194 PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 



advice that would hold for one section of the State would probably be 

 inapplicable for another. Hence, the need of the various experiment 

 stations. California, more, perhaps than any other state, has an unlim- 

 ited field for research work. So many new things to be tried, so many 

 problems to be solved that at present our answers to questions are few 

 and far from satisfactory. The University Farm, as best it can. is 

 trying to fit into the conditions of the great Sacramento Valley. A 

 great fertile country, larger than many of the Eastern States, capable 

 of supporting more than twenty times its present population, yet but 

 little known or understood. 



At the present time the horticultural department has a number of 

 experiments under way; twenty acres have already been planted to 

 standard varieties of deciduous fruit. Among these we have 12 varie- 

 ties of almonds, 6 of pears, 12 of apples, 18 of plums, 5 of prunes. 5 of 

 cherries, 9 of apricots, and 80 of peaches. These are all to be tested 

 out under valley conditions. Their amenability to different treat- 

 ments of pruning, of methods of culture, and of irrigation are to be 

 watched, that we may give more specific answers to the many inquiries. 



One of the special problems which is now being studied is that of 

 the almond. In many sections of the valley this particular crop is a 

 failure, and no one seems to know why. Some say it is due to early 

 blossoming and frost, other to the lack of cross-pollenization, etc. "We 

 are trying by the application of scientific methods to find a cause. We 

 need to watch the flowers of these trees to see if they are perfect, we 

 need to examine the pollen to find out if it is carried by wind of by 

 insects, and if by insects, what particular one is responsible. We need 

 to know the length of time these flowers are open, and their suscepti- 

 bility to temperature and moisture. We must find out if they are 

 self -fertile, or if they must receive pollen from another tree, as many 

 other plants do. We must also find out whether they will grow best 

 upon their own root or upon their near relatives, the peach, plum, or 

 apricot. And if there is a difference, to what soil each particular root 

 is adapted. All of these questions and many more we are now asking 

 of the almond tree. I simply mention these to indicate what the plant 

 men of the experiment station are supposed to know. 



Along these same lines Professor Bioletti is carrying on experiments 

 with the grapes. He has twenty acres which he is preparing to turn 

 into an experimental vineyard. All of the different types of table and 

 wine grapes are being grown to determine their suitability to valley 

 conditions. Different varieties of the European grapes are being 

 grafted on to the many different species of the native stock to see if 

 they will make a good union and strong, vigorous plant. At the same 

 time a careful watch is kept for their resistance to phylloxera and 

 attacks of mildew. At present about 20,000 grafts are being made, 

 dealings with fifty different varieties of grapes on twelve or fifteen dif- 

 ferent kinds of roots. 



This outlines in a very brief way the horticultural conditions as 

 they exist at present at the University Farm. As we look over the con- 

 ditions of the valley and plan for future work, we find an almost 

 unlimited field. For example, take the apple. It doesn't do well in the 

 valley, and to the many questions why, our answers are far from 

 satisfactory. The high summer temperature forces the fruit to early 



