64 One Thousand Questions in Agriculture 



and put scions in the bark without splitting the root crown; wax 

 well or otherwise cover exposed wood to prevent checking. If this 

 is successfully done, root-rot may be prevented and the wound cov- 

 ered with new bark while the strong new stems are developing above. 



Pruning Oranges. 



Is it best to prune out orange trees by removing occasional branches 

 so as to permit free air passage through the trees? Some are advocating 

 doing so; but as I remember, the trees in southern California are allowed 

 to groiv quite dense, so that zve could see into the foliage but very little. 



It is a matter of judgment, with a present tendency toward a 

 more open tree than was formerly prescribed. Trees should be more 

 thrifty and should bear more fruit deeper in the foliage-wall if more 

 air and light are admitted. But this can be had without opening 

 the tree so that free sight of its interior is possible. We believe 

 thinning of the growth to admit more light and air is good, but we- 

 should not intentionally cut enough to make holes in the tree. 



Pecan Growing. 



Would you advise planting of pecans in commercial orchards here? 

 Walnuts in their proper location constitute some of California's best im- 

 provements. After visiting some bearing paper-shell pecans here in Fresno 

 county, I believe a pecan orchard of choice variety would be more desir- 

 able than a zvalnut orchard. 



Pecans do well on moist rich land in the interior valleys where 

 there are sharper temperature changes than in the coast valleys, ex- 

 cept perhaps near the upper coast. Such planting as you propose 

 seems promising on lands having moisture enough to carry the nuts 

 to full ripening. 



Growing Filberts. 



Please give information about growing filberts. 



Filberts have been largely a disappointment in California and 

 no product of any amount has ever been made. Good nuts have 

 been produced in the foothills of the Sierra Nevada and the Coast 

 Range. Theoretically, the places where the wild hazel grows would 

 best suit the filbert, and so far this seem.s to be justified by the little 

 that has actually been done, but there is very little to say about it 

 beyond that. It requires much more experience to lift the nut out 

 of the experimental state. 



Early Bearing of Walnuts. 



Please inform me if young ivahmt trees grafted on black zvalnut 

 stock zvill produce fruit zvithin i8 months after being planted. 



It is true that the French varieties of English walnuts have pro- 

 duced fruit the second summer of their growth. This does not mean, 

 however, that' you can count upon a crop the second year. These 



