24 ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 



itive and quantitive chemical ingredients so organized and 

 arranged that any soil product required by man in his civilized 

 state may be furnished him. 



In her native forests there are eloquent lessons taught by 

 nature, and in the absence of scientific facts at hand we should 

 at least study well these lessons to guide us in our labors. 

 Every boy knows that in our Eastern 'forests the white oak is 

 not found side by side with its twin brother, the pine or swamp 

 oak ; nor would he be likely to hunt in the pine forests for the 

 shell-bark hickory, chestnut or hazelnut. This fact shows 

 knowledge gained by experience, even with a boy ; should not 

 man, with his natural reason and judgment, ask himself why 

 these phenomenal conditions exist, and endeavor to solve the 

 problem ? 



Should not these natural forest growths teach him there is 

 something more than accident there, that causes the pine tree 

 to flourish when the oak will remain dwarfed and gnarled for 

 an indefinite period, while it becomes, if properly located, the 

 finest tree of the forest? Following this general line of thought 

 and suggestions, should he not, as an intelligent and reasonable 

 being, stop and consider that the tree he plants for the pro- 

 duction of fruit for the maintenance of himself and his family 

 is subjected as much to the same general laws and conditions 

 as the native trees of the forest ; and, realizing this truth, should 

 he not use every means of discovering the growing principles of 

 these general laws and apply them intelligently to the accom- 

 plishment of his ends? 



In an article written in 1876 for the Chamber of Commerce 

 of Los Angeles, confining myself to the citrus family, I thus 

 wrote : "Orange, lemon and lime trees flourish and thrive well 

 on a great variety of soils; but a deep, light, gravelly loam 

 seems best adapted for the production of large and well-flavored 

 fruits and the continued health of the trees. On soils of an 

 argillaceous character, of moderate depth to the hard-pan, the 

 trees do not preserve so vigorous a condition or produce so 

 bright and sweet fruit as on the loamy soils, nor do I think 

 they would attain the great age they have been known to attain 

 in this country and in parts of Europe." 



