CALIFORNIA CITRUS CULTURE. 27 



In soils that are poorly drained we often have too much of this black 

 alkali without adding any more. Its presence may not be apparent at 

 once, but we are storing up trouble for our children, or the future 

 owners of the land, if we use this Chili saltpetre, especially on poorly 

 drained soils. If, however, sodium nitrate is used in connection with 

 gypsum less harm will occur. The organic nitrogen secured in dried 

 blood and tankage is without objection, and though slower to act, is 

 very sure to be available sooner or later, and can be used with little or 

 no loss. It is well to remember that the Germans, among whom are 

 many expert scientists, advise and use much commercial fertilizers, 

 much more than we do in America. It is also significant that their crop 

 production is often much heavier and of finer quality. We must 

 remember that our citrus trees are tremendous producers, and so must 

 be very generously fed. Indeed, our most successful growers in Cali- 

 fornia are generally those who use commercial fertilizers in greatest 

 abundance. It is not presumptious, I think, to predict that in the near 

 future all citrus growers will grow luxuriant cover crops, will use 

 abundant stable fertilizer, and will supplement these by a liberal use 

 of commercial fertilizer. I am glad to append here the practice of 

 some of our best orchardists. 



The late Judge A. F. Call, of Corona, California, was a successful 

 citrus grower and spoke from experience. He thought lemons need 

 more nitrogen than do oranges; preferred organic or a slow-acting 

 nitrogen ; supplied the orange with nitrogen in the spring and the lemon 

 in both spring and fall ; he used no potash ; he believed phosphoric acid 

 valuable, would apply it at any time, but wished it drilled deeply in 

 the soil; he was a firm believer in cover crops. 



Mr. Frank L. Palmer, of North Pomona, would use for phosphoric 

 acid high grade tankage early in the season; or, if bone meal is pre- 

 ferred, plows it under in the early winter. He often adds superphos- 

 phate in midsummer, drilling it in after irrigation. He believes in 

 sulphate of potash, applied with drill in the fall. He decides at the 

 beginning of the year how much of each fertilizer he will use throughout 

 the season, and then uses the separates to supply the amount desired. 



Mr. C. C. Chapman, of Fullerton, uses from fifteen to twenty pounds 

 of complete fertilizer, containing nine per cent nitrogen to each large 

 tree. He supplements this with three to four pounds nitrate of soda in 

 the early spring. He applies five to seven pounds of potash and ten to 

 fifteen pounds, running eighteen to twenty per cent of superphosphate, 

 or eighteen to twenty pounds, running twenty to thirty per cent of 

 ground bone. He drills in deeply, all but the nitrate of soda. 



The question of using home-mixed or separate, fertilizers, or a com- 

 plete fertilizer, is not easy to answer. That the latter is most expensive 

 there is no question. If one is willing to study the question thoroughly 



