ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 17$ 



ing, is of excellent quality. I now have thousands of this va- 

 riety in nursery, and I find that all that are fruiting maintain in 

 every instance the characteristics of the parent tree. Whether 

 budded on orange, China or Sicily lemon, makes no difference ; 

 the peculiarity of absence of thorns, etc., and other marks of 

 individuality are maintained throughout. The absence of thorns 

 is no small advantage in the cultivation of the fruit. I believe 

 it is conceded that a large proportion of what are known as 

 windfalls, also the greater part of all that rot soon after pack- 

 ing for transportation, are caused by the puncturing of the fruit 

 by thorns. 



"Then another reason why it will pay to bud the orange is, 

 that we may have orchards without thorns ; this is a desider- 

 atum of some importance, at least in windy districts. 



OBJECTIONS BRIEFLY CONSIDERED. 



" Objection number one ' Budded trees are short lived.' How 

 is this known? Who is authority on this point? It is in evi- 

 dence that the oldest budded trees in this county are vigorous 

 and sound. Seedlings are sometimes short lived. The same 

 cause that shortens the life of a seedling would shorten the life 

 of a budded tree. The root of a budded tree being seedling, it 

 is difficult to imagine how the process of budding affects its 

 longevity. 



" Objection number two 'Budded trees are dwarfish.' This 

 proposition has not thus far been borne out by facts. This ob- 

 jection, as well as the preceding, is only a theory. Mr. Shorb 

 stated at one fruit meeting that his budded trees were larger 

 and more vigorous than seedlings of the same age. My own 

 experience is of the same character. My budded trees are large, 

 exceedingly thrifty and vigorous. Some varieties are of slower 

 growth than others. My Mediterranean Sweet and St. Michael 

 are more dwarfish in their habits than the Acapulco, Konah or 

 Los Angeles seedlings ; but even those varieties are as large as 

 seedlings of the same age. But if budded trees be somewhat 

 dwarfish eventually, it will not be a serious objection, simply 

 necessitating more trees to the acre, thus practically neutralizing 

 the objection. 



