ROBBING'S FRUIT GROWERS' GUIDE 



73 



The Pomegranate should be started with a single stem. Enormous crops of fruit are gathered from trees shaped 



like this one. 



body of the tree may well be termed a unit. With this 

 unit fixed the shaping of the subject is by far a simpler 

 matter than when having several framework branches 

 coming out from j ust above and underneath the surface 

 of the soil. For the first three years the shrub should 

 be shaped by thinning out and shortening in the current 

 season's growth. After the head of the shrub is formed 

 the pruning resolves itself into thinning and shaping 

 the plant to keep it within bounds. Never plant closer 

 than twelve feet apart in deep, loamy soils; fifteen feet 

 apart is preferable. The pomegranate is raised from 

 cuttings. As far as I have been able to observe the 

 varieties grown in California seem to adapt themselves 

 to a great variety of soils. 



GATHERING 



On account of its rather thick skin the fruit will 

 withstand quite a lot of abuse. The one point to guard 

 against is to pick the fruits before they are rained on, 

 for when this occurs many of them will split, making 

 them unfit for shipment. After they are gathered the 

 fruits if stored in a cool, dry place will keep for months; 

 the skin loses its striking lustre, and the fruit shrinks 

 some, but this in no way impairs the quality or the 

 flavor of the pulp. 



MERITORIOUS VARIETIES 



Paper-shell, Sweet-fruited, Wonderful. 



THE AVOCADO 



It is very fortunate indeed for the fruit growers of 

 California that the state, probably more so than any 

 other in the Union, possesses such a variety of climate 

 and soils; otherwise avocado culture would have fallen 

 by the wayside long ere this. In my travels throughout 

 the state I have allowed no opportunity to pass not to 

 observe the avocado where I noticed that a grower was 

 devoting considerable of an acreage to its cultivation, 

 probably the most valuable, from a dietetic standpoint, 

 of any fruit grown in this state today. There is no 

 denying the fact that the industry has a* very great 

 future. It must also be admitted at the same time that 

 the successful growing of the avocado is going to be con- 

 fined to those particular sections of the state where the 

 lime grows to the best advantage. The avocado blooms 

 and sets fruit at all seasons of the year; therefore it is a 

 foregone conclusion that out of a very large number of 

 varieties on the market now the list will finally settle 

 down to a half a dozen sorts of real merit. When this 

 time arrives we will begin to engage in the culture of the 

 avocado in earnest. As one grower, F. O. Popenoe, 

 who has probably had more experience and has given 

 more thought and attention to the culture of the 

 avocado than any other man in the state, tersely ex- 

 presses it: "I believe it can safely be said that the 

 most important problem which we avocado growers of 



