52 



TWENTY-EIGHTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



DISCUSSION ON THE GROWING OF ORANGES. 



MR. GRIFFITH. I want to ask Mr. Hofman whether the growing 

 of peas or growing of green fertilizer has any effect upon the puffing of 

 oranges? 



MR. HOFMAN. I am sorry to say I have no information to give 

 on that subject. I have not heard the puffing of oranges mentioned 

 with green-manuring, and I would be as interested in that as anybody. 



DR. WOODBRIDGE. I think there has been some confusion on 

 that subject. I believe there is no connection at all between the grow- 

 ing of a green crop and the dropping of the orange, but there is in 

 plowing at the time when the trees are in blossom. I think it is a fixed 

 fact that if the orange orchard is plowed while the trees are in blossom, 

 the fruit will drop, especially if the plow is run deep and the spongy 

 roots are cut off. 



MR. GRIFFITH. I didn't refer to the dropping, but to the puffing 

 of oranges. I noticed in an experience of my own that in an orchard 

 where I had no weeds of any consequence the oranges didn't puff much, 

 while in another, where the weeds grew ranker, I had puffy oranges. 



PROFESSOR COOK. Mr. President, I wish to say that some of our 

 very best cultivators think they do see a relation between puffing and very 

 heavy applications of stable fertilizer. I do not think anybody knows 

 it yet, but some of our very best men believe it. If true, it is owing, 

 undoubtedly, to an excessive amount of nitrogen in the soil. If that is 

 the case, why wouldn't a very heavy application of green fertilizer bring 

 about the same result ? In this connection I wish to state that I think 

 that what Dr. Woodbridge has spoken of is a very important matter. 

 I saw the same thing that he spoke of, and that is the danger of putting 

 in your green crop too late and plowing it under too late. Last October 

 was too late to put in a green crop, because the winter was very cold, 

 and where crops were put in so late as that, if they were left to full 

 maturity, March or April, it was altogether too late to put in a green 

 crop. 



A MEMBER. Why was it too late ? 



PROFESSOR COOK. As your tree has blossomed fully, and just as 

 the fruit is setting, the roots ought not to be disturbed; and if you plow 

 it under at that time you are almost sure to break in upon the tree 

 nutrition which is necessary to set a full crop of fruit. I think there is 

 a point there. 



I Wish to speak specially of one paper which I was glad to hear, 

 and that was the paper on the dairy in connection with the orchard. 

 I am somewhat of a crank on that subject; but when our agriculturists, 

 our best men, tell us that alfalfa has $8.50 of value as a fertilizer in 

 every ton — and that is backed by our Government — and when they tell 



