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CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THISM 



This is filled with brush, a fire kindled, and as the horse moves 

 forward fresh brush is added, while the ashes by its motion are 

 sifted out very evenly all over the vineyard. 



Refuse from Wineries. The fermented husks, stems, and seeds, 

 all containing valuable fertilizing properties, are often spread on 

 the road and in holes, where it is of no account whatever. If 

 scattered over the vineyard, much valuable substance would be 

 returned to the soil. In some soils application of raw refuse 

 would be undesirable because of the acidity developed. It is 

 usually safe on calcareous soils, and for other soils should be 

 composted with lime or wood ashes to facilitate decay and neu- 

 tralization of the acid. Of winery refuse the lees are especially 

 valuable because of the supplies of potash they contain, but they 

 are now being largely used in the manufacture of tartaric acid. 



Other Waste Products. There are available from various man- 

 ufactories different waste products which can not be specified. 

 When any such material comes to the notice of the fruit grower, 

 he should seek advice from the Agricultural Experiment Station, 

 at Berkeley, as to the probable value of the material, and its special 

 uses. 



CAUTION IN USE OF FERTILIZERS 



Besides the injunction already given against application of 

 fertilizers when the soil is already quite rich enough to produce 

 good fruit and plenty of it, it should be noted that manures unduly 

 rich in animal matter should be used with caution, as they may 

 overstimulate the plant, delay or reduce fruiting, injure the quality 

 of the fruit, and possibly engender disease in the tree or vine. 

 Monstrous size and puffiness of oranges is clearly due in some 

 cases to excess of nitrogenous manures. Excessive use of soluble 

 fertilizers like nitrate of soda may kill plants or trees outright. 



The effect of excessive use of stable manures, or other manures 

 very rich in nitrogen, upon the products of the vine has been 

 frequently noted as destructive to bouquet and quality. 



METHODS OF APPLYING FERTILIZERS 



Suggestions concerning proper application of barn-yard 

 manures, both to young trees at planting and to bearing trees 

 and vines, have already been given. The same conditions which 

 cause slow decomposition of stable manures apply to any fertil- 

 izing material which is not readily soluble in water. All such 

 material should be in a finely divided state. Surface applications 

 of ground bone, will, in the dry climate of California, lie practically 

 unchanged for a long period. Ground bone should be plowed in 



