CALIFORNIA CITRUS CULTURE. 27 
In soils that are poorly drained we often have too much of this black 
alkali without adding any more. Its presence may not be apparent at 
onee, but we are storing up trouble for our children, or the future 
owners of the land, if we use this Chili saltpetre, especially on poorly 
drained soils. If, however, sodium nitrate is used in connection with 
gypsum less harm will occur. The organic nitrogen secured in dried 
blood and tankage is without objection, and though slower to act, is 
very sure to be available sooner or later, and can be used with little or 
no loss. It is well to remember that the Germans, among whom are 
many expert scientists, advise and use much commercial fertilizers, 
mueh more than we do in America. It is also significant that their crop 
production is often much heavier and of finer quality. We must 
remember that our citrus trees are tremendous producers, and so must 
be very generously fed. Indeed, our most successful growers in Cali- 
fornia are generally those who use commercial fertilizers in greatest 
abundance. It is not presumptious, I think, to predict that in the near 
future all citrus growers will grow luxuriant cover crops, will use 
abundant stable fertilizer, and will supplement these by a lberal use 
of commercial fertilizer. I am glad to append here the practice of 
some of our best orchardists. 
The late Judge A. F. Call, of Corona, California, was a successful 
citrus grower and spoke from experience. He thought lemons need 
more nitrogen than do oranges; preferred organic or a slow-acting 
nitrogen ; supplied the orange with nitrogen in the spring and the lemon 
in both spring and fall; he used no potash; he believed phosphoric acid 
valuable, would apply it at any time, but wished it drilled deeply in 
the soil; he was a firm believer in cover crops. 
Mr. Frank L. Palmer, of North Pomona, would use for phosphoric 
acid high grade tankage early in the season; or, if bone meal is pre- 
ferred, plows it under in the early winter. He often adds superphos- 
phate in midsummer, drilling it in after irrigation. He believes in 
sulphate of potash, applied with drill in the fall. He decides at the 
beginning of the year how much of each fertilizer he will use throughout 
the season, and then uses the separates to supply the amount desired. 
Mr. C. C. Chapman, of Fullerton, uses from fifteen to twenty pounds 
of complete fertilizer, containing nine per cent nitrogen to each large 
tree. He supplements this with three to four pounds nitrate of soda in 
the early spring. He applies five to seven pounds of potash and ten to 
fifteen pounds, running eighteen to twenty per cent of superphosphate, 
or eighteen to twenty pounds, running twenty to thirty per cent of 
ground bone. He drills in deeply, all but the nitrate of soda. 
The question of using home-mixed or separate, fertilizers, or a com- 
plete fertilizer, is not easy to answer. That the latter is most expensive 
there is no question. If one is willing to study the question thoroughly 
