1152 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Fruit Industry in California. By W. J. Allen (Agr. Gaz. N. S. W. 

 p. 1100 ; November 1902). — So long ago as the year 1880 there were 

 many who prophesied that the fruit industry was being overdone ; and yet, 

 notwithstanding the many obstacles which have had to be overcome, the 

 people of California have through their energy and push gone on from year 

 to year increasing the area under fruit and, by exploiting other markets 

 and placing a good article on the market, have found sale for all their fruit, 

 at fairly remunerative prices. To attain this end they have to grow good 

 fruit and to place it on the market in the most attractive style possible. 

 The area devoted to fruit culture in California is as follows : — 



Grapes, wine . 



107,908 



acres 



Pears 



. 17,058 



acres 



Grapes, raisins 



84,211 



>j 



Olives . 



. 15,348 



>> 



Grapes, table . 



21,517 



)> 



Almonds 



. 14,325 



» 



Prunes . 



81,838 



>> 



Lemons . 



. 13,429 





Peaches . 



60,021 



„ 



Walnuts 



. 10,646 





Oranges . 



52,030 





Cherries . 



5,251 



>> 



Apples . 



49,850 



>> 



Figs 



4,054 



>» 



Apricots . 



34,938 



>> 









A grand total of 572,424 acres. In making up these figures it is assumed 

 that there are 48 Apple-trees to the acre, 75 Apricots, 100 Cherries, 

 48 Figs, 75 Olives, 100 Peaches, 100 Pears, 100 Prunes, 100 Oranges, 

 100 Lemons, 100 Almonds, and 48 Walnuts. — H. G. C. 



Fruit-trees, A Fungus Disease of young.* Anon. (Jour. Bd. 

 Agr. vol. ix. No. 3, 1902, pp. 361-363, pi. vi.). — This paper gives a short 

 description of the minute but very destructive fungus Eutypella primastri, 

 Sacc, which attacks young standard fruit trees ; those up to the age of 

 eight years being most liable to the disease, and as the stem is the part 

 attacked, the girdling of this portion of the plant by the fungus growing 

 in the bark and cambium means the death of the entire tree. 



As a means of prevention the following are recommended : — " All 

 wounds on the stem exposed by cutting off shoots, liowcver small, should 

 be protected at once by a coating of gas-tar, until the tree is at least 

 ten years old. In order to prevent spores from germinating on the 

 surface of the stem, . . . the entire stem should be painted with the 

 following composition : — Reduce soft soap to the consistency of thick 

 paint by the addition of a strong solution of washing soda in water. Add 

 one pound of powdered quick-lime to every five gallons of the dissolved 

 soap, and stir the whole until thoroughly mixed. Apply to the trunk 

 with a paint brush, being careful to cover every part. This mixture is 

 tenacious, not easily dissolved by rain, and usually lasts for one season if 

 properly made and applied." The disease is said to be most prevalent in 

 clayey soil ; and deep planting should therefore be avoided. — B. N. 



Fruit Trees and Potash (Lc Jard.). — Experiments made in 

 Germany regarding the fertilisation of fruit trees show that the most 



* See also abstract from the Gard. Chron. (Sept. 1902, p. 235) on " Fungoid 

 Disease of Nursery Stock," by G. Massee, in Journal K.H.S. vol. xxvii. p. 691, 

 figs. 173 A— I. 



