66 



1917 ANNUAL REPORT 



I have since used the same method with two or three Royal buds, 

 with the same result. 



My trees have been very free from disease and are this year making 

 a magnificent growth, owing to the great quantity of water we are giving 

 them. We have used practically no fertilizer, except a small amount of 

 nitrate of soda around the little Dickey which bore the surprising quantity 

 of fruit. This last winter we planted alfalfa throughout the entire orchard 

 of lemons and avocados and are using the heavy growth as a mulch about 

 the trees. The soil is being kept in excellent condition. We have a long, 

 hot summer in San Fernando, during which the ground becomes very hot, 

 and this condition we can overcome by the use of the mulch. 



I think, however, that the warmth has much to do with the early ma- 

 turity of the fruit. My Pueblas were all ripe the first ten days of Decem- 

 ber, and the Challenge and the Fuerte fruits were picked dead ripe by the 

 20th of January. The Dickey and the Royal ripened early in February. I 

 think most pears are picked too green, and much of the fine flavor is lost 

 thereby. 



I have done practically no pruning, preferring to let the trees branch 

 close to the ground, providing shade for the roots and a better surface to 

 withstand the winds. I have planted a windbreak of Monterey cypress, 

 although I have never had a fruit blown off. 



The cultivation and irrigation of the trees is continued all through 

 the fall, as we have no fear of the frost and do not harden up the new 

 growth early. 



I have found that after the first year, when a tree is in good condi- 

 tion, any limb may be removed without danger of die-back. I have been 

 interested in doing a bit of end-branch pruning and find that many more 

 fruits remain on a branch as a result. Where a tree is growing very vig- 

 orously, the tendency is to drop the fruit, especially if the trees do not get 

 almost continuous irrigation. 



