One Thousand Questions in California Agriculture AnsweredWickson, Edward J. (Edward James)
Science
One Thousand Questions in California Agriculture Answered
Wickson, Edward J. (Edward James)
Agriculture -- California
There is no particular difference in the soil requirements of Valencia
and Navel oranges. They are both budded on the same root. The
desirability of Navel oranges in the upper citrus districts arises from
the fact that the policy of those districts at the present time is to
produce an early orange. This they could not accomplish by growing the
Valencia. The great advantage of the Valencia in southern California, on
the other hand, lies in the very fact that it is late and that it can be
marketed in midsummer and early autumn when there are no Navels
available from anywhere.
Orange Seedlings.
What about planting the seed from St. Michael's oranges or of grapefruit
for a seed-bed to be budded to Valencias?
Good plump St. Michael's seeds would be all right if you desire to use
sweet seedling stock. Grapefruit seedlings are good and quite widely
used, though the general preference is for sour-stock seedlings.
Acres of Oranges to a Man.
In your opinion, is it possible for one man, of average strength, to
take perfect care of a twenty-acre citrus orchard? Are the services of a
man who takes the entire responsibility of an orchard (citrus) worth
more than those of a common ranch hand?
It depends upon the man, upon the age of the trees, upon the kind of
soil he has to handle, upon the irrigation arrangements and upon what
you mean by "perfect care." If you contract the picking and hauling of
fruit, the fumigation and allow extra help when conditions require that
something must be done quickly, whatever it may be, a man with good legs
and arms, and a good head full of special knowledge to make them go, can
handle twenty acres and if he does it right you ought to pay him twice
as much as an ordinary ranch hand.
Roots for Orange Trees.
What are the conditions most favorable to orange trees budded upon sour
stock; also upon sweet stock and trifoliata?
The sour stock is believed to be more hardy against trying conditions of
soil moisture - both excess and deficiency, and diseases incident
thereto. The sweet stock is a free growing and satisfactory stock and
most of the older orchards are upon this root, but it is held to be less
resistant of soil troubles than the sour stock, and therefore
propagators are now largely using the latter. The trifoliata has been
promoted as more likely to induce dormancy of the top growth during cold
weather, because of its own deciduous habit. It has also been advocated
as likely to induce earlier maturity in the fruit and thus minister to
early marketing. The objection urged against it has been a claimed
dwarfing of the tree worked upon it.
Citrus Budding.
I wish to bud some Maltese blood orange trees to pomelos and lemons.
Will they make good stock for them, and, if so, is it necessary to cut
below the original bud?
It is possible to bud as you propose, and it is not necessary to go back
to the old stock. Work in above the forks.
No Citrus Fruits on Lemon Roots.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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