. 
In the interior valleys where the temperature is 
higher and the humidity less it requires an inch of 
water to every three or four acres of orchard. The 
annual cost of water for a mature grove varies with 
local conditions, from $5.00 per acre in localities 
where water is more easily obtained, to as high as 
$40.00 per acres, where it has to .be lifted an exces- 
sive height or carried in a long expensive ditch or 
pipe system. However, we do not consider this too 
expensive, provided all other conditions are ideal. 
We would much prefer to pay $40.00 per acre for 
water on good rich land where heavy crops are as- 
sured and the danger of killing frosts is eliminated 
than to run the risk of losing a crop every few years 
on lands where the water was less expensive. We do 
not mean by this that all good citrus lands are ex- 
pensive to irrigate or that cheap water indicates poor 
land. As stated above, water costs are regulated by 
two or three months, or even a year, rather than 
make the mistake of planting too soon. 
If the land is uneven or rolling, engage a com- 
petent engineer to run levels, set grade stakes and 
locate the necessary pipe lines for irrigating. This 
will expedite the work of grading so that no unnec- 
essary dirt will have to be moved, and when finished 
should lay so that every tree can be properly irrigat- 
ed. On land nearly level it is often times advisable 
to plow furrows and run the water before starting 
to plant to be assured the grade is perfect. On lands 
where heavy fills are necessary this method is essen- 
tial to insure against the uneven settling of unpacked 
soil in these places, as it often happens that regrading 
is necessary to fill up these depressions. 
Being satisfied that the grading is complete, have 
the entire acreage plowed to a depth of eight or ten 
inches and thoroughly pulverized. A heavy drag or 
clod-smasher run over the ground will smooth it 
down and facilitate the staking process. It is usually 
best for those inexperienced in this work to engage a 
practical tree planter to lay off their ground and plant 
out the orchard. This insures straight rows and 
properly planted trees. 
There are several different methods of planting, 
