64 



ROBBING'S FRUIT GROWERS' GUIDE 



The same Orange tree correctly pruned to form a well 

 shaped head. 



should be observed, but in subsequent years the prun- 

 ing is quite different. Not more than four branches are 

 selected to form the framework of the tree. These in 

 turn are persistently cut back and encouraged to assume 

 an inclination to the horizontal rather than a vertical 

 direction. Any branches showing a tendency to make a 

 strong growth vertically should be cut down and forced 

 to develop laterally. This continuous pruning back 

 has a tendency to produce a dense mass of branches and 

 foliage, and as the tree grows some thinning out is 

 necessary. The results obtained by following out this 

 system of pruning are a shapely broadened-out tree, 

 liberally supplied with numerous fruiting laterals. 



As lemons are picked a great many times during the 

 year and the gathering of the fruit is no small item of 

 expense, the advantages of having a tree with a low- 

 spreading head, eliminating much of the expense of 

 harvesting, must appeal to any grower. 



PRUNING THE POMELO 



The tree is a more upright grower than the orange. 

 For this reason the method of pruning is somewhat 

 different, but as a whole it is necessary to shorten in the 

 growth and prune to a branch which shows a tendency 

 to grow upright rather than down. The shaping of the 

 pomelo is much simpler than either the orange or the 

 lemon. The tree naturally assumes a well-rounded 

 head, providing the shears are applied promptly when- 

 ever rampant branches have a tendency to draw the 

 tree out of shape. 



The pruning of the pomelo after it comes into bearing 

 should be attended to just as soon as the crop is har- 

 vested. As the fruit sets in March and is harvested 

 from January to August of the following year, the neces- 

 sity of pruning as soon as the crop is taken off is quite 

 evident. Taking it all in all, the plan outlined for 

 pruning the standard varieties of oranges is applicable 

 to the pomelo. 



PRUNING THE LIME 



I have already called attention to the fact that the 

 tree is more tender than either the orange or .the lemon 

 and for this reason it should be planted only in such 

 localities where there is not much danger of the tree 

 being damaged by frost. Commercially, it is only 

 practical to raise limes in sheltered foothill regions of 

 the state. The seedless varieties of limes average much 

 larger than the Mexican types, and as they come into 

 maturity much earlier in the season they should be 

 planted in exclusion to the other sorts. 



The tendency of the lime is to form a dense, bushy 

 head. The tree is really more of a bush than a tree. 

 For this reason it should be pruned much more severely 

 than the orange and the lower branches should be 

 allowed to rest on the ground. To produce the best 

 results it requires either a moist soil or a liberal amount 

 of water. 



PRUNING THE CITRON 



The character of the tree is very much like the lemon, 

 therefore the recommendations made for pruning the 

 lemon should be observed in the handling of the citron. 



CARE OF THE ORCHARD 



The old adage that "what is worth doing at all is 

 worth doing well," applies to citrus-fruit culture as well 

 as to all other lines of horticulture and agriculture, and 

 in no other line are the rewards greater. 



While an orange or lemon tree will stand as much or 

 more abuse than any other tree, yet no other tree will 

 respond more quickly and more profitably to proper 

 care and cultivation. The grower who is careful not to 

 let his orchard want for care or for fertilization, is the 

 one who always reaps a bountiful harvest. 



It would be a difficult matter to lay down any hard 

 or fast rule covering the irrigation and cultivation of a 

 citrus orchard, as the soil and the climatic conditions 

 have a great deal to do with the proper time and manner 

 of these two necessary requisites. 



Generally speaking, in California, citrus orchards 

 should receive from three to four irrigations during the 

 summer months. These should be given from four to 

 six weeks apart. By irrigation I mean a thorough 

 wetting; that is, the water should be run long enough to 

 wet up the subsoil as deep and as far out as the roots 

 penetrate. In light, sandy soils the penetration is 

 rapid, but in the heavier soils it often requires several 

 days to properly saturate the subsoil and the only satis- 

 factory way to irrigate such soils is by the furrow 

 method; that is, by running several furrows, according 

 to the age of the orchard, between the rows and allow- 

 ing very small streams of water to run down each fur- 

 row. These streams should be of such size that it will 

 take them from twenty-four to forty-eight hours to run 

 across a ten-acre tract, which gives the water time to 

 penetrate the subsoil. In some of the heavier soils, if 

 the water is allowed to run through the furrows too 

 fast, it will coat over the furrow with a fine silt a"d it is 

 then almost impossible to get the water to penetrate 

 the soil. The result of this is that the water goes to 



