54 



TWENTY-EIGHTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



were told regarding bone fertilizer — that bone was the best thing for us 

 as a source of phosphoric acid. Only about three years back they 

 reversed that, and told us that bone was of no use for phosphoric acid, 

 but was only useful for the nitrogen in it. Now, regarding this barn- 

 yard manure. We have been told for quite awhile that it was not any 

 good except for humus. Now we are told it causes too much nitrogen 

 and puffs the oranges. I want to know regarding these things. I want 

 no dubious words brought in, such as "weakness," because weakness 

 means nothing. What causes weakness? 



MR. KOETHEN. I have been studying this question for quite a 

 time, and I have come to the conclusion that it is not only one thing 

 that may produce pufhness, but that anything which will produce 

 a weakness in the tree at any time during the development of the crop 

 may produce pufflness in the orange. For instance, if an orchard goes 

 along through the summer and a portion of it is allowed to become dry, 

 you will find invariably that that portion of the orchard will show 

 pufBness that winter. 



MR. BERWICK. We are getting more definite now, and I am glad 

 to see it. Because I asked a question and wanted to know what about 

 barnyard manure. Scientists one day say, " No, there is no nitrogen 

 there to amount to anything"; the next day they say there is lots of it 

 there. 



MR. REED. I think this matter with reference to puffy oranges was 

 up at our first farmers' institute in Southern California, and has been 

 up since. I think we are farther away now than we were then. At the 

 time of the first farmers' institute I had two trees where there was 

 plenty of nitrogen from the stable, and I was sure the oranges therefrom 

 would be no good; and sure enough they were puffy next year. I was 

 satisfied that stable manure made oranges puff. For the last few years 

 those trees have been in the same condition and have raised good crops 

 ever since. The last year I have had two trees that had no fertilizer 

 whatever. They were so situated that we could keep the soil about them 

 well mulched, and they had plenty of water; but we did not fertilize 

 them. Those are the two trees that had more pufiy oranges than any 

 other trees in the orchard. I have no idea of the cause of it. I believe 

 the discussion of these matters will go on in this way indefinitely until 

 we make some provision for a definite, accurate, and careful investiga- 

 tion by experts. T believe that if we had been trying to secure this sort 

 of work we would have made some headway by this time. I doubt 

 whether this way or that way of treating the orchard for puffy oranges, 

 split oranges, black spot, and gum disease will accomplish very much 

 except an expert will come into Southern California and take charge of 

 an orange orchard and have perfect control of it through years of 

 experience, watching these troubles carefully and thoroughly and per- 

 sistently. 



