THE OKANGE IN CALIFORNIA — DISEASES, ETC. 127 



ORANGE DROPPING, DISEASES, ETC. 



General!}' during the month of June, and as early as May 

 in some years, growers experience a continuous dropping of 

 young fruit, due to various unknown causes. 



* "As a rule, growers ascribe it entirely to hot winds, and it 

 is doubtless true that the extremely hot weather finds trees 

 partially dormant and the damage is wrought on the youno- 

 tender oranges and lemons before the sap could start to flow- 

 ing freely. But on the other hand, we can see orchards that 

 still have a fair crop of fruit. Why is it? is easily aslied, but 

 not so easily answered. The most universal remedy that is 

 recommended is water, and in so far as it is used to put the tree 

 in good condition, is doubtless effective. To do that water 

 should be applied two or three weeks prior to the hot or cold 

 weather, or in other words, the tree should at all times be in 

 strong growing condition. To accomplish this, water in abun- 

 dance down deep in the ground is necessary. Surface irriga- 

 tion is of little avail. It will be noticed that those irrigators 

 who are applying water in the furrow until it reaches the lower 

 end, are the ones who scarcely ever have a crop, whether we have 

 hot or cold weather, or the best of conditions. And right here 

 I might say that the ideal season never comes, for there is 

 always something with which to contend. I plan to irrigate 

 my trees every six weeks, running the water eight or ten hours 

 in each furrow. On heavy soil this would not be sufficient, 

 but on my sandy loam it is. Following the irrigation I culti- 

 vate deepl}' and thoroughly. I deem the deep cultivation 

 essential so that the surface roots may be destroj^ed. This is 

 still better accomplished in the wet season by deep plowing. 

 I am thoroughly convinced that deep plowing is beneficial in 

 all seasons, and especially so in dry ones. The roots are 

 forced to go lower to where the supply of moisture is more 

 permanent, consequently such trees are not so quickly affected 

 by any hot wave or sudden change. Therefore, I would say 

 that the first requisite of always securing good crops of oranges 

 is deeply rooted trees irrigated so thoroughly that at ail 

 times there is in store a plentiful supply of moisture. Should 

 I stop here and say that this is the one thing needful, I 



* C. B. Messenger, before Farmers' Institute at Pomona, October, 1896. 



