Biennial Report (Paperback)

Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: HORTICULTURAL STATUS OF CALIFORNIA. The year 1913 closed a period of prolonged drought, and as a result the grain and hay crops and also the fruit production in tmirrigated areas were considerably below the average, but the high prices often, more than made up for the deficient crops. Last year alfalfa sold for $12 per ton, whereas this year it is difficult to secure $7. The frost in early January, 1913, was a serious blow to the citrus industry. Not only was much fruit destroyed, but also the trees were often greatly damaged or killed outright. In some sections where no destructive freeze had ever occurred before, heavy loss was sustained. Strange to say, these sections were often in the very southern limits of the state; indeed, the north suffered less by far than did the south. Many of the growers had provided equipment to fight the frost and thus saved both fruit and trees, and the high prices of fruit consequent upon the diminished supply secured to these provident fruit growers large returns for their output. The superior marketing system of the south and the high prices received for the fruit did much to compensate for the great loss caused by the freeze. The lessons of the freeze are many and are not likely to be forgotten: First, ' ' There are no frestless areas in California ' '; second, oil pots or other equipment are a sine qua non in California citrus culture; third, a good heating system with sufficient oil and help available upon call will certainly protect against the lowest temperature ever yet known in the citrus belt; fourth, the loss from severe cold is in inverse proportion to the amount wisely spent in securing heating apparatus, and lastly, the man who has the proper equipment to resist the frost damage may find the cold a very substantial frien...