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1917 ANNUAL REPORT 



not hurt the fruit that was almost matured, but dropped most all the tender 

 fruit. Some of the matured fruit on the lemon trees was burned also. I 

 think the avocado can stand as much heat as citrus. 



J. T. WhedoN: I had 91 Harmans that I was top-working over to 

 the Fuerte. They were doing nicely but unfortunately we had made the 

 second cut, taking the whole top of the tree off just two days before the 

 hot wave struck us, causing a loss of 34 per cent of the buds that had taken, 

 and as quite a number of the trees were badly sunburned, about 1 5 per cent 

 more buds died. Any top-working of trees that I do in the future will be 

 done in the fall, as there are too many chances for loss in the spring work. 



The Fuerte and Taft trees were branched low, doing away with any 

 protection. The avocado is more susceptible to sunburn than any other 

 tree, and this low branching protects them. 



I use the Wickson formula for whitewash as I think it affords best 

 protection. This formula is 30 pounds unslaked lime, 5 pounds salt, 6 

 pounds tallow. The young trees are protected with whitewash for the 

 first two years, after that time the limbs themselves are ample protection. 



Regarding a burlap protection, the burlap should be placed at a lit- 

 tle distance from the tree to allow air passage. If closely wrapped, it is 

 injurious. 



J. B. McLaughlin: Does not the spraying of the foliage of the 

 trees protect them to some extent in hot weather? I have 23 varieties of 

 which only 4 were injured. I sprayed the foliage during the hot spell and 

 only the bark on exposed trunks and limbs was injured on a few trees; 

 the rest were not injured. 



H. Wetzel: The heat can be reduced for a few degrees by evap- 

 oration from overhead spraying, but one would have to have this spraying 

 in operation over the entire orchard and keep it going, to be able to influence 

 the temperature. This difference amounts to about five degrees in temper- 

 ature reduction, and in my opinion such spraying, wherever possible, 

 would furnish the ideal condition of supplying the moisture for avocado 

 plantings. 



O. A. ManN: My experience in avocado growing is very limited. 

 Last January and February I set out between 500 and 600 trees, and hav- 

 ing put in the drip system of irrigation, I was as well prepared as I could 

 be for the hot wave of June 14-17. I had turned on the water on the 

 1 3th so the ground was well wet. With this system of irrigation, the water 

 is always available and can be turned on one, or all of the trees, at any 

 time. This is not possible with the other system; therefore we are able to 

 protect our trees when we have excessive heat. I have about half of my 

 trees set out at the present time. 



Of the 1 00 Fuerte and 75 Puebla trees, I lost none. I think these 

 trees stood the heat quite as well as any variety I have. Of 1 60 Taft 

 trees I lost none. These trees were quite large and were cut back a little 

 more severely in the nursery than the others, so the limbs show considerable 

 sunburn; but all are growing nicely. Out of 60 Lyon trees, I lost only 2. 

 During the hot weather the last week in September, quite a number of them 

 lost all of their leaves. I am inclined to think the Lyon tree is one of the 

 varieties that should be shaded the first summer. The Sinaloa suffered 

 the most; out of 20 I lost 3, and cut back several to the bud. Most of 



