14 SECOND THOUSAND QUESTIONS IN AGRICULTURE 



Some old almonds are only firewood but a 14-year-old tree in good 

 soil should come back with proper tillage, pruning and protection from 

 pests. The trees should be considerably cut back, winter sprayed 

 with lime-sulphur to clean the bark, a good watch kept for red spider 

 next June, and the foliage kept alive all during the coming growing 

 season with plenty of moisture and good cultivation. 



Almonds Need Drainage. 



Is it right to keep the ground soaked on young almond trees during 

 the winter months? 



If you mean soaked so that water will fill a hole (when you dig 

 it to try), then they should certainly not be soaked. Standing water 

 is apt to kill young almond trees. If they are on light soil, this is 

 not likely to occur, because the soil drains itself: but there is no gain 

 in keeping water running through it all the time. The almond should 

 stand in soil which is moist, but not wet. 



Young Trees in Old Orchards. 



I have apricots 15 years old, the trees 30 feet apart. The soil is 

 river-bottom land sandy loam; irrigation in normal years is available. 

 The land is practically in the frostless belt, and 45 lemon trees two years 

 old do well. Shall I plant more citrus fruit trees between the apricots 

 to have a bearing crop when the apricot trees may cease bearing ? 



If the apricot trees have grown as they do in good situations, 

 they are almost meeting at fifteen years old, and it is not expected 

 that the young trees of any kind could establish themselves well under 

 their prior occupation of the sky and land. The lemon is pretty good 

 at serving itself, and if it gets water enough can be brought along 

 for a time by cutting back the apricots to give it light. Unless the 

 apricots are profitable enough to keep, we should clear them out and 

 give the land to lemons ; or if they are worth keeping make the lemon 

 plantation on other land. 



Apricots at Elevations. 



/ have an apricot tree which has borne good crops every year for 1 

 the last four years. My elevation is about 2,000 feet. Would you advise 

 me to plant apricots, and, if so, what varieties? 



The behavior of your tree shows that the fruit is safe with you. 

 Manifestly the variety which you now have is the proper one 

 to plant and you can proceed safely by grafting or budding from this 

 tree upon apricot or peach seedlings, whichever are available. Low 

 winter temperatures do not injure the apricot, because the tree grows 

 successfully even in some parts of the Eastern States. The danger 

 lies in the spring frosts after the tree has become active. It is doubt- 

 ful whether your apricot growing would be profitable in competition 

 with the crops grown nearer to transportation on the valley and 



