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USDEPARTMENT OFAGRICULTURE 
January 13, 1915. 
HORTICULTURAL EXPERIMENTS AT THE SAN ANTONIO 
FIELD STATION, SOUTHERN TEXAS. 
By StepHen H. Hasrines, Farm Superintendent, and R. E. Buarr, Scientific 
Assistant, Office of Western Irrigation Agriculture. 
INTRODUCTION. 
Comparatively little authentic information is accessible regarding 
the possibilities of fruit culture in the vicinity of San Antonio. Small 
orchards are found on a few farms here and there, but most of the 
farmers have little fruit, even for home consumption, and there are 
no commercial orchards of consequence in the region. Many farm- 
ers have planted orchards, but they have become discouraged because 
of unsatisfactory results, due largely to the selection of varieties not 
suited to the conditions or to neglect of the trees after planting. 
It is not to be expected that commercial orcharding will ever 
become an important feature of the agriculture of the San Antonio 
region, but there is no apparent reason why every farmer should not 
have at least a small orchard to furnish fruit for home consumption. 
It will be seen from the following pages that the list from which 
the farmer may select is relatively large. 
The greater part of the fruit consumed in the city of San Antonio 
is shipped in from outside districts. While it is to be expected that 
the local market will continue to depend upon outside sources, many 
fruits, such as peaches, grapes, plums, berries, and persimmons, can 
be produced locally to good advantage and will find ready local sale. 
There are a number of factors which have operated to hinder the 
production of fruit in this section. The climate is characterized by 
wide extremes of temperature and precipitation, and many failures 
can be traced directly to climatic causes. The soil is not favorable 
to the successful growth of some kinds of fruit trees, chiefly because 
of the excess of lime which it contains, and there are many plant 
diseases which cause much trouble and damage.’ 
1 For detailed information regarding the plant diseases of this region, see Heald, F. D.,and Wolf, F. A., 
A plant-disease survey in the vicinity of San Antonio, Texas, U.S. Dept. Agr., Bureau of Plant Industry 
Bul. 226, 129 p., 19 pl., 1912. 
Note.—This bulletin indicates the selections and cultural methods best adapted to successful fruit 
growing in the vicinity of San Antonio and is of interest to the inhabitants of that region. 
66906°—15——1 
