134 



THIRTY-FOURTH FRUIT-GROWERS^ CONVENTION. 



I have in mind one particular orchard, of which a portion is sandy 

 soil. There was something- wrong. I was asked the question as to what 

 the cause was. I returned with the question as to what was the matter 

 with the subsoil. I asked if they had examined the subsoil. You will 

 usually find that there is something wrong with the subsoil. There is 

 either hardpan or gravel underneath. I know now of a five-acre orchard 

 where, right through the center, there are about three rows of trees 

 which are motley. They have never made sufficient g^o^^'th, and show 

 all the indications of ill nurture. I had the man examine the subsoil, 

 and he found gravel within three feet of the surface. The rest of the 

 orchard was not in that condition, and by the application of heavy 

 quantities of humus-making material he has practically overcome that, 

 and those trees are now in a healthy, vigorous condition, showing 

 that while the gravelly subsoil may be a detriment to an orchard, it 

 can be overcome by the addition of large quantities of hiunus. Heavy 

 soil is evidence of fertility. Hence, a citrus orchard that is planted 

 without the addition of fertilizers will soon lose its value. It costs 

 more, in other words, to keep up the fertility in a light sandy soil for 

 citrus fruits than it does for heavier soils. 



Now. just one more word and I will close. Professor ^lackie is right, 

 that citrus growth is particularly adverse to salt in the soil, and I think 

 that we must be very, very careful in the selection of commercial 

 fertilizers that they do not contain salt. That may occur in some of 

 the animal matter from the products of the packing house, where they 

 have been careless in allowing salt from the washing or the leaching 

 from the vats to get into the tankage. I don't know of any particular 

 case where that has occurred, but it might happen. I do know this: 

 I knovr that the chief ingredient, or rather the chief defect, in nitrate 

 of soda is common salt. Now. that does occur in the natural beds, but 

 where that does occur in nitrate of soda it will almost invariably bring 

 bad results, because our soils are naturally pretty rich in salt already, 

 and just a little may tip over the balance and cause trouble. 



PRESIDENT JEFFREY. Professor :\Iackie would like to make 

 just one statement. 



PROFESSOR MACKIE. I would like to state, in regard to what has 

 been said about heavy soils, that I was not aware that I said heavy soils 

 would not groAv good citrus fruits. In many t^'pes of soil we agree 

 that the citrus fruit grows well, but that the ideal soil is not of that 

 sort, taking everAi:hing into consideration. I know the clay soil at 

 Porter^^Ue. and the red adobe of the foothills, and even the red soil 

 of this county, produce an excellent quality of orange: but there are 

 some defects in those qualities of soil and subsoil which I recognize in 

 my paper. 



MR. C. C. CHAPMAN. T^e have remarkable soil in California. 

 There is not one of us but boasts of his soil. A man in Orange County 

 w^as showing an Easterner around. portra;^T-ng the grandeur of the 

 country and the excellent soil, and he said. "I will just give you a little 

 demonstration of the quality of our soil. I have some cucumber seed 

 I will plant, but get ready to get out of the way as soon as possible." 



