29. SEMITROPICAL FRUITS. 



(Chapters 29 and 30 were prepared by Professor Riley O. Johnson, 

 State Normal School. Chico, California. He gratefully acknowledges 

 the aid of Professors E. J. Wickson, E. W. Hilgard, and C. W. Woods- 

 worth, all of the University of California.) 



No family orchard in California is thought complete with- 

 out at least one or two of the citrus fruits, such as oranges 

 and lemons, and a few olive and fig trees. These are known 

 as semitropical fruits because they grow in warm, yet not 

 tropical, climates. -In the United States, they can be grown 

 with profit only in California, Florida, and the delta region 

 of the Mississippi River, therefore there is always a good 

 market for the product. Besides the fruit they produce, 

 the trees themselves are quite ornamental, and they also give 

 abundant shade. They are often grown for these purposes 

 alone. 



The citrus fruits cultivated in California include the orange, 

 lemon, lime, grape fruit, and citron. 



The Orange. The orange is the most profitable of the 

 citrus fruits that can be raised in California. Though it is 

 now grown chiefly in the southern part of the state and in 

 the Sacramento Valley, yet there are doubtless small regions 

 in other parts of the state well suited to its growth, even in 

 large enough quantities for the market. 



What the Orange Tree Needs. The orange prefers a deep, 

 rich, mellow soil, although it will grow well in nearly every 

 kind of fertile soil. 



The spot chosen for experimenting must be warm enough 



163 



