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A basic analysis of various pickup principles applied in the construction of prune harvesters was made during the spring of 1957 to develop—if possible—a gentle method of fruit pickup which would simulate hand picking and give a positive pickup without disturbing the soil surface.

Salting out, or dieback—sodium scorch—of apricot was improved substantially—in an experimental plot near Hemet—by the heavy application of irrigation water as a corrective treatment.

Excess water added to apricot orchards irrigated with San Joaquin River water—in Stanislaus County—removes accumulated salts and maintains a favorable salt balance in the soil.

A perfect stand of Moapa alfalfa in an experimental offset planting—a single row on the shoulder of double row beds—was obtained in an area where soil salinity usually is a hazard to germinating seeds.

Frequency of irrigation in relation to yield of asparagus on sedimentary soil was the subject of an eight-year experiment at Davis.

Two limiting factors in the $4 million field grown rose bush crop of southern California are root-lesion and hairy-root diseases.

To evaluate the influence of gibberellin on citrus fruit development and quality—and other tree responses—Thompson Improved Navel Oranges were treated with potassium gibberellate during the first week of November 1957. Oranges 2.5″-2.6″ in diameter were individually-dipped along with four subtending leaves in the treatment solutions. Concentrations of technical gibberellin—containing approximately 82% potassium gibberellate—used were 500, 1,000, and 2,000 ppm—parts per million. A non-ionic wetting agent was added at 0.05%. Oranges which served as controls were selected for size but were not treated. A randomized complete block design with eight replications was used. Each plot consisted of three trees with 17 test oranges on each.

The principal ingredient of a lime nitrogen fertilizer—calcium cyanamide—has initial toxic or caustic properties, in the presence of moisture, that cause plant leaves to absciss.

In experimental olive plantings—using three scion varieties and 12 different rootstocks—the principal rootstock effect on the scion variety was in tree vigor. However, any rootstock influence noted in a given scion-rootstock combination did not necessarily hold true for another scion variety on the same rootstock.