1746 
Notes from Foreign Correspondents. 
Mr. John D.Wright wrote March 29, from Valencia, 
Spain, the following note on the carob (Ceratonia siliqua) : 
"I was told that Senor Peregrin Contell is devot- 
ing much effort to the cultivation of the 'algarroba' 
at his 'Masia' (Estate) an hour by motor out of Val- 
encia, and that he has one particular tree which he 
calls 'El Capltan' from which he has grafted most of 
his other trees. 
"Senor Contell very kindly consented to motor 
out with me this morning to the Masia de Mompo in the 
very fertile plain of Quartes. He is cultivating the 
'algarrobo' as if it were a fruit or nut tree; he 
plows, fertilizes, and prunes with the greatest care 
and persistence. Of course results obtained in this 
way cannot be expected of trees planted on the slopes 
of dry foothills in California and left to chance . His 
trees are irrigated when the season is specially dry. 
I saw orchards three years old, twelve years old, 
fourteen and sixteen years old, and many trees which 
were much older. 
"My special interest, being guided by your sug- 
gestions, was in his great 'El Capitan. ' I madeapho- 
tograph of this which I hope will turn out well. It 
is an enormous tree, the trunk having a diameter of 
about 7 feet, with a spread of branches exceeding 60 
feet and a height of about 50 feet. Senor Contell 
tells me that he has a document witnessed by two per- 
sons to prove that he took in one year 2,625 pounds 
of pods from this one tree (105 arrobas at 25 lbs. to 
the arroba) . He has a 20-year-old orchard (all the 
trees in which were grafted from 'El Capitan') that 
produces each year an average of 450 pounds per tree. 
"The quality of these pods is excellent for cat- 
tle fodder, but they are not the very sweet pods that 
people like to eat. I am sending, through the cour- 
tesy of the consul, a small package of the pods of the 
'El Capitan' type, though of course I did not see them 
picked as the fruit was gathered some time ago. 
"I am also sending a few pods from the very sweet 
variety which is known locally as 'Roches,' or 'Reds.' 
These are not borne in the quantity of the 'Matalafera' 
('El Capitan') type. I placed a paper with each pack- 
age giving full particulars. I hope the pods with 
their respective notes will reach you. Sefior Contell 
says that with the good soil of his orchards and the 
care he gives the trees they begin to bear after the 
fourth year and sometimes in the fourth year." 
