32 



ROBBING'S FRUIT GROWERS' GUIDE 



The Chestnut possesses the distinction of not only being a 

 a very profitable fruit tree, but is equally adaptable as an 

 avenue or border tree. Once the head is formed all it- 

 requires is the cutting out of interfering branches. This 

 tree is the Marron Combale in the trial orchard of the 

 California Nursery Company. 



necessary to bring this about. Almonds will thrive 

 under conditions as far as water is concerned which 

 would be fatal to many other varieties of fruit trees. 

 This does not mean that they will grow without irriga- 

 tion, for in localities where the average rainfall does 

 not exceed eight inches per annum to attempt to grow 

 almonds without irrigating the orchard would be fool- 

 hardy. When the trees are young, that is up to the 

 fourth year, they should receive the same care that is 

 bestowed on any other deciduous tree. When they 

 have reached the age of bearing, an irrigation in the 

 month of June followed by thorough cultivation is 

 sufficient. In the fall of the year if the trees show signs 

 of wilting, an application of water is very beneficial 

 to the tree, for it causes the leaves and fruiting buds 

 to fill out and adds to its vitality when it takes on its 

 new growth the following spring. 



COMMERCIAL VARIETIES 



Drake's Seedling, I. X. L., Jordan, Ne Plus .Ultra, 

 Nonpareil, Peerless, Texas Prolific. 



PERIOD OF RIPENING 



The harvesting commences in August and ends in the 

 early part of September. 



In recent years the interest which has been mani- 

 fested on the part of growers in the planting of al- 

 monds, has been very marked indeed. Conditions 

 prevail in California which should cause the industry 

 to advance very rapidly and eventually make it the 

 center of production for the entire world. 



THE CHESTNUT 



There are so many points in favor of the chestnut 

 that it is very difficult indeed to understand why the 

 culture of this nut has not long before this become one 

 of our leading industries. Aside from the fact that the 

 trees are very ornamental, the certainty of a crop one 

 year with another should have caused them to be 

 planted on an extensive scale. By heading the trees 

 low it is practical to grow them in the interior valleys. 

 However, from a standpoint of profit they should only 

 be planted in the deep, alluvial, silty soils found in our 

 river bottoms. Strictly speaking the chestnut should be 

 planted in the Coast sections, where there is an abun- 

 dance of rain and where the temperatures never run up 

 very high due to the influence of fogs and cold air from 

 the ocean. The chestnut grows vigorously in such sec- 

 tions and where in addition to this there are frequent 

 occurrences of rain during the summer months, so much 

 the better. The trees will withstand extremes of cold 

 weather during the winter. They do not bloom until 

 May, when all danger from late frosts are over with. 

 The great coastal regions of Oregon and Washington 

 are so well suited to their culture it seems very strange 

 indeed that some enterprising horticulturist ' has not 

 exploited the possibilities of this industry long before 

 this. In my travels in the great Northwest section I 

 became impressed a number of years ago with the oppor- 

 tunity so much in evidence there for growing chestnuts. 

 I have seen trees growing in pastures and on hillsides 



The Pecan must be shaped while it is young, but after it is 

 started properly, the only pruning required is to .remove 

 interfering branches. This tree is the Stuart, one of the 

 paper-shell varieties. 



