10 One Thousand Questions in Agriculture 



If the year's rainfall has been scant, wait until the land is well wet 

 down, for it is never desirable to plant when the soil is not in the 

 right condition, no matter what the calendar may say. On a sandy 

 loam early planting is nearly always safe and desirable. On lands 

 which are too wet and liable to be rendered very cold by the heavy 

 January rains, planting had better be deferred until February, or as 

 soon as the ground gets in good condition after these heavy rains. 

 Whenever you plant, it will be desirable to plow the land either in 

 advance of the rains, if it is workable, or as soon as rain enough 

 comes to make it break up well. It is very seldom desirable to post- 

 pone plowing until the actual time of planting comes. 



Budding Fruit Trees. 



Is it better to bud in old bark of an old tree or in younger wood bark?' 

 How do you separate old bark without breaking it in lifting the bark? 



Buds may be placed in old bark of fruit trees to a certain extent. 

 The orange and the olive work better that way than do the deciduous 

 trees, although buds in old bark of the peach have done well. They 

 should, however, be inserted early in the season while the sap flow 

 is active and the old bark capable of lifting; if the bark sticks, do 

 not try budding. In spite of these facts, nearly all budding of de- 

 ciduous trees is done in bark of the current year's growth. 



Starting Fruit Trees from Seed. 



Hoiv shall I start, and when, the following seeds: Peach, plums, 

 apricots, walnuts, olives and cherries? In the East rve used to plant 

 them in the fall, so as to have them freeze; as it does not freeze enough 

 here, what do I have to do? 



Do just the same. In California, heat and moisture cause the 

 parting of the seed-cover, more slowly perhaps, but just as surely 

 as the frost at the East. Early planting of all fruit pits and nuts 

 is desirable for two reasons. First, it prevents too great drying and 

 hardening and other changes in the seed, because the soil moisture 

 prevents it; second, it gives plenty of time for the opening and ger- 

 mination first mentioned. But early planting must be in ground 

 which is loamy and light rather than heavy, because if the soil is so 

 heavy as to become water-logged the kernel is more apt to decay 

 than to grow. Where there is danger of this, the seed can be kept 

 in boxes of sand, continually moist, but not wet, by use of water, and 

 planted out, as sprouting seeds, after the coldest rains are over, say 

 in February. Cherry and plum seeds she ild be kept moist after 

 taking from the fruit; very little is usually had from dry seeds. The 

 other fruits will stand considerable drying. Very few olives are from 

 the seed, because of reversion to wild types — also because it is so 

 much easier to get just the variety you want by growing trees from 

 cuttings. 



