G ^{jy^i LIBRARY OF CONGRESS Si f m Km\tJ m "^^T^^^- -^- ^ ^ W IIIIIIIIIIHIIIIIIIIIIIII 000 929 204 4 .^■^; 6 (^■'• \" >^ tcj., Ja.^ ALIFORNIA I I m IMPORTANT ESSAYS, DISCUSSIONS, REPORTS, ETC. — AT THE — Piftr} Wnnual Oonvention of ©alifornia Pruit tf rowers, Held under the Auspices of the State Board of Horticulture, — IN- LOS ANGELES, NOVEMBER, 1885. Practical Information on t[)e growtl;) of i\)e Branae, Lemon, Fia, Apple, Plum, Peacb, Pear, Apricot, etc.tl^e destruc- tion of Insect Pests, and otl^er matters offectmn tpe Fruit Industry. OFFICIAL REPORT: Reported by A. K. Whitton, Stenographer, and furnished to the publishers by authority of the State Board of Horticulture. Published by DEWEY & CO, Proprietors " Pacific Rural Press. San Francisco, Cal., 1886. ^ m 'Wf ^- -^^^b^i Price, 25 Cents, Post Free. A? American O'l Co., 17 and 19 Main Street, San Francisco. MANUFACTURERS AND DEALERS IN ALL KINDS OF WHALE OIL SOAP, CODLIN MOTH WASH, CONCENTRATED LYE, FOR USE IN OROH A.RDS, Etc. ALSO MANUFACTURED AND READY FOR SALE, The COMPOUND Recommendeil in Dr, Chapin's Bulletin, Ho, 2, commission Merchants AND DEALERS IN- California and Oregon Produce, GREEN and DRIED FRUITS. GRAIN, WOOL, HIDES, Nos. 308 and 310 DAVIS STREET, San Francisco. (P. O. BOX, 1936.) FEB 4 191i vj GOULD'S HORTICULTURAL SPRAY PUMP. WITH BAMBOO EXTENSION & SPRAY NOZZLE COMPLETE. Thi 8 pump we have gotten up expressly for spraying vines, fruit trees and other shrubbery infested with the destructive insects which inflict so much injury in or- chards, vineyards, etc It has been adopted and recom- mended by the State Horticultural Society. The working parts are constructed entirely of Brass, and will not be affected by the corrosive solutions used in them. The BAMBOO EXTENSION is an admirable invention. The operator of the Pump, by the use of this extension, can get to all parts of the tree while on the ground; also sav- in? himself from getting liis bands and face burnt with the solution. Tne NOZZLE will save the price of itself withm a day, as the amount of liquid saved is two-thirds over any other style in use. It throws a veryj fine mist. This nozzle is well known by all orchardists. Write for Prices. ^k^ & V ^ C lallenge Wme Pump HORIZONTAL CHALLENGE VYINE PUMP. The annexed cut represents our Horizontal Challenge Wine Pump of great compactness and power, for use in wine cellars for pumping from one tank into another, for use on ships, wharves and around factories, mills, warehouses and fire purposes. The cylinders of our iron pumps are brass-lined, the piston-rod, valves and valve seats are brass. Our all brass pumps are made entirely of brass with the exception of the lever. SEND FOB CATALOGUES AND PRICES. We are the only complete Pump House on Pacific Coast, and carry a full line of all stjlea and kinds for Hand Wind Mill, Power and Steam use; also Pipe, Pipe Fittings, Brass Goods, Hose, etc, SEND FOR SPECIAL CATALOGUE, MAILED FREE. WOODIN & LITTLE, 509 & 511 Market Street SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. CALIFORNIA CURVED PRUNING SAW PRICE, $1.00 EACH. PRICE. $1.00 EACH. Also Jessup's Pattern Cal. Pruning Saw— Steel Back. (Witti Adjustable Blade to Cut on any Angle.) Price, $4.00 Each. Manufactured by PACIFIC SAW MANUFACTURING COMPANY, Agents for C. B. Paul's Files and for Boss Wood Saw. 17 and 19 Fremont Street, S. P. Horticultural Books. Issued by DEWEY & CO., Publishers of the Pacific Rural Press CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWER.— A practical Hand-book for the orchardist (in preparation). CATALOGUE OF EUROPEAN VINES— With synonyms and brief descriptions, by I. Bleasdale, D. D. Invaluable to those growing the vinifera. Price, in pamphlet, 50 cents. ORANGE GROWING IN CALIFORNIA— By T. A, Garey, of Los Angeles. The most comprehen- sive treatise on the growth of this fruit. It contains full instructions for growing the trees, planting and care of orchards, etc. ; 227 pages. Price, $1. SILK GROWERS" MANUAL— By W. B. Ewer, A. M. A practical treatise full of useful hints for beginners in this State; 20 pages. Pamphlet, price 25 cents. REPORT OF FRUIT GROWERS' CONVENTION, 1881, 1882, 1884, 1885, postpaid, 25 ct«. OTiiEK, ^A7'oms:s- THE AGRICULTURAL FEATURES OF CALIFORNIA, by Prof. Hilgard, 138 large pages, bound in stiff cloth, with colored maps, $r.oo. NILES' STOCK AND POTLTRY BOOK, pamphlet, 120 pages, post-paid for 50 cts. KENDALL'S TREATISE ON THE HORSE AND DISEASES, post-paid for 25 cts. PICTURESQUE CALIFORNIA HOMES (40 building plans and estimates), post-paid for $3,00. Sold Wholesale and Retail by DEWEY & CO., Publishers, 252 Market St., San Francisco. e^ Send for our "Subscription Offering Supplement," containing a descriptive list of the above and other books and other valuable articles, offered at greatly reduced rates, as premiums to new subscribers. IDEI'WE"^ &z CO.'S SciEotiSc Frsss Fats&l ijene;. ESTABLISHED 1863. Inventors on the Pacific Coast will find it greatly to their advantage to consult this old experienced, first-class Agency. We have able and trustworthy Associates and Agents in Wash j ington and the capital cities of the principal nations of the world. In connection with our edi- torial, scientific and Patent Law Library, and record of original cases in our office, we have other advantages far beyond those which can be offered home inventors by other agencies. The information accumulated through long and careful practice before the Office, and the frequent examination of Patents already granted, for the purpose of determining the patentability of inventions brought before us, enables us often to give advice which will save inventors the expense of applying for Patents upon inventions which are not new. Circulars of advice sent free on receipt of postage. Address DEWEY & CO., Patent Agents, 252 Market St., S. F. A. T. DEWEY. W. B. EWEB. GEO. H. STRONG, FoullrpaiStockBook Niles's new manual and r e f e r e nee book on sub- j e c t s con- nected with successful Poultry and Stock Raising: on the Pacific Coast. A New Edition, over 100 pages, profusely illustrated with handsome, life-like illustrations of the different varieties of Poultry and Live-Stock. Price, postpaid, 50 cts- Ad- dress PACIFIC RURAL PRESS Office, San Francisco, Cal. ORANGE CULTURE A practical treatise by T. A. Garey, giving the results of long experi- ence in Southern California. 196 paefes, cloth bound. Sent post-paid at reduced price of 75 cts. per copy by DEWEY & CO., Publishers, S. F. A Treatise on the Horse and his Diseases By B. J. Kendall, M. D. 35 Fine Engravings showing the positions and actions of sick horses. Gives the cause, symp- toms and best treatment of dis- eases. Has a table giving the doses, effects and antidotes of all the principal n^edicines used for the horse, and a few pages on the action and uses of me- dicines. Rules for telling the age of a horse, with a fine en graving showing the appearance of the teeth at each year. It is printed on fine paper and has nearly 100 pages, 7ix5 inches. Price, only 25 cents, or five for SI, on receipt of which we will send by mail to any address. DEWEY & CO., 252 Market St., S. F. The Pacific Rural Press. The Leading Agricultural Home News- paper and standard authority branches of Calijornia Agriculture. It is the chief medium for the dissemination of in- formation concerning fruit-growing in Calfornia. It has the fullest and most accurate Reports of Horticultural Meetings, and is the best record of the Experience OF Individual Fruit-Grow- ERS in all parts of the State. Its market reports are prepared with care and the greatest reUability possible for the benefit of the producer. The Pacific Rural Press has more circulation and influence in the Pacific States and Territories than all the other agricultural weeklies in the United States combined. Advertisers can reach nearly all the leading reading farmers through its columns, A well-known horticulturist who was in attendance upon the meetings of fruit-growers, writes; "The greatest praise that could be bestowed on the RURAL Press at the late Fruit-Growers' Convention, and which shows, undoubtedly, the well deserved pop- ularity of that paper, is the fact that almost all the members of that Convention were subscribers to the Press." It is a Farm and Home Journal of the highest class, pure in tone and well informed on all matters of industrial interest. It is handsomely printed and illustrated. It is a 20-page weekly, and is furnished, postage paid, for $3 per year in advance. Single copies, 10 cents, prepaid. Established 1870. Yearly subscription $3. Send for samples. Address, DEWEY & CO.. Publishers, No. 252 Market Street, San Franc^'&'co. \ln Prt'paraA%on.\ The Caifornia Fruit Grower. For California. Readers abroad wishing to know more about the mild sunset land of the Pacific Slope, its rare products and wonderful resources and climate, will do well to send fifty cents for a map and 12 sample copies (worth $1.25) of the (illustrated) Pacific Rural Press, the largest and best agricultural weekly in the West, and one of the freshest and most onginal home farm papers in the world. Established Jan. I, 1870. Address Pacific Rural Press, 252 Market St. , ban Francisco. A manual of methods and practices in Tree Prop- agation, Planting, Cultivation, and Pruning, which Lave yielded greatest success ; with Lists of Varie- ties of Fruit best adapted to the different districts of the State. By our editorial associate, Edward J. WiCKSON, Secretary California State Horticultural Society, etc. The needs of a multitude of new-comers and the disposition among many old residents, who have followed other pursuits, to plant orchards and vine- yards, has created a wide demand for a condensed and yet comprehensive treatise upon California fruit growing. While it is not the expectation of the publishers to produce at once a perfect work on this important interest, in so new a field it is believed that a book may be prepared that shall contain a large fund of useful information, relat- ing to all branches of fruit growing, and thus serve as a trustworthy guide to the novice, and of suggestive value even to those of large exper- ience. A better book may be the outgrowth of the present effort when time shall bring more permanent features and a fuller understanding of the industry. Just at present what is most needed is a straightfor- ward, practical description of the methods which have so far been proved to yield the best results in every branch of fruit growing from the propagation of the tree onward to the marketing of the product. It is expected that this book will be so plain and practical in its"; character that anyone (of ordinary 'aJDiiity)'mny?su,ccessfully plant and grow any of the comm.on oicbard.trces, ejen ifhe or she has had no j pcevion-s £. would long tolerate such a condition of things. Shortly thereafter there came an announce- ment of a convention of the "Fruit Growers of California," and I naturally attended that con- vention with no very definite idea of what would come out of it, but with the conviction that the thing to do was for the fruit-growers to get together, and that the convention was a means of so doing. Being there, I found vari- ous suggestions, and, in connection with others, who, like myself, were earnestly moving and endeavoring to remedy existing evils, I was placed upon a committee to take in hand this proposition and suggest a remedy. That committee was composed of gentlemen who are doubtless familiar to you all, but I will, for the purpose of a full understanding, give you their names: William H. Aiken of Santa Cruz, R. J. Trumbull of San Francisco, Abbott Kinney of Los Angeles county, A. Bloch of Santa Clara county, Horatio P. Livermore of San Francisco, F. G. De Long of Marin county, M. Estee of Napa county. That committee was in- structed to inquire into the whole subject, and to propose a method for redressing the evils that oppress us. They held serious delibera- tions; at first without being in'complete unison, latterly reaching an understanding to justify a report in the convention. Resolved, That it is the opinion ot the majority of your committee that the fruit-growers should organ- ize a corporation confiding the management of their fruit for Eastern shipment to a >duly qualified board of directors of the said corporation for the protec- tion of their mutual interest and the disposal of their produce. Resolved, That the capital stock of said corpora- tion shall be $250,000, represented by 250,000 shares of $1 each, and that the fruit-growers shall have the privilege of subscriptions at the rate of one share of stock for each acre of bearing orchard and vineyard of shipping grapes, the same to be an operative cap- ital fund for mutual protection purposes. That report was taken in hand by the con- vention; it was deliberated upon, discussed in all aspects, through one entire day, and then, after further discussion on the second day, was finally unanimously adopted, and the same com- mittee were directed to take charge of the busi- ness of working up the details of co-operative union or corporation, and generally putting it into effective motion. I did not know at the time when that committee was appointed, how much was in store for the members of it in the way of solid work, but in the six weeks that en- sued from the date of the first convention to the holding of the second, I had a realizing sense of it. We, however, did what we could, in the crude condition of things. I say crude, because an interest so vast and widespread as the Cali- fornia fruit growers' interest is necessarily crude until it is organized. We did what we could, however, and, returning to the convention, we reported a plan ; that plan was objectionable in many re- spects to various of the localities of northern California, because they had then conceived local ideas from local preferences. Let us not say prejudices, but preferences, and prefer- ences, perhaps, well founded in many instances. However, after long discussion and some modi- fications, all the interests were harmonized, and a general agreement was reached, and it gave birth to the California Fruit Union, A corporation which I now represent, and to which I now call your attention. I may say before going further, that in the incorporation of this Fruit Union, the capital was considered by the committee as advisable to be restricted to the acreage of orchard now existing in the State — at first the bearing orchard; afterwards they opened it to all orchards, without distinc- tion. It was the opinion of the committee, from the best information procurable, that 100,- 000 acres would cover the entire area, and it is still their opinion. For that reason they rec- ommend a capital of 100,000 shares, or $1C0,- 000. It was held by the committee that that was sufficient. It was held by the committee that in all probability not that entire amount could or would be subscribed; but, that as a maximum amount, it was sufficient to start with, or rather to place as a maximum limit. The convention thought otherwise, and in the desire to give the complete latitude, and to provide for the future increase of acreage, they, by resolution, increased the capital stock to the amount of .1i;250,000 or 250,000 shar^. Of course, the committee were perfectly willing to accept that amendment, inasmuch as it involves nothing as to the amount of stock that should be issued, that being limited by the acreage, and it is still the opinion of the committee that the capital, which is now spoken of as $250,000, will practi- cally, under the operation of this scheme, fall considerably within $100,000. Now the whole CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. 29 theory and motive power of this scheme has always'^been, and is to-day, "co-operation;" we make a corporation because the lawdehnes that we must, but the idea is co-operation, a "co- operative union" of the fruit-growers, which they themselves shall officer and shall control, and for their sole benefit and profit. Be there little or much profit, it is for the fruitgrowers, and in that sense we ffiel that we are justified in laying a very considerable stress. Perhaps, in order to give you a clear under- standing, I had better read to you the articles of incorporation and by-laws. [Mr. Livermore read the articles of incorporation, also the by- laws as adopted Wednesday, November 11th, 1885, and as published in the Rural Press in the issue of November 14th.] The by-laws provide for nine trustees, but it is competent for the stockholders, when they finally adopt by-laws, to increase the trustees to 11, and it probably will be done to satisfy any territory requiring additional representa- tion, and to create a local Board wherever nec- essary. You will notice that the stockholder is in all cases associated with, and identified with, pro- ducing acres. Our original plan of estimating acreage for representation was to restrict it to orchard and to shipping grapes, but as we got into the subject we found that small fruits were very likely to call for a standing in connection with our transportation, particularly if the now probable feasibility of the cold storage car were demonstrated, and the vegetable transportation would enter very largely into the question, and that the acreage that could, should and prob- ably would, be devoted to vegetable culture for Eastern shipment would be very large; and for the additional reason that the vegetable ship- ments are a matter of great help to us in early shipments, it was included, so that, as the cor- poration now stands, the privilege of being stockholders was given to the cultivators of small fruits and of vegetables for Eastern ship- ment. I have thus read what constituted the articles of incorporation and the bylaws of the California Fruit Union, as considered in the committee's report to that convention. There were, however, two or three points, not placed in the by-laws, which they gave to the conven- tion in the form of recommendations, that have not yet been incorporated into the by-laws, and may or may not be, according to the ideas of the majority of the stockholders. I will read from the report those recommendations, so that you may then have the whole thing as it is likely to stand. [Reads recommendations of committee.] Now I will call your attention to the fact that, first, this is a Union restricted to produc- ers; second, that the ownership in it is propor- tioned by acres to the interest in the fruit pro- duced; third, that the ownership of stock is treated as a merely nominal matter; that it is not desired to make it a profit-paying stock — to make it a stock that could or would be sought for as a profitable investment, but simply giv- ing to it an interest barely compensating the capital invested, and letting the bulk of the profit go to the parties who produce the fruit in the proportion that they shall furnish such fruit. Now, I think this corporation, put into effective practice, is "boiled-down co-opera- tion," if I know what it means. The business ia done by the producers themselves, in their own behalf, and the profit divided among themselves. The theory in the management of the practical business details, when we come to them, will be that the Union, in handling its business, shall receiveI,from the parties who deal with it, or who ship fruit, the same rates of commission that are now received by commis- sion merchants, or that are paid by producers in the various channels where they now dispose of their produce, and that the Union will then proceed to handle those goods on the most eco- nomical basis possible, and whatever surplus is left after paying necessary expenses will come back to the stockholders, or to fruit producers, which is the other name for stockholders, in proportion to their shipments, less the six per cent interest on the stock and the two per cent reserve. Now for a clear un- derstanding of the question of fruit ship- ments. It is perhaps proper that I should read to you what they have been dur- ing 1S85 to October 1st. In the reports that have been compiled the committee have embodied the entire shipments of all fruits; but I will not weary you with the details, suffice it to say that the shipment of green deciduous fruits, classi- fied distinctly from the citrus fruits, have been, for the year 1885 up to October 1st, 1025 carloads, almost exclusively from the North; only 66 carloads have gone from Los Angeles. I can now make a similar report on the citrus fruits. These reports have been made in pounds, I have reduced them to carloads: 8an Francisco shipped 1 car, Los Angeles 1119 cars, Sacramepto 1 car; there have been minor quantities shipped from Marysville, Stockton and Oakland, but those are immaterial. The grand total of the shipment of oranges is 1121 cars. These have been distributed to the fol- lowing points: Denver, 72 cars; Pueblo, 7 cars; Omaha, 62 cars; Lincoln, Neb., 28 cars; other points in Nebraska, 2 cars; Atchison, 26 cars; Leavenworth, 11 cars; Topeka and other cities in Kansas, 15 cars; Council Bluffs, 6 cars; Des Moines, 3 cars; Davenport, Dubuque and other points in Iowa, 51 cars; Kansas City, 120 cars; St. Joseph, 58 cars; St. Louis, 68 cars; other cities of Missouri, 2 cars; San Antonio, Texas, 12 cars; Galveston and Houston, 9 cars; Austin, Dallas and other points in Texas, 12 cars; New Orleans, 5 cars; Louisville, 3 cars; Cincinnati, 28 cars; Cleveland, Toledo and other cities in Ohio, 59 cars; Chicago, 246 cars; Peoria, Rock Island and other cities in Illinois, 15 cars; Detroit, 9 cars; other cities in Michi- gan, 3 cars; Indianapolis, 19 cars; Terre Haute, Evansville and other cities in Indiana, 15 cars; Milwaukee, 25 cars; St. Paul and Minneapolis, 115 cars; New York, 2 cars; Boston, 1 car; Philadelphia 1 car, other Atlantic cities 1 car. Now, I consider that table to be instruct- ive to the shippers of citrus fruits, as it indi- cates that, except at second hands, through Chicago, the great Atlantic seaboard, with its vast consuming population, has not even been broached. It indicates that Chicago is what I have heard a fruit-grower very aptly term it, "the dumping point for the fruit of California," and it frequently is that, in a financial sense. Now, too much fruit goes in that direction, and vastly too little to the markets of the Eastern seaboard. Well, perhaps that has been inev- itable under the existing condition of things; perhaps it has not been possible to reach the Eastern seaboard; we feel, with reference to 30 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION the deciduous fruits of the North, which here- tofore have been shipped only by passenger trains, that it really is so, and that, until we get special fruit trains and the consequent re- ductions of freights which only can come by special fruit trains, those far Eastern markets cannot be reached. Still it is evident, from the foregoing statement, as it is also evident from the statement of green fruit shipments, that the Eastern markets have not been developed at all in proportion to the development of our capacity to produce fruit, and that if we are to go on and produce fruit with the new acre- age which stands behind us, coming along to contest the markets with us, to crowd us down into a condition of absolute loss, we have a great deal to do to develop not only the markets that are partially occupied, but the markets that are comparatively unoccupied. Now I think the great necessity of united action in an endeavor to reach and develop those markets, cannot be denied, and that it needs imme- diate organization of all in interest. It does not do for one locality to say, as did our neighbors on the Central Pacific in Placer county, "We have exceptional facili- ties; we have choice mountain fruit. It is of high repute in the East, where it has the pref- erence. We are at a very favorable shipping point, and we can get along. We make up our local co-operative organizations and we are get- ting along nicely." That is what they did say, and one town made a co-operative organization, and another followed, and before the shipping season was over they had five co-operative or- ganizations, and the competition between those local shipping organizations was just as marked, and just as capable of paying Irish dividends, as if it had been individuals, and the result is, those gentlemen have candidly said. We must take shelter under the wings of the general State organization, and they have done it. Now, there are considerations peculiar to every locality, and yet it seems to me, that conceding every claim that any locality may make, it will fare better in a general State Union, in the great congregation, with such a corporation as we have proposed, than if it were standing by itself, each locality by itself. I can see very clearly that, in some sense, there has been too much of the stay-at-home principle among all the fruit-growers of this State, and, not to be misunderstood, I will explain to you what I mean by that. I do not think the bulk of the fruit-growers of California know what has been done and what is being done all over the State, in the way of multiplying means of producing fruit. I do not think the fruit men to-day know what stands behind them in the way of certain competition from the produce of other and new localities. I don't think they appre- ciate what we have got to handle, so as to shape our markets. Now, to-day's market may be satisfactory to a shipper in one locality, and next year's market may he an entirely dif- ferent thing, because his neighbor, who has heretofore been a non- producer, may wheel into line as a producer, and push along to the front and divide the market. It looks to me as if you have got to consider and provide against that very thing. The special matter that is to be considered here, at this meeting, is the desir- ability of a corporation like this, in connection with the interests of this locality, and I ask your attention to a number of points that bare upon that matter. I suppose that everybody in Southern California, interested in citrus fruits, has heard of the place called Florida, and that there is a production of fruit there of the same class as produced by you here, and perhaps, in a measure, with identical inter- ests. Those producers of fruits are far nearer to a market than we are of the far West, and far less burdened with difficulties of getting to a market, it is true that, in a great degree, they do not come to market at the same time that your producers do, but they are an element of competition with you, in certain seasons, and a class of difficulties that assail your interests are nearly identical with the difficulties that they have had, although their difficulties are in a very much less degree. Now I have here a circular which sets forth a prospectus of what is called the Florida Fruit Exchange. It is an organization that is gotten up by the citrus fruit producers in Florida, to protect them- selves from the difficulties that are al- most identical with those you have here. [Reading from a prospectus.] Then fol- lows the plan of the exchange which shows that it is proposed to handle all the fruits from the State under one general business organization, having its headquarters at Jacksonville, Florida, having a board of directors, nine in number, and having the business details intrusted to one general man- ager, also located at Jacksonville. Now, that is a brief outline of what arrangement the fruit- producers and shippers of Florida have been compelled to adopt under the condition of things that is not certainly as serious as that which exists here. I may remark that they have no such difficultj' with their freights, and they have really far better facilities of market- ing than you Southern California producers, and I do not think it admits of any argument that what has been necessary in their case is equally necessary with you. Perhaps I have wasted your time unnecessarily in elaborating that point, because it will be readily admitted by all of you that the necessity exists for some form of union or organization that will straighten these questions and redress your grievances. Now, I will take one step further in that same direction, as illustrating the prac- tical operation of such an organization as that just formed in Florida. I have here the in- structions that are given by the Florida Fruit Exchange for the regulation of shipments, showing somewhat more of the details of their proposed opex-ation. There is much of it that you will think is mere detail, but I do think that some of the facts that are enlarged upon, as to the necessity of care and selection and uniformity of packing and scrupulous pains- taking for the good repute of fruit, ought to come home to us in California. I hold that one of the first duties that should devolve upon the Fruit Union in California ought to be to incul- cate the idea that each and every producer, of whatever veriety of fruit, should work to raise the standard of repute of California fruit, either deciduous, citrus, or whatever it may be. Our reputation in the Eastern markets de- pends upon united action in that respect; more depends upon that than you think, and fruit- producers and the handlers of produce gener- ally are not sufficiently alive to it. Railroad Bates. The fast transportation heretofore of green CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. 31 fruits has been limited to passenger trains, with a charge of $6 a car, subject to all the vicissitudes of the overland passenger and ex- press trains, which was held not to be the best class of transportation, even were the rates thereon very much reduced. In seeking a so- lution of that question, the committee thought the best policy was to go immediately to head- quarters, and seek an interview with President Leland Stanford, of the Southern Pacific Com- pany, because all the elements of transpor- tation from this locality are controlled by Mr. Stanford's corporations. We sent him an in- vitation to meet us. He responded by meeting us in our offices, and he answered all questions we put to him, and volunteered a great many suggestions. The one controlling idea, in all he said, and he went out of his way to elabor- ate that, was that fruit men could not expect any better results from their interest as long as they handled it in the unbusicess-like way that they were doing. He said: "Gentlemen, or- ganize your business, make a business basis, so that the transportation companies can make some calculations and predicate something on it, and we then can give you what you need." He said further, "As to any increased facilities or decreased rates on passenger trains, that is out of the question. Our passenger trains are already overloaded, so that we seek rather to increase the rates and decrease the burden of business. The only way out of the difficulty is a special fruit train, and, when you come to consider a special fruit train, we need to have an organized body with whom we can negotiate that will assure us a load for those trains. You may think it is an easy matter for us to put on these trains, and say 'here are your cars, load them up,' but the result, if we should do that, would be we would have twice the load we could carry one day and nothing the next day, so that it is en- tirely out of the question. However, I will promise you that if you organize your interests, and if you present yourself to us in such a shape that you can specifically contract for a freight train of 15 cars per day, or every other day, as the case may be, you shall have that train for $300 per car — on a fast schedule time. It shall be a train with all the improved appliances for the safe transportation of fruit, the cars shall not be fitted with the ordinary freight plat- form, but they shall have the Miller plat- form, to take the shock off the stoppages, and the train shall be run on a fast schedule time, not stopping at way stations except for coal and water. By that means, being in motion all the time, it will keep up a cir- culation of air that will be far better for the fruit, and you may be sure that the delivery of the fruit will be better than it can possibly be by the present system of passenger trains. And, further, in response to a specific inquiry, he said he would give us the same special fa- cility of the slow freight train, with a specific time table, which might be nearly as fast as the special fruit train at times, and at other times not so fast, at $200 a car, and that, having con- tracted for them, the trains were in our control. We could load them as we pleased, and that, in order to avoid any features of monopoly that naight be alleged against them, if anybody else wanted a train they could have it, too, the idea being that a "special fruit train" is a matter that would have to be arranged by contract. Further than that he said: "We believe in the fruit interest of California as the great interest of the State, if properly organized and devel- oped. We believe that it can be developed so as to overshadow every other every other in- terest of the State, and to be proportionately freight- producing for us, and, in that view, we want to do everything we can to encourage it; we cannot encourage it as it is, because there is nothing specific that we can encourage; but, when organized and put on a business like basis, you will find that you can have anything that business-like reason calls for. If $300 a c r, on fast time, does not enable you to dis- pose of your fruits, does not enable you to fill the Eastern markets and to feed these 50,000,- 000 that want your fruit, we shall know what to do." Now, it seems to me, therefore, that the transportation question is solved, just as soon as we can get together in a co- operative organizatioQ. Now we have nothing further to urge in that connection, we think that it might safely be left to the com- mon sense of the fruit producers of California, whether they will avail themselves of such fa- cilities and advantages or not, for the only thing thab they are called upon to do to secure them is to Unite in an Organization, Which practically costs them so little. Still further, there may be said to be other consider- ations connected with the transportation ques- tion that may be counted on to materially in- crease the direct advantages in special fruit train transportation. Thus, when damage is met that is not the fault of the shipper, and does not come by the act of God or the stress of elements, it is very apparent that, in hand- ling all such matters, we can get a great deal better satisfaction and more considerate treat- ment, as an organization, than we can get as individuals. I think it is apparent, too, that the stronger organization we have, the better fruit producers will fare. This may truly be said as to the power of united organization. Something has been said here as to the need of legislation for protection against insect pests. Now, suppose any one locality wants legisla- tion, goes to the legislature and asks it, or goes to congress. You will go home, feeling that you have been insulted all the time by the way you have been treated; but if a demand comes from the united fruit- groivers of California — not less than 10,000 in number, as they prob- ably are now — if it is put into proper, legiti- mate shape, with the suggestion that there is an organization behind it, my impression is that you will get a very speedy and favorable response. I think that in all questions of leg- islation, of dealing with transportation compan- ies, of local good government, of taxes, of assessment of your property, the time has come to say that the fruit pro- ducers of California are going to organ- ize to protect themselves, and that they know what power lies in a united organization, and that they mean, within the bounds of reason, to avail themselves of that power, and to exer- cise it; I say that is a perfectly legitimate thing to do, I say that the individual fruit-grower would be neglectful of his interests if he did not so do. There is a whole mass of questions lying behind those I have mentioned which would suggest themselves to any intelligent thinker, and which would receive a favorable 32 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION answer at the hands of a united organized power far better than by individual action. The question discussed this forenoon, of cheap and uniform packing can be easily solved when all act together. Nobody need be hurt, but equal rights to all can be secured in a very lit- tle time under an organization. Now, much has been said here as to local dis- tinctions that procure, as to the different sea- sons in your particular locality for fruit ship- ment, as to the necessity, in short, of a local organization to adequately represent your inter- ests. I am not surprised at it, but I candidly think that the propositions are not based upon solid reason; you commence to ship your oranges, as I understand it, in January and you ship till May. If you have a local organization you have got to take care of that organization, you have got to take care of its officers for the whole year to secure their services for those four months. In the first place, as I under- stand it, all propositions that have been ad- vanced for a local organization necessarily call for a very much larger capital than you would need to contribute to a general State organiza- tion; inasmuch as you have got to create dupli- cate facilities and carry duplicate capital; you have got to carry substantially for the entire year the officers and the official machinery for the business of four months of the year that might just as well serve you for four months, and serve the rest of the State for the other months. My business experience divides this proposition into this shape. Suppose the or- ganization enlists the confidence of the whole State, and suppose it goes immediately to work: the first thing to engage it would be the hand- ling of the citrus fruits, and in a couple of months, I understand, your shipments will be sufficient to load special trains, and the con- templated arrangement would give you the ad- vantages of the Southern or Northern route as you might prefer, and, if you have an insuffi- ciency of fruit you can, by joining with the de- ciduous fruit shipments of Northern California make up your quota of the special trains. Later in the season, when the weather is warm, you, for obvious reasons would prefer the cooler route, and probably would avail your- selves of the Northern route, and, later still, when the bulk of your crop is shipped, and you could not yourselves make up a traiu, you would be very glad to join in making up a train with the deciduous fruits of the North, so I think you would decidedly profit in that regard. The organization, the officers, and the business machinery of the Union, after handling your business for those months could then immedi- ately proceed to attend to other profitable busi- ness, in other sections. From the months of May to October, and sometimes into November, they could be working on the deciduous fruit shipments of the North, and earning profits, so that the persons necessary to conduct your business, as a local distinct shipping business in its proper season would really be no burden to you in those months, but would do other busi- ness than yours and earn supporting profits" There would be two months in the year, per- haps, when there would be neither business from the South or the North, and, in my judg- ment, that would be far less time than is desir- able, and could be usefully used in the study and development of the Eastern markets. Now whatever you may say, however you may view the fruit marketing proposition, it eventually comes down to the consumer ; you can't get your money for fruit unless somebody takes it to you. After you organize your busi- ness so that you can make up the special trains to get the fruit to the consumer on these re- duced rates of freight, which we all concede will be reasonable and justify good expectation for the future, the question is. Where is the con- sumer ? It looks to me that a very consider- able amount of work has got to be done in the East, to make the consumption adequate to the supply of California fruit, for my judgment is that the fruit production in California is nat- urally increasing more largely than the con- sumption in the East, that is, if left to work it- self out. Now we have got to set to work in the East, and we have got to put men there to work out the details of the business throughout the year as we ship. Now you start your cars when you think they are in good order, and you trust Providence that they may get through in good order and find profitable sale, Some of you have had occasion to notice when you get your account sales that they are reported to have come in other than in good order, and to feel as you would like to know of your own knowledge whether that was really the case or not. Well, that may have been an unfounded feeling, and nevertheless a proper organization with its reliable Eastern agents should be made to see to all those things in the East, and to enable you to know for a certainty that the management of the cars and the trains will be such that they can be inspected, in proper form, before arriving at the destination and being unloaded, and to know what the condition of the fruit is, and to report accordingly, and, in the meantime, all who are employed in the corporation, as such Eastern agents, can be working up those Eastern markets. Now, in the course of the work that I have done in connection with the California Fruit Union, as secretary, I have been receiving a great many letters — you would be astonished to see how many, bearing upon the proposition of the de- velopment of the Eastern markets from men here and East, who hear of this fruit producers' movement, and who are familiar with the East- ern markets. They all agree that nothing less than a fully equipped and continuously work- ing organization can do justice to the subject of marketing California fruit. You may locally be able to solve the question of transportation for a portion of the year, but if you do you will do it under far greater difficulties than you can under the management of a general State Union, and you will do it in comparative dis- regard of the development of Eastern markets. I think I have already alluded to the rela- tion of your shipping for certain mouths to northern shipments, but I may repeat that your earliest summer shipments, in the judgment of those of your largest producers with whom I have conversed, would stand far better as tak- ing part in the shipments of the "special fruit trains" by the Northern route, with the early northern fruits than they can by themselves on your southern route, and that is so important a consideration that it should not be lost sight of. I have already suggested the comparison be- tween the effective work to be accomplished by the general organization with that of the local organization. I will recur to that topic to say CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. 33 that the work of the general organization, will be continuously for eight months in the year, in shipping, and for the other four months in the development of markets, working up statistical information and doing vari- ous other things that are of great importance to your interests, although you may consider them secondary to the actual shipping. Now, I do not think they are secondary; I think that if nothing else could be accom- plished by such an organization as is proposed than the statistical districting of this State as to its products, knowing who the producer is, where he is, and what lie produces, when it is coming into bearing, and when he will be ready to ship, and generally all such information that that alone would this year or the next year be cheap to any and all producers at the cost of the subscription to this Union; and back of all that is the information as to the Eastern mar- kets, and the two together would be far more than equivalent to anything you would have to pay for it. I would point out again that the whole idea and theory of this Union is that each fruit-grower contribu'es a dollar an acre for a certain class of benefits, be they more or leas, and that such contribution is represented by the profit-paying stock. But, taking the worst view, and supposing that the money were given away, I do not think that any of you should hesitate one moment if you were approached by a competent, reliable man, who should offer to you just these advantages, for a fee of one dollar an acre, to be absolutely paid out by you. I think you would consider it cheap. Now, I have heard inquiry as to responsi- bility on the subscription of stock. The re- sponsibility is solely this : Our law provided that the liability in subscribing to and taking stock in a corporation shall not exceed the pro- portion of the amount of the capital stock that is subscribed in the corporation. A party taking SlO in stock may lose his stock and $10 more in it as the utmost. If there be any bugbear in that it is very slight in propor- tion to the interest and benefits involved. There is another feature of your situation here that I do not think is sufiiciently presented as to your local interests. You probably all know that you have a large acreage in other than cit- rus fruits in these southern counties; that, in the next two or three years, you will be large producers of peaches, apricots and pears, and some other varieties. The tendency, as I see here from year to year, is to increase your area of deciduous fruits. Now, it may be said that there is a large portion of those that are planted with reference to drying, but the fact still re- mains that it is very desirable to have the op- portunity to ship them as green fruits, and it is held by those conversant with the subject that all those fruits may go East and find a ready market under proper conditions. Here, as over the rest of the State, we have not yet begun to appreciate what may be done in the shipment of apples, or to establish any proper system of shipment. Perhaps, in some cases, under 'the advantages of the cold storage car that is now being offered to shippers at the moderate rate of a quarter of a cent a pound, we may reach many markets we do not now dream of with perishable fruits, so that it is not a proper view of the case to restrict your ideas and conclusions solely to citrus fruits. I hear much, locally, as to the various districts here, with reference to the supposed preference in the quality of produc- tion of each location. My idea in reference to that is that the whole thing comes down to one common fact, and that is the Eastern market. It is not what you say, or do, or think, here. It is the Eastern market, the consuming ele- ment, that controls. Now the man that pro- duces, in any given locality, a better fruit than his neighbor will get the benefit of it; his brand gives it a value, and it consequently stands by itself and sells upon its merit, and he gets the benefit of it. It may be well said that it is de- sirable for every producer of California fruit, as you saw so strongly stated in the Florida ship- ping directions, by every means in his power to raise the standard of California fruits as a class, so that they may go forth with the very highest possible reputation. I do not think it answers for any one community to say we can take care of ourselves. If a man produces the very best of a product and his neighbor is send- ing to market an article just a little less excel- lent in character, it is sure to have an efifect upon the price of the first, unless there is some regulation, some influence that equalizes the tendencies of competition. I have seen, in the six weeks that I spent going around in your various localities here, a number of instances among my friends, where they found out, after the evil was too late to remedy, that their neighbors had been doing them very serious damage in competing with them without being aware of it, without intending to do it, a thing that could not happen under proper organiza- tion. Nor do I thinK the fact that any region is better in quality of its produce than another justifies it in expecting to stand as well by itself, and distinct, as it can stand in a union such as is proposed. I think, of course, that such benefits may be secured by a local union; but, as I before said, at very much greater cost than a State Union. As to the status of Cali- fornia citrus fruits in the Eastern markets, it is evident that there needs be much work done upon them, and I think the stronger organiza- tion we have to do that work the better. It is an undeniable commercial fact that, although we did carry away many good prizes at the New Orleans exposition, the bulk of Eastern consumers give preference to the Florida or- anges, if both it and the California are in the market at the same time. Very fortunately for us they are not competing throughout the season, although they do compete to some extent? Now, 1 think work can usefully be done in doing away with that prejudice and upbuilding the general repu- tation in the East among the consumers of California oranges as such, and I think the work that should be so done would bear profit- able fruit in the organization sales, and in all that relates to California fruit. We must work for the highest possible reputation that can be achieved; we must woik here with the produc- ers to induce them to make their product such as would entitle it to that repute, and to pack it in a way that would do justice to itself, and to send it to market in a way that it would arrive in such a condition that it will secure for it the first place as California fruit, and that is the work for a general organization. No local organization can do it, for the moment you submit it to a local organization you act upon 34 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION this idea. "Our market will take care of itself, and the rest of the State can take care of itself" — that is what it would come to. I have heard a good deal as to the best methods and neces- sary expenditures for freeing our trees of the insect pests, and I am impelled to ask of what value may they be, or the usefulness of any such expenditures made in that direction, if we do not settle the other proposition of what we can do with the fruit when we raise it, and, while that subject is very important, yet the market question is of paramount importance, and should be dealt with accordingly. Among the necessary and profitable results ■ of such an organization as suggested, might be mentioned the development of the business in dry fruit. That is a business that may be largely developed under proper handling; for if you 'go on with your dried fruit shipments, without some efforts to prepare markets in advance, you will find you have overstocked the markets to such an extent that you will get little or nothing for them. Another advantage that you would find to grow out of this organization would be the prompt handling of the question of reclamations. I am aware that certain classes of losses have been thrown entirely upon the shipper that, under proper regulations, could not have been thrown upon him, and I believe that, with a distinctive organization, with proper management, you will get benefits in that way. There is one consideration that >eems to me, in one sense, to transcend all these details, and that is the capital value' of our property. It will come home to almost any of you who pos- sess property that when you can run your busi- ness, so that you may know that your neighbor is not practically running against you, so that you may know that profitable results may be reached through your products, you have got something on which you can stand financially. I don't think it is a bold statement, I don't think it is one that any of you will call in ques- tion, to say that such is not generall)' the fact to-day; I know that such is not the fact with reference to the property I am interested in. I know that absolutely it has not, under the present condition of things, a market value half what I counted it worth a year ago, and, as I said before, that is my great impelling mo- tive in taking hold of this movement so seri- ously. Now I say that the very day you have consummated a united organization, and the broader the better, then you settle your prop- erty values, so that, in comparison to the gains you would make in that way, the contribution that you are called upon to make to the capital of the Union is ridiculously small — so ridiculously small as to be contemptible. I have said something in regard to working up information as to the markets. I do not think it is any disparagement of those who, in the Eastern markets, have handled our fruits here- tofore—I say that they have not been able to furnish us any information as to what those markets were or might be. It is not to be ex- pected that they can go far out of the channels of their daily business in disposing of such fruits as come to them, and filling such orders as come to them; and the matter of the crea- tion of new markets, of the opening up of ex- tensions of present markets, was hardly to be expected. It is a matter that requires the in- vestment of time and money, and that matter, in my judgment, can only be effectively accom- plished by an organization that is formed — not for to-day, not for to-morrow — but to work continuously for the purpose of making a mar- ket that will last and grow for all time, and knowing that behind it is this vast area in Cal- ifornia that is coming in and being built up on the Eastern consumers. We have got to do it by working up Eastern consumers; we can't do it by anj' easy means, we can't do it by any in- dividual operation, and I don't think you can do it by any local action. Now, gentlemen and ladies, Mr. President while I would apologize to you for taking so much of your time, I really have had a very extensive subject to go over, and being con- scious that I have only just touched upon a good many points, I hold myself at the dispo- sal of any gentleman who has any special in- quiry to make, to respond to it if I am able. Discussion on Fruit Union. A Delegate: I would like to ask one ques- tion: Suppose I have five shares and five acres and sell my five acres, what becomes of my five shares? Mr. Livermore: The proposition is that stock should be transferred only to parties owning equivalent acres. If you sell your five acres to a man who does not own five acres of producing area, such as comes within the pro- vision of the stock, why, he would lose his right to vote on that stock; he would not lose his property in it, but he would not have a right to come into our meetings and vote. He would have his proper interest in the stock and draw hi° dividends on it, but it is distinctively intended to provide that stock shall not be voted that does not hold an interest equivalent in producing lands. A man buying the land is eligible to hold the stock. A Delegate: My idea was, supposing he re- fused to take my five shares — supposing he re- fused to receive them? Mr. Livermore: You might be in such a po- sition as to lose five dollars. Dr. Cougar: I would ask the gentleman to correct the matter in regard to the shipment of oranges. Los Angeles has not shipped 1100 cars; Riverside must have shipped 400 and San Gabriel at least 175 carloads. Mr. Livermore: I will merely say in ex- planation that the railroad reports have placed under the heading of Los Angeles all the ship- ments from this district, and do not give credit to any of the other points at all, b^ause I sup- pose they take that to be the terminal point. I think that is a proper correction. A Delegate : There is another question I would like to ask : suppose I should take five shares of stock: would I be permitted then to sell my crop, providing I thought I could do it to better advantage to some other parties at home? Mr. Livermore: For local consumption. The idea is that so far as crops have a destina- tion to Eastern shippers whether direct or in- direct, it should be through the Union so as to protect the Eastern shippers. A Delegate : What would be the consequence supposing I should sell to some local dealer in Los Angeles, for instance, and he should make a shipment outside of the organization ? Mr. Livermore: The consequence would be that he would pay twice as much freight as the CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. 35 special trains of the organization. You under- stand that the privileges of special trains are proposed to be limited to the organization. We should expect any party who should take stock with us, would do it with the idea of faithfully observing the common interest of protecting Eastern shipments. It would not be to his interest to let his fruit go in the direction where it could come in conflict with our Eastern ship- ments. If it should be sold to an outsider it would not compete because they can't put it on the special trains and I think the result of this union would be to control aVjsolutely all Eastern shipments. Unquestionably you can sell to anybody you desire to. A Delegate : Would $300, according to Sen- ator Stanford's proposition, pay the freight on a carload of fruit to New York City, or simply to Chicago ? Mr. Livermore : The rate is only to Chicago, but with proportional rate to other points, less to shorter points and more to Atlantic ports. Mr. Williams : Suppose we make 14 car- loads of fruit on Wednesday and can't get the other car. What are we going to do then ? Mr. Livermore: Well, we had this question up before Governor Stanford, and we asked him if that rule was cast-iron and whether we have got to live up to it and pay the freight whether we filled it or not. He said: "Gentlemen, I can't in advance, lay down the rule, but here is the fact: If you are organized and doing business in an organized and business-like way and find that you do not just reach the point of 15 cars, we shan't trouble you as an organization." That is about what he said, meaning thereby that he would do the best he could, and if we would do the best we could as an organization we should be dealt with with leniency and tolerance. I con- sider from that that if we could not make up the full 15 cars on any given day he would take what we could make. Mr. Williams: Another question : Suppose in my way I do not care to ship through the or- ganization and want to go to Mr. Porter. Shall I pay Messrs. Porter Bros, their 10 per cent commission and the organization 10 per cent commission? Mr. Livermore: Not if you are as good a business man as I take you to be. This has been about the rule in handling the Eastern shipment of fruit; the producers in their vari- ous localities will be' staying home minding their business. They do not know what other localities are producing, but would just as likely be impressed with the idea that what was scarce with them was scarce everywhere, and some of these people would come out about a month before the season for shipping, and they make it their business to do what our local pro- ducers are not doing; they keep their eyea open and their mouths shut, and when they get through they know just what are the facts with reference to the production of the whole ship- ping area of California, This is what I know they do, and they have done it repeatedly under my observation. They then go to a given lo- cality where they think the fruit is most plenti- ful, and they pick out the man who they think is most in the need of money and likely to be the weakest, and get a standard price from him and so go all around and use that as the cri- terion, so that the producer is practically com- peting with such a condition of things all the time and has been. Dr. Congar: There is another point, perhaps it has slipped your mind, but I will try to bring it out; it is in regard to the competing lines of railroad. Now, fortunately or unfortunately, for Southern California, we have, according to the papers, two lines over which we may be able to ship our fruit; one is styled the Atlantic and Pacific and the other is the Southern Pa- cific. Now is it not possible that Mr. Stanford and the Atlantic people might have a falling out and it might work as it sometimes does, that the Atlantic and Pacific p6ople should say to Mr. Stanford, "We are going to try and secure our proportion, or perhaps we are going to se- cure the control of this fruit." Now if we should have been bound up in the meantime with the Southern Pacific Company how can we extricate ourselves from that contract when the other line of communication might say they will take our fruit for one-half, and if we join the association where we are absolutely bound, we lose the op- portunity, perhaps, of taking the advantage of these circumstances. Now this has just come to pass. We do not know that it will work out as practically as I have suggested, but there have been intimations that point a little in that direction. While I am on my feet I wish to say this on behalf of Pasadena, Los Angeles, San Gabriel and other points, that knowing the people out there, being myself one of the oldest settlers, I doubt very much whether, under the existing circumstances, we can get the consent of the people to go into the organization de- scribed this afternoon, although I intend to join it myself, and, may I also be induced to join others here. We have got to make this matter clear and if there are any difficulties connected with it they must be explained away. Mr. Livermore : As to the matter of rail- road competition, either present or possibly in the future, I believe that a close understanding does exist between the corporations that does away with any probability of competition. It is a well understood fact, for all that the news- papers may say, that there are binding caners signed that close that up, and even supposing the contingency that a subsequent rupture might come that would bring about a competing interest here, I do not doubt that in any con- tract the proviso might be made that the rates would be subject to subsequent modification from competing interests, and that is one of the things that such an organization could accom- plish when a local organization could not. Mr. Milco : Some time ago I wanted to ship a carload of goods to New York to our office there, and I applied to Mr. Gray to find out whether he would not take our goods through New Orleans and by water communica- tion to New York for less money. I said : "You run the whole line clear through and you only own a portion of the other road that runs as far as Ogden: you may just as well give us a lower rate." He said: "No, we can't do any such thing; we would have to submit such a proposition to the Transcontinental Union and tell them all about what you desired, and every one of these companies gets a certain pro- portion, no matter what company secures the freight." It is immaterial whether the A. & P. takes the oranges from Los Angeles or whether the S. P. takes it. There is no danger of the A, & P., or any other railroad, at present, trying to run over this big railway association that ex- ists now, because I think they have got it 36 FIFTH ANJJFAL CONVENTTOTST pretty well fixed to run it for a few years longer. Mr. Rose: There have been several meetings of this kind, and these same questions come up from time to time. They are all €|uestions that can be arranged hereafter. Now, if I would go to anyone of you, you would say this is a good thing; but when you come to act you are slow, so that it would seem as if it were a very bad thing. Is it a fact that we want an association in this city or eonnty, or in this district for any purpose? if 3 ou say yes to that, then why don't you do something to that end. Here is a Fruit Union in the State, which certainly can have some members, even of each locality; it certainly can do some good for any locality, because, substantially, the expenses of any one locality will be the same as for the whole State. If we organize here an as- sociation for the protection of uranges and lemons, what is it we have to do, I ask you? We have to have somebody to distribute this fruit, and not only one man, but several men. You have got to have one man in every princi- pal city in the United States, and in order to place it there for sale and get the lowest com- mission and the best men, you have got to sell it yourself, by your own agents. If you com- bine with the North with their deciduous fruits, the same people will do all the work. I ask you for yourselves, isn't it a fact that the same men can do all this? Then, if it is desirable, what is the risk in this thing? You say that you have 20 acres of fruit trees, and you wish to market the fruit; you have to pay $10 or .|20 at the outside, and that is not likely to be called for at once. If you will come into this thing you won't have to pay half of it. And what 4o you get for it? You have the right to ship with the fruit-growers, and that in itself will more than pay you your $10 or $20. As far as what Dr. Congar says as to another railroad company that may ship cheaper, there is no compulsion to force us to take the train at all. It is only when we want a train, when it is pos- sible for us to make up a train, that we have it. That is not individually to us, but it is to the whole State of California. If I have a train I can have the same rate, but by having the State organization, by combining a great many shippers, we may make up the train. That is the object of the organization, and if we have the opportunity to do that we will be sensible to do so. We can go to anybody that will do our work the cheapest, and to one railroad or to the other. So far as General Stanford is concerned, he met this committee not as a railroad man, not as a man to make money out of this affair, but he met them as a man who had the good of the people at heart. [Applause.] He met them be- cause he wanted to see this State flourish and he said to them there are millions of people that will eat your fruit, if you will only present it to them in a way that they can buy it. Of course they have their fruits, but what are they ? We have a different variety of grapes, on this coast ; they are different from any they raise back there. Our California apricots are better than those they have^ and we can place these fruits in the market there and at reasonable prices, not at 50 cents a pound, but at such a price as we can sell them. Now you gentlemen are talking all the time about oranges and lemons. What do I see when I go abroad in some portions of our own county? I see fields of apricots, fields of apple trees, of prunes, of plams. What are these people to do by and by? They will want a market and they will hnd that they are not having as good a market as they would like to have. If you have a local organization, can yon take care of them too ? As far as oranges or lemons are con- cerned, it is a monopoly to this extent that you have to have water, for substantially you can- not raise oranges or lemons without irrigation and we have one acre perhaps in a hundred that we can irrigate in these southern counties. What are you going to do- with the rest of it ?' People are continually conaing in here and set- tling our plains and making gardens without any water, and what are they planting ? Planting apricots, pears, apples, peaches, etc. And what are they going to do ? That is not an easy thing to say, and if anything is done you must do it yourself. The trouble is people foresee too many difficulties. You say this may be wrong, and that may be wrong and you do not do any- thing. There may be some little things to look about and all that sort of thing, but this Fruit Union is to be advantageous. By means of it we will have privileges and can, by reason of be- ing able to load cars, distribute our fruit nearly all over the United States by having agents iui all the cities, and there will be an opportunity to sell to the best advantage. Gentlemen, you. will find the necessity of coming to this, and' why don't you do it now ? Dr. Frey: I think that the most conserva- tive fruitgrower in the section of country that I come from about believes that it is time to do something, or we will have to leave fruit-grow- ing to some benevolent individual who is in- clined to grow fruit for the good of the country. I don't like the worms to eat up my fruit, and I think it is just about as bad as to raise fruit and give it away. I think all the difiiculty there is in picking the fruit and packing the fruit can be taken care of in quick succession. We can pick the fruit and we can pack it, and we can load the cars, but we can't dispose of the fruit; neither can each locality send an agent East to make arrangements for disposing of the fruit. Therefore I say, and I think every one must say, that it is necessary to have some strong body that can do two things: one is to dispose of the fruit and the other is to make arrangements for the transportation. In my locality we load about five cars a week. Suppose the railroad company was to load five cars a week: they would say we don't care about five cars a week; but if they were to load 100 cars it would make a difference. Again, if you have agents in the East, as you ought to have, traveling about all the time, when the fruit comes to a place that is fully stocked they would send it to some place that is not over- stocked, and then have a man there to see that the cars are unpacked and the boxes not all jammed to pieces. Your agent is traveling on a salary, and he is discharged when he don't do his duty. Then we are not so much at the mercy of the commission men. They all, you know, are honest men, but then it don't do any harm to watch an honest man, and if we have agents in that way traveling about and picking out some of these commission merchants that we think are partially honest, and if they don't do their duty we would say to them, "You can't handle anymore California CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. 37 fruit," and I think they are very likely to be have well. If you should say to them, "Now you can't have any of our fruit," they would say, "There is plenty more;" but if they knew they could get no more, they would know what to do. Therefore I say the main body would do us a great deal of good, and I think it would cost very little. But I see there are some diffi- culties in the way. One is that California is a very large State. Those who have not traveled over it do not know that, but it is, and the central body in San Francisco is very far off from the northern part of the State, and very far from the southern part of the State. Now a body bitting in San Francisco would seem very vague and distant to parties in the southern part of the State. They do not know them, and do not know whether to believe in them or not, but I think they can be got over. I don't think there is any difficulty to have sub- societies in the different localities, say Los Angeles, Stockton and Sacramento and further north of the fruit-growing interests. I do not believe in a president and secretary salaried; they are all very fine for the officer, but not for the society. and in each of these places we can have a board of trustees who do not want anything except in some cases their traveling expenses. These men would be in direct communication with the parent society in San Francisco. If we had any communication we could make it to Sacramento instead of to San Francisco, and if we had a carload of fruit, instead of sending to San Francisco we might send to Sacramento; but at the same time, the main business that we want to do is to sell our fruit, and that is done by the parent society. I can see the good of that and I can see that all these little details can be made right by it. I can see the difficul- ties, but I think they can all be obviated. Mr. Sallee : This question of the importance of organization needs no discussion. I, in com- mon with every fruit grower in the State of California, "have thought a good deal upon the subject, and we are all a unit upon that ques- tion. We know that the time has come when an organization is imperative. It is not neces- sary to discuss that question any more; the great object to be obtained is the distribution and sale of the fruit in the East. That is where the money comes from; that is the great object to be attained in this organization. In oraer to accomplish that object, there are two other things necessary, and one is the collecting of statistics; the other is the loading, picking and shipping the fruit. Those two things are necessary in order to accomplish the one great object of the di&tribution and sale of the fruit, for from the distribution and sale of our fruit we receive the benefits. It is this that is for the welfare of the fruit-producer, and upon this principle generally I am a democrat and I am in favor of States' rights. The only question is, is this practicable; has there been a practi- cable solution of this great problem of the dis- tribution and sale of fruit? Now, these gentle- men come down here with less than five per cent of the fruit-growers of Northern California subscribed to this organization, representing to us the accomplishment of that great object in the North, and this is the object that must be accomplished. Every fruit-grower knows it must be accomplished; the question is, how are we to get at it ? We have to go on the princi- ple of States' rights. Where is the American citizen that would say that this Government would be a practical thing were Congress to have the supervision of every State in this vast Union ? We must go upon the same principle that the Government goes; we must have States; we must do what is suggested in the paper read as by-laws, that the general man- ager shall district the State into fruit-producing districts. Now, he has the cart before the horse; these districts must create the general manager, just as the States of the Union constitute Congress; the district corpora- tion and organizations must constitute the central organization, they have commenced at the wrong end of it, there is no mistake about that. Now, what is practicable? It is a practi- cable thing that in every locality there can be an organization formed. There is no man .in this house who will deny that, and in many locali- ties there have been organizations formed. I have a paper in my pocket here from up in the Sacramento valley; so in Santa Ana valley and Santa Barbara and San Gabriel valley, and there are others. Now, they represent^ the States, and all these can be thrown into a cen- tral corporation, and let that corporation be represented in a Congress with representatives upon the basis of the strength of this individual corporation, and that forms the central power. That central power would have little to do, for each individual corporation makes its own by- laws and manages its own local affairs. It does not look to San Francisco for anything of that kind. We from Southern California do not want to send to San Francisco for a man to tell us how to pack our oranges. We cannot do it, and a man from San Francisco will not have time to come down here and superintend the packing of our fruits in Southern California, neither will he have time to go to the extreme North. These things must be done by the local legislature, and it is the local legislature that must create the central power, and in that way it will get strength as a central organization. They will negotiate with the railroad for ship- ping facilities, they will have the management and appointment for the attainment of this cen- tral idea, for which we are all working — the dis- tribution and sale of fruit. In that way, and in that way alone can this organization be formed. In the South we cannot make a better showing than this is from the North where they are not able to show five per cent of the fruit-growers have subscribed to the capital stock of the cen- tral organization, but give us two weeks' time in the individual corporation, and we can come here with 95 per cent of the fruit-growers of Southern California. Mr. Rose : I was up at San Francisco but did not propose to go into the Fruit Union of any kind. State or local. I was courteously treated and asked a good many questions, and discussed matters then with them. And when it came to the matter of taking stock, there were present as many or more than here now, and all those gentlemen took stock and they were rep- resentive men of the State too. They have not had time as yet to ask their constituents to join them since that time. I believe it to be desir- able to have the State organization where the same men can do the whole business and could do more if there was more to be done. Mr. Hatch: At this last meeting in San Francisco, there was an earnest interested 38 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION assembly of those who own fruit in California, who were desirous of forming an organization, and when we found that that would be done, we decided upon one organization, by means of which the fruits of California could be distribu- ted throughout the markets of the East, and competition might be avoided; and that with two organizations this could not be done. To my mind, competition was the main point to avoid. That was the conclusion to which we were forced by the result last season by a re- duction of $200 a car. I was laughed at for say- ing we would send too much fruit into certain localities in the Eastern markets. Now that competition must be avoided, and the fruit be placed in the hands of one distributing house, or agency, call it what you may, to dispose of so that no place would have too much, and that each place should have all it required. With two organizations, call it a fruit-growers' union, a co-operative union or anything else, they will come into antagonism, because there is no lo- cality in California but which, to some extent, produces the same fruits that another locality does. In your section here, the deciduous fruits will form no small part of your production in a very short time, and oranges from the north •will compete with you more than you believe, for there are many localities there where fine oranges are raised, and they may yet success- fully compete with you. You may put trans- portation down very low, but to avoid competi- tion is the main thing. I claim that if our fruits were put in the East at the rate of one dollar a ton, or if transportation would be such as to pay us five dollars a ton for the privilege of transporting it, that unless it was profusely distributed, we would have no greater success than we had this year, because there would be too much in one place and we would get nothing for it, as was the case in some instances this year. Thursday's Session. The chair announced the following committee of representatives of Southern California to con- sider the matter of the California Fruit Union : Dr. 0. H. Congar of Pasadena; Abott Kinney, San Gabriel; James Bettner, Riverside; C. E. White, Pomona; T. A. Garey, Los Angeles. The chairman announce the topic for the morning: "The best varieties of the different kinds of fruits to meet the wants of consumers in the dififerent seasons. " THE LEMON. Mr. A. P. Chapman, of San Gabriel, read the following paper on the lemon : In considering this subject we must begin with the defects of the cultivator who has forced it to become known at home and abroad as large and pithy, of thick skin and bitter rind. Any lemon allowed to thoroughly ripen on the tree is apt to, and generally does, develop the aforesaid characteristics, and produces in the cultivator a large hole in the pocket, pithy brain and thick skull full of bitter thoughts. We will divide our subject into heads: The care and cultivation of the tree and the gathering and packing of the fruit for market. The lemon being very susceptible to frost we choose a naturally dry and moist soil, but where we can at will irrigate it; for the most im- portant thing in plant life is water; without it plant food is unavailable. Yet we will not irri- gate too much for fear we may wash away part of our plant food and make our soil too cold and clammy. Wemusfralso use manure, for of what bene- fit is it to groom a horse and not feed him. And we will feed him right well some 25 tons of barnyard manure to the acre, and on that in the fall of the year four barrels of lime that to render our manure available. We can plow our trees in the month of No- vember, and turn under our summer weeds and other manure. We will plow in the spring of the year, and turn under our winter weeds, re- membering all the time that they are our best friends, for they will make our sandy soil rich and dark; they make our adobe soil light and yellow; they make both soils more susceptible to hydroscopic moisture, and retain it. Chem- ically, they supply the soil from the air with carbon, and from the ground have made latent plant food potent. The trees should also be sprayed twice a year, in June and September with two pounds of potash to 100 gallons of water, which solution should leave the caldron boiling hot. This not only kills all insect life, but keeps your fruit perfectly clean. Any man who has to wash his fruit has made a failure in raising it. The fruit should be gathered green of such size that allowing for shrinkage, will pack from 250 to 350 to the box. A man gathering has his sack suspended from across his shoulders, plucks the lemon from the tree with his hands. If he drops one he is not allowed to pick it up, for that lemon is apt to rot. He;;caref uUy places them in his sack and, hav- ing filled the same, he places them one by one in a tray; the trays are to be placed one above another in the shade of a tree. They should be six inches deep filled four inches deep with lemons. There they are allowed to remain for one week, the weather permitting, before they will bear the jar of transporting them to the pack- ing house. At the packing house the trays are to be placed one above the other about six trays high. A layer of old newspapers is placed on the topmost trays to keep the lemons therein from drying too fast aud getting dusty. At the end of another week, if the weather has not been damp, they will be ready for packing: be- ing yielding and leathery to the touch, they will also have commenced to turn yellow. Assort them into sizes and pack those of the same size in a box by themselves. ORANGE GROWING. The following essay was read by Thomas A. Garey, of Los Angeles: In the year 1880, in my work on "Orange Culture in California," I wrote as follows: "That the culture of the citrus family of fruits is destined to become one of the leading indus- tries of the great State of California is no longer disputed by the intelligent, reflective, mind. That it is now, and will continue to be one of the principal incentives to immigra- tion into this State, is an acknowledged fact, which is amply proven by the testimony of all that have taken the trouble to inform them- . selves on the subject." I see no reason to change my views on this subject at the present time, but am more than ever convinced that as time elapses, and more knowledge is gained by prac- CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS, 39 tical experience, the industry will be found to be more remunerative in the future than it has been in the past. I will here remark that in this paper I prepare to quote largely from my work on "Orange Culture in California," written in 1880, and published by Dewey & Co., of San Francisco in 1882, changing and altering the subject matter where necessary, to conform to knowledge acquired in the interim. The com- bined efforts of leading and progressive horti- culturists will awake men who are now engaged in the great movement to organize protective business associations, to facilitate, provide for and control the markets for our citrus fruits in the commercial centers of our country, will, in the near future, in my opinion, bring increased and highly remunerative returns for the prod- uct. I am as firm in the belief to-day as I was five years ago that orange growing in California is yet in its infancy. That orange growing, the combination for active, practical work by act- ual growers and producers will increase and the result of their labors will stimulate the planting of large areas to orange and lemon trees; hence, the practical suggestions contained in this essay may be of value to those planting new orchards. It may be a warning and may enable new be- ginners in the business to avoid the quicksands and sunken rocks so abundant in the paths of the orange-grower; may enable him to ford the stream at a safe place. The information herein contained has cost the writer many years of time. If it proves of value to those engaged, or who may engage in the business of orange-grow- ing, I will be well repaid for my work. Pass- ing over the matter of selection of seed, method of planting and raising the plants, selection of a proper site for an orange nursery, transplant- ing to nursery rows, etc., I will first speak of the Selection of a Proper Site For the location of an orange orchard. The site of an orchard is the first and most im- portant consideration. I believe, all things considered, the table or mesa lands near the mountains are the best orange lands. (There seems to be some exception to this rule. ) The flavor of the fruit in the valleys or near the sea is good, but the prevailirg fogs and the exuda- tions from the black scale united, soon cover the limbs, leaves and fruit with a thick coat of black fungus mold, rendering it unfit for mar- ket and substantially unmerchantable. Trees that are grown in nursery or low lands that are covered with this mold, when trans- planted to more favorable localities, soon be- come clean and bright, proving conclusively that location has much to do with clean or smutty trees, and consequently clean, bright, merchantable or smutty, black, comparatively unmerchantable fruit. Irrigation. As the years roll by I am more than ever fully convinced it is the greatest folly to under- take to grow oranges successfully without irri- gation. If the location is first-class and the soil deep and rich, and the cultivation isthorough and complete, the trees will grow and thrive until fruit appears without irrigation. If UDn-irrigation is persisted in aftsr fruiting shall have fully commenced, the fruit will be dwarfed and un- savory. At all events, an ample store of water for use in emergencies is a safe and wise pro- vision; it is my candid opinion the full measure of success can never be attained without it. If you succeed by thorough tillage without water you will deserve to be envied, but ample irri- gating facilities will be safe precautions and will operate as an insurance policy against drought. The method of applying water to orange trees is somewhat varied. In 1880 and 1881 82, I was intensely interested in the system of un- derground irrigation and believed it would be a great labor saving, water saving and success- ful method, especially in districts where water was scarce. It has not, however, met my ex- pectations, and the more primitive methods still almost universally prevail. Though I be- lieve irrigation absolutely necessary, I know it is a great damage in many instances where an excess of water is put upon the ground. I know of but one disease the citrus family are subject to in this county; it is what is known as the gum disease. Excessive irrigation and slovenly cultivation are admitted to be the source of this disease. Orchards properly irrigated and cul- tivated are not affected with gum disease, hence you who are blessed with an abundance of water, be careful and use it judiciously and in- telligently. Orchards onhigh well-underdrained land, that receive irrigation only when abso- lutely necessary and that are carefully culti- vated after each irrigation, and before the ground shall have time to bake and crack are always found free from this disease. The term "gum disease" is after all undoubtedly a mis- nomer; strictly speaking it is not a disease, it is simply the result of improper treatment of the trees. To cure this so called disease, remove the tree and plant a sound tree in its place. Soil. The quality of the soil for an orange orchard should be a deep, rich, sandy or gravelly loam with an admixture of clay, and a gravelly sub- soil free from hardpan — at all events, the hard- pan should not be less than six feet from the surface, but a soil with no hardpan is prefer- able. Where hardpan is near the surface the trees do well for a few years, but when the roots reach this hard, impervious substratum the tree at once begins to fail, the leaves turn yellow, the ends of the branches begin to die back, the orchard is ruined. Selection and Purchase of Trees. The selection and purchase of trees for an orange orchard, is a prime factor in the future success of the venture. The fully established and generally well known reputation and reli- ability of a nursery, are landmarks in the journey for the selection of trees that should not be overlooked. The thrifty coadition of the trees is the first item in which caution must be exercised. If the trees are healthy, they will be vigorous, and the foliage will be of a dark green color. A tree suffering from bad treatment, always de- clares the fact by its general appearance. Trees for an orchard should be two to three years from the bud or graft (one year is preferable to five or six) with clean smooth stem and evenly balanced head. Old dwarfed culls and scrubby trees are dear at any price. Vigorous sy met- rical trees of proper age should be selected at any cost; it will pay to pay good prices for 40 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION good trees. Nurserymen who consider the wants of their customers, cannot compete with careless, irresponsible importers in the business. Mr. Wiley of Pomona, says there is not a re- liable nurseryman in the State of California, but I think he is mistaken. Plan of an Orchard. Our orange orchard is planted not only for ourselves, but for our posterity for many gen- erations, hence it behooves us to use judgment in planning and laying out so great and worthy an enterprise. He who successfuly plants an orchard of citrus trees leaves a grand herit- age to his heirs; he is a benefactor to his race. Do not plant too close; give your trees plenty of room. My experience leads me to recom- mend planting budded or grafted orange trees twenty-four feet apart each way; seedlings thirty by thirty feet apart; lemons, budded va- rieties, twenty by twenty feet apart; limes the same. I consider these distances ample for the full development of the trees. Plant the trees in straight lines. It pays well to take time to stake an orchard so the rows will be straight. If crooked and ir- regular, with here and there a tree out of line, it will be extremely disagreeable to the artistic eye, besides being more difficult to cultivate. Transplanting to Orchard. Transplanting to orchard is generally con- sidered simple and easy, and with few excep- tions it is done in too much of a hurry. The question is not as it should be, How shall I pro- ceed to plant my trees in the best manner to insure aquick and permanent growth, but, How can I plant my trees in the least possible tirrte, and with the least expense. He who follows out this idea has at least ample time in which to repent at his leisure, for his haste in throwing his trees in a slovenly careless manner into the soil. It is important to know what month is best in which to transplant the trees, as to un- derstand any other point in the business. I have planted to nursery rows and to orchards many hundreds of thousands of orange trees, having planted in every month of the year. I think I have perhaps had more practical experience in this matter than any other person in this State at least. If extreme care and caution be used, even to the minutise, they can be transplanted at any time with some degree of success. I should have remarked that the orange tree is one of the hardiest trees known: they will survive very harsh and unhorticulturallike treatment, they will withstand drought and excess of water, they will live and make a stunted growth with slovenly cultivation, when what are called our hardy trees, under like treatment, would die. At the same time the whole order of the genus citrus responds most gratefully to proper treatment. I have found d the Medit- erranean Sweet, and I am glad to hear it spoken of so highly. As I said in my essay, if I were planting an orchard, I would divide it and put part of it into Mediterranean Sweet and part of it Washington Navel, for the reason that the latter is an early orange, and the Mediterranean Sweet is a late orange, so you would have double the time to market your fruit. I would like to know where the Rio can be obtained. Dr. Lotspeitch: I am not a nurseryman, and I am unable to answer the question. As to planting varietie?, so as to have them ripen at different times, I say we don't want to market fruit at all till the last of March, and a Medit- erranean or Rio will stick on the tree until the first of July and much better than the Navel — we can put them into the market for three months, and I think that is long enough for any man to market his fruit. I never plant a Washington Navel from the very fact that you have to market that fruit early or you would realize nothing from it, as was proven last wiuter in shipping fruit early to the Eastern market. We did not realize any profits from it . Dr. Chubb: I believe that the fruit business is a growing industry, and we are all interested to know just now in this part of the State what trees to plant, not what special varieties of orange or apple, but in planting out new ground, shall we plant oranges at all or peaches, or shall we plant apricots, or prunes, or olives, or figs? And in this connection I would like very much to have the discussion for a few minutes take the shape of giving us information from the northern part of the State as to what they consider the future profitable branch of deciduous fruit culture. Very many of ouv people are partially disgusted with the orange business on account of the difficulties attending it, and are looking to prunes or olives or figs, in some localities, and we would like to know how to advise newcomers in the southern part of the State, who are inclined to plant out these varieties of deciduous fruits with a view to future marketable crops. Mr. Hatch : We of the North have been considering somewhat the varieties that we be- lieve the most profitable for propagation in the future, and from evidences coming to us from the sale of different products in the Eastern markets, have arrived at the conclusion that fine varieties of tible grapes can hardly be pro- duced in too large quantities. There is nothing probably so much desired, and in other lines than that we find that probably we have enough 58 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION pears for the present, and we have probably raisins enough for the present. By the time those that are now planted come into bearing they will supply the demands of our people, but we think that olives, in land that is adapted to them, the nuts of California, in laud that is adapted to them, and the fig, are promising. It is a very opportune time in the history of California to consider that in the pnst we have had no fig that we could be proud of to submit to the markets of the East. I see here to day a box of figs whicli I consider indicates the pos- sibility of an addition to the fruit industry of California which will prove immense in its pro- portions. When planted in the proper place, properly cared for, packed and delivered to the Eastern fruit-eating public, I believe will be a large revenue from California figs. Mr. W. H. Aiken: The question that has been asked is very important, and, indeed from the northern part of the State we also ask that question. Every one of us probably has been more or less troubled to know just what to plant. Generally the question can be answered by saying, Plant what you can raise best in your locality. If our people would first find out what the soil that they are living on is best adapted to, what the climate where they are living is best adapted to, they could then plant what would do best, and, in that way, would make the most money. That takes some time to learn. A ne'wcomer going into a certain lo- cality should make a great effort to ascertain from his neighbors, who are living in the same locality, what does succeed best and what will sell for the most money. Since this Eastern shipping question has come up, it can be answered farther, that we had better plant ship- ping fruits and shipping grapes, for the reason that most any table grape may be dried, although it may not inake a good raisin; so with the fruits. When the question is asked what will ship East profitably and safely it must be a large, firm, well-developed, well-appearing fruit. You can take the peach, for instauce, when it is raised at an elevation upon some of our low mountains or foothills. In our section, the Santa Cruz mountains, which is about 1500 feet above the sea, we can raise a peach that will go to Liverpool and arrive in good condition, as we have demonstrated re peatedly, while probably the same variety of peach grown ten miles away would not do any more than reach Chicago; and possibly would not go 100 miles and arrive in San Francisco in good condition. So I would say, you must raise that which is adapted to your soil and your climate. I asked a gentleman from Chi- cago the other evening how much grapes and other fruit the city of Chicsgo and State of Illinois would take, if we could place it there as low even as five cents a pound. He said lie did rot think that the State now produced enough fruit to supply that city and State ajone. I believe in that statement and that we can place fruits and grapes in Chicago at five cents a pound and clear to the producer one- half of that amount. Fruits g-own in the dry air and mild climate of California will stand a long shipment to the East, while fruits raised in Oregon and any place where the rains are fre quent and heavy will not ship. We will never find a competitor in Oregon or Texas, or many other States, because of this tact. Our apricots were considered by us utterly worthless, and little attention was paid to them until Judge Blackwood, of Haywards, had a little orchard that proved a bonanza for him, and from that little starter he said he believed he had ruined the State, by demonstrating that there was great profit in apricots, for everybody went to planting them north, south, east and west. Then followed the French prune, a very valuable fruit, but I believe there are only a very few places in the State adapted to the French prune. It needs a very rich soil, with climatic conditions likely to cause a successful growth of the tree. I repeat the general propo- sition, to first ascertain what your particular locality is best adapted to and stick to that one thing. Do not have a large number of varie- ties of fruit, for one may do well, and ano her not; but have large blocks of available fruit, so that if this shipping interest succeeds, the fruit will ship successfully and bring Eastern money here for it. Mr. SiiUee: We are happy to say to the emi- grant w ho is coming to this country now, that it is no longer an experiment, as it was with the fruit growers who came here 10 or 12 years ago, as to where you shall plant certain varieties of trees, and as to what kinds will be the best for shipping. The prospect is that we can plant shipping fruits and depend upon shipping them with advantage and success, that we can tell the newcomer to plant in the rich damp soils of the lowlands, the pear, the apple and the quince, and upon the higher, drier, rich alluvial soils, the peach, the pear, the prune and the apricot. The orange we can say to them to plant upon the rich deep alluvial soils from the Sierra Madre mountains ; the granite and the lime- stone, supplied with abundance of water to irri- gate with. We are happy to say to the people of the North that we appreciate fully the im- portance of the deciduous fruit culture, and we know and appreciate where our advantage is in raising them, and we do see the advantages in this class of fruit in shipping them to the East, and though we can give many of these points to the newcomer, an experienced horticulturist who has been here 10 or 12 years will give you all the advice you want. A Delegate : When I started on my place I had a range of a few acres in extent and wanted to know what to plant, and the answer was as Mr. Aiken has given — plant that which does best in your neighborhood, in your variety of soil. Well, I could not find out what did best, and although I knew that it was unwise in a certain point of view to put a small place into a half a dozen different varieties, still I felt compelled to do it, even if I had to take out five of the varieties in the future. I thought I would make some sacrifice to find a solution of this question, but I have not found a solution from this fact: I put in certain por- tions to apricots, pears, Muscat grapes, wal- nuts, and a few apples, peaches, olives and figs. The result is that this last season, only two years last spring from the setting out of the trees and vines, I had a phenomenal yield, both as to quantity and quality of apricots. The walnut trees are not large enough nor old enough to bear, but the sample taken of the walnuts from the four-year-old trees from the Santa Ana table exhibit were grown adjoining my place and my trees give the promise of doing equally well. The pears were all Bart- lett pears excepting a few Winter Nelis, and CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. 59- were equal in quantity and quality to anything I ever saw or heard of for their age. The Muscat vines yielded the raisins you see on the table, and there were eight tons to the acre. Now, I don't know what is the best variety of fruit to plant, because I dont know which is going to bring in the most money. That is v/hy we wish the question answered by the people of the North, so that we in the southern part of the Scate can know what, according to their experience, is most likely in the future to bring us the greatest returns, provided we can raise all these different things equally well. Mr. Aiken requested that Mr. Smith, of "Vacaville, give the convention his experience and ideas as to wha- to plant. W. W. Smith, of Vacaville: Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen — I would tell you plainly ii I could what kind of fruit to plant to make the most money out of, for that is the question now before the people of this State. It is the all-absorbing question north, south, east and west. We have made more money out of our cherries than any other fruit. That won't do you much good, for several have told me here that you can't raise cherries, in some parts, at least, of this section of the State. Next, we make more money out of what we call shipping grapes — the Muscat of Alexandria, the Flaming Tokay, the Rose of Peru, the Chasselas, and one or two other varieties. Any of the light- colored grapes that are firm and ship well are good fruit to ship to an Eastern market to make money out of. Next, we ship a good many apricots East. The largest part of the crop of apricots of Solano county are shipped to the Eastern States this year. We have but few pears yet that have shipped well. We shipped a great many peaches this year to the Eastern market. A large proportion of my peach crop was shipped to Chicago. Parties came to my orchard and bought them. The varieties of peach that ship best are the Early Crawford, Foster, Orange Cling, known with us as the Sacramento River Orange Cling, and Sol- way. Any good sized, yellow fleshed peach is in demand in the Eastt-rn market. The yellow freestone peach is more sought for than any other kind; however, a good, yellow clingstone peach sells well. It is not for me to tell you here what kind of soil to plant these kinds of fruit on. That has already been stated plainly by several gentlemen. If I were going to start a new orchard anywhere in the vicinity of San Francisco, I would hunt a location where the apple does well, and plant largely of Winter apples. My humble judgment is, there is more money in a go<'d apple orchard to- day, within 150 or 200 miles of San Francisco, than any other fruit you can plant. But the orchard must be in a locality where the apple does well, I spent the months of August and September in the Eastern States investigating this fruit matter, as I intended to ship my own fruit on my own responsibility, and my conviction is that we shall have enough growing, when our fruit trees come into bearing, to supply the Eastern markets with deciduous fruits, and citrus fruits also. If Congress would impose an import duty of about two and a half cents a pound on raisins, the raisin business would be one of the best businesses in this State, and I would get a suitable piece of land for raising raisins, and go into that business. But as it is, we cannot make money by raising raisins in California in competition with the cheap labor of Europe. It is out of the question. They can hire help at 20 or 25 cents a day, and we have to pay from $1 to $1.75. That is too high to pay labor to raise raisins or prunes, either, but were there this import duty on raisins, and say 50 cents a box on prunes, it would make either a profitable crop. You may say I have not yet answered our question. What fruit we shall plant to make the most money from? If I knew how to answer that question I would certainly answer it for myself, and go home and go to planting that fruit, and so would every one of you. The nearest I can come to it is to plant the fruit that grows best in your locality. You will be very likely to find a market for it if you take pains to raise choice fruit. Do not let your trees overbear; thin them thoroughly while the fruit is young; prune them correctly; cultivate your trees, or your vines as the case may be, thoroughly; gather your fruit in the proper time; put it up in the proper shape; handle it carefully; put it into the hand's of the right kind of men — the California Fruit Union — and ship it East, and you will be very apt to make some money out of it. I will tell you something about the quantity of cherries I ship: I shipped to market 20,000 ten-pound boxes of cherries this season, and I paid W. F. & Co., or the C. P. R. R. Co. over $2,500 to take that fruit from Vacaville to the San Francisco market, some 75 miles. My ex- perience in shipping cherries to the Eastern market on my own responsibility has not been favorable. A gentleman from the city of San Francisco came to my place and bought some- thing over two tons of cherries and shipped them to the Eastern market, to Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis, St. Louis, Kansas City, Denver, Boston, New York, Philadelphia, Cin- cinnati, and I think to Cleveland, Ohio. He did not make a success of it, but I was satisfied at the time that he would not make a success from the fact that he did not pack his cherries in the proper shape to go that distance. He was like many, a little too greedy. The con- tract was that I was to pick the cherries for him and under his direction he would send a man to my house to superintend the packing or boxing of those cherries, and he insisted on fill- ing the boxes too full. He used t ;e common strawberry box, which, as you know, is a little box about two inches deep, eight inches wide and sixteen inches long. I insisted on it at the time that it was not the proper box to ship cherries East in, but that was what he used and he had his man superintending the packing of them, and he filled them too full, so that in nailing on the cover there was scarcely a box but what the cherries were bruised before they left the packing house, and of course they could not go a six or eight day journey in good order. If I were going to ship cherries East, I would use a box about the size of the straw- berry box, one-third wider, and have the ends higher than the sides, and fill the box about even full with the sides, and tack a piece of blotting paper across on the ends, leaving a space between the cherries and the paper, and I would nail the top on to that so there would be a space between the fruih and the paper, and a space between the top and the paper. I am satisfied that I can ship cherries from here to New York city, and they will arrive there in 6o FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION good order, some varieties in particular, the black Tartarian, the Royal Ann or Napoleon Bigareau and the Great Bigareau: any of those will go to New York city in that way. Mr. Chapin; What space would there be be- tween the c erries and the paper ? Mr. Smith: I would leave about oneh-?!! inch between the paper and the cherries. The blotting paper would take up the moisture aris- ing from the cherries and would keep them dry and firm, and if the package should happen to be packed upside down, the cherries would not bruise as they would if they fell against the cover of the box itself. If the blotting paper would cost too much, I would use a very thick heavy wrapping paper, such as is used in wrap- ping hardware, which would answer about the same purpose, though I do not think it would be as good as the blotting paper. RAISINS. Mr. Bettner: I want to say a few words in reply to the Remarks of Mr. Smith about raisins which, as I understood was, that if we had a duty of 2h cents on raisins it would be one of the most profitable of industries, and he would go into it. We have a duty of two cents a pound on raisins. Mr. Smith: I meaiit was an additional tax of 2^ cents a pound. Mr. Bettner: As a matter of fact we do com- pete very well now with the raisin-makers of Europe, although we would like to have the ex.ra duty. The raisin business at present is a profitable industry in the southern part of the State and promises to be. All he raisin grapes in Southern California that were sold this year were sold at an average price to exceed $20 per ton, and the men who bought them are making money in curing and packing them at those prices, although they have some considerable risk to run, and I need not tell you that selling grapes at $20 a ton you can make money out of a raisin vineyard in a suitable locality. In Southern California there have been instances where vineyards have yielded 17 tons of grapes to the acre ; that is an excessive yield, but an average of from five to eight tons is quite fre- quent, and rhere is no trouble in making a profit on that. There are several reasons why we can compete with the Malaga growers although they have so very much cheaper labor. First of all the average yield in Malaga is nothing like so heavy as it is in California. Then again the American understands how to save in labor appliances, and we have appliances for turning and handling our raisins which they do not, so that although their labor is so much cheaper I venture to say that it costs them not so far from what it costs us, and that I can state to this convention that the rai>in business is a profit- able business to-day in Southern California, and, so far as indications point, is going to be for years to come. Mr. Rice : The Massachusetts Horticultural Society published a report that is tabulated from information received from all the princi- pal fruit growers of that section of the country, giving the best varieties of all the different iruits grown — giving say the five first best va- rieties and the five second-best varieties in each line. I would like to ask of our State Horti- cultural Board if it is possible for them to com- pile such a statement. Mr. Hatch called for Mr. Sol. Runyon, of Courtland, Sacramento Co. Mr. Runyon : I did not come here for the purpose of making speeches, but that I might look around and see what was being accom- plished in this locality. As regards the varieties of fruit best adapted for shipping purposes, I can only say what in our section of country we make the most money from. We are shipping East from my neighborhood pears, peaches, plums and prunes mostly. The Bartiett is the leading pear; the Seckel comes next. Other varieties do not succeed; they are too early, while at other places not a hundred miles from there they do succeed. On our peaches, plums and prunes of different varieties the Sacra- mento river can hardly be beat in this State, and the varieties best adapted to shipping from our section are the yellow-fleshed peach, the different varieties of the Crawford, the Yellow Cling, the Lawler. As to prunes, we ship what is termed the Hungarian prune and the German prune. Mr. Wilcox: At New Orleans our fruit was superior to that brought from any part of the world. There is not an apple grown east of the Rocky mountains that compares in size, or that is as clean and large as your White Winter Par- mains. There is hardly a variety of apples grown here that they recognize as a specimen of the same variety grown in the East. When Marshall P. Wilder, who has been president of the American Pomological Society from Boston visited our oldest orchard, from which, prob- ably, the first I'ruit was shipped East, now owned by Mr. Block of Santa Clara, he and his companions examined the fruit, and did not know it, could not place a name on it, and it was grown on trees that some of the party had shipped to this State. As to going to Massa- chusetts to find out the best fruits to raise, that is impracticable. We could not afford to do it. What we want is the best fruit we can raise in our locality. Here we have the best decidu- ous fruits raised probably in the world. Most of our pears originated in France; but the French table in New Orleans did not compare with the California table. There were men from Massachusetts at New Orleans who claimed to know that we did not raise a good apple. I took a Rhode Island Greening and asked them if they could tell the variety. They did not know it, and it was not as clean and large as some which are on exhibition here. So far as our locality is concerned I would not try to hunt anything better if I had a good location for the White Muscat grapes, but I have not. I must raise such kind of products as my soil is adapted to. Near my place there are pear trees a hundred years old. I am going to raise pears. A heavy adobe soil where water comes close to the surface seems to suit them. I had 24 acres of blackberries that I am going to plow up, and I am going to raise prunes on that heavy land, I have an idea they will do well. Nomenclature. Prof. Husmann: I think I can offer some suggestions as to a matter that will benefit us all, and which every fruit-grower in the State should consider; that is, to bring some sort of order into the almost inextricable confusion into which fruit culture has grown. That is a qilestion of names of varieties of names. This is clearly shown by the exhibits here both of CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. 6l apples and pears, which are improperly labeled. How can you tell a man what he is to plant, when he does not know whether he gets that variety or not? We want a competent commit- tee in each district of this State, working to- gether, reporting to the State Horticultural Society, to try to bring some order out of the confusion. I wish to make a motion that a committee be appointed here to take into con- sideration the nomenclature of the fruits of this State, and try to bring some order into it, and to report to the State Board of Horticulture, at San Francisco. Mr. Shiun: The matter of nomenclature is exceedingly important, but to accomplish the great object is a herculean task, and I would not like to be on such a committee. I believe if the committee were appointed to report at the next meeting of the State Board, it would do some good; but it would be years and years before it could be fully accomplished. If the committee is appointed, I hope it will be a gen- eral committee from different parts of the State, large enough to have a member in each locality, who will be wide awake at all exhibi- tions of the fruit interests of the different sec- tions, making comments upon it and reporting at the dififereut meetings and to the Board of Horticulture. Dr. Chapin: This subject is one of vast im- portance, and of vast proportions as well. I feel that I am safe in saying that there is not a fruit-grower in this State that can go around this exhibit in this room and name every ex- hibit accurately. I know for one I would find it utterly impossible to name the fruits that are here exhibited. The fact is that in different localities of the State conditions prevail that are so widely different that the same fruit which has peculiar characteristics in one local- ity has entirely different characteristics in an- other locality. The White Winter Pearmain apple as seen here and grown in Southern Cali- fornia would hardly be recognized as the White Winter Pearmain of the northern part of the State. It is much the same with other apples that I might mention here. I have heard some of the most eminent pomologists of the coast in dispute about the names of certain apples that are on the plates in this hall to-day. I believe that this committee should be selected with tne greatest care, and should have the most ample time in which to work in the most thorough and complete manner, in order to accomplish these most important objects. Mr. Garey: This is a great task, but if we do not start about it we will never make any progress. It would probably be a whole year before a committee of this kind can make an intelligible report. I think it should be started in some way, and that very soon. I move that the State Board of Horticulture be requested by this convention to appoint a committee of five to be known as a "committee on nomen- clature" of the fruits of this State, Prof. Husmann : In connection with this ■ motion I will state here that Commissioner Colman, of the Department of Agriculture, has taken one very important step in that direction already by appointing a special horticulturist — an office that never existed before— in the per- son of Prof. Bandman, of Geneva, Kansas, one of the most prominent horticulturists in the country, and he will do all he can to aid this committee, as he will visit us next summer. Mr. T. J. Berry : I have been engaged in raising fruit since 1856, in the State of Illinois and State of Mississippi and State of Oregon and State of California, and also have been some time engaged in handling fruit in New Orleans. I have always been a close observer of these matters, and found that certain varie- ties of fruit assumed different characters as they came from different localities. I can speak particularly of the Bartlett pear, as, for instance, grown in Mississippi, in the vicinity of Grand Gulf, and placed on a plate with one grown in Ohio. They rarely present the same form, nor have the same flavor, the same luciousness or the same general appearance, yet they were propagated, to my certain knowl- edge, from the same identical growth. Now, the Bartlett pear of New York is entirely dif- ferent from the Bartlett pear of the West. The Bartlett pear of California is entirely differ- ent from the Bartlett pear of the East, and just as this gentleman says who has this or- chard at Vacaville, Mr. Smith, the reason why the Bartlett pear there is so profitable is that it is an early fruit. You do not want to raise fruit for size. Consumers are often more numerous for small than for large fruit, and you want to raise the fruit that will sell the best, and when you come to name your fruit it will be necessary to raise it for the particular locality in which they grow. The White Winter pear grown here is finer than any other portion of the State; plums grown in Sacramento and Santa Clara county are the finest. In Los Angeles counties the grapes are the finest I ever saw, and I handle a great quantity of grapes. How, then, is the mere name to satisfy the man who wants just such a quality of grape? How are you going to classify them to satisfy him ? Mr. Hatch: I would like to correct one lit- tle mistake. It is this: The Vacaville county does not produce the earliest Bartl'ett pears, where it does produce the early cherries. What Fru.it to Plant. Mr. Smith: I would like to call your atten- tion again, to a question that has been asked so often: What is the best fruit for us to plant to make money out of? The best answer, I be- lieve, that any gentleman in the State can give is: "Plant that that does best in your lo- cality." The reason for it is this: Our cli- mate, our soil and other circumstances are so different and so variable that no definite rule can be given on that point; consequently, ob- serve what does well in your own locality and on your own soil. There ought to be between every man's mind and his own soil a well regu- lated communication or understanding. He should know the soil of hie own farm; then it is not a hard matter for him to determine what to plant in his own soil that will succeed. If you plant what is best adapted to your own locality and your own soil and take good care of that, you will not miss it. The motion of Mr. Hus- mann was carried, and the convention adjourned until 7:30 P. M. Discussion on Fig Growing. The convention reassembled at 7:30, W. M. Boggs in the chair. The discussion of the cul- ture of the fig was declared in order, Mr. Milco: A year ago at the meeting in San Francisco I presented before the convention a White Adriatic fig, in not only the green and 62 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION ripe state, but also dried. I did it so that the public and fruit-growers might judge of the quality of the fig. Now, of course, it has been the custom of nurserymen, and I am one of them, to recommend different trees and differ- ent qualities of fruit before you see the fruit, but my idea is, that if anybody has a new thing he should show the fruit, so that people could see the quality of it, and so on. Now I will be glad to answer any questions about this fig, be- cause I was the one who introduced it and brought it before the public. I gave it that name because there have been a great many figs that are called Smyrna figs, and in order to dis- tinguish this from any other fig I named it the White Adriatic, simply because I was born by the Adriatic sea in Dalmatia, and that fig orig- inally came from Dalmatia. I hope that the people of Southern California will try it. I wouldn't recommend anyone to buy 1000 or 10 000 trees. My advice is to try a few trees and see what they will do, and, in a couple of years after you plant those trees if you find they do well you can propagate your own trees until you can't rest. I believe the White Adriatic is the only fig you can grow with profit, to dry, in California; and you can ship them. If we should happen to be successful in sending our fruit East through the Fruit Union, my opinion is that the White Adriatic can be landed in the ripe state for table purposes in New York City without any trouble, and if we can show such a fig as that in New York City, I will assure you that we shall be able to realize good profits from them. Mr. Hixson tells me last summer he received a few figs and they brought fancy prices in Chi- cago. There is no fruit so easily cultivated and taken care of as the fig; for the fig will grow anywhere. A Delegate: Will it do well on comparatively dry land, with the surface water 60 feet from the surface, without irrigation? Mr. Milco: I think it will if you start it for the first year or two. In my coun- try it is never irrigated. Such a thing as irri- gation is not known, and figs do finely. Mr. Loop: I will ask if this is the variety known as the fig of Genoa? Mr. Milco: I can't tell. I never was in Genoa. Mr. Loop: There is a fig cultivated in Riverside which they call the Genoa, which was larger than any variety of white fig which I have ever seen in other countries, and as near as I can remember the fig at Riverside was really richer than the one we ate in Genoa. Mr. Milco: Dr. Eisen has written a letter to the Rural Press, wherein he stated that this White Adriatic was introduced from Italy, which was not the case, and he also spoke about the White Genoa fig, which he also rec- ommended. I in return wrote an article con- cerning the State Fair and invited anybody who had the White Genoa to send it along, so that we could examine it. As I said before, people nowadays are not going to believe any- thing until they see it, and I advise in the fu- ture any man that wants to grow anything in the way of fruit trees, not to buy anything un- til he sees it, and then he will be apt to get something that he wants. There are several characteristics about that fig that I wish to state. One is, that if you give the White Adriatic fig too much water, the figs will burst on the tree before they are ready to be picked, and some of them will actually rot on the tree. Too much water won't do. You can regulate that. Still, they want some water in countries where it is dry, and my opinion is that generally in Southern Califor- nia you will have no trouble to grow the fig any more than you will the orange or anything else, and it will pay you more than anything you have ever grown. A Delegate: An orange tree, is the most troublesome tree to grow there is. Mr. Milco: Where I come from we have ripe oranges and lemons all the year around, and we never water them. A Delegate: Do you have summer rains? Mr. Milco: Once in a while we have, but not to speak of. I don't think we have as much rain in that country as you have here. It is similar to Los Angeles and not far from the coast, and you can pick ripe oranges there all theyear around, and lemons also; but this White Adriatic fig particularly, I know, is adapted to California, because we have tested it fully in the San Joaquin valley and know what it can do, and I can not see any reason why it will not do well here. Mr. Sallee: In summer the excessive heat caused almost the entire crop in the valley to rot and drop off the tree; was that the case with this fig. Mr. Milco: I have never noticed this fig lose its fruit at all, but of course in a case of extreme heat that may happen to any fruit tree. We have had it 115° in the shade this sumfner, and 105° to 110° at midnight. We irrigated our trees about twice a year, in the spring of the year after the rains were over, and then again about the middle of July; not flooding them, mind you, but just running water alongside in ditches so that the ground could be soaked. A Delegate: Does the tree bear two crops or only one ? Mr. Milco: They ripen about the 15th of August and continue to ripen up to this time almost one crop continually. A Delegate: How is it if they produce but one crop that they commence ripening so early and continue so many months ? Mr. Milco: That is something peculiar about the White Adriatic. I suppose I have now five or six varieties of new figs that I have imported from Europe, of which the first crop will be very valuable and the second no ac- count at all. The reason I make a distinction between the first and second crop is that there is a lapse of a month or six weeks during which you cannot pick any figs at all; with the White Adriatic from the time it begins to ripen you can go every day and pick a certain amount of fruit right along, until the winter and frost overtake the last fruit. Mr. Hatch: I would like to ask if this crop you speak of is not in all respects similar to the second crop on our black figs. Mr. Milco: Very much. Mr. Hatch: The only difference being this: that we have two crops on our black figs by getting a small first crop on the wood formed the season before, while the second crop all comes on the wood of the season in which it is borne, and continues to come as long as those branches continue to grow. Mr. Milco: That is what I desire to ex- plain. On the White Adriatic the young figs CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS, are grown entirely on the wood that is grown this summer. You will never find a fig of that sort on the old wood at all. Mr. Sallee: In an orchard that I had charge of this year are two kinds of black figs; one dropped off the tree when it got ripe, the other a smaller fig which hung on to the tree and dried. The skin Mas very soft, and smooth and thin, and the fig was very rich and sweet. I would like to know the variety of it. Mr. Milco: Theve are two varieties of the Ischia fig: one large and one small; the circum- ference of that is scarcely larger than a 25cent piece. Is that about the size of your fig? Mr, Sallee : A little larger probably. Mr. Milco : I think it is, as near as I can remember that fig. It is not worth growing unless you want to grow them for shade trees, because if you have ever so many figs of that kind it would not pay you to market them. It is something like growing Flemish Beauty pears when you can just as well grow Bartletts. Mr. Loop : I would like to know if you are familiar with the fig known as the Brown Ischia, a fig we have got, I think, from Mr. Garey — one of the largest figs we grow. Mr. Garey : I think the fig Mr. Loop speaks of, the Brown Ischia, is one of the finest figs we have — one of the most prolific and early bearing. It sometimes bears the first year: certainly bears the second year from the cut- ting, and is very fine, but you can't dry it: it is too full of juice. Mr. Milco: There has been quite an inquiry made for this San Pedro fig. Some 12 or 1,3 years ago I imported a lot of those figs and sold them, and of course some of those figs have been scattered all around, and this year for the first time I have seen the fruit from any partic- ular tree that came from my stand; at least the man claims that it is one of those trees. The fruit don't look like the San Pedro at all. For that reason, I say, don't pay any attention in the future to the San Pedro until you can see the fruit. We have had several varieties for three years in the nursery, set out far enough apart so as to see the fruit, and, to our surprise, the fruit is falling off, and we can't say now what they are. Of course I know where they came from. My own father sent them to me ani I knew the trees before they sent them, but I don't want anybody to take those trees or have any confidence in them until we show them the fruit as we do the White Adriatic, Mr. Sallee: Tell us something about Drying the Fig. Mr, Milco: I will confine myself to the White Adriatic and the Black California. The Black California, if properly dried, is not a poor fig by any means. If well dried it will be almost as soft and fine tasting as our best Adriatic. Still, being black, there is some- thing against it. Do not allow your figs to dry on the tree. Do not pick them off the ground, as some people do, but as soon as your figs are dead ripe, so they are quite soft and you see white seams on them, and the fig commences to wilt a little, then pick it carefully. Pick it by the stem; do not pull it off. There is no neces- sity of cutting it with a knife; pinch it off and lay it in a basket and then spread it on basket- work trays. Where I come from they have them made for that purpose from four to five feet wide, and eight to ten feet long, and have ^3 it arranged so that there are little holes be- tween. A Delegate: How would the wire trays do such as are used in a drier? ' Mr. Milco: I don't know as that would be as good, because the wire may have some influ- ence from rust or something of that kind. I would rather recommend boards if you can't get the basket material. Spread the figs one after the other. Do not put two together so that they will touch each other, but aive them plenty of room. " Mr. Smith: What would be the objection to using trays we have for drying raisins on? Mr, Milco: I think they will answer every purpose. If you have your figs out on the trays about five o'clock in the afternoon in August or September, they should be covered or taken in to prevent dew falling on them, or your tigs may mold and will be soft. A Delegate : What is the necessity if you have no dew? Mr. Milco: If you have no dew you need not protect them, and if you can cure raisins with- out covering them you can dry figs in the same way. Another difficulty in drying a fig in this country is we have so many wasps and bees and all sorts of insects, and flies, and the fig be- ing so sweet the wasps and bees and other in- sects swarm around them. The best thing I can think of is to have a covering of wire, so that the insects cannot get to the fruit, and the rays of the sun could go right through into the fruit. Mr. Sallee: Did you ever try the oiled paper over figs in drying? This year the McPhersons are drying almost all their raisins under oiled paper, and the heat is greater. In fact, it is too great for the grapes when they are first put out, Mr, Milco: I think it requires the sun: the heat alone will not answer. During the State Fair we had some dried figs and there was a man from Oregon who had a drier, and he wanted to try some of the White Adriatic to see whether he could dry them in his drier, I gave him half a dozen of them. He dried them and brought them back. They were no ac- count in the world. They were black— some- thing like those figs over here that Mr. Eisen sent. Mr. Eisen has the genuine White Adri- atic fig, but the samples he shows are too dark for the White Adriatic. The treatment he gave them is something that made them too dark for a white fig. I attributed it to some- thing of that sort. In tasting the figs that this man put in the drier, they retained all the milky taste of the fig. They were worthless; you could not use them at all. For that reason I think the rays of the sun are necessary to take that milk out of the fig, to perfect the the drying. Another thing: about every other day each one of the figs has to be turned over, and just as soon as the last spot of green disappears, and the fi^ appears perfectly white, then they are ready to take indoors. After they are taken in we take a large kettle of boiling sea water and using a perforated bucket we place quite 10 or 15 pounds of the figs at a time in the bucket and dip them into the boiling water for a sec- ond or two and instantly turn it right over and spread them over the trays, the same as before, and almost instantly they are dry. The mix- ture don't stick to them at all, and in the course of a day or so after the air strikes them 64 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION they are ready to be packed away. We packed them in almost all different styles, but I think the best way to do it is to pack it in tin cans. Mr. Smith : Do you think common salt water would do the same thing as sea water ? Mr. Milco : I think it would, but it might be better to get some chemist to give you the proportions to make it nearly the composition of sea water. A Delegate : How long a time does it re- quire to dry ? Mr. Milco : In the early part of the season, in August 1 think, it would take about six days, but later on it requires a little more sometimes; it will take from 10 to 12 or 14 days to be completely dried. Mr. Garey : To my mind the process Mr. Milco gives will have to be improved upon or we wouldn't want to go into fig culture. Mr. Milco: My idea is that if something were done in the shape of that box that our friend sent out from the East (the "ripe fruit carrier"), with little partitions of wire gauze so that each partition would be placed in a differ- ent place the sun could strike from all sides of it, and we could just turn the package right over, and it would obviate all this trouble; but the figs have to be handled very carefully. Mr. Smith: I see there is an objection raised to turning over, which I don't think amounts to anything. You take the empty tray and put it on another tray and turn it over, and you can do it just as well. I do not see why they should be handled any more care - fully than raisins, and we turn raisins in that way. Mr. Milco: But the grapes are very tough, and the figs are very tender. A Delegate: Do figs get wormy as do other dried fruits? Mr. Milco: Yes; for that reason they should be dipped in salt water. That is thought to kill all in&ect germs that may be deposited on them, and in the meantime it prevents insects from coming. They don't like salt, as a rule, and for quite a while there is a little taste of salt about it — not enough to be disagreeable — but after a month you would find them the most delicious fruit you ever tasted. Another thing I want to say, as a fruit-grower, that no matter what you put up in dried fruit do not send anything to market in a loose way, but brand with your name and the place where it is grown, and then if you have built up a name for your fruit, people will know where it comes from and send for it. My advice is never to imitate any one else. Always try to improve on what has been done, and that is the best plan I can give you, so far as the fig is con- cerned. If the black California fig is treated in the same manner as the White Adriatic you will find that instead of bringing three or four cents a pound in San Francisco, you can get eight cents a pound for it, and most likely more. A Delegate: How about the destruction by birds? Mr. Milco: I would go to work and plant a good many mulberry trees, and you will find the birds will go and feed on the mulberry trees in the first part of the season and go away and leave you and the figs alone. Mr. Garey: We are very much interested in this fig question, and feel very favorably to the White Adriatic from what we know and hear. Mr. Eisen exhibited some at the State Horti- cultural Fair a few weeks ago, that were very much admired and created quite a sensation. If it should turn out that the fig produced but one crop a year, that would be decidedly against it. If it bears throughout the season it may be called one crop, but I think on general principles it may be considered that it is a con- tinuous crop right along. If this fig does that it would be a great point in its favor. We would like to know that. Mr. Milco: That is just exactly the state of things. Irrigating the Fig. Mr. Garey: Another thing that enters largely into the matter. I do not think you can ever make a success of fig culture for commercial purposes in Southern California without an ample supply of water for irrigation. I under- stand that Dr. Eisen has been writing on the subject and defending the planting of this Adri- atic fig in any season; that it can be success- fully produced without irrigation. Now, I think in this country the party who under- takes that will make a failure of the business. Our first figs are produced on the old wood, quite early in the season. A few of them are very large and fine, then those that are not so large, are very abundant. If we do not have an ample supply of water to irrigate the first crop, and perhaps the second, is all we get; the balance dry up and drop off. But if we have plenty of water we keep them bearing until the frost comes. Mr. Milco: When I stated that there was only one crop, I n.eant to say that from the time it commences to ripen until the frost comes it is continually ripening, so that you can get ripe figs every day. Mr. Chubb: And in the aggregate yields aa many figs as the two crops. Mr. Milco: I do not know of any other fig that will produce anything so much as this fig. Mr. W. M. Williams, of Fresno: Some three years ago I got from Mr. Milco a lot of cuttings from a fig which he said had come from Dal- matia, giving him $97 for all the cuttings I could carry; I had a greenhouse and when I got home I cut those up, and out of that lot I had 1800 trees. The first year they grew from four to seven feet. I had also the Black Cali- fornia, and I was very anxious when the fall of the year came, because we do have a little frost even in semi-tropical Fresno that might kill the figs, but any way I let them grow. The frost bit my Black California, but my Adriatic came out unscathed by cold. I started them in the greenhouse until one little bud made its appearance — in other words I "calloused" them — I really did not start them in the greenhouse; only once in a while you would see a white root. That fall I cut off everything but one straight stock, and this year I started 8000 from the cuttings of that lot, perhaps planting 20 acres myself of them, planting them not closer than 25 feet. They are very vigorous growers, the fruit is excellent either green or dried, A Delegate: What time should the cuttings be started ? Mr. Williams: That is owing entirely to the season. After they lose the leaves I would cut them immediately, and I put mine in the green- house as soon as I cut them and started them. But I think they ought to be cut and kept CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS, 65 damp until along in February if you propose starting from the cuttings in the open ground. Mr. Hixson: I became very much afflicted with the fig fever some 3 or four years ago and made the assertion that I believed the fig would be the coming fruit, the next fruit that would have a boom. They made so much fun of me that I began to be rather sick, but I got my friend Smith over th"re to believe it too, and said I would abide by his judgment. Then I kept looking to see what kind of a fig would answer the purpose and carry out my idea that the fig was going to be the thing. When I was going East four years ago, a man from Healdsburg sent down a box of figs as a sample to know whether I considered* it nec- essary for him to sort them out. They were just put in as they came. He said it was a fair sample but some were light color and others were dark. I suppose it was in consequence of the manner in which they were handled. As Mr. Milco said perhaps all the milky sub- stance was not dried out, before they turned them over, to properly cure them. Those that were ripe came so near the regular Smyrna fig, that when I was going East I had two little narrow boxes which I carried in my pockets and had a package of prunes in one and the fig in the other. I would show them on the railroad and when I got to New York, I went into a house there, and talked on the subject of the prunes. I thought I was going to create a sensation there with the big prunes. The man looked at them, and picked up the fig and said, "That is the thing to bring the money; now you are on the right track; that comes pretty near being the thing," and told me how to make a little improvement ; ought to dip them into sea water, and make the skins tender, so then I had another man to sustain me in my judgment be- sides Mr. Smith. Icame back home, and I think at the next meet- ing of the State Society I met Mr. Milco, and saw this fig, and I took a great deal of interest in it, and I think it certainly is the fig for Cali- fornia, and, if I am not very much mistaken, the fig is the thing that we want to plant. We do not want to quit everything else, to dig up orange orchards and plant figs, because there is so much of this country that can raise figs which cannot raise oranges. An important point in the matter of the fig culture is that the valua- tion of the fruit where it is grown with the duty added amounts to 10 cents a pound, so that would be the valuation at the custom house: 10 cents a pound. If we don't come quite up to that and could get seven or eight cents a pound it certainly would be a very valuable crop. We have been trying all this year to get figs. We had two customers that wanted each a carload of figs; one was willing to pay 15 to 20 cents a pound for a grade of figs that was manipulated so as to come up to a certain standard. The other was willing to pay from seven to nine cents for the fig that would come up to his stan- dard. Of course one wanted what we call a ma- nipulated, or rather cured fig, taken through a process of sea water, etc.; the other wanted just a dried fig, such as we get in San Francisco in in sacks, worth about two and a-half or three cents at the present time. I have been unable to get them. We have recently sent on proba- bly as much as 4000 or 5000 pounds; I have written many letters on the subject but we never have succeeded in getting a great quan- tity. I do not suppose you could get to-day in San Francisco a carload of figs. In regard to shipping the ripe fig: we made probably three or four shipments last year. I believe they all came from Vacaville; some were shipped in 10-pound cherry drawers, and they were three deep in the drawers. They were all rotten. 1 do not believe you could get one you could sell. A few lots were put on trays without being piled up, and they came through in very nice condition, and were snatched up at once. I do not remember the price, but it seemed like a tremendous price to us, and it was very evident to my mind that a liberal supply would sell very readily at good prices. If we get the refrigerating cars that will keep an even temperature, then we can carry the figs very well, and I think Mr. Milco'a fig, judging from what a tention I have given it, would carry more safely than any of the black figs we have. Mr. Loop: Is this fig, in your estimation, equal or superior to the white fig of commerce? Mr. Hixson: I could not tell. I never saw any of these dried. I think the fig that I saw Mr. Milco have down to the fair, when dried, was as fine in point of texture and the gelatin- ous piatter, or whatever you call it, and in richness, as any fig we have imported. They were not put up quite as nice, of course. Budding the Pig. Mr. Gray: I would like to ask if any one has- had any success in grafting the fig. Mr. Smith, of Vacaville: I have had some ex- perience in budding the fig; very little in graft- ing. It is rather a difficult tree to graft, from the fact that the wood is very soft and pithy. Dr. Chubb : Dr. Congar's machine will graft anything. Mr. Smith : I never tried that. You can- not take ofl the bud, as with the peach bud or the pear bud, and insert it in the same way. You must cut the ring right around the limb, say from three-fourths of an inch to an inch long, with the bud on it. Then take off another ring of bark from a limb of the same size; open the ring which has the bud you want and slip it into tha . cut and bind it around with cloth, covering it up to exclude the air. There is one precaution you must take. When you cut into a fig limb when the sap is up, the sap will ex- ude from the limb. You must cut off your bark with the ring in it and you whip off the limb, leaving the stock where you insert your bud, and then insert the bud. In this way you can bud quite successfully; otherwise you will fail almost every time. The reason is this : that the milky substance that exudes from the limb or bark seems to sour and poisons the sap when it comes up the stock and prevents the bud from uniting with the limb, whereas by this treatment it does not poison the sap, and the ascending sap will unite with the sap of the bud. New Fruits. While I am on the floor there is one other thing I wish to mention. Mr. Milco referred to it somewhat and I desire to emphasize it, and that is, in buying new varieties of fruit never buy many of them at a time until you know what it is. You can afford to buy one or two and pay a high price for it, which you are almost sure to do in buying any new variety that springs up. Now, I have been hunting 66 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION for a csrtain kind of peach for the last ten years — have bought almost everything in the way of peach that has been brought out in the United States and even Europe — and nearly one-half of the time I will not have a new peach but something I have had in bearing on iihe place a number of years under a new name. If anything new comes up and you want it buy a few and prove it before you go into it to any extent. I have about 65 varieties of peaches on my place that I am testing, and I will say "(that one-half of those are old peaches that have been in cultivation a good while, sprung up un- der new names by someone who wanted to make money. A tree or two is sufficient to test a new variety. Prove it on your own place, and then if it is worthy of propagation, you have plenty of time to go to work and propagate them. Mr. Gray: Speaking about shipping figs, I had an order last year from up in the moun- tains. They must have some figs. I put him up a box of green figs. He came down in a couple of weeks and said they had all rotted. He wanted me to try it again. I went and picked some that had begun to wilt a little and packed them in a 10 pound box, four deep, and in between the layers two or three thicknesses of paper, and put up three or four boxes. He took them in a lumber wagon for five days go- ing up, and when he came down he reported that every fig was in good condition when he got there. They were the California fig. I think that picked at just a certain stage they can be carried to Chicago perfectly well; cer- tainly if they were put up in packages not so deep. As to peaches, last year at the horticultural meeting we had quite a nice discussion upon new peaches that had been propagated in differ- ent parts of the State, and created quite an in- terest. We had one peach which came to us by accident this year, and I would like to speak of it. It was an apricot tree that was budded on a peach and broken off', and the sprout came up, and we trimmed it and let it stand right there. I forgot all about the tree until the day before Grant was buried. I hap- pened to be going through the orchard and there was this tree loaded with a very large yellow peach, freestone, and I think the largest peach I ever saw. I think that was really the shape of the orange cling, though a good deal larger than they usually get. It was very yel- low with a reddish cheek, very solid meat, free- stone and small pit. I think it is going to be a very valuable peach. A Delegate: How is it compared to the Sol- way? Mr. Gray: It is a very much better peach than the Solway. I think it is a little earlier, perhaps a week. It is a seedling we know. It is a sprout that came up from the root. We had a few trees that we called the St. John; perhaps some here know more about that than I do, but I believe .that we haven't anything growing now that is nearly equal to it. It ripens very soon after the Crawford's Late, and is very near the size and shape of an orange cling. Mr. Smith: I think you have something else than the St. John. The St. John, properly ■speaking, is the earliest yellow peach in culti- vation in the United States. Some gentleman asks for the best two varieties for canning. If I were going to plant two peaches for canning of those which are generally known and in ex- tensive cultivation, I would take the Susque- hanna and the Solway. I do not know whether they would suit your part of the State or not, but they come nearer filling the bill in our part of the State than any peaches we have got. Mr. Williams: Have you tried any of the Sellers? Mr. Smith: Yes, sir, I have — both Seller's cling and Seller's free; also the Muir. I think that is the best drying peach in the market. The Muir Peach. Mr. Webb: The manager of Mr. Lusk's can- ning establishment told me that they would give one quarter of a cent a pound more for the Muir than any other peach for canning pur- poses. They say that the reason for it is its marvelous sweetness. It has more sugar in it than any other peach. Mr. Smith: The Muir peach is a new peach, which is propagated only in our section of the country. It is as I said the finest drying peach in the market. I will give you my rea- sons, and I believe you will agree that they are good- It is a perfect freestone; the pit is very small — as small a pit as you will see in any peach of good size; and instead of turn- ing to a dark color when it dries in the sun, it will gradually become whiter as it gets drier, a property I never saw in any other peach in my life, and I have been drying peaches for 25 years, more or less. It is very dry of itself; it is very fine meated; you take a knife and cut it open, and it will slip through like a hot knife. These are all good qualities in any peach. It is nearly the color of a lemon; it really ought to be called the Lemon free. Where they are exposed to the sun they have a little red blush. The peach has some objec- tions, or rather the tree has. About one third of the crop will be inferior in size, while the other two-thirds will be full sizad. Another objection to the tree is, that it is hard to man- age in the orchard. The brush is very fine, and it is not a rapid grower. The leaves are quite small and very much softened about the edge. A Delegate: Other things being equal, which is to be preferred — the free or the cling for can- ning? Mr. Smith: My opinion is that the cling- stone will eventually be the canning peach, for as a rule clingstone peaches are firmer than freestones, and now there are being machines invented that will pit clingstone peaches as quickly as you can pit freestone peaches. If you want to plant now for canning in the future, I would plant one-half of the orchard in cling'stone peaches, anyway. The sweetness of the Muir peach has been spoken of: it is a very sweet peach — more so than usual. I have a cling peach, yellow, almost as round as an or- ange, no red about the pit. The pit is very small and is very similar to that on the outside. That is a sweeter peach and cans better than any peach I ever saw; it is a clingstone peach, and when it becomes known it is going to be one of the leading peaches for canning. I don't know of anybody else that has it but my- self and the old lady that I got the buds from near Napa City: an old lady named Porter, and the peach is named Porter. It was an old seedling tree in her yard. CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. 67 A Delegate: Will you mention other clings for canning? Mr. Smith: If I were going to select two cling peaches for canning, I would take what we know as the Sacramento river orange cling, or the Runyon orange cling, or the Canada cling, or the California, and there you have three or four different names for one and the ^ame peach: I will mention that as one peach for canning. For a yellow cling I would men- tion the Tippacanoe; I know nothing better of yellow clings for canning than those two. Now, I have another, a white-fleshed peach that I got from Texas, one of the finest flavored peaches I ever tasted, and being a white peach would be fine for canning were it not that it has a little red pit and when you cook it every bit of it goes to the syrup and colors it. That is a serious objection to it. As to the fig, I suppose there is no place that grows more than Vacaville; the first figs that go to the San Francisco market go from my neighborhood; the principal one in cultivation is the common California blue fig: a fig, I sup- pose, the old Spanish fathers introduced into this country when they first came here, the same as they introduced the common Mission grape. We have no fig that does better than that does, and no other figs that pay us so well. We are certain of two crops and when we have a late warm autumn we get three, and a man that gets three crops on a piece of land is pretty apt to get a good one. The first crop we take to the market fresh, the second and third crop we dry the most of, and put into the market as dry figs. The first crop grows so large that we cannot dry them. A Delegate: How do you gather the figs off of those large trees ? Mr. Smith: We have stepladders eighteen or twenty feet long, and we get up and gather all we can in that way; the second crop we usually let dry and drop off, and pick them up off the ground. We have tested several other kinds of figs in our section of the coun- try, with a view of getting something better than the common California fig: as yet we have not succeeded. We are trying to get a few that we can grow and pack, or put up in the same style or that will answer the pur pose of the real imported Smyrna fig. We want to see if we can't equal those, or surpass them if possible, but as yet we have not found the fig that will do it, unless Mr. Milco's White Adriatic will fill the bill. Gentlemen, I am satisfied of the value of the fig, and I will cor roborate what Mr. Hixson said awhile ago : there is no one tree we can plant in any section of this State where the fig does well, that we can make more money out of and make it easier than we can out of the fig. Mr. Hatch : I want to say a few words about the Muir peach. I want to speak a good word for it. When it was introduced I planted several in my place, and I was out in the or- chard when peaches of that variety were ripen- ing, and when I found the peaches on the young trees I said to myself, I wish all of my peaches were Muirs, for different reasons. In the first place, on account of the seed, a small pit about the size of the first joint of your little finger, with a very slight pink tint; another thing, Mr. Prather, often a buyer for A. Lusk & Co., of Temescal, said, in a fruit convention in San Francisco lately, that it was the best peach they ever had to can, one peculiar characteristic being that the cooking never mushed it. In that respect it is similar to a cling, and, being so easy to remove from the stone without waste, is preferable to the cling. A Delegate : Does the leaf curl ? Mr. Hatch : Not to my knowledge. I have never seen them curl. I have only had them two seasons. In regard to the growth, I was surprised to hear Mr. Smith say the wood was willowy and the leaves small. It is not so with me. It has good growth, large stock and large leaves, and is a very thrifty, good growing tree. Trees planted from dormant buds last winter, starting the year ago last spring, are higher than I can reach this way, with a spread as wide, and this year produced some peaches, but not many. Another thing in regard to the fruit is that most peaches when over-ripe become distasteful. I found these peaches on my trees almost drying up they were so ripe — so ripe they were very soft, and yet the taste was de- licious, something very peculiar in a yellow peach. While I have the floor, I want to say some- thing in regard to the general subject in dis cussion to-night, which, I believe, is in regard to such fruits that have not been overdone, or for which there is apparently an unlimited de- mand. There is a kind which will require to be put in good packages, which can be produced in every locality in the State, for which there is no end to the demand. I was in hopes you would ask me what kind of fruit it is. It is any fruit which you can produce better than any other in the locality in which you live; grow that and put it in good packages, there is no end to the demand for it. Mr. Wilcox : One thing in reply to Mr. Williams. I can answer about the Seller's peach; that peach was originated by my wife's sister, Mrs. Sellers. There are two kinds, the freestone and the clingstone, and they are re- garded as a very superior peach. The few that were raised four or five years ago sold to the San Jose cannery, and the next year the entire crop of about an acre sold for four cents a pound. Mr. Shinn: A few words in regard to the Muir peach : I was assured by a very reliable gen leman, two years ago, that it has a prop- erty which has not been mentioned here to- night, and is certainly the most valuable prop- erty that it has. That whereas jn ordinary freestone peaches it requires six or seven pounds of green fruit to produce a pound of dried, the Muir peach will produce a pound of dried peaches from four pounds. That is a very im- portant point. In reference to the Sellers peach, I procured the original buds from the sister of Mr. Wilcox, in Contra Costa county. The peach was sent to me as a very valuable one and I was requested to enter upon the cul- ture of it, and I did so, and saw at the moment that it was a very valuable one. I wrote to know all about it before I would have anything to do with it, and the lady said that all she knew of it was that there is a stray tree in the pasture growing without cultivation, with no attention paid to it, and it always grew large valuable peaches; the canners always thought very highly of it, and she said she was always persecuted for buds because it was large, and because by the time that the pit is extracted, by the machinery that is now used for the pur- 68 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION pose, there will scarcely be a line of red upon it, and of course they liked it on that account. Now it is worth while to say, after all the consul- tation I have had with the canning factories, and their secretaries and their presidents, with ref- erence to peaches, that upon the whole they prefer the yellow peach ; that is, they want more of them, but they do want a white peach; they consider it of the greatest importance to find one that is white to the pit, and until the McKevitt peach was found, I know of none that was a good peach and didn't curl. Mr. Webb: How does it compare with the Lyon cling that was exhibited last year by Mr. Williams of Fresno ? Mr. Shinn: I do not remember. I have paid great attention to peaches, and if I were to advise anyone in reference to planting peaches, I would give the same advice that has been given to you, plant such as succeed well in your neighborhood, avoid all that are liable to curl, no matter what other qualities they may have. It ought to be said that most of the can- ners that I have anything to do with say that they do not like the Solway peach. The Sus- quehanna is certainly equal to the very best for canning. Everybody knows that the Crawford Early is a very popular peach, and so is the Foster, but it should be remembered that they ripen so nearly together and a person planting is not obliged to plant both for a succession. He had better not do so, and it is my opmion that the Foster is preferable to the other. I am not speaking as a nurseryman but as a fruit grower, and I have been growing fruit for 29 years. The Crawford late has many of the best qualities of a peach, but it will curl three years out of four. The Crawford early has been so long in cultivation that it is but reason- able to suppose that some of its good qualities have run out. One fault is that it is inclined to grow double. It has been grown from bud to bud generation after generation, and it is but reasonable that it should degenerate some — still it does not curl, therefore it is valuable. But the Foster being a new peach about the same size, I believe it is preferable to plant. The important point, if you are going to plant peaches, is to avoid those that curl, and endeavor to have a succession in the time of ripening. You cannot go earlier with yellow peaches than the Foster, for the early St. John, though a good peach, is not desirable. Mr. Milco: I want to ask you something about Shinn's early white peach. Mr, Shinn: It is worth nothing. It is a nice peach in itself, but it has a tint that is ob- jectionable. The white tinted peaches are very much more liable to curl as a rule than the yel- low peaches. The Adaptations of Varieties. Dr Chapin: I do not lay claim to being an extensive peach grower, but I desire to call at- tention to this fact which is one of the most important ones in this whole discussion of fruits. Taking the peach, for instance, we must be extremely careful how we plant upon the assumption that any one particular variety or 2 or 3 particular varieties are adapted to every locality where peaches are grown. Some of the peaches that have been named by Mr. Smith this evening as being extremely well adapted to his locality, to Vaca valley, are utterly worthless in many other localities of the State, and it would not be wise for you to plant upon that assumption. The peach of many names, which he has given to you to night, (the Edwards Cling, the California Cling and many other names attached to that one peach), in Santa Clara valley is a perfect failure. I have planted it from buds and dor- mant buds and the tree itself is a very serious failure, has a curled leaf and the fruit is very inferior indeed. I have made experiments with quite a large number of peaches, with a view of finding a few good peaches for family use in the portion of the Santa Clara valley in which I reside. It is not a peach locality and it is useless to attempt to grow peaches for market purposes in such localities. The best success that I have had has been with certain California seedlings. I may mention that among the very choicest of those has been the Seller's Cling; the McKevitt Cling and another, the Wilcox Cling or the Albright Cling from Plac- erville in El Dorado county. Another ^peach which is proven to be one of the very choicest for canning purposes is not known generally in the State, but it has been put up this season by the Yuba City Packing Co., a new cannery establishment in Sutter county: it is the Tustin Cling, and some cans sent to me by one of the stockholders, when turned out on the table proved to be the very choicest peach that I ever saw put in a can by any packing company in the world, and that is saying a great deal. I might speak of some other peaches. As to the Muir, that peach, with me, has not been a great success. I have it in two dififerent portions of my orchard, and right by the side of it in one portion stands a seedling peach tree of very similar character to that as to color and other qualities — the same peculiar appearance of the lemon color and whiteness. It is called the orange peach, and it originated with Mr. Loomis, in the Santa Cruz mountains. He gave me buds, and I have fruited that right by the side of the other and it was a su- perior peach to the Muir. It is one of the finest peaches for drying purposes; and Mr. Loomis told me, when he gave me the buds three years ago, that the retixrns from that were a little better than that of the Muir peach in drying. That peach, I am satisfied, will be- come one of the most valuable ever planted in California, as I also regard the Muir to be one of the most valuable peaches we have, and from which the best results are to be obtained. I believe these seedling peaches that are are gradually discovered in various portions of the State (and some of which have not yet been heard of) and which have been found to be extremely valuable in a homestead in a single place, by the family where they origin- ate, one by one will come to light and be- come disseminated throughout the State, and the good qualities gradually become known. A very choice white cling peach, perfectly white to the pit and very similar to the peach that Mr. Williams spoke of last year is to be found in Porterville, Tulare county; it is known there as the "Sheep's Head," merely a local name for it. The farmer raising the peach don't know anything about it, excepting that it is a very fine peach . I might go through this to considerable extent and name seedling peaches that I have discovered through the different portions of the State, and many of them will become gradually known; and I am satisfied CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. 69 that, in the coursd of a iew years, we will have discovered for all the various localities of the State the fruits that are best adapted to them, and then we can arrive at the conclusion as to what will be the best fruit to plant in a certain locality, and we can not do it in any other way. A Delegate: Has this peach a blush to it? Dr. Chapin: Very little; that is, only in the skin— not a particle in the flesh. It is an oblong peach with rather a broad and flattish stem, under a pointed sort of a nose that some- what resembles a sheep's head. Something was mentioned as regards the size of the fig tree. One of the largest fig trees in this State is on the ground of the Hon. Henry Wilson, a a member of our board, in Tehama county. At Snelling, in Merced county, can be seen quite a large number together of the very largest fig trees in this State. There are several trees there in the orchard of Mr. Kelsey, in Snelling, that the spread of the limbs would be a great deal more than the length of this hall. Mr. Webb: Mr. Wilson, you cut down one of those trees; how much cord wood did you get out of it? Mr. Wilson: Sixteen cords of stove wood. The Fruit Union. The resolutions ofifered by the committee on Fruit Union are here presented and adopted as read: Resolved, That the California Fruit Growers' Union is, in our opinion, destined to be ot incalcu- lable advantage to the interest of the fruit-growers of this State, and that the gentlemen who have given their time and labor to bring about that Union are deserving of gratitude from the fruit-growers of the whole State of California. Resolved, That it is the sense of this committee that the interest of the fruit-growers of Southern California for the time being will best be served by the incorporation of a local org.inization. Resolved, That this committee recommend the Board of Directors of such local organizition when formed to consult with the directors of the California Fruit Union to the end that both companies may act in harmony and to their mutual advantage. O. H. CONGAK, J AS. Bettner, S. W. Preble, Abbot Kinney, Thos. A. Garey, The convention here adjourned until to- morrow morning at 10 o'clock. Reports on Fruit Exhibits. At the afternoon session of the fourth day, reports of committees on fruit exhibits made during the convention were received. Mr. Garey presented the report of the committee on citrus fruit exhibits as follows: To the State Fruit-Growers^ Convention : — We, your committee on citrus fruits, beg leave to report that we have examined the exhibits in Agricultural hall, and find the following localities represented by the citizens hereinafter mentioned. The display is, considering the season, highly meritorious, and reflects great credit on Southern California and the enter- prising gentlemen making the exhibits from the several localities : Santa Barbara — Elwood Cooper exhibits 1 plate Mexican limes; 1 branch olives; 1 bottle olive oil, his own manufacture from the olives, very clear and of first quality; 2 plates and 1 ■box seedling lemons; specimens green oranges. Los Angeles — A. Weis, Alameda street, 1 banana plant with green fruit and bloom; 3 plates seedling oranges. J. W. Wolf skill, Ala- meda street: 1 plate WolfskiU's best oranges; 1 plate Tangerine oranges; 1 plate Mandarin oranges; 1 plate paper rind St. Michael oranges; 1 plate large St. Michael oranges; 1 plate Rivers' late St. Michael oranges; 1 plate myrtle leaf St. Michael oranges; 1 plate Washington Navel or- anges; 1 plate Dwarf Mandarin oranges; 1 plate Variegated oranges; 1 plate Japanese oranges; 1 plate Seedling oranges; 1 plate Bouton lemon; 1 plate Eureka lemon; 1 plate Villa Franco lemon; 1 plate Anatie lemon; 1 plate Bonny Broy lemon; 1 plate Genoa lemon; 1 plate Im- perial limes; 1 plate Mexican limes; 1 plate Sweet limes. Mrs. W, D. Bigelow : 1 box seed- ling oranges; 1 bunch green dates; this is a re- markable production, adding one more to the long list of our productive possibilities in Southern California. William Niles, Washing- ton street : 2 plates seedling oranges. A. F. Kercheval : 2 plates Mexican limes. A. Pratt, Lemon street : 1 box Mexican limes. F. M. Trapp : 1 cluster seedling oranges; 1 box seedling oranges; 1 box Mexican limes. H. Preston : 2 large and fine clusters seedling or- anges; 1 display citron of commerce. C. R. Workman, Lemon street : 1 cluster Eureka lemons, very fine; 1 cluster seedling oranges; 1 cluster Wolfskin's Bsst; 2 plates from the original tree Eureka lemon; seed imported from Hamburg, Germany, in 1872, only one seed growing, from which buds were put on orange stock. This is the famous Eurtka lemon named and introduced to the public and dis seminated exclusively by Thomas A. Garey Mr. Gilda, Macy street : 1 plate pear guava, Dr. M. McCarry, superb cluster of seedling or anges. I. W. Hooper : 3 plates seedling or anges; 1 plate Navel oranges; 1 plate Mediter renean Sweet oranges. Geo. J. Dalton : 1 large fine cluster seedling oranges. Orange — Joel B. Parker: 2 plates Mexican limes; 1 box Mexican limes; 1 box paper rind St. Michael oranges; 1 box Lisbon lemons. Dr. 0. P. Chubb: 1 cluster Mediterranean Sweet oranges, season of 1884 85; 1 cluster season of 1885-86; 1 plate Mediterranean Sweet, sea- son of 1883 84; 1 plate Mexican limes; 1 plate Washington Navel oranges. Anaheim — Leonard Parker: 2 plates seedling oranges; 1 cluster Mediterranean Sweet oranges; 1 plate seedling lemons; 1 plate Lisbon lemons. Pasadena — Dr. O. H. Congar: 1 box Lisbon lemons; specimens of Eureka lemons. Lyman Craig: 1 plate Eureka lemons: D. M. Graham: 1 plate of strawberry guava. M. Rosenbaum: 1 plate Sicily seedling lemons. Crescenta Canada— Theodore Parker: 2 plates seedling oranges. Downey — Robert Bed well: 2 plates seedling oranges; 1 plate seedling lemons; 1 plate Mexi- can limes; 1 plate Tahi i oranges, Alhambra — T. D. Kellogg: 1 plate guavas; 1 plate seedling oranges, season 1884. F. Ed- ward Gray: 1 plate Chinese Mandarin oranges; 1 plate JVlexican limes; 1 plate lemon guavas. A. C. Weeks: 1 plate Sa- truma Hill glove oranges; 1 cluster oranges; 1 plate seedling oranges; 1 plate Eu- reka lemons. G. B. Adams: 1 plate Chinese Mandarin; 1 plate seedling oranges; 1 cluster oranges; 1 plate Wasfiington Navel oranges; 1 cluster Washington Navel oranges. R. T. Bishop: 1 plate seedling oranges; 1 plate Wash- 7° FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION ington Navel oranges; 1 plate Eureka lemons. J. C. Byram: 1 plate seedling oranges, season 1884. S. B. Kingsley: 1 plate Washington Navel oranges; 1 cluster seedling oranges; 1 plate seedling lemons. Duarte — W. P. Wright: 1 box Mexican limes. (These limes are of exceeding good quality, clean, bright and of large size.) 1 box Washington Navel oranges. A. Boddy: 1 plate lemons; 1 plate Hornet oranges; Wilson's best oranges; 1 cluster; 1 plate seedling lemons. La Dow (south of Los Angeles) — 1 plate seedling oranges produced without irrigation. Glendale (north of Los Angeles) — 2 plates Mexican limes, very fine, good quality; 1 box limes, 1 cluster oranges, seedlings, clean and bright. Pomona — Rev. C. F. Loop: 1 plate Mexican limes, 3 plates seedling oranges, 1 plate all first- class lemons. H. G. Bennett — 1 cluster Wash- ington Navel oranges. James Smith — 1 cluster seedling oranges, 1 plate seedling limes, 1 plate seedling lemons. S. Duton — 1 plate Mediterra- nean sweet oranges, season of 1884. D. N. Graham — 1 plate strawberry guava. Santa Ana — 3 plates seedling oranges, 3 clus- ters seedling oranges, 1 plate lemons, 1 cluster oranges from two year-old tree. H. Goepper — 1 bunch green dates. Tustin — H. K. Snow: 1 plate Washington Navel oranges, 1 plate Thomas oranges, 1 plate seedling oranges, 2 plates Genoa lemons, 1 plate Eureka lemons, 2 plates seedling oranges, sam- ples of seedlings, Washington Navel and Medi- terranean sweet oranges, season of 1884. P. T. Adams — 1 plate Mandarin oranges. A. Guy Smith — Box seedling oranges, picked when quite green, evened up nicely. In closing this report we desire to state the phenomenal bright and clean appearance of the Los Angeles and vicinity citrus fruits. Los Angeles has earned the unenviable reputation of a "trade mark" caused by the black and un- presentable appearance of the fruit in many in- stances in the market. The fruit on exhibition we find exceedingly clean and presentable in general appearance, comparing most favorably with the oranges from Duarte and other well-known first-class orange-growing sections of Southern California. Why this is so, can in a measure, at least, be accounted for by the increased vigilance of our orange-growers and the better and more thor- ough care of orange orchards induced by the advent of the scale bug here, and compulsory need of cleaning and caring for the orchards. Respectfully submitted, Thos. a, Garey, Los Angeles, James Bettner, Riverside, G. M. Gray Chico. Report on Deciduous Fruits. Mr. Sol. Runyon presented the report of committee on deciduous fruits, as follows : We, your committee, beg leave to report that we have examined the display of deciduous fruit in Horticultural hall, believe that in merit it stands superior to any exhibit hitherto made in this locality, and highly creditable to the southern portion of the State. Many of the specimens exhibited were of unusual interest. We deem the display of White Winter Pear- main apples worthy of especial mention. The display from Downey were very fine in size. The following is the detailed report : Downey — A. E. Davis: 3 plates White Winter Pearmain. J. P. Dickerson — 1 plate Smith's Cider. Wm. Caruther — 1 plate Ben Davis ; 2 plates Roxbury Russet ; 1 plate Baldwin ; 1 Yellow Bellflower; 1 Yellow Newton Pippin; 2 plates Easter Buerre pear ; unknown, 1 plate Kentucky Redstreak ; 2 of mixed varieties ; 1 Vicar of Wakefield. L. M. Grider — 1 plate pound pear. „„. ," ■< Ranchito — J. W. Gates: 1 plate Winesap; 1 Baldwin; 1 White Winter Pearmain; 1 Yellow Bellflower; 2 Yellow Newton Pippin. Pears — 1 plate Doyenne d'Alencon; 1 Winter Nelis. Compton — S. Rogers: 5 plates White Winter Pearmain ; 4 Yellow Bellflower ; 2 of Winter Nelis pears. John Ganes— 2 plates White Winter Pearmain; 1 Yellow Bellflower; 1 Ken- tucky Redstreak; 1 Smith's Cider; 1 Yellow Newton Pippin; 1 Nickajack; 1 Lawyer; 1 Red Romanite. Isaac Wilson — 1 plate Yellow Bell- flower. Clinton Heath — 2 plates White Winter Pearmain". E. D. Stone — 1 plate Ben Davis ; 1 White Winter Pearmain; 1 unknown variety. Cerritos— C. B Paris: 2 plates White Winter Pearmain; 2 N. Y. Pippin; 1 Roman Beauty; 1 Smith's Cider; 1 Nickajack; 1 Ben Davis; 1 R. I. Greening ; 1 Willow Twig ; 1 Shockley ; 2 Winter Nelis pear. Orange — Dr. Chubb : 1 plate Spitzenberg ; I Ben Davis; 1 R. I. Greening; 1 White Winter Pearmain. Duarte — A. Boddy : 1 plate White Winter Pearmain; 1 St. Petersburg; 2 unknown varie- ties. Glendale — H. J. Crow : 3 plates Winter Nelis pears ; 1 dozen Doyenne d'Alencon pears; 2 Easter Buerre. Pomona — C. H. Loop : 1 plate blue pear- main; 1 N. Y. pippin; 1 Canada Rennette; I Spitzenberg; 1 Penn. Redstreak ; 1 polo; 1 emperor. La Dow — G. Rowland : 1 plate Nickajacks; 3 Ben Davis; 2 Smith's cider; 2 W. W. Pear- main; 2Ni Y. pippin; 1 R. I. greening; 1 Wine- sap; 1 yel. Bellflower; 1 seedling. National City — James Currier: 1 plate Winter Nelis pears. Frank A. Kimball : 3 plates W. W. Pear- mains; 3 yel. Bellflowers; 1 Baldwin; 1 Ben. Davis; 2 Winesap; 1 Nickajack; 1 Limbertwig; 1 Roxbury russet; 1 Lawyer; 1 R. I. greening; 2 N. Y. Pippin; 2 Red Jim, second crop; 1 seed- ling; 2 unknown; 2 Winter Nelis pears. ■Tustin — Mr. Snow : 1 plate yel. Bellflower; 1 Smith's cider; 1 Winter Nelis pears; 1 Vicar of Wakefield; 1 unknown. Santa Ana^ — Dr. Wlmendorf; 3 plates Ben. Davis; 1 W. W. Pearmain. A. T. Armstrong : 1 plate W. W. Pearmain; 1 yel. Bellflower; 1 mixed variety; 1 Winter Nelis pears. F. A. Marks, 2 W. W. Pearmain; D. Holliday : 1 Ben. Davis; 1 W. W. Pearmain; 1 yel. Bell- flower; 2 Vicar of Wakefield pears; Geo. Minter : 1 W. W. Pearmain; unknown; 2 plates Winter Nelis pears. Newport — J. H. Moesser: 1 plate Kentucky Redstreaks; 1 Ben Davis; 1 White Winter Pearmain. Unknown— 2 plates unknown; 1 Vicar of Wakefield; 1 pound pear, Pasadena — Mr. Rosenbaum: 1 plate Winter Nelis pear. E. Millard: 1 plate White Winter Pearmain. 0. S. Barber: 1 plate Roxbury Russe'; 1 White Winter Pearmain;! unknown. James Smith: 1 plate Winter Nelis pear. Ed. L. Ferris: 1 plate December peach; one un- CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. 71 known apple. W. T. Knight: 1 plate Genitan; 1 White Winter Peartnain; 1 Red June, second crop. A. 0. Bristol: 1 plate White Winter Pearmain. Lyman Craig: 1 plate unknown variety apple. Walter Coolley: 1 plate Winter Nelis pear. Rev. Mosher: 1 plate Ben Davis; 1 White Winter Pearmain; 1 seedling, Santa Barbara — El wood Cooper: 1 plate King of Thompkins; 1 Roman Beauty; 1 Twenty Ounce; 1 Yellow Beliflower; 1 Yellow Newton Pippin; 1 Jonathan; 1 Fall Pippin; 1 W. W. Pearmain; 1 Golden Pippin. Alhambra— S. B. Kingsley: 1 plate W. W. Pearmain; 1 Nickajack. F. E. Gray: 1 W. W. Pearmain; 1 Winter Nelis pear, R. F. Bishop — 1 plate Beauty of Rome; 1 W. W. Pearmain. J. C. Byron — 1 plate W. W. Pearmain. Los Angeles — C. R. Workman: 2 plates W. W. Pearmain. \Y. B. McQuade— 1 plate Fall Pippin; 4 plates Easter Buerre pears; 1 unknown pear. Geo. J. Dalton— 2 plates W. W. Pear- main; 2 N. Y, Pippin; 1 Ben Davis; 1 Smith's Cider. John Hooper- 1 plate Nickajack; 1 W. W. Pearmain. Milton Thomas: 3 plates Smith's Cider; 3 Nickajack; 1 Tillequah; 2 W. W. Pearmain; 2 Yellow Beliflower; 1 Holland Pippin; 1 Pen Davis; 1 Rubicon; 2 California Keeper; ) Dominic; 1 Lawyer; 1 Kentucky Red Stock; 1 Seek-No-Further; 1 R. I. Greening; 1 N. Y. Pippin; 1 Fall Queen; 1 Harrison. Respectfully submitted, Sol. Rdnyon, Courtland. S. McKiNLAY, Los Angeles. C. E. White, Pomona. E. E. Edwards, Santa Ana, Miscellaneous Fruits, Etc. Mr. Wilcox presented report of the commit- tee on miscellaneous fruits, as follows : Afr. President, and Members of the Convention: Your committee to whom was referred the miscel- laneous articles on exhibition, not included in the citrus family and green deciduous fruits, would report as follows: That they have made such an examination as their limited time would permit, and that they find every product included in the exhibits possessing merit worthy of notice. Grapes. — Among the grapes exhibited are those of Sam Brown, Tustin, Santa Ana valley. Like all the other grapes exhibited, they are of the second crop, but make a very creditable exhibit. The varieties are the Black Morocco, Cornichon and Victoria. The Black Morocco are very large, but not well col- ored. N. Nisson and G. W. Minter show a few varieties of grupes, embracing the Muscat, Large Mission, etc. Wines. — Through the politeness of Prof. George Husmann, we copy from the partial report made by him to the U. S. Commissioner of Agriculture, re- lating to wines exhibited by J. H. Drummond, Dun- filian vineyard, Glen Ellen, Sonoma county, com- prising the following varieties; Semillon — clear white, very fine, sprightly and high flavor; Pinot de Per- naud — a fine type of claret wine, rather light in color and body, but with a sprightly acid and fine flavor; Petit Sirrah — deeper in color, more tannin, more body, though not so delicate as the foregoing, a very fine claret; St. Macaire — softer than the preceding, deep in color, strong in tannin, more resembling the Burgundies than the foregoing; Gros Mancin — very fine, deep in color, but delicate and sprightly, fine flavor, a true claret of the highest type; Tannat — very fine, much like the foregoing, abundance of tannin and color, sprightly and full; Carbernet Sau- vignon — very delicate and sprightly, fine flavor, but with more tannin than expected in this variety, yet, on the whole, the best of a very superior exhibit of wines of leading claret type. Raisins. — We find, the exhibits of raisins large and very choice, well put up and well cured generally. In the list we find those of R. J. Blee, packed by the Santa Ana Valley Fruit Company. London Layers, grown, cured and packed by H. D. Halla- day, also from Santa Ana, are choice. The Muscat of Alexandria raisins, from H. K. Snow, Tustin, Santa Ana valley, are very large and fine. Mr. Snow shows some seedless Sultana raisins, well grown and well cured; also, some London Layers of very superior quality. McPherson Bros. , of Orange, Los Angeles county, exhibit a large collection of raisins, of first quality and in fine condition. D. W. P. Chubb, of Orange, shows a box of raisins dried on the ground, taken from the sweat box. While they retain the bloom of the grape, they appear as if dried rather than cured. We do not reler specially to some small lots of this fruit, of more or less merit. C. Z. Culver, of Orange, Santa Ana valley, shows a small box package of very choice (London Layer) Muscat raisins, well cured, with the bloom perfect. The raisins are covered with tinfoil, and that is covered with oil paper, and would be an attractive package for the retail trade. Figs. — The White Adriatic fig exhibited by Gus- tav Eisen of Fresno, appears to be a very superior variety. The fruit is shown in its natural, un- bleach-sd condition. It is large, and well cured and presents a very handsome appearance, being, in our judgment, equal, if not superior, to any fig ever imported into this State and supplies a long-felt want. Dried Fruits. — The exhibits of dried fruits are hght. The sun-dried French prunes of H. Goepper from Santa Ana, are very large, and under proper manipulation and packing would show well in any market. His apricots also 'appear to advantage. Mr. Goepper also exhibits a bottle of unfermented wine. It is clarified and fshows well. Joel B. Par- ker, of Orange, shows evaporated apples and apri- cots, which we consider of beit quality, though not possessing the best appearance alongside those packed for show. Fruit Box. — There is also on exhibition a patent fruit box similar in construction to the common egg box used on the Pacific Coast, with the addition ot paper sheets, perforated on the cides and top, so as to afford perfect ventilation. This box comes rec- ommended by Parker Earle, President of the Amer- ican Horticultural society. It is manufactured by Jenkins, McGuire & Co. of Balti;-nore, Md. English Walnuts, etc. — Of three exhibits of Eng- lish walnuts, the two varieties shown by Elwood Cooper, of Santa Barbara, are large, of good color, soft shell, plump, sweet kernel. The two samples of almonds of Mr. Cooper, are also good. Of the two varieties of chestnuts exhibited by Mr. Cooper the American variety is very large and fine. The walnuts exhibited by Geo. W. Ford, of Santa Ana, are of soft shell and very jg large. There are two samples of Italian chestnu which are not worthy of any special mention. Olive Oil. — The exhibit of olive oil of Elwood Cooper, needs no commendation from us, it hav- ing already acquired an enviable reputation in all markets where it has been introduced. A branch of the olive in fruit, is also exhibited by Mr. Cooper. We also report a jar of very large pickled Mission olives, put up in 1884, exhibited by P. Cazneau of San Fernando. Flowers. — The bouquets of roses and other flowers, from Mrs. Maggie C. Rice, of Highland Park, are choice and quite attractive; also, a basket of flowers exhibited by Mrs. Rosenbaum, of Pasadena. Corn and Vegetables. — There is a fine exhibit of white corn in the ear, made by Mr. Doyle. Also a watermelon of very large size and excellent quality, probably weighing 65 pounds, exhibited by D. Edson Smith, of Santa Ana. Mr. Smith has a flat ribbed squash of hard shell, marked 90 pounds; also shows another squash, of supposed mixed char- acter, of much larger size, with shell not quite sa 72 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION hard. Of the special value of these squashes, the committee malces no further report. There are sev- eral very laige mangel wurzel beets, exhibited by Mr. Smith; also two varieties of sweet potatoes; the white Brazilian and red Bermuda, that are well grown. Also, by Elwood Cooper, a bunch of yel- low Nansamoned sweet potatoes, very smooth and fine, illustrating the yield of that variety on the vine. , Orchard Wbififletree, etc. — A double and single whiffletree, with clevis and traces so attached as to he used in the orchard without injury to the trees, appears to be a good device, which bears patent date of 1883. There is also on exhibition a patent har- ness for use in the orchard, which does away with the whiffletree altogether. It consists of a steel yoke drawn up under the horses' body so as to closely connect the team, a broad band passing over the back to hold the yoke in its plane. The contrivance is such, that the draft comes from a central point in the yoke. The horses are connected to the yoke by a short trace, and the claim is, that it can be used without injury to trees or vines. Insecticides. — \ he exhibit of insecticides, by E. C, Niedt & Co., of Los Angeles, consisting of sev- eral kinds, is worthy of special notice. Orchard Tools. — Dr. O. H. Congar, of Pasadena, exhibits his mortise and tenon grafting machine, which appears to be of practical value. W. B. Forsyth of Orange, exhibits a pruning-knife, the prac- tical value of which is not known to the committee. I. A. Wilcox, "j A. T. Hatch, V Committee. Geo. Rice, j Adoption of the Reports. On motion it was ordered that these reports be received and placed on tile and made part of the proceedings of the convention. Mr. Grey: I will be glad to say something in regard to the steelyoke here exhibited. I am not advertising any interest, still I would like to have the fruit-growers have the machin- ery that can be used to the best advantage. You can use those especially in the vineyards, and anyone who has to cultivate cannot afford to be without them. We all know the difficulty of getting up close to the vines after they have gotten about two feet growth, but with that arrangement you can cultivate or plow very close to your vines and the horses do it with as great ease as they do in the old way, and the man with about one-half the exertion outside of walking. I think that everyone who has grapes to cultivate, or young trees, would find it to his advantage to procure one or more of these. The chair announcecd the topic for the after- noon: Protection to Fruit Industry. Mr. Aiken: I do not consider this subject a political question: it is simply a policy for the fruit growers to carry up. 1 have very fixed, decided opinions on the subject of "Protection." Protection has been the policy of the govern- ment of the United States*irom its conception; the first act of the first Congress in 1789, was an act imposing a tax upon importations for the purposes of revenue, and the protection and encouragement of the manufacturing interests have continued until the war of 1812 necess- itated a tax upon importation that was almost prohibitory, almost 100 cents on the dollar. That led to a great deal of trouble with our shipping interests in New England, but that tax was enforced by the aid of such an eloquent advocate as John C. Calhoun, of North Carolina, and Henry Clay, of Kentucky, and was opposed by that eloquent statesman, Daniel Webster, of Massachusetts. However, there was in a few years a reduction in the tariff, until 1824:, when there was a slight increase because Daniel Webster had from necessity been obliged to favor pro- tection, as New England had become a manufacturing section of the country, and John C. Calhoun, finding that the Southern States would be necessarily producing States, and not manufacturing, turned in favor of free trade. This led to considerable discussion in this country, so that in 1832 there was a compro- mise by Henry Clay and Daniel Webster with Mr. Calhoun, and the tax was somewhat re- duced, but the direct result of that reduction was a financial crisis in 1837, that for, we might say, the first time almost revolutionized the finances of the country. In 1842 there was a slight increase in the tax, and in 1846, under Mr. James K. Polk, at the commencement of the Mexican War, the tax on importations was further reduced in a manner looking to free trade. This continued for a series of years, until it led, as we believe, to that great finan- cial crisis again in the year 1857 that nearly bankrupted not only our Government, but nearly every individual living in the United States. That was followed up to 1861 with almost a failure of resources on the part of the United States, so that in 1860, just prior to the war, no money could be borrowed by the United States Government, but the necessities of war led to the imposition of a tax for reve- nue upon importation, and under that tax we live substantially to-day. So when 1 assert that protection has been the policy of this coun- try, I think history will bear me up, and when I assert, also, that the financial crises of this country have followed almost immediatrfly, and as a natural consequence, upon the reduction in the tariff by the Government of the United States. 1 desire to l^ave that and point out, if possible, why it is policy for the producers of this country to seek protection. Our wool in- terests have stood in need, and have received the protection of this Government. Until within a few years there, of course, has been a great deal of prosperity growing out of the wool interests, but the reduction a few years since in the tariff upon wool has led to such an importation of Australian wool, also from other sections, especially South America, that it has almost made sheep-raising for wool impossible; and, my friend, the Hon. H. C. Wilson, of Red Bluff, although somewhat a free-trade man, would probably favor a tariff upon wool, so that his industry of raising sheep would be more profitable than it is The prune industry to my mind, is one of the most important industries that we have. W^e send to Europe annually over $3,000,000 of our money to import the foreign prune. There is now and has been for many years lev- ied upon the foreign prune a duty of 2 cts. per lb ad vnlorem, which is not sufficient owing to the cheap labor and the old or- chards, and the methods of preparing that they have in Europe as against our young and growing orchards, and our want of knowledge and skill in the preparation of fruit; and I believe further that if our Government could levy a tax of 3 cents per pound it would be no more than is fair and just to this great and growing enterprise. If we did receive 13,000,000 of American money in California, in- CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. 1Z stead of sending it to Europe, and return to the East that value of fruit, how rich it would make our coast. We raise, to our .-nind, a bet- ter prune; we have a better climate; we can in time learn the methods and principles of pre- paring, grading and packing those prunes, so that we can fill the needs of the Eastern markets on the basis of the foreign fruits, but I submit that we should now have a protec- tion of 3 cents a pound. So far as the raisin is concerned, I believe that the raisin grower, owing to the fact that the cost of the raisin is substantially that of labor, which is expensive in this country, in- stead of two cents should have double, at least four cents protection. A few years since they had two and one-half cents, but that was chang- ed. That little half-cent did not materially in- jure the country, but was a serious blow to our raisin growers, and if California is ever to be a profitable raisin State it should have a firm pro- tection in view of the difference in the cost of labor. The production of olive oil is one that could be developed into a great interest, but it must have protection. I cannot understand why any person desires the direct and oppressive compe- tition with the old world as against the fruit in- dustry on this coast. We have the best State in the Union, we have a climate and soil super- ior to any in the world, but unfortunately our people, though they are intelligent, industrious and useful citizens, cannot live on ten cents a day, and that is what foreign labor costs in those countries that we are brought directly in competition with. Mr. Wilson: Let me interrupt you if you had a world for a market with free trade, don't you think it would be better for all the coun- tries? Mr. Aiken: If we had that, in a few years, allow me to state, that I think probably that China would supply the world with almost everything, and we would be reduced to the level of a Chinaman in this country. I must say that the policy of the strongest, the wealthiest and the best nations in the world has been protection for their interests and for their people. England is a, very marked ex- ample of the idea of free trade, but I can say now that I think that the best minds in Eng- land and their best people are looking for the salvation of England through protection. Ger- many protects its interests; France protects its interests, and France is certainly a very rich and prosperous nation. The common people in England, the most of them are in trouble and very poor. Mr. Wilson: It is the most prosperous na- tion on the globe. Mr. Aiken: Yes, there is great financial force in England, but it is not with the common people. The common people of the French re- ceived after that great French revolution a lit- tle piece of land, maybe no larger than one to five acres, and they made themselves indepen- dent and rich through their industry, and the protection French law has thrown around it. Mr. Wilson: Who pays the tariff? Isn't it the consumer, the poor man that does all the work and earns all the money? He pays every dollar of it. Mr. Aiken: I would answer that by saying that the man who takes a protected prune pays Ms portion of the tax, but the money, the three- millions of money that is sent to these foreign nations, would be kept at home and would be of more value to the people than the whole tax that they pay for the protection. It is the en- couragement of the industry. Now Mr. Wil- son will admit that without protection the raisin industry or the prune industry could not flourish in this State, and we could not profit- ably make raisins. I will make a motion that Congress be mem- orialized to fix a tariff upon foreign prunes of 3 cents a pound, and upon raisins of four cents a pound and a suitable tax upon olive oil, which latter is to my mind a very important industry, though still in its infancy, so that we can provide the world with an honest, fair and unadulterated olive oil, which we are unable to get from Europe at any price. If that resolu- tion be passed I believe that the Congress of the United States at the present time has a large majority in favor of protection and we can secure the desired result. Mr, Shinn: I think this is entirely out of order as a general question of political econ- omy. I think this convention should confiae itself to the consideration simply of whether it is to the interest of the California fruit-growers that there should be an additional tax upon prunes, raisins and olive oil. Mr. Wilson: I'here was an old neighbor of mine, by the name of Nesmith, said to me, Why not favor a protective tariff? You know you get a less price for your wool without it. I said that is just the difference between me and you. I am in the sheep business, and I con- tinue it because I want no rights that I would not accord to my humblest neighbor; I want no rights legislated to me, because to legislate from one man's pocket into another's is wrong. Mr. Hatch: I move that it is the sense of this convention that the various fruit industries of this State need a protective tariff. Sec- onded. Mr. Webb: I move to amend that by sub- stituting for the words "protective tariff," that, our Senators and representatives in Con- gress be requested and instructed to pass and procure such legislation as may advance the in- terests of the fruit growers and producers of California, and I will explain the reasons tor so moving to amend. In the first place, there is certain other legislation which is proposed to be enacted that will be very injuri- ous to the fruit interests of this State, especially the southern portion of it. If that Mexican "Reciprocity Treaty"' is finally ratified and goes into effect, there will be an op- position to Southern California fruit, and you cannot tell where it will extend to; it is more formidable than you have any idea of. It is no use to ignore the fact that Mexico can- produce a very fine orange. What does that "Mexican Treaty" provide? It provides that in consid- eration of the privileges to the producers and manufacturers of coal, iron, steel and petro- leum, to ship into that country all their products and their manufactured articles free of duty, and that in consideration of that great privilege that has been extended to that class of enter- prises, that the United States will grant Mexico the privilege of sending into the United States limes or lemons or oranges, grapes, raisins, figB or wine, in fact, everything that is produced in the soil, which will come in direct competition with our products. I think, therefore, that it 74 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION is necessary to cover the whole ground, which I believe the amendment offered by me will do. Mr. Bettner: I will rise to second Colonel Webb's amendment. If Congress should give us a duty of 20 cents a pound on raisins, it would be of no use to us if they should then put the "Mexican Treaty" into effect. Mr. Hatch withdrew his motion in favor of the substitute, and Mr. Aiken withdrew his motion for a commitee of three. Dr. Congar: In view of the fact that we im- port two or three million boxes of raisins from the old country, whereas we only produce two or three hundred thousand boxes, while I am a protectionist, it seems so me very unjust to the forty-eight or fifty millions of people to oblige them to pay this extra tax because we are not organized or old enough to do this work as cheaply as we ought; and while we can produce only two or three hundred thousand boxes Congress will notice no such proposition. You can put it in gold letters that they will not adopt any such unjust measure. We have got to correct the method of producing these things. Generation after generation have come and gone in Europe before they got down to this methodical, mechanical and close way of handling their fruits. They handle one or two acres, and here we are anxious to handle a thousand. We will fail, because we are under- taking to do too much. Mr. Hatch: I would like to ask one ques- tion of Dr. Congar. How long does he suppose it would be, with a "protective tariff" of four cents a pound, before California could supply all these articles. Dr. Congar: I will say this: the principle of Government and the present sentiment of the people is against the protection of the rich or a monopoly, especially at the expense of the poverty-stricken portion of the country. On that grand principle, Congress will not do any- thing for us. I will not answer directly the gentleman's question, because it would require some considerable explanation, but I say on general principles, our Government would not listen to a proposition of that kind where mil- lions are expecting these imported goods. Mr. Aiken moved as an amendment that a com- mittee of rive be appointed by the chair to re- port a memorial to Congress in favor of our fruit interests, such report to be made the next morning. Carried. The chair appoints Mr. W. H. Aiken, Dr. Congar, Dr. Chubb, Mr. Bettner and W. H. Workman. On motion of Mr. Hatch, it is resolved that the subject of " The cultivation and pruning of fruit trees " be discussed at the evening session. Pruning the Orange. Dr. Congar: I wish to say a few words be- fore I have to go home, about the " pruning of the orange tree." I discovered something a ■while ago which was new to me at the time, that the orange tree especially, and the lemon also, project their wood in the form of threes ; that there are three branches that start off from a given point about the same time, and under favorable circumstances the tendency of the tree is to grow rapidly in a horizontal direction rather than to shoot up. I found that in prun- ing the tree in a careless way, or by a careless hand, that it would grow unevenly, first one side and then the other, and also, that on the northern side of the tree it grew much more rapidly than upon the southern exposure. That is another proposition which I might discuss, but I will drop that for the time being. I found also that the fruit was on the lateral branches of this triple growth, it was on the outside sprigs. Not being familiar with the terms that are used by experts, I give it to you in my plain language. There is the center shoot, and then there will be three more start out, the center one continuing, and two laterals and so on, until you have to cut back very materially in order to get into your tree and keep it uniform in shape. I therefore commence to cut away the central, the wood growing stems, to prevent it becoming too large and thereby I would preserve the fruit growing limbs and keep my tree in a symmetrical form and govern the growth by that system of pruning, whereas a hand not accustomed to that and not under- standing it would grow up a tree and cut it off wherever he chose, or where it was most conve- nient to get in to use his knife, and you will ob- serve it would be at the expense of the fruit producing branches if it was pruned in that way. So I find it is a very essential point for our orange-growers to understand, and I think if they look at their trees a moment they will find that I am substantially correct. They will find if there is any fruit, it will be on those lat- erals almost invariably, and the center, as I say, would be the wood-producing stem or limb. Now, the reason why the wood grows more rap- idly on the northern exposure, to my mind, is in consequence of this shade. The heat of the sun in this portion of the State is so great, par- ticularly upon the southern exposure, that the flow of the sap must necessarily be impeded, and the fruit upon the southern exposure smaller than it is on the northern exposure; hence the necessity of cutting more wood away upon the northern exposure than on the southern. Those things we cannot have disregarded by our hired help except at our expense. Addresses for the Next Convention. On motion it is resolved that the following gentlemen be requested to prepare papers to present to the next annual convention on the following subjects: Dr. 0. B. Congar on the subject of the "Prun- ing of the Citrus Fruit;" Mr. J. Shinn, on the "Apple;" W. W. Smith, of Vacaville, on the "Peach;" F. C. DeLong, of Marine, on the "Foreign Shipment of Apples;" Mr. A. T. Hatch, on the "Almond;" Mr. I. A. Wilcox, of Santa Clara, on the "Strawberry and all Small Fruits, except the Currant;" Mr. Elwood Cooper, on the "Olive, the Manufacture of Olive Oil and the Walnut;" W. H. Aiken, of Santa Cruz mountains on the "French Prune;" James Bettner, of Riverside, on the "Produc- tion of the Orange and the Various Kinds;" Robort McPherson, of McPherson Bros., on the "Raisin;" Prof. Husmann, of Napa, on the "Quince and the Best Shipping Grapes;" G. N.. Milco, of Stockton, on the "Cultivation and Preparation for Market of the Fig;" Mr. Chas. W. Reed, of Sacramento, on the "Best Ship- ping Fruits, Aside from the Grape;" Mr. Geo. M. Grey, of Chico, on the "Pear and the Cherry;" Dr. Kimball, of Alameda county, on the "Apricot," W. M. Williams, of Fresno, on the "Nectarine;" H. P. Livermore, of San Francisco, on the "Market and the Marketing CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. 75 for the current year;" A. F. Coronel, the com- missioner of the Loa Angeles district, on the "White Scale, the Icerya purchasi;'" Mr. W. S. Chapman of San Gabriel, on the "Shipping of Lemons;" John Rock, of San Jose, on "Nur- sery Stock;" Dr. S. R. Chandler, of Yuba City, on the "Planting and Pruning of deciduous fruit trees;" H. W. Meek, of San Lorenzo, on the "Plum;" Gen. John Bidwell, of Chico, on the "History of Fruit Culture in California;" Dr. H. W. Harkness, on "Fungoid Diseases;" Frank Kimball, on the "Pickling of Olives;" J. A. Day, of Ventura county, on the "Apricot and Drying of the Same, and Packing it for Market;" T. J. Swain, of San Diego, on the "Guava;" Hon. Geo. Stoneman, on the "Pome- granate;" J. M. Hixson, on the "Pieplant and Early Shipping Vegetables." Mr. I. A. Wilcox, of Santa Clara, oflfera the following resolution, which, on motion, is adopted: Whereas, The reports of general produce mar- kets sent out by the Asscoiated Press are of great value to producers and to the general public. Therefore, be it resolved, that the manager of the Associated Press be requested to g've his attention to the gathering and transaction of such reports relat- ing to the markets for California green and dried fruits, and thus confer a great benefit upon the fruit industry and business interests generally. The convention adjourned until evening at the usual hour. Cultivation and Pruning. At the afternoon session on Friday the chair announced the topic, " The Cultivation and Pruning, and the Time to Prune Fruit Trees." Mr. Garey: I would like to make a few re- marks in regard to the theories advanced by Dr. Congar today as to the best method of pruning orange and lemon trees, the orange es- pecially. The doctor's particular point in re- gard to pruning the orange tree was, that he had discovered that the twigs of the tree or the limb grows in triplets; that is, as the limb grows out there are three branches, one straight branch and one on either side, and that he has found by investigation that the two side branches are the fruit bearing branches, and that the leading branch is the wood branch. Now, I would like to know if any other orange- grower knows anything about that. I have never noticed it, and I think that my experi- ence in that matter would not bear out that theory. I believe that the leading limb is as liable to have fruit upon it as the side branches; however, I wouldn't be quite certain about it, for I have not noticed it very particularly. But I tell you where I believe that pruning would be bad if followed up systematically, as he suggests. If at the commencement of the bearing of the orange tree the process was commenced, and the plan carried out, your orange tree in a few years would amount prac- tically almost to a hedge. It would present pretty much the same appearance that a cy- press hedge has when pruned continuously, and would throw out small branches until it became almost compact. I have an idea that it would have a tendency to thicken up too much, and the main object in the pruning of the orange tree is to thin out the branches on the inside, in order to admit all the air and sunlight that is possible. You can't do it too much; the orange tree bears altogether on the outside of the tree. Whether they bear just on these side branches or not, I am not prepared to say, but it certainly is on the outside. When you walk under a tree you will see but very little fruit, but on the outside the tree will be a mass of fruit. In the pruning of the orange tree, as I said in my essay, there are two systems followed in this country, one called lower pruning and the other called higher pruning. Some allow their orange trees to grow from the ground, don't raise them at all, and scarcely ever thin them out; others raise them gradually, from year to year, until a horse can be driven under the limbs, in order to cultivate them close around the trunk, and I believe it is generally consid- ered that that is the best, but there is a great diversity of opinion on this matter, and a great many ways of doing it. One thing is certain: we must prune our orange trees in such a man- ner that we can get at them pretty easily and thin them out pretty well, because if they are not, when the black scale or other scales make their appearance, we cannot get rid of it at all. You must have it very open and thin, then it you wish to spray, it is an easy job to clean the tree easily, and the tree has a tendency to clean itself. Dr. Lotspeitch: I can speak of the orange tree when I cannot speak of any other kind of trees. The best plan to make a tree, is to commence in the nursery. When the young tree is there it should be formed but a little at the lower portion. It forms in the shape of a tree after awhile, and when it is taken from the nursery it should be set out as well as you can possibly put it in the ground. My idea and practice has been this: to wet the ground thoroughly in the nursery, take the tree up when the ground is thoroughly soaked with water, that will give you a tap-root perhaps four or five feet long. Well, a man will say, 1 can't dig a hole four or five feet long to put the tap-root in, so cut it off. I say no; never cut it off. An orange tree two years old has good lateral roots also, and they can all be pulled out of this soft muddy earth. To dig the hole so as to lay out all these roots would be an everlasting task, but you can take a crowbar and make a hole a few feet deep for the tap-root, and you can also make your holes on either side to receive those lateral roots. Put them in in that way, then set the tree and cover it in with soil and run water immediately around it. Cultivate it well for the first sea- sou, run the water very closely to it, then trim it but very slightly, never cut back very much of the outside limbs. The second year you trim it a little higher, and little by little, year after year, go up; never trim to a bushy top; leaving the lateral limbs touching the ground almost, but always keep them just off the ground, so as to keep insects from crawling up on the branches. In the course of six or seven years, perhaps, you would have the trunk of the tree two feet or so, and the limbs would be eighteen inches, perhaps, from the ground. Never let an orange tree or any other tree grow too high, if you can prevent it, without in- juring the growth of the tree. Keep it pruned out carefully, the outside of the tree and in- side. Make your ditches so that you can run water within three feet of the tree — that is close enough to run water around an orange tree, and have your machinery so rigged that your horses can walk between the trees up 76 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION here and the furrow will be under the tree. By low training you have your fruit so that you can stand on the ground and pick it all around, instead of having ladders twenty five feet long to go up on the tree, or have a dis- tance of five or ten feet from the ground before you get an orange. That is my opinion; still there may be better ways of cultivating a tree. But a tree that is not trimmed up to make a high tree, will make a heavier stock and a bet- ter bush than the tree that is trimmed up, and the fruit that is grown on it grows just as good and better than that which is grown on top, because the wind is not slashing it around and scratching the oranges and making them unfit for market. Those that are near the ground are as fine oranges as we ever find. Mr, Girey: How do you cultivate the tree for the six or seven years? Dr. Lotspeitch: We take a Buckeye sulky plow and we have a seven-foot cultivator, that we call a " tarantula cultivator," and we attach that to the Buckeye sulky and ride along and cultivate. You can go along on one side, cultivating clear up under the tree. You can run it right up against the tree, if you wish to run that close. That is the way we cultivate under the tree, and we have irees that are ten or fifteen feet across. Mr. Garey : How do you get rid of the gophers ? Dr. Lotspeitch: You could not have found a gopher among our trees in two years. Mr. Garey: How do you get to spray the tree under these circumstances? Dr. Lotspeitch: I u e a No. 1 Hooker pump and I have a 4^-foot lever on it, and 50 feet of hoae, and I puncture a slit in the disk that I put on the San Jose sprayer. The bole I puncture is oblong, about the same as you could put the point of a pin in. Then we put two men in the wagon with a tank and they work the pump in the wagon. The pumpers will pump seven to eight hundred gallons ot water through these two sprays in a day. I have on the end of our hose 10 feet of one-half inch iron pipe; the nozzle is on the end of and then we commence ; and if we want to spray a tree of the kind you speak of we just get right down underneath, on our knees, and we go through the inside care- fully and we take it all around, running it from one side to the other, and we pass up, out and around that tree. I have the greasiest suit of clothes you ever saw in your life; that is what I wear when I spray, and I spray every year. I sprayed this year three times in parts of my or- chard, and I have watched it and been with every tank that goes into the field. That is the way a man has to do if he sprays thoroughly, and that is the way I have sprayed our trees. It is a very nice job when it is well done. Mr. Cooper: About how many gallons to the tree do you use ? Dr. Lotspeitch: I can answer that; a seven- year old orange that is grown well of the Medi- terranean Sweet variety, will take 6^ gallons to a tree; a seedling tree of the same age, well grown, takes 15 gallons ; you can take a Rio tree that is not quite so large, and it takes a little less. Mr. Garey: How many of the Rio variety have you? Dr. Lotspeitch: About 500 Rios. Mr. Garey: How do they differ from the Mediterranean Sweet ? Dr. Lotspeitch: Just about as a black oak tree would differ from a white oak tree. There is a very different appearance of the limbs; they grow out differently. The orange is very simi- lar to the Mediterranean Sweet, but the differ- ence is in the growth of the trees. They are more rapid growers; they are not bushy trees; they throw out young lateral limbs and they will thrust out a sprout when they are growing, and from four to six right at the end of it. The Mediterranean Sweets will never do it — just like the seedling oranges. Dr. Kimball: I hardly feel myself competent to say anything in regard to the orange ques- tion, but Ert the same time I ought to have an opinion about it. In 1871 I sent to the Islands and obtained several crates of oranges that were picked ripe, for purposes of getting the perfected seed in order to start an orange nur- sery in Alameda county. I had been pre- viously down in this county two or three years before, and thought very favorably of orange culture. I raised trees from mj' seed and after they got to be about two feet high I took them out of the ground and transplanted them, cut- ting off the tap root and set them out in nur- sery rows. When they were about four years old I budded quite a large number of them with the Acapulco and some few with the Navel orange that I obtained from Washing- ton, D. C, and when I got ready to transplant them, as they were quite large, vigorous trees, I had a ditch dug between every other row and a spade run under each tree, cutting off the tap root, and I ascertained from the way that they acted in the future that it was an impor- tant thing to follow out the natural inclination of the tree. They were bound to have a tap root, and where I cut the tap root off there im- mediately started down two or three more; they were bound to go down. In trimming them up, I have observed particularly what agrees with Dr. Cougar's theory of the growth of the orange. I noticed that when I cut out the center branch the effact is to stimulate the development of the fruit buds on the other branches, because to a certain extent it checks the growth of the tree; and I have been struck with the peculiar difference of the orange tree from any other tree in regard to this develop- ment, partly on one side and partly on the other. It has been one of the greatest studies that I have had, how to prune the orange tree, and I don't know that I have decided on a positive plan yet. But, in regard to deciduous trees, to change the question, most all of our deciduous fruit trees put out a spring growth. We have two growths in Alameda county, the spring growth and the September growth. The first growth is the direct growth and central growth, and afterward the side growths come in, the lateral branches, and if you cut off the central branch then you abnormally develop the others, and it seems to me that nature's way is the best way, that it is the only true way that we should follow, and that is to cut them all back when we trim and leave the central one a little in advance of the others, to let every lateral branch of the tree in a certain sense be a main branch by itself, I do not wish to be misunderstood, because in every tree there is a main branch in the center, the standard, but there are always these other branches, and the proper way to trim, the way that suits me the CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. V best and that I have the best success with in all the trees that I plant (and I cultivate almonds, apricots, peaches, pears, plums and cherries), is to follow out that plan of nature's and when you trim leave the central branch a little the longest. Don't Cut it out, because nature is bound to go ahead, and instead of having one center branch you have a bunch of laterals of which each one tries to be the center, and the result will be that your tree will be too bushy, too broomy. I do not put myself in the position of instructor about pruning or trim- ming, because I believe that the intelligent man is governed by the circumstances and conditions of trees that he is working up, and that he will vary according to the circumstances. I don't think there is any iron clad law that can be laid down in trimming trees. I see the best results in growing all kinds of fruits by all classes of men by thinning out their trees, but I think, in the main, that nature's way is the true way and that we should never cut out, never exterminate the center but leave it a little in advance of the others and cut back the center only in proportion as we cut back the laterals. On motion it was agreed that in the discussion on pruning and culture of trees there be con- sidered, first, the apricot, second, the apple, third, the pear, fourth, the peach, fifth, prunes and plums; that in the discussion 20 minutes be devoted to each subject and each speaker be limited to five minutes. THE APRICOT. J. D. Parker, of Orange : The apricot with H8 grows much as it does with you in the North, and from my experience, and what I have read and heard, I find that the tree has a tendency to branch out too much and I go and give it a summer pruning about the last of May, as a rule. I give it a fall pruning also, and I cut back within ten inches of the old growth; that is, on the last ten inches of the new growth on each tree. The result was that I got my tree in a very compact head, and last fall I thinned it out thoroughly and my trees blossomed finely. I had a heavy crop for the age of the trees — that is, it would be so considered with us. I had about 50 tons on the orchard, and trees that were not pruned through the valley, a great many of them, did not begin to bear any such crop. Some did well where they were pruned once a year, but my observation goes to show that the summer pruning had a great tendency to make the fruit earlier, though it might have the effect to dwarf the tree in the future. If there is ary one here who has had any experience of the bad effect of summer pruning I would be glad to hear from him. Dr. Kimball : I have a small apricot orchard, some of it for perhaps 12 to 15 years, and in a good year I have from 100 to 140 tons. I think, in regard to pruning the apricot tree, the old saying will properly apply : "He who spares the rod spoils the child." I think it is necessary to use the knife freely on the apricot tree, first in getting it into proper shape, and you all know that it is a tree which is particu- larly inclined to overbear, the consequence of which is a large quantity of small, inferior fruit that you cannot sell to canners at all, and which takes a longer time to prepare for dry- ing. In raising apricot trees, if you receive the trees from the nursery, yearlings or two years old, I think that they should be trimmed severely for about three years to place them in a condition so that they will not split down, for I believe that of all the trees that we rear in the central part of the State, and perhaps here, that the apricot is more inclined to split down and be broken by the wind, and be broken by its weight of fruit, than any other tree that we raise. I have had some trees that I think pro- duce from 700 to 1100 pounds of apricots in a year, and they are not headed at all; or, I might say, headed in a group, two or three limbs di- vided right together. In first formiug a tree, if you let three buds come out together and reach out in different ways, when the trees bear heavily they will split down. The tree should be shaped, if possible, so as to have one leader, one center, and they should be trimmed to come out, not at a point of junction, but two or three or four inches above or below, and you have a symmetrical tree, and without danger of breaking down in that way. As I have said before, it is necessary, in order to get the best results, to thin out thoroughly. I always leave these lateral branches from the central branch that forms the head of the tree, one coming out on the east, one on the west, one on the north and one on the south; trim them similarly as you do the center, and you have then a symmetrical tree. Of course, the apricot tree should be severely cut, because if you let the tree fruit, and if you trim it too close, hedge- like form, you will have a large quantity of fruit of an inferior quality. But if you cut back to the three lateral branches, besides the main center, keep it thoroughly thinned out, and when you cut off the ends of the limbs of a year's growth do not let it be too broomy, by that way you save the process of going through your trees and thinning them so much, for in our section of the country we not only have to trim our trees sharply, but go through and pull off the fruit Mr. Milco: A friend of mine in Stanislaus county has a little orchard of five acres and about three years ago I was visiting him, and looking at his orange and almond trees. They had made a wonderful growth, great fine trees, but no fruit on them. He wanted to know how it was possible to make those trees bear. I asked him what he was doing to them, and he said he gave them all the water they needed. I told him to go to work and root prune them. About eight feet from the trees dig down all around and cut off all the roots and see what that would do. The result is that he is having the trees loaded down with bunches of beautiful looking oranges. I was over there about three months ago, and it was a delightful thing to see those trees bear. In my judgment the best time to root prune is during the rainy season, say in January or February. In pruning apricots on our place, and we have something like 40 acres of young trees, We find that when they are se- verely pruned there is much gum on them and I believe that severe pruning has caused it. However, our trees are young and we cannpt tell whether that is the cause or not. A Delegate: I would ask Dr. Kimball if he believes in snmmer pruning of the apricot? Dr. Kimball: If there is danger of the tree growing so fast as to grow very much out of shape, as apricots sometimes do, I would use the knife to put it in shape. The apricot is the 78 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION most wonderful grower I think, ot any tree we have. If I find its limbs commence growing down instead of growing up, I would cut those off, but we do most of our pruning in winter. Mr. Bettner: Summer pruning of the apricot is done veiv largely at Riverside. It is the universal practice there of all the apricot-grow- ers to cut back the trees in summer, directly after the crop is picked; some also prune in winter additionally, but not all of them. The main pruning is done in the summer time, after the crop is gathered; that is the result of the experience there for a number of years. Ira F.White, ofVacaville: The same custom is pursued in Vacaville. We deem it an advan- tage to the tree and to the fruit the next year to summer prune. Mr. Shinn: There is something more to be done in the way of pruning the apricot. It has such a tendency to split down the limbs. If you notice any young orchard of apricots, you will probably find that the first year they are planted out they do pretty well. The next year, if you let them alone, with no effort to check them much, they make a most tremend- ous growth, perhaps greate-r than any other tree we have. If they be planted just as you get them from the nursery, a considerable num- ber of them will split to pieces and be greatly damaged. That could be avoided almost en- tirely by making a proper selection of the tree when you plant it. Do not buy trees that do not have single stem with strong, nearly hori- zontal laterals. If you do that you will have no trouble about it. I think the apricot should be pruned almost the same as any other tree the first year. It should be pruned with reference to its symmetrical and proper shape. When it comes to be a tree, if you find it is going to split, and you can find it out easily enough by the looks of the tree, where the crotches are pointed, cut off one limb or cut it back. I never summer prune apricot, except for the purpose of avoiding that splitting. They will bear enough without summer pruning in all cases I know anything about. J. Begg: I have understood from remarks made here that pruning is haphazard business. It is nothing of the kind; it is thoroughly a sci- entific business, aud there is a proper way to prune every variety of fruit. I will say in ref- erence to the apricot, that the gentlemen are all right and all wrong. It is right to prune the apricot in summer to a small extent, but then again, if you prune it severely and prune the larger limbs, it is necessary to defer the pruning until winter, and then you thin out the bigger limbs of the apricot. That is the proper and judicious way to prune the apricot. The apricot is generally allowed to have the branches too thick; it is the universal fault in California, not only with the apricot, but every variety of deciduous trees; they leave two-thirds too many branches on the trees. The sugges- tion I would give, as how to prune the apricot, would be to head it back in summer and then prune out the bigger branches in winter. Mr. Wilcox: So far as pruning the apricot, my general rule is like this: If the tree has made a very vigorous growth, I will cut it off any time in the year; but if it has made a short growth I would not check its growth: I would leave that to winter; this rule applies to all pruning so far as I know. 1. H. Thomas: To prevent splitting I bore a hole and put a bolt in and screw it up tight. It will do you no injury, that is, after I have got a large tree. Mr. Garey: Down here, from our experience with apricots, the trees have a tendency to be shy bearers; they are shy bearers as a rule. Some varieties like the Moorpark, it is almost impossible to get to bear under any circum- stances. It is unlike some other varieties which are pretty fair bearers if we prune them in summer. I see by the remarks here that the tendency of the apricot at the North is to over- bear; that is not the case with ua; the trouble is to get them to bear. We have to aid them by summer pruning. Mr. Begg: I do not think it is a good idea to put the summer pruning off too late. I notice in Fresno county some have put off the apricot pruning too late. They have a system of summer pruning by heading it off a little, and the trees make a growth of two or three inches between that and fall and some of them being tender, the first frost coming in the fall nips them. I think if summer pruning is practiced it should be done early, about the time you take the fruit off. If the tree is not in fruitage whenever you have got a growth of 18 inches in the spring of the year, then summer prune, because if you wait until the next year you will do that any how and then you will advance the tree very near a year on the young tree before it commences to bear. Mr. Wilcox: Summer pruning, or anything that checks the flow of sap, tends to produce fruit, whether it is root pruning or tying the limbs down, or summer pruning; and no tree will fruit when it is growing very vigorously. THE] APPLE. W. H. Aiken : I am a little interested in this subject, still I don't know much about it, although I have made a study of it for about ten years. In the first place, I don't believe in this high trimming of an apple tree. I believe in low trimming for the purpose of protecting the bark from the sun, and for the purpose of being able to get at your trees to prune and to pick your fruit. It will ma he a handsomer tree; it will bear more fruit and will be healthier, because the lower limbs throw a good deal of sap, and I notice the apples on the lower limbs are large and fine. I know in a block of Yellow Newtown Pippin trees, I put them out and cut them back pretty low and they came out well and are very handsome three-year-old trees now. I built them out with limbs on each side, pruned them back next year so as to strengthen the limbs, strengthen the elbow, and endeavor to get limbs enough on to make a good tree. The Newtown Pippin has a small leaf. We have to put a good many limbs into it, for the reason that it is a very up- right grower and has to have the leaves to shade its fruit, and we find that although it may ap- pear too thick, when it bears it opens up and makes a very healthy, prosperous tree. It has bearing strength; the limbs do not come down, they have been pruned back so that they have grown large and strong from the limb, or the elbow, and hold the fruit up. I have tried the method of allowing the tree to grow without any pruning at all. With the Newtown Pippin it is fatal, for the reason the tree will throw up one, two or three limbs, and they will keep growing up in the air without lateral branches, CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. and the apples will be burned by the sun, and I have never been able in that way to raise apples of good form, size or color. Some other apples, like the Baldwin, are very strong, healthy, large-growing trees, and that, of course, needs some pruning, although not so much as the Newtown Pippin. It is a very good tree, and the apple is a very good apple. The Pearmain apple that I have noticed here, I have no doubt must grow on strong, well- formed trees, for the reason that one of these Pearmain apples on the tar end of a long limb would break it. The gre.it point in apple rais- ing is to make a strong, well-developed tree with bearing strength and bearing space, and then thin the apples so that they will grow in marketable form, siz.^ and color. I don't think that some of those large apples that you have here are exactly marketable. If many of them were ono-half as large they would undoubtedly bring more money. It is not necessary to raise abnormally large fruit; the main object is to raise an ordinary fair-sized lot of fruit. That is my opinion in regard to apples, and there is no difficulty in doing it, because if they tend to grow too large you can allow more to grow upon the tree and they will come down in size. Mr. Wilcox: The Yellow Newtown Pippin has about three branches that grow very near together when they start, and in order to make a good tree after they get up a ways, you must prune off the buds that start out all around all the time, for they encroach upon each other. That rule does not apply to al' apples; the White Winter Pearmain I never prune at all. If you let run it has a healthy body, and if you cut off the ends of the limbs you lose the fruit. The Baldwin don't need much trimming with me, and yet with some soils they grow heavier than they do in others. The Northern Spy, which was a great favorite apple in New York, became a favorite of mine, and I planted a great many a number of years ago, before we had the railroad, and I became disgusted with the fruit business, and cut them down and put out small fruit. I am turning around now and planting trees. I believe that no general fixed rule can be given, but the man who is observing looks at his tree and its buds will find what it needs to secure the best results. Mr. Barry: I will state that very few people in this country prune the Pearmain at all; they let it grow. A Delegate: Do you prune any of your apple trees? " -> rt- Mr. Berry: Not very much, but I know the Pearmains are not pruned unless a sucker grows up. They may be taken off, but many growers do not even do that. Mr. Bettner: It won't do to cut the trees off. If you do you won't get any tree at all. Some strong varieties may be improved by cut- ting them back; others it would not do at all. This is especially the case in the interior val- leys, where it is warmer than on the coast. The result of it is, if you winter prune trees the sap seems to be checked, and that limb amounts to nothing. On my own place I sim- ply practice thinning out. If the tree grows too bushy and throws too much shade, I sim • P'y thin out. I do not cut back the apple Mr Wilcox: An apple tree, like any other wee, has the body above ground, and corre- 79 spending with that below, and, like any other tree if it strikes hardpan it don't throw out much top, and does not need much pruning As a general rule, that tree that grows very full will grow deep. j- '"" Mr. Stone, of Compton: I have had some little experience in farming here. I took the trees when they were two years old and set them out and trimmed the trunk up about four and one-half feet high, and then the next year when the limbs grew out, I cut them back so as to cause the big stout limbs to form the top and the inside was pretty well cleaned out la that way I have got trees reaching out in this way [showing], and I can drive a small horse below the tree to cultivate, and cultivate right up with a''V" harrow, if necessary. This IS the kind of fruit I grow [showing a very large apple]. It is not like that on all the trees, but it is on those trees that have not been bearing much. I have not cut the tops off very much after they got to be three years old, after they were set out, which, with two years in the nursery, makes them five-year-old trees By that time that I have got the tree in shape, but as they are now I have had on some of those trees, perhaps 15 props to hold up the fruit I grow apples, such as that on trees perhaps 25 feet high— as pretty shaped trees as can possi- bly be seen. Mr. Milton Thomas: I wish to say in reply to Mr. Aiken that around Los Angeles we prune our apple trees regularly and systemat- ically. I have had some experience, and claim to have planted more apple trees than any man in Southern California, and have raised as many apples and had a wider experience; and I say that we prune regularly and prune system- atically, so much so that in my orchard we have many loads of brush to haul every year or two. I do not see how a man can raise ap- pies without pruning his trees systematically »°.uP'^".?x"^ ^^^"^ vigorously. Of course, the W.hite Winter Pearmain is the best apple that we raise here. We do not prune it as much as other trees because it does not require it The fruit usually is borne close to the limbs and branches of the tree, and not on the ends of the limbs as in some other va- rieties. In planting out an orchard I plant out one-year-old trees— five or six feet high, say when I plant them, and cut them off to— say four or three and one-half feet— and then I al- low a head to commence, and rub off all the branches that come out below tsvo feet. Then I have those lateral branches extending out just as many as I want— and there will not be those crotches or forks. There will be lateral branches, and there is not much danger of those breaking. The next year I prune back some of those branches— all of them some— and every year, till they get to bearing, prune some off, so that I have a branch large enough and stocky enough to bear fruit. I think we should prune apples; and I know around Los Angeles there are hundreds— I might almost say thous- ands—of loads hauled off our orchard and given to Chinamen for fuel, or burned up. Mr. Begg: Are any of the apple orchards in the southern part of the State affected in this way : eighteen or twenty inches of the ends of the limbs refusing to leaf out with perfect leaves, and the following season the limb dies down to where the healthy limb would put out? We have that disease in some orchards 8o FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION through the valley. The limbs have been placed under a strong magnifymg glass; there is no insect on them. For 18 or 20 inches on the top of the tree it will be, prob- ably, a half-sized leaf during the season, and the following season it will die back about 18 inches, and at the point where it dies a healthy sprout will start out and grow up and make a terminal leaf. A. Delegate: I believe that is owing to the soil. Here in this portion of Los Angeles county some are troubled very much with al- kali, and sometimes the trees will grow that way — that is the only way I can account for it. Mr. Gray: At Chico we are troubled some- thing that way, with the limbs not coming out fully. I noticed especially a young orchard three years old. Last summer there was a few scattering trees that sometimes would have the whole top of the tree affected, and other times on one side the leaves would be full sized, good, strong, healthy leaves and the other half of the tree about half size, and I know it will die next year. I thought it was probably alkali: that was my opinion of it, but I examined very closely, thinking it might be some insect at work either on the limb or on the tree, but I could not find it there. Mr. Begg: I experimented on one tree. There was no alkali soil where it was. It was a White Winter Pearmain. I cut it down to a bare pole, thinking I could overcome it. That tree made a growth of six or eight feet that season. The next season the same thing oc- curred in the top of the tree, and I finally dug the tree up. Strong pruning did it no good. THE PEAR. Mr. Thomas: My trees, perhaps, dififer from any other, but our treatment is about the same as with the apple. Our year-old trees are usu- ally four to six feet high. We plant them and we cut ofi' the top and leave only — say two feet in hight — and then you can have six or eight.or ten branches come out. The next year you should cut back two-thirds, particularly if they are Bartlett pears. If you don't prune systematically and thoroughly, and prune every year the trees overbear and ruin them- selves. My idea is to prune back every year, and make your trees and branches stocky, so that they may be enabled to bear the fruit when they come into bearing. They com- mence bearing usually about the fourth year, sometimes the third year. To have our pear trees so that they will bear a full crop, prune them back and make the branches and trees stocky, 80 that there will be no question about their being able to bear the fruit and not break all to pieces, as I have seen the Bartlett pear particularly. A Delegate: Do you cut the limbs, or cut the ends off ? Mr. Wilcox: The BarMett pears on the ends. I cut them as I do a Newton Pippin — I cut them with the idea of getting the head, until I get them started up. The more tops you can get the more fruit you will get. For the first few years you throw the strength into the tree, you lose no fruit, and lose nothing except in the time in which it gets to bearing. That ia my ex- perience with that fruit. Mr. Shinn: I think that the general princi- ples of pruning apply to almost all fruits — cer- tainly to the apple, pear and plum — and I think Mr. Thomas has very correctly stated the general plan which should be followed when trees are planted out. The main object, as I said before, with young trees is to so trim as to make a well shaped head; do not prune with reference to fruit until they begin to bear freely. I always tell everybody to leave the strongest bud on the wind side, and the strong- est root you will have will be on the wind side. Rub ofi" all you don't want; if you want tour, have four; if two is enough let them grow — let them grow a year. I certainly never practiced summer pruning in trees of that class, but do not let more branches grow than you care about having, considering what will be the fu- ture of the tree. Next year cut back. There are various views about that, but 1 uhould cut back within 10 or 11 inches. When they ^tart out on each branch they will start out two shoots. You may wait until they have started and do the same thing; rub off as many as you do not want, still referring to the kind of tree you want, and remembering also that you must manage a tree according to its character. If it is a Rhode Island Greening apple tree you need not be very much disturbed about its running up out of reach, and you must prune with ref- erence to that; you must understand the char- acter of the trees and prune so as to throw the branches upwards. But suppose it is a Bartlett pear, then you go on a totally different method. The object, as Mr. Wilcox suggests, is to spread it. If you don't it will run up so nar- row that it won't have much value to it. You must leave the buds on, on the outside, then you must force it so as to throw out more branches, and in that way you will keep on say for about three years. If you keep prun- ing the tree upon that plan you will have a nice big tree. It is troublesome to get a fine head on the Winter Nelis, but if you don't prune too much as you do the others, the tree will straighten itself up and finally be a pretty good shaped tree. Mr. Strong: I have been told that the Winter Nelis tree requires heavy pruning to make it bear. Now I have got a number of Winter Nelis trees, eight years old, perhaps, but not large trees. There are some of them probably 20 feet high, and they have not borne much yet; probably the most any of them have borne thia year has been an average of a box and a-half to the tree. They are covered with blossoms, but I don't get the fruit. I have been trimming very much. Two years ago I cut six to eight feet from the tops of them but in place of get- ting less growth I think in one year it was bigger than it was before. I don't know what to do with it; some people say you have got to let them alone until they get through growing and then they will bear. Those trees have been growing from four to six feet on top, getting way up. As I said the year I cut them most they grew more than they did any year before, but this year they have stopped growing those big growths and have put out a lot of little ends which grew out about six inches. Some say that is an indication that next year they will bear; I do not know anything about it; perhaps some of these gentlemen who are posted in rais- ing Winter Nelis can inform me about it. Mr. Berry: I would like to ask any gentle- man here from Southern California, whether they have had a crop of pears? Mr. Bettner: I have pears bearing splendidly. CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. Mr. Berry: Down where I live, in the fur- ther part of the county, it is impossible to grow a crop at all. For three years we put out pear trees; they have budded out and that is all they have done since. So far as the pear crop is concerned I doubt very much whether Los Angeles county will ever be able to touch the other part of the State. I have never found anybody in our section of the country who grows pears at all, and we began digging them all up. A Delegate: Is your soil strongly impreg- nated with alkali ? I saw a tree the other day that was nearly dead: it was attributed to that. Mr. Berry: There is a gentleman living two miles from me whose trees grow very vigorous- ly but do not bear any fruit. I do not know whether he had any alkali in his land or not. Mr. Bettner: I can say that my soil, where I have my pears, is low sandy loam, and they do not bear so well on the heavier soil. I don't think they bear so well on the wet soil in our locality. The Winter Nelis with me grows very strongly. They do not make a robust, thick limb, or thick sprout, but they send out very long, willowy sprouts, and a great many of them, and they need shortening back very much, and pruning, as suggested by Mr. Shinn. I have pruned my trees very systematically in that way, and I have very good, sightly trees, and they bear as fully of fruit as they well can. Half a mile away the trees will not bear nearly so well. Perhaps it is on different soil. Mr. Wilcox: So far as the Winter Nelis is concerned I have a tree 16 or 17 years old. It bears pears about as large as you see on exhibi- tion here, but I never raised over a box and a half. When I began at my place I thought I would plant Winter Nelis. It is the best pear we have when it is successful, but it is a very delicate pear. The blossoms are so tender that the least storm in the spring or cold will de- stroy them. My trees were all full of blossoms last year and the year before, but after finding their character out and the experience of others with them, I shall cut the trees down and graft them over. We have large orchards of Winter Nelis, and we have all come to the same conclu- sion. Mr. Block, one of the largest shippers, has cut his off and put in some other kind. Wliere the Winter Nelis does well, is where the roots don't grow too deep, and where you do not get too much top. The Easter Beurre grows in naturally damp, cold soil. The Win- ter Nelis does not owe its want of bearing to the alkali in the soil, because this complaint is so general. Sometimes there are peculiar local conditions. Where we have a gorge in the mountains through which the air sweeps down you find all kinds of fruit suffer, and these local conditions, these atmospheric conditions, are probably the cause of this tronble. Mr. Gray, of Chico: There is no fruit that will bring in as much money to the northern part of the State, particularly about Chico, as the Winter Nelis pear. That has been my ex- perience for the last few years. We sell all we have at from 2 to 4 cents a pound, and could sell P\ore too. We do not have them as those exhibited here, and do not want them as large; but we have a nice shipping pear for the retail trade. They are probably about 2 or 2i inches through. We have to prune them there a little different from here or the Santa Cruz mountains. We have to prune with an idea of 8i making all the shade for each tree that we can on account of the very hot summer. The Win- ter Nelis gives us a good crop every year, right straight along. We have never had a failure since I have been there, and it seems to be a very profitable tree, yielding from four to seven or eight hundred dollars an acre. Mr. Sbone: This gentleman on my left seemed to leave the impression that we could not raise pears. I want to take that cloud off his mind if possible. I raise a few Bartlett pears myself, and I think I never saw a tree in my life that bears as heavily as the Bartlett pear does, in this section at least, in Compton. My Bartlett pear trees are 8 years old, and I sell the fruit off the tree by the pound, and they averaged me this year $6 to the tree. Mr. I. H. Thomas, of Visalia: My experi- ence of pruning Bartlett pears would be to en- deavor to cut back the lateral limbs and increase the head of the tree by heading back. With the Winter Nelis I would leave the lateral limbs. I never cut that back at all after the second year; let it alone, it goes ahead and shapes itself. The only reason you cut out limbs is that they may be chafing one another. My Winter Nelis, five years old, yielded me six boxes to th^ tree. They are not large pears but medium size, and the trees have been bear- ing well since they were three years old. I do not cut out unless they begin to cross limbs and are chafing. Mr. Wilcox: I know Winter Nelis trees that are as high as this room and have never been pruned; they are apt to grow right up. There is one point not touched here, and that is dis- tance apart in planting. Mr. Block, at Santa Clara, got his trees so near that the tops run all in together; it looks like a labyrinth and his or- chard is one continuous mass of fruit on top, and it is a difficult matter to drive under the trees. Some of them are from 10 to 15 feet apart — an old orchard, too. Mr. Begg: Having once been in charge of a very large pear orchard on the Sacramento river, I have had considerable experience in pruning the pear, and I will say in reference to the Bartlett pear that the tendency of the branches of the Bartlett pear is to go up straight, and I am going to tell you this about pears, gentlemen, and I am making a pretty broad assertion, that there is not a pear tree in California to-day but is allowed to bear too many branches altogether. The Bartlett pear grows quite differently from the Winter Nelis. It grows into a dense, close head; about two- thirds of the wood of the Bartlett pear ought to be cut out. The natural habit of the pear tree is to grow with a central branch and all pear trees ought to be pruned in that direction, and it is a thing that ought to be kept in mind al- ways, to thin out the pear tree. THE PEACH. Mr. Gray: I suppose you all think the peach tree is so easily raised that there is nothing to be said about it, I think that part of the Sac- ramento Valley around Chico is as good a peach country as there is under the sun. I pre- sume that there are other places that other gen- tlemen wonld tJiink to be better, but we have some very fine samples of peaches there. In regard to pruning the peach tree, I will give my method, and if there is a better way I would like to know it. In setting out trees I cut 82 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION them oflf two feet high, and trim off every thing on the side. The second year, I leave them from four to six lateral branches and cut them back to six inches long. The next year I leave two shoots to each, and cut them back to about twelve or fourteen inches. After that I cut off one-third of each year's growth, thinning out of course, leaving the necessary amount. We have one peach orchard, which will be four years old the coming January, and this last summer we picked something over 225 tons off 24 acres. Mr. Jessup went through the orchard just before he started to New Orleans, and he declared that there was not a better orchard in the State that had never been irrigated — it has not had a drop of irrigation. At his request I measured some of the trees before he went away, and they were from 4^ to 5 inches through the butt, and from 16 to 18 feet through the tops, and if any one can turn out a better peach story than that, all right. Mr. I. H. Thomas: Speaking of growing stone fruits, I do not believe there is anybody in this State grows better fruit than I do. I start them in the nursery, and let them get 18 inches high, and then stop that upper growth and bring out the lateral, and at a year old I have got a two-year-old top on the tree. I let them grow and make a growth of 8 or 10 feet. Then I set them in orchard, cutting them back. I watch them, and in June I pinch back again, after they have made a growth of 18 inches, and then I let them run the rest of the season. In the winter I cut them back to about 18 inches of where I cut in June and so on for about two years' growth, and then I increase my growth by spreading it, by pinching it from where I cut in the fall. After they get about four years old I cut back to within 18 inches of where I cut it the last time. After that I let it take pretty much its own will, it will regulate its own growth. After it gets four or five years old it does not make the vigorous growth it does from one to four years old, then I thin it out, and consequently have large peaches. Mr. Shinn: That is very much the same as suggested by the other gentleman; the only thing is he gains apparently one year by cut- ting back the nursery trees. Are your custom- ers willing to buy that kind of tree ? Mr. Thomas: They are not willing to pay the freight on that kind of tree, consequently I pay the freight on it myself in order to give, them a better tree. The trees are very bulky. I have limbs on them as big as yearlings and couldn't get over 2500 in a car after they are baled, and I have to cut the ends of them off in order to get them in the car. Mr. Wilcox: I had the pleasure of seeing some of Mr. Thomas' trees in New Orleans, I saw some fruit also at the State Fair before we went to New Orleans, and I believe he had the nicest peaches in Sacramento at that time, the nicest display. But one thing I would like to ask: when a tree gets 10 or 12 years old whether there will be any vitality in it if grown upon the system described ? Mr. Thomas: I know bearing trees near Visalia that are 30 years old; that is, they were bearing trees when I came there in '58. One season they will make a big year's growth, and in the following season that growth will bear fruit in peaches, but they are liable when you cut back that way to get a dead streak on the southwest side of the tree that will get full of borers. They talk about a peach root not being long lived; you take an old peach tree 20 years old and break it down and it will sprout right up from the ground, and will have a healthy bearing tree. The root don't seem to be effected, it is the body above the ground. Curled Leaf. Mr. Clark, of Santa Barbara: I have got trees that have been bearing, but the curled leaf came on and injured them so that I did not get any fruit. I would like to hear something about that. Mr. Shinn: You must do one of two things : you must let the fresh sprouts grow up before the first of July and bud to something else that does not curl, or else dig up the tree en- tirely. Mr. I. H. Thomas: We did not have much curled leaf in the San Joaquin valley this sea- son. A year ago we had it much worse than ever before. We never had it amount to an injury before. My opinion of the curled leaf is that the cause is atmospheric. It is true some varieties did not curl last season, but my opinion is it is atmospheric. I take my or- chard, for instance; the ground is certainly as wet this season as last season, when it curled so badly; in fact, I think the land, if anything, is a little wetter, but the season it curled so badly we had late rains that came on just as the trees were blooming, and we had excessive moist at- mosphere for about two weeks; that is all we know about the curled leaf. Although the land below was a little wetter than the year before, I think it was the excessive moisture in the atmosphere, when the tree is blooming and the leaves coming out, that produced it. The roots are the life of the tree; if the roots keep sound, what is the matter with the top? Mr. Begg: I happened to be at Salt Lake about two years ago. They were very much troubled with the curled leaf there, and they discovered a remedy for the curled leaf; whether it will apply to California or not, I couldn't say, but it is worth trying, at least. There they dig the soil from the roots of the tree, and then take a knife and score right up into the branches. They say it retards the flow of the sap, so that the curled leaf don't take any hold of the tree, and as soon as they begin to find that the tree is commencing to curl, they do that and they say it stops it at once. I wish some of you who have peaches would try that and report to this convention next year what your success is. A few words in reference to pruning the peach: There is no fruit that you can improve so much as the peach by pruning. I will take a seedling: A gentleman at Riverside had a lot of seedling peaches that he was going to throw away, and said the peajches were no good what- ever, and he wanted to root them up. I told him to wait and let me have a- chance at them for one season; I pruned the peach, thinned the branches out thoroughly, and what was the re- sult? At Colton there is a cannery and they make grades ot prices: one-half cent for seed- lings, one for mediums, and one and one-half cents for the best. My employer got one and one-half cents a pound for all the peaches that I pruned for him; that is one evidence, and I think I can safely say that I can go through a peach orchard and double the size of the peaches by scientific pruning. CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. 83 A Delegate: What time of the year do you prune? Mr. Begg: In the winter. The winter is the proper time to prune the peach; thin out the branches; thin out the small branches; have them always equi-distant apart, a good distance; it will close up before tlie summer is out, and then you will have fine peaches, and you will have to go around the tree and thin out one-half the fruit, and that is the way you treat peaches. Mr. Wilcox: I would like to say, in support of the idea I advanced, that I think Mr. Thomas' place is an exceptional one; I do not know of an orchard in this State that has been planted 20 years and not pruned, that the trees are in good condition. I don't believe there is a healthy tree in the State 25 years old that has not been pruned, but where Mr. Thomas is he has a peculiar kind of a soil, that is naturally loose enough, so that the water don't stand on it. It is a very favored locality where a man can keep a tree alive all the time and not prune it. Mr. Thomas: I can state there is a sediment- ary deposit there in an old channel, and there is water in the channel. My young orchard is about seven years of age. To grow that or- chard to be 20 years old I would certainly go to work to head them in and keep that in growth; but I do not cut back so severely after my or- chard is four or five years old, as I do until I get it up to that point, but I cut it back some. THE PRUNE. Mr, Aiken: To the discussion of the prune and plums, of course the same theory will ap- ply. I have not much to say in relation to it. The prune and the plum ought to be a vigor- ous, healthy growing tree, and in places where it is in a poor, rather light, dry soil, of course it will make the growth lighter; and of course it would not need the amount of pruning back that it would in a strong soil to raise a good fruit. My opinion is that where a good apple or pear would grow, a good prune can be raised. We must try and raise large, well-developed prunes, since we find where there is very little growth of wood the soil is not very good, the prunes are very small and have no great value for drying. My idea of pruning the prune or the plum tree, is to make a handsome tree with plenty of limbs; and prune it back so that it will give the limbs great strength and bear- ing space. In that way you can raise a large amount of good plums or prunes. A Delegate: Do you thin out much? Mr. Aiken: Not very much, unless the limbs cross, because when they begin to bear the tree opens very nicely. I have eight-year-old French prune trees, and though, they didn't average it, many of them had 800 pounds of French prunes on this year without much af- fecting the form or the shape of the tree. They were so pruned and so strong, and with such a broad bearing space that they bore that amount of prunes, and very easily, although it has been a dry year and they were not quite as large as they would have been if there had been a little more moisture. I think the great mistake in raising the plum and the prune is to leave too few limbs, say one limb way up in the air and the other one in another direction like two arms. On such a tree you can raise very little fruit, and it would be of very little profit. I am of the opinion, too, that this pruning should go on each year and give a fine form and strength and bearing space, and when the tree bears and gets to be over six years old and is in good bearing you don't need so much pruning back. Indeed, I think, when it is eight, or nine, or ten years old I don't think it needs much if any pruning back; of course, take out the old limbs to keep it in good form or shape. If that is not a good way to prune the plum I would like to know it. A Delegate: What is the character of ths soil? Mr. Aiken: These prunes that bore so heav- ily were on dark, rich loam — you might call it a sandy loam, and the clear soil under those trees is, acording to my measurement, about 25 feet in depth. It is a very rich soil, and we have from 60 to 80 inches of rainfall in winter. A Delegate: Is the French prune a regular bearer? Mr. Aiken: Never fails; that is a remarka- ble feature of the production. It will bear a good crop each year without any failure from any cause I ever heard. A Delegate: I heard one gentleman say that they were bearers only once in two years. Mr. Aiken: That is hardly so in our central part of the State, and another thing the French prune especially needs rather a long season, a cold season. I don't think it would be profita- ble to raise prunes in this section, or in the hot valleys. A few have tried it, and I do not think they have made a success of it for many reasons; on account of the heat and the drying up they do not mature in size, or form or taste. A Delegate: Do you irrigate ? Mr, Aiken: No, not at all. We try and cultivate well. With me there is a very thick clover and alfillerilla grows in the orchard dur- ing the winter, and I turn it under each year for manure for the trees. The soil is very rich but I have done that plowing under regularly, while a neighbor of mine never allows a spear of grass to grow, and I believe he starved his trees out, I believe you can starve trees as well as any- thing else. Mr. I. H. Thomas: I have been observing the growth of the prune in the San Joaquin val- ley, because the question is asked us as nurs- erymen what to plant. In Fresno, in the Cen- tral colony, the oldest trees I know of growing there are about seven years old. The land is laid off in checks, one check in French prunes and so on. They have adopted the system each year of pruning in close, and got but very few prunes; then the next block of trees is not pruned at all, except to cut out cross limbs, and a heavy crop is the result. That has been my observation in watching that orchard for three years, and from that observation I do not be- lieve I would do much pruning of the French prune after you get it in shape as a three-year- old. Mr. Aiken: Don't the prunes there burn ? Is it not too warm for the prune ? Mr. Thomas: No. Mr. Aiken: I was going to ask if you have any experience in this part of the State with the prune, the French, the German or the Hun- garian ? Mr, Milton Thomas: I will say that the French prune, in Los Angeles county generally does well, more especially in the Santa Ana valley, I heard Mr, Center, a very reliable gentleman, say that parties there with six-year- 84 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION old trees had six and eight hundred pounds on their trees for a number of years; they seldom fail. As to plums, there are very few varieties of plums that do well in Los Angeles county to my knowledge, and I do not recommend any- body to plant a plum tree here, but a French prune does well so far as I know. Mr. Wilcox : Perhaps the largest prune or- chards in America are in the Santa Clara val- ley. We have them there to the extent of 100 acres in an orchard; one person has more than that. Those orchards have sold for large fig- ures, some of them, but they are planting so extensively that some are almost afraid to plant them. You will see that of the French prunes there are several types that do not always appear the same. These prunes ex- hibited here are an odd type of prune; if they had been well handled and put up they would have compared well with any in the market. There is this about prunes : when they bear too heavily on dry ground they will be small. Mr, Aiken said, at the last meeting of the State Horticultural Society, two or three weeks ago, that it is his impression, from what he knows of the Chicago market, that you must depend hereafter on the size of the prune more than anything else. There is a kind called the "Robe de Sergent," I believe that is the name. That prune is said to be very much larger. I shall plant some of them the coming winter. I intend to plant a great many prunes. I have faith to believe that I can raise them, although it may be that we will need a higher tarifif^to make them profitable; still it pays very well, and the amount used in the United States at the present time is enormous, and I think we will use more. It is the cheapest fruit we can use, and very healthy. I think the day will come when we will supply the consumers in the East. I would encour- age every man to put in more prunes where they do well, A Delegate : Do you raise the French prune from the cutting ? Mr, Wilcox : We do not, but we graft it on another kind of cutting. Whenever the soil is very rich suckers will come up; now, if you ex- pect to raise a good tree, that will not sucker, do not graft on any of those suckers. Wher- ever the peach will grow it is best to graft on peach! stock, nevertheless east of the Rocky mountains they graft peaches on plums. We do the reverse, and wherever you have good moist soil you can graft on the peach or on most anything that will take the plum. Mr. W. H. Aiken: There is another prune besides the French prune that is well spoken of. I think they call it the Hungarian prune. It is a prune that will ship well; that is an up- right grower and needs to be pruned to make form and shape. I would say don't prune a plum tree mjich; but that prune like many plums will shoot right up in the air so that it is impossible to pick the fruit. There is no sense in letting it grow so that you can't get the fruit when you raise it. You want to give it a good bearing space where you get it. The German prune is a good shipper, but indeed, of any fruit, the French prune will ship East, and that is what we are going to do, if we get low freight: send them all over there, I really believe that the French prune. is the best drying plum we have, but I do not want you to go into the prune business; I am in it myself and I do not want to invite competition, but undoubtedly the prune will do well on good soil. People tell me that poor soil is good for fruit; I do not know what it is good for ; it is not good for fruit in my estimation; you cannot get a soil too good for fruit nor too rich, but trees grown in good soil must be pruned, Mr. Gray: I think it is a mistake to call the Italian prune a good shipper, I would not advise anybody to plant them for shipping. In the first place they drop from the trees be- fore they ought to be picked, and when they are ripe they are so soft that you cannot dry them at all in any dry-house I have ever seen. If you get them dry enough they will drip; if they are not dried quick enough they will gran- ulate. They are a very poor fruit. We have a great many more of them than we wish we had. The only way we can dry them is to cut them just as we do the plum and sell them for a sweet plum, Mr. Wilcox : There is more than one kind of German prune, one originally egg-shaped, I raised that. There is another kind, and they, I believe, are what Mr. Aiken says are very good to', ship. There is also the Oregon silver prune, very large, something like the egg plum, and which was thought by some of us to be merely Coe's Golden Drop. It is very large and it makes a beautiful prune. Protection to the Fruit Industry. The convention met for the fifth and last day's session on Saturday, November 23d, Presi- dent Cooper in the chair. Mr. Aiken presented a report in the protec- tion of the fruit interest, with a memorial, as follows : Los Angeles, Gal., Nov. 21, 1885. To the Fruit G)-owers' Conventioti of California^ Your committee on a memorial to Congress would respectfully recommend the adoption of the memor- ial herewith submitted, and that the same be signed and certified by the president and secretary of this convention and copies of the same be for- warded to each member or the California delegation in Congress. W. H. Aiken, Chairman of Committee. Memorial of Fruit Growers' of California. Los Angeles, Cal., Nov. 21, 1885. To the Honorable, the Senate and House of Repre- sentatives of the United States, Washington, D. C: Your memorialists, the fruit growers of the State of California assembled in their annual convention at Los Angeles, this 21st day of November, 1885, most respectfully represent: That the soil and climate of the State of California are adapted to the production and preparation of the prune, the raisin and the olive of good quality and in quantities sufficient, eventually, to supply the demand for such products in the United States; That these important industries are in their in- fancy and stand in great need of protection from com- petition with foreign prunes, raisins and ohve oil produced by the cheap labor of Europe. Your memorialists have found by actual experience that the present duties of two cents per pound on prunes and raisins and one dollar a gallon on olive oil afford no real protection and give little encour- agement to those engaged in these great and grow- ing enterprises in California; That an import duty of three cents on prunes and raisins and two dollars per gallon on olive oil would enable California to successfully compete with the world on these products in the markets of this country and pay fair and full wages to American labor. The growing of the orange and lemon in the- CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS. 85 United States should also be encouraged and pro- tected from competition with like products of foreign lands and in the opinion of your memorialists the duties on these products are entirely too low. Your memorialists further represent: That the Mexican Reciprocity treaty now under consideration for Congressional action seriously threatens the future of many agricultural industries in the United States and especially that of fruit growing in California. The long established policy in this country of the protection and encouragement of American labor and American industries should not be changed so as to practically protect and encourage IVIexican labor and agriculture. The Mexican Reciprocity treaty would in effect admit the Republic of Mexico to the Union, to a share in our great prosperity and give its people a right to compete with Americans for trade in our markets without bearing the burdens of this govern- ment and without any love for this country. Your memorialists therefore respectfully and earn- estly request the Congress of the United States to so adjust the tariff on the products above referred to, as to make us a prosperous and independent people and to decline legislation intended to enforce and put in operation the Mexican Reciprocity treaty. Diacussion. Mr. Aiken : This memorial does not ask for • a perfect protection, and yet it seeks to acquire what we so much need. I believe in theAmer- ican institutions; I believe America should pro- vide for the many. I believe we can raise the prune, raisin and olive, and also the orange and lemon that will supply the markets of this coun- try, and keep at home our money, and I hope there will be a free discussion of this matter be- cause we ought to hear from everybody. Mr. Hatch: While I endorse the memorial from personal reasons and for the benetit of the State of California, at the same time I do not think there isa real estate agent in Los Angeles that would indorse that unless they knew that Congress would act favorubly upon it, as it would hardly like to place before the Eastern people that we cannot make profits on these very things; that is, sufficient profits without extra action in our favor. As it now is, we can make living profits, it is true. If we are as- sured that favorable action will be taken upon this we could make extraordinary profits. The question seems to be in my mind. Is it advisable for us to place such an advertisement before the world? Dr. Kimball, of Alameda: I think that the principle involved in this resolution, or memor- ial, is decidedly unjust to the status or stand- ing of California at the present day, because we go before the nation as a supplicant; a little handful of people on this coast that are en- gaged in raising the olive, the prune, the raisin, grape and the fig,. we go before the people of this great commonwealth that reaches from sea to sea, a boundless empire almost, and we ask them for protection. It places us in an unjust posi- tion in regard to ourselves, in regard to our great prosperity, and in regard to our great prospects for the future, and as Mr. Hatch has just said, I believe that every real estate agent ought to take up his tomahawk and scalping knife and go for the memorial. It is an adver- tisement of our inability, notwithstanding our favored soil and our wonderful climate, and all these things, to compete with the people in Germany, and where they are raising prunes. Is this an advertisement that will bring emi- grants here to California, that will cause the peasant of Europe to come out here and work for us? I think that the gentlemen when they advocate this memorial are slightly mistaken. The protective policy has been the policy of my whole life, but when we come down to the ques- tion of compelling the people from the Gulf to Canada, and from the Atlantic to the Sierra Nevadas to pay two cents more a pound for the plums in their puddings, I don't believe it will do. I believe that the people will regard it as a kind of an insult when they read the magnifi- cent reports tRat are sent from this glorious country here, and this beautiful climate, and find that men are making $250 per acre from the raisin grape, and that those poor benighted in- dividuals around the bay are making $150 to $200 per acre from their prunes, and still they want help, while the people in the mountains in the East are willing to work for a profit of $3 per acre, or even $2, and I, for one, am not in favor of the memorial. Mr. Bettner: I concur to a large extent in the views that have been presented by Dr. Kimball, that is to say in the reasonableness from one standpoint of those views, but as the manufacturer sells protected goods to the fruit grower and to the agricultural interest so as to receive all the benefit of what has been, I may say to a certain extent at least, the policy of this Government, it is not right that the agri- cultural interest should bear all the burdens. We have often seen a representative of the in- terests of this country go to Congress and claim substantially as to the manufacturing interest what Dr. Kimball has said refering to Southern California. This agricultural interest will bear the burden and receive none of the benefits from this proposed Mexican Reciprocity treaty. Such a treaty of reciprocity with Mexico strikes directly at some of the most important inter- ests of the country, not only the fruit interest, but some other interests of the State; also the tobacco interest and the sugar interest of Louisiana. Why on the same principle ought not the agriculturalist to have the benefit of the free trade of England, France and Germany and other nations that export to this country, in- stead of paying, as now, the high tariff, which increases the cost to him of producing every article that he does produce? Mr. Wilcox: I am in favor of the protective tariff so far as it is necessary in the commence- ment, and this may not be necessary always. 1 understand from Mr. Blowers, who took the premium at the World's Fair, at Philadelphia, for American raisins, against the world, that he has not made a fortune at that business. I met him in New Orleans last year, and he still asked for a tariff and circulated his petitions a year or two ago for that purpose, and I believe t the present time it would be a wise policy to do so ; because if we undertake to compete with the producers of Europe, it means that we com- pete in the price of the labor also that produces those products in Europe. Capital is also cheaper there, and a vineyard in France that is worth .$2000 per acre is worked on capital worth 2 and 3 per cent annually. Now, if we want the laborers here to thrive and to invite labor- ers from all parts of the woald, let ua tell them they can make money here as well as to enjoy in company with us our beautiful sun- shine. Only a few years ago we did not know that we could make wine for the market, and it 86 FIFTH ANNUAL CONVENTION was only by a protective tariff that we succeed- ed in doing it. We may not always need it for producing wine, we do not think we will, as soon as the people find out what our wine is, and like it as well as they do any other wine, we can compete with any producers in the world. So it is with raisins, after we get start- ed and our raisins have a reputation, and the people want them and feel that they must have them, they will pay our price; but we have cer- tain disadvantages, and I think that protection on the start would be a great advantage to the fruit industry of this State and.the laborers of the State. Mr. Hatch: So far as the Reciprocity treaty with Mexico is concerned, I think it is of vital importance, and we should all endorse most anything that is antagonistic to it. Mr. Milco: I will state concerning the pro- tection of sweet oil, and of the prune and the raisin, from my own experience. I know that in Dalmatia, which is a great olive country, the laborers are paid from 15 to 25 cents a day, and the oil there is worth something in the neigh- borhood of 50 cents a gallon. Now the freight from that country to New York these days can- not be very much, and if we should allow the oil at any time to come into competition with our oil in this country, no matter who has got an olive orchard, he will have to cut it down, because those people at 50 cents a gallon for their oil will make money while we will starve. I cannot get anybody to work for me for less than $30 per month and board; that is, white men — men that will stay with me year in and year out. Of course, I can pick up tramps and work them two or three days for half a dollar each, but as soon as they get a little cash they will go. I want men that will build up this country, and if we pay white men good wages we expect those men will stay and grow up with us, and whenever they make a little stake they will be looking around for a little piece of land to plant a little orchard or vineyard or something of that kind. But if we are going to allow European goods of that sort to come in competition with us, such as raisins and prunes, and particularly sweet oil, unless we have a protective tariff, as my friend Mr. Wilcox, of Santa Clara says, for a certain period, until we educate the American people to our product, we will not succeed. I will give you a little experience in my own business, this buhach for an illustration. When we went to New York City and offered our production, pure as it was, to those people over there, they said: "Create a demand for it; we do not know anything about your goods; if there is a demand for it we will buy it; if there is no demand we do not care about it; we are handling those goods from Eu- rope and they suit us." That is what they told us, but just as soon as we made the people un- derstand, and asked them to go and buy it and try it, they can't sell those other goods at all. They have them and they are rotting on their hands, and so here and every other place you must be encouraged. We must be given a chance to introduce our own goods to our own people, and so the chances will be that when we get to grow it largely it will probably compen- sate us for what we will probably have to sell for less, but to introduce any new goods, no matter what it is, of the production of this country, it takes all a man can get out of it to place it. That is my experience, and unless we have some protection we will have a hard road to travel. Mr. Wilcox: Those who know our prunes know they sold very readily for 10 cents a pound up to two years ago; within the last year the highest quotation in our market has been five cents. That shows which way the wind blows, and those who intend to raise prunes largely, expect protection, if they need it. I think it safe to ask and receive protection for a limited time. Dr. Cougar : It seems to me that in the first place that we should ascertain how much pure olive oil is imported to this country, and to ask Congress to pass a law to have inspectors so as to know how much cotton seed oil we are using and how much real olive oil is brought to this country. I cannot find a bottle of pure imported olive oil in a drug store, nor grocery house, nor other places where it is supposed to be kept. I bought one bottle of olive oil from our presi- dent, and I defy any person to go into any house in this city, or to any other place in Southern California and find an article that compares with it; in other words you cannot find any olive oil. Now ought we not to know how much oil we are receiving from abroad before we ask Congress to protect this cotton seed oil at the rate of $2 a gallon ? That is what ought to be done. Congress ought to pass a bill to find out the adulterations in the first place, and then we can legislate to protect that which should be protected. Mr. Bettner : There seems to be a difference of opinion, and whatever action should be taken on this question, should go before the country as the unanimous expression of this convention. Now so far as the memorial refers to the Recip- rocity treaty I believe that there can be but one idea, and as a member of that committee, so far as I am concerned, I am perfectly willing that our reference to the other matters, except- ing as to the Reciprocity treaty in that memorial be withdrawn, and that we go before the Senate and House of Representatives with the memorial referring to that Reciprocity treaty which undoubtedly is unjust, inasmuch as it is special legislation intended to benefit a certain set of our citizens at the expense of the other.. Mr. Aiken: As to that, this matter was re- ferred to the committee and we had to deal with all this subject of prunes, raisins, olives etc. The committee, in starting out, thought that they would place it in the form that is present- ed before you. Just because one or two gen- tlemen have very strong ideas upon the subject, I do not see that that is any very good reason why we should abandon this great movement. All of us must aamit that when we come in competition with foreign labor in the prepara- tion of these very things, we cannot raise them or prepare them or sell them' in our markets. There is the matter of freights: we all know that two cents a pound would give us more than the foreigner receives or expects to receive for his fruit and they have cheaper freight than we do. Now, to come down to the raisin and the dried fruit: Put them in the market at 2 cents, and we would have to abandon our homes and take to the woods and go to logging. So far as the raisin is concerned, my friend Mr. Blowers said to me very lately: "I shall de- stroy my raisin'vineyard and put in alfalfa and go to raising hogs." That is the situation he is in. It is time now for us by main force to pro- CALIFORNIA FRUIT GROWERS, 87 tect the horticultural industries in this country, and, as was very well said by Mr. Bettner, the agriculturists have asked very little and have received very little in this country. Our pro- tection is almost nominal, while every manu- factured article that the agriculturists use is protected. If that is the policy of this country, why not share in that protection ? We cer- tainly ask but very little. They are giving us now one cent on prunes; we ask in addition one cent to build up this industry and to save three millions of money at home, and to keep up good prices for American labor. Now, the reason why the price of the prune was re duced from 10 or 12 cents to five, was because the foreign prune raisers threw upon this coun- try a bankrupt stock of fruit last year. They had an excessive supply, ' and rather than dump those prunes in the ocean they sent them over here and sold them for whatever they would bring, and, of course, broke down our market. The protection of one cent a pound was nothing to them, owing to the cheapness with which they could raise them, and with the cheap rates of freight across the ocean, they utterly destroyed our prune market. The prunes of California 'cannot sell in competition with foreign prunes at one cent protection, and I do hope this memorial may be at least adopt- ed by a large majority of this convention and given out to the world as the expressed opinion of the fruit growers of California. Dr. Kimball : I am opposed myself to the Mexican Reciprocity treaty, but in regard to my friend of the Santa Cruz mountains, Mr. Aiken, I would like to give the convention the result of a little figuring. That is a prolific country where he is, and I think I have heard the gentlemen himself state that he has had very young trees that bore in the neighborhood of 600 pounds of prui'cs. I have figured on the basis of 300 pounds to the tree and 127 trees to the acre, and that will give the as- tounding result of 38,100 pounds of green fruit per acre. You all know that prunes dry down about three to one, and that would give us about 12,700 pounds of dried fruit per acre, which, at two f cents a pound, would amount to the sum of $25'4; and if the people of California cannot live on the profit of $150 per acre, throwing out the balance, they had better stop business. Prune orchards are one of the best paying things in this State, even at four cents a pound, and the idea that we should inform the whole American people, where they are not able to raise prunes, that we must throw upon them the penalty of having to pay an excessive price of two cents more a pound for prunes for the purposeof putting additional benefits into the hands of growers of prunes in California, who have already became rich at it, I think it essen- tially a wrong idea. In regard to my friend Mr. Milco, who be- lieves in a high duty on olive oil, I wish to make the suggestion, or the inquiry rather, as to how long he thinks it will take for the peo- ple of the United States to become great olive oil consumers if they have to pay a duty of two dollars a gallon. If there is a protection of two dollars a gallon on all the olive oil imported, there is no such thing as a reformation which will result in using olive oil largely in this conn- try, and we shall all die of starving before that time will come. It is well enough to be satis- fied with a good thing, and the profits of the people of the East are much smaller than ours. Notwithstanding you receive small profits on the production of the orange, yet wisely managed and wisely conducted, there are profits in your orange orchards, there are profits in your grape and raisin interests, for the consumption of your fresh grape and of your raisin is immense and it is increasing. It seems to me that the policy of the people of the State of California should be to furnish the largest amount of good fruit at the cheapest possible price, instead of hunting about and rendering it more difficult to obtain it, and that this should be the purpose of every one engaged in this business in Cali- fornia. Mr. Rice: As the gentleman said a few min- utes ago, the real estate agent has his toma- hawk and scalping )inife, and is figuring the probable profits he can made on an orchard. I am very sorry he gave the figures of the profits in growing prunes. A few years ago a gentle- man from San Francisco — Mr. Pixley — was down here, and he saw a gentleman who had just sold his oranges off of one tree for $10. Mr. Pixley figured up and said 100 trees to the acre would yield a $1000 per annum, and that on a small place of just 160 acres, a section of land, his in- come for the year would be $160,000. It was not a very big farm, either, and the oranges were just commencing to bear, so in a few years it would be much larger, and every real estate agent in this country (there is only a few of them, by the way) have been using the figures ever since, and the latest bulletin I have seen from the real estate office is doubling on it, be- cause the ti-ees are growing a great many more oranges. This argument may be good to a cer- tain extent. We are making a fortune out of our prunes and olive oil, and so on, in some in- Btances, I know one gentleman this year who has got five acres of Muscat grapes, and he has got the coin in his pockets— .$1250 for that raisin crop; $250 per acre. That is a very handsome profit, but those are not the figures of the whole raisin crop of Southern California or of this county for this year. I am afraid when the balance sheet is made up of the raisin crop this year, it will not show much more than $25 profit per acre, and, by the way, one firm that has 50 acres of raisins out in this range, is not going to make a big profit on it, and on the whole there is not so much profit. I know a gentleman that did not make a cent out of it; in fact, he lost money. It must be an isolated ease that can make large gains. It is true that we view this tarifl" question by our own opinion, and our local ideas and our political predilections, and we want to stand by them through thick and thin; but I would like to see the farmers stand together on something, even if it is no more than to protect our interests here in California. I hope we will all stand to- gether on this home memorial. I would like to see it adopted unanimously. Dr. Chubb: I think that there are reasons why we can ask for this additional aid in a cer- tain direction aside from the Mexican Recipro- city treaty. Now, we have been discussing here the best fruit for profit to grow in this State, and we have got all the information pos- sible as to whether the prune is a profitable fruit, in the opinion of the men who have gone thus far in its cultivation. It is with very I great difficulty that we even get a recommenda- FIFTH ANNUAL CO^tEf^TiON tion to plant the prune, and why? They say it is very doubtful whether it will prove a profit- able crop in the State. We, in the southern part of the State, do not know much about the prune crop but we do know about the raisin crop, and if the raisin crop were as pro- fitable as some men seem to imagine, the real estate agents of this and every other city in the State of California would not need any other inducement to bring any amount of immigration into this country. The fact, is, gentlemen, that while there are exceptions to all rules, the raisin industry is not a profitable industry at this present moment. There are a great many drawbacks to that as well as to the other fruit industries of this State, which are only discov- ered when the man thinks he is going to make a fortune and starts in making raisins. The for- eign crop of raisins is produced in a country where on a general average the labor is only 10 cents a day, and it is not the poor man there that makes the profit. It is the system that cramps him down to that and keeps him there, and the dealers who take the raisins off his hands at those prices are the men who make the money off of it. We do not propose that our American labor shall be reduced to that situa- tion. We hope to oflFer inducements to Ameri- can labor to produce these things that are so largely consumed in our own country, and these industries for which we ask protection to-day are not California industries specifically; they are American industries, they are a part of the interests of this great commonwealth and must be protected if they need protection. The idea that it is an additional burden to consumers in the East, I believe should be looked at in this way: We are consuming the products of East- ern labor which have had protection for years and which is still planning for protection, and we are only asking a reciprocal advantage for our industry. The very fact that we might add "2 cents to raisins or to prunes is not going to be an observable item in the consumption of these articles upon the American continent. It is not that it adds to the expense of the con- sumers, but that it is so much more of a pro- tection against the introduction of foreign fruits. The question comes then, with this additional import duty upon foreign fruits, that with all their advantages and cheap labor can afi"ord to flood this country with foreign fruits to the dis- advantage of our own. That is the point we are endeavoring to make out: it is not that we want to oppress the Eastern consumer by adding to the price of consumption, but that we want to shut out to a certain extent the profits given to foreign pauper labor and to foreign capital- ists upon foreign fruits to the disadvantage of our own. All we ask is that we have the same free, generous support in the development of these interests that our Eastern friends on the Atlantic shore have had to like industries for years. Mr. Wilcox: I am proud to represent that section where the prune industry seems to be most extensive. In Santa Clara valley it is a serious question now about the future of the prune. There was a prune excitement a few years ago, and everybody who had ground paid all they asked for the trees and put out the prune. The highest the prune will bear, that I know of, is 600 pounds — full-grown trees — and the ground was irrigated. Now, when a prune tree gets of a certain hight it does not grow well. It bears on the ends of the limbs' and will exhaust itself in time, and that is » matter that should be takes into consideration, I remember when prunes sold for $1 a pound; they came down gradually, but were high until California brought the prices down, and it is us that the Eastern consumers have to thank that the prices are what they are now — so I say it is safe to give us a little protection at this time. Mr. Hixson: There ia no doubt, whether we get additional duty on prunes or not, that thi» is one of the great industries of the State, and it is not going down even if we do not succeed in getting more protection. I do not pretend to say but what a cent more a pound would help us; but suppose we do not get it? I don't want the people who read these proceedings here to think we are going to become paupers if we do not get it. I have received a letter since I have been in this city, of the sale of some of Dr. Kimball's prunes at eight cents a pound. There is no trouble at all about our raising prunes afid selling them for enough to give us a profit. All you have got to do is to- raise good fruit and put it up in good shape. We can put it up as well as the French, and they don't expect less than 12| and 15 cents a pound; and when you get good prunes, like Dr. Kimball raises, they will sell. If you will just prune your trees a little more I will guarantee to sell the fruit. I don't want it understood that I am not in favor of this memorial, but I want you to understand that if you do not get it, there is still a chance for people to make a living without it. Mr. Kimball: I move an amendment to that memorial to strike out ail except what refers to the Reciprocity treaty. The amendment of Dr. Kimball was lost. Upon motion the memorial was unanimously adopted. Mr. Bettner offered the following resolution, which was adopted unanimously : Resolved, That it is the unanimous sense of the Fruit-Growers of California here assembled, that the Mexican Reciprocity treaty, and all other Spanish- American treaties now before Congress, are opposed to the fruit interests of California, and other great agricultural interests of the United States, and that any legislation tending to carry them into effect should be opposed by every delegate to the Congress of the United States from this State, and that the secretary of this convention be instructed to forward a copy of this resolution to every member of that delegation. True Labels. Mr. Webb offers the following resolution which is adopted unanimously: Resolved, That Congress be requested to so amend the revenue laws so as to require every article im- ported, whether dutiable or free, intended for human consumption to contain a true label of its contents; it be subject to confiscation by default. Ad^journraent. Dr. Chapin: I move that the convention ex- press its thanks to Los Angeles Pomological Society and its obliging and efficient committee for the kind attention and valuable services they have rendered the fruit-growers of the State during the sessions of the convention, and also to the press of Los Angeles, which has made such thorough and complete reports of the pro- ceedings of the convention. The motion was carried, and the convention adjourned sine die. Meetings of the State Board of Horticulture. MinxiteB of the Semi-Annual Meetings of the State Board of Horticulture for the Fiscal Year Commencing April 1, 1885. Office State Board of Horticulture, \ April 23, 1SS5. J This being the regular day for the meet- ing the members of the board met at 11 o'clock A. M. There were present Messrs. Ell- wood Cooper, Wm. M. Boggs, A. F. Coronel, Dr. S. F. Chapin, Dr. E. Kimball, G. N. Milco, N. R. Peck, General M. G. Vallejo and A. H. Webb, secretary, being a full board ex- cepting the Hon. H. C. Wilson, who was ab- sent. President Cooper took the chair nnd called the board to order. The secretary then read the minutes of the preceding meeting, which were approved as read. President Cooper then recommended an elec- tion of officers of the board, which was agreed to, and ou motion EIlwool Cooper was unani- mously reelected to the office of president. On motion General M. G. Vallejo was unanimously re-elected to the office of treas- urer, and A. H. Webb was unanimously re- elected to the office of secretary. General Vallejo then moved that the board proceed to the election of the Inspiector of Fruit Pests, which was agreed to, and the president de- clared nominations in order, whereupon General Vallejo nominated Dr. S. F. Chapin, and G. N. Milco nominated Mr. Matthew Cooke. On motion of N. Peck the nominations were closed. President Cooper suggested the propriety of inviting candidates for Inspector of Fruit Pests to appear before the board and give their views as to the duties of that officer. This was opposed by Commissioners Boggs and Peck and advocated by Commissioners Kimball and Milco, and after a full discussion of the question finally agreed to, and at 12:30 p. M. the board took a recess for one hour. At 1:30 P. M. the board reconvened, all the members of the morning session being present. President Cooper took the chair and called the board to order. On motion of Dr. Chapin, Mr. Milco was requested to invite Mr. Matthew Cooke to appear before the board and give his views regarding the office of Inspector of Fruit Pests. Mr. Cooke then appeared, and upon being introduced, proceeded in a brief and concise manner, stating that if elected his whole time and attention would be given exclusively to the duties of the office and that he would strive to promote the best interests of the fruit-growers of the State. Mr. Cooke spoke of his large and valuable col- lection of insects, which in his long researches in entomology he had collected, and which, if elected, he would place in the office of the State Board of Horticulture. Upon the conclusion of Mr. Cooke's remarks the board went" into executive session and then proceeded to ballot for Inspector of Fruit Pests with the following result: Dr. S. F. Chapin re- ceived five votes, Matthew Cooke received two votes and EUwood Cooper received one vote, whereupon the president declared that Dr. S. F. Chapin having received a majority of all the votes cast, he was duly elected to the office of Inspector of Fruit Pests. Mr. Coronel then spoke of holding the next meeting of the board in the city of Los Angeles as being but an act of justice to the southern section of the State, when Mr. Boggs offered the following resolution: Resolved, That the next meeting of the board shall be held in the city of Los Angeles at such time and place as shall hereafter be determined, and be it further R solved, That there shall also be held at the same time and place, under the auspices and direction of this board, the Fifth Annual Fruit Growers' Convention of California. Mr. Boggs and Mr, Coronel strongly urged this resolu- tion and it was unanimously adopted. The treasurer's report was then read and ap- proved. A committee of arrangements for the holding of the next meeting of the board and the Fifth Annual Fruit-Growers' Convention at Los An- geles was then appointed, consisting of Com- missioners Coronel and Chapin, The matter of appointing quarantine guar- dians for the different fruit sections of the Stata was then discussed at length, and also the effi- ciency and non-efficiency of the law to prevent the spreading of fruit and fruit-tree pests and diseases, approved March 9, 1885: some mem- bers holding that it would be impossible to get suitable and competent men who would care to assume the responsibility of informing on, and if necessary, proceeding to enforce the law against their own neighbors, while Mr. Milco thought otherwise, and urged the neces- sity and importance of immediate action by the board in the appointment of quarantine guar- dians, and a vigorous and determined tffort made to enforce the law, that the people of the State might see that the board were endeavor- ing to do something in furtherance of the duties they were appointed to perform. This view of the question finally prevailed and the following appointments were made: D wight HoUister for the Sacramento river district; J. W. Mansfield for road districts, Nos. 1 and 2, iSlapa Co.; E. P. Foster for the fruit dis- trict comprising the town of Ventura in San Buenaventura Co. ; W. W. Chapman for the fruit district contiguous to and including the town of Petaluma in Sonoma Co.; J. C. Wey- bright for the fruit district comprising Cal- istoga and vicinity; John H. Guill for the fruit district comprising Chico and vicinity in the county of Butte; Clinton King for the fruit district comprising Alameda valley, Ala- meda county; Geo. D. Kellogg for the fruit district of Newcastle, Placer county; S. A. Wood for the fruit district including Penryn and vicinity. Placer county; A. T. Perkins for the Fruit Vale fruit district, Alameda Co.; H. G. Ellsworth, for the Niles, Mission, San Jose, Irvington and Centerville fruit districts, Alameda Co.; W. H. Robinson, for the fruit district adjacent to and mcluding the city of Stockton, San Joaquin Co., and Dr. G. Eisen for the fruit district including the town of Fresno, Fresno Co. In the matter of quarantine guardians for the city of San Francisco it was assigned to the STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. Inspector of Fruit Pests and the advisory com- mittee for future action. A committee consisting of Wm. M. Boggs and Dr. Kimball was appomted to draft suita- ble resolutions on the death of the late W. H. Jessup, which was unanimously adopted with a standing vote, and the secretary directed to forward to the bereaved family and the press a copy of the same. On motion the board ad- journed to 8:30 the following morning. Friday, April 24, 1885, 8:30 A. M.— The board met at the hour appointed, all the members of the previous day being present. President Cooper took the chair and called the board to order. After reading the reports of the various committees, on motion of Dr. Kim- ball an advisory committee was appointed con- sisting of EUwood Cooper, Wm. M. Boggs and Dr. Kimball, to act during the recess of the board in the consultation and direction of such matters as they may deem necessary, EUwood Cooper being chairman of said committee. The board then appointed John R. Sweetzer quarantine guardian for the supervisorial dis- trict, comprising the town of Novato, Marin county, when on motion the board adjourned to meet at their next regular meeting. The November Meeting. The board met in the exhibition hall in the city of Los Angeles, at 1 p. M., on the 19th day of November, 1885. There were present Messrs. EUwood Cooper, H. C. Wilson, Wm. M. Boggs, Dr. E. Kimball, Dr. S. F. Chapin, G. N. Milco, and A. H. Webb, secretary. Absent, General M. G. Valtejoand N. R. Peck, A letter was received from General Vallejo stating that he was pre vented from attending the meeting of the board on account of sickness in his family, and ex- pressing his regrets. President Cooper took the chair and called the board to order. The secretary then read the minutes of the preceding meeting, which were amended and then approved. The president then called for the reports of committees. The committee appointed to make arrangements for the Fifth Annual Fruit Growers' Convention, consisting of Dr. Chapin and Mr. A. F. Coronel, then made a verbal re- port through Dr. Chapin, and that portion of the report referring to the employment of a stenographic reporter by Messrs. Boggs, Chapin and Milco, when on motion of Dr. Kimball the board adjourned to 12:45 o'clock to-morrow. November 21, 1886, 12:45 p. m.— The board met as per adjournment. President Cooper in the chair. Present, Messrs. Cooper, Kimball, Coronel, Milco, Chapin and Boggs. The President called the meeting to order, when Mr. A. K. Whitton, the stenographic re- porter, appeared before the board and stated that the work of reporting the proceedings of the convention was more than he had antici- pated, and that he would be compelled to charge for the work in proportion to the amount to be done. After a full discussion of the subject, it being conceded that the work was greater than had been anticipated, it was finally moved by Mr. Milco, seconded by Mr. Boggs, that Mr. Whitton be allowed for his services in report- ing, transcribing and preparing for the printer the entire proceedings of the convention, the sum of $265, which was accepted by Mr, Whitton. A proposition in writing was then handed in by Messrs. Dewey & Co. of the Rural Press of San Francisco, proposing to publish in pamphlet form the report of the State Board of Horticul- ture for the year 1885, including the proceed- ings of the convention, free of charge to the board and in addition to give the board 1000 copies of said report free of charge, in consider- ation of the privilege asked for, and on motion of Mr. Boggs the proposition was accepted by the board. The president then suggested a course of action in regard to the preparation and examin- ation of essays for the forthcoming report, when on motion the board adjourned to 4:30 P. M. The board convened at 4:,30 p. m., President Cooper in the chair, and all the members of the morning session present. The president called the meeting to order, when Mr. Wilson moved to declare the office of Inspector of Fruit Pests vacant, which motion was seconded by Mr. Boggs. After a discussion of the subject the president put the question and directed the secretary to call the roll, and the members to vote as their names were called. On calling the roll the vote resulted as follows : Those voting aye were Messrs. Boggs, Kimball, Milco and Wil- son. Voting nay. Cooper. Not voting, Messrs. Coronel and Chapin. The president then declared the motion car- ried, and the office of Inspector of Fruit Pests vacant. On motion of Dr. Kimball, the board then adjourned to to morrow at 2 p. M. Saturday, 21, 1885, 2 p. m.— The board met as per adjournment. President Cooper took the chair and called the board to order. There were present Messrs. Cooper, Boggs, Coronel Kimball, Chapin, Milco and Wilson. The president declared nominations for the office of Inspector of Fruit Pests then in order, whereupon Mr. Bogga nominated Dr. Lots- peitch, Mr. Wilson nominated Wm. M. Boggs, Dr. Kimball nominated Matthew Cooke, Mr. Coronel nominated Alexander Craw, and Dr. Chapin nominated John Britton. On motion, the nominations were then closed. The president directed the members to pre- pare their ballots, and the secretary to act as teller. The first ballot resulted as follows : Dr. Lotspeitch, 1; Wm. M. Boggs, 1; Alexander Craw, 2; Matthew Cooke, 2; and EUwood Cooper, 1. Second ballot — Dr. Lotspeitch, 1 ; Wm. M. Boggs, 2; Alexander Craw, 1; Matthew Cooke, 2; and John Britton, 1. Third ballot— Wm. M. Boggs, 3; Alexander Craw, 1; Matthew Cooke, 2; and John Britton, 1. Fourth ballot — Wm. M. Boggs, 3; Alexander Craw, 2; and Matthew Cooke, 2. Fifth ballot— Wm. M. Boggs, 3; Alexander Craw, 1; Matthew Cooke, 2; and John Brit.on, 1. Sixth ballot— Wm. M. Boggs, 4; Matthew Cooke, 2; and John Britton, 1. Whereupon the president declared that Mr. Boggs, having received a majority of all the votes cast, was duly elected to the office of Inspector of Fruit Pests. On motion of Dr. Kimball the board ad- journed. A. H. Webb, Secretary. The Fruit Pest Law. An Act to prevent the spreading of fruit and fruit tree pesta and diseases, and to provide for their extirpation (approved March 9th, 1885). —The people of the State of California, repre- sented in senate and assembly, do enact as fol- lows: Sec. 1, It shall be the duty of every owner, possessor or occupier of an orchard, nursery, or land where fruit trees are grown within this State, to disinfect all fruit trees grown on such lands infested with any insect or insects, or the germs thereof, or infested by any contagious disease known to be injurious to fruit or fruit trees, before the removal of the same from such premises for sale, gift, distribution, or transpor- tation. Fruit boxes which have been used for shipping fruit to any destination are hereby re- quired to be disinfected previous to their being again used for any purpose; all boxes returned to any orchard, storeroom, salesroom, or any place used or to be used for storage, shipping or any other purpose, must be disinfected with- in three days after their return; and any and all persons failing to comply with the require- ments of this section shall be guilty of misde- meanor. All packages, known as free pack- ages, must be destroyed or disinfected before being again used. Sec. 2. It shall be the duty of the owner, lessee or occupier of an orchard within this State, to gather all fruit infested by the insects known as the codlin moth, peach moth, red spider, plum weevil, and kindred noxious insects, their larva3 or pupje, which has fallen from the tree or trees, as often as once a week, and dis- pose of and destroy the same in such a manner as to effectually destroy all such insects, their larvaj or pupae. It shall be the duty of the In- spector of Fruit Pests, or the quarantine guar- dian, to inspect fruit packages, and all trees and plants, cuttings, grafts and scions, known or believed to be infested by any insect or in- sects, or the germs thereof, or their eggs, larvas or pupje, injurious to fruit or fruit trees, or in fasted with any disease liable to spread con- tagion, imported or brought into the State from any foreign country, or from any of the United States or Territories, and if upon inspection such fruit or fruit packages are found to be in- fested or infected, it shall be a misdemeanor to offer the same for sale, gift, distribution or transportation unless they shall be first disin- fected. Sec. 3. Every person shipping fruit trees, scions, cuttings, or plants, from any orchard, nursery, or other place where they were grown or produced, shall place upon or securely at- tach to each box, package, or parcel containing such fruit trees, scions, cuttings, or plants, a distinct mark or label, showing the name of the owner or shipper, and the locality where pro- duced. And any person who shall cause to be shipped, transported, or removed from any lo- cality declared by the State Board of Horticul- ture to be infested with fruit trees or orchard pests, or infected with contagious diseases in- jurious to trees, plants, or fruits, unless the same shall have been previously disinfected, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor. Disinfection shall be to the satisfaction of the S ate Board of Horticulture, or the Inspector of Fruit Pests. When disinfected, the fact shall be stamped upon each box, package, or separate parcel of fruit trees, scions, cuttmgs, or plants ; and any person who shall cause ,to be shipped, trans- ported, or removed, any such box, parcel, or package, from a quarantine district or locality, not bearing such stamp, shall be guilty of a mis- demeanor, and may be punished by fine, as pro- vided in Sec. 6 of this Act. Any person who shall falsely cause such stamp to be used, or shall imitate or counterfeit any stamp or device used for such purpose, shall be guilty of a mis- demeanor. Sec. 4. It shall be the special duty of each member of the State Board of Horticulture to see that the provisions of this Act are carried out within his respective horticultural district, and all offenders duly punished. Sec. 5. All fruit trees infested by any insect or insects, their germs, larvEe or pupre, or in- fected by disease known to be injurious to truit or fruit trees, and liable to spread con- tagion, must -be cleaned or disinfected before the first day of April 1885, and on or before the first day of April of every succeeding year thereafter. All owners or occupants of lands on which fruit trees are grown failing to comply with the provisions of this section, shall be guilty of a misdemeanor, and fined as provided for in section six of this Act. All fruit, pack- ages, trees, plants, cuttings, grafts and scions that shall not be disinfected within 24 hours after notice by the Inspector of Fruit Pests, or a duly appointed quarantine guardian, or any member of the Board of Horticulture, shall be liable to be proceeded against as a public nuisance. Sec. 6. Any person or corporation violating any of the -provisions of this Act, shall be deemed guilty of a misdemeanor, and shall, on conviction thereof, be punished bj a tine of not less than $25 nor more than $100 for every FOUND AT LAST! Just the Thing for Nurserymen. THE MOST COMPLETE AND PRACTICAL DEVICE OUT. CARROLL'S Tree ifl PM TfiiMiir, Timothy Carroll, of Anaheim, Los Angeles County, has invented, and obtained patents through Dewey & Co.'s Patent Agency, for a Tree Transplanter that is destined to work a revolution in the old-fashioned methods of taking up trees for transplanting . It works to a charm ; is easily handled; anyone can use it. It leaves a compact mass of earth around the roots, ready for sacking to ship or to set out. With this device one man can easily take up 1000 trees in a day. With the large size two men can take up 2000 trees, and with the small size 3000 trees per. day. For Paeticulars, Address ^ ^^^^::^^^ Timothy Carroll, Inventor and Patentee, ANAHEIM, LOS ANGELES CO., CAL. ANAHEIM EVERGREEN NURSERIES 200 Yards West of Railroad Depot, Anaheim, Los Angeles Co., Cal. TIMOTHY CARROLL, Proprietor. EVERGREEN TREES A SPECIALTY. All Trees in boxes taken up with Transplanter, and ready to set. No Trowell or knife needed. Each plant separate and ready to set. "THE RIPE FRUIT CARRIER." Similar to the Egg Carrier, but Ventilated, Adjustable, etc. IS* TrLTJDEa TO 3xr.<^]vcx:, For in it RIPE Oranges, Peaches, Pears, delicate Apples, Tomatoes, Japanese Persimmons, Pigs, Etc., are conveyed in perfection. ALL WRAPPING, DRYING-HOUSES, SIZING MACHINES, Etc., are DISPENSED WITH. IT CLASSES THE FRUIT, M*KES IT UNIFORM THROUGH THE CRATE, and, each specimen being in a cell to itself, acts as a brace; so that a slatted crate is strong and stable, even with lighter head pieces than are used In ordinary packages. ORANGE CRATE "With One End Unslatted. Showing Cover Upturned. Contains 8 Fillers ^ and Two Covers. Fillers made with Cells of any size. FKUIT MUST FIT TIGHTLY IN CELL,. PRICE OF FILLERS, $27,50 per 1,000,,,' including 250 Covers, making 125 Cases, hold- ing 200 bushels. tS'"TJ].E RIPE FRUIT CARRIER" has conveyed RIPE Tomatoes more than 1,000 miles in perfect order they remain so more than 10 days after delivery. And IN IT ONLY have RIPE Peaches been successfully shipped from the United States to Europe WITHOUT ICE. tS" SEND FOR CIRCULAR AND PROOF. JENKINS, McGUIRE & CO., BALTIMORE, UNITED STATES. GRAPE VINE TWINE, Made Especially for Tying up Grape Vines. Put up in 4-lb. Balls. TUBBS 8d CO., 611 & 613 Front St., San Francisco. (IPEfkuil Q Bushel Crates are recommended for all Fruits except Oranges, and can be made at home of three-quarter or inch plank, and common laths. (We also recommend that Every Shipper or Packer put his o\rn address on every packagfe.) ARRJER'^ RYMEN! WHITNEY'S TREE DIGGER. One of the most important labor and time- saving implements that inventive genius has enabled the Nurseryman to call to his assist- ance is the TREE DIGGER. The machine will do the work of twenty men, and do it better, quicker, and more satisfactorily, getting better and more roots than is possible with a spade. The roots are smoothly cut (not haggled with a spade), and of an even length, which makes packing into cases and bales much easier and more economical. For sale bv Hawley Bros. Hardware Ciy., Sole Agents for California. Adriance "Buckeye" Mowers and Eeapers. Hodge's Headers. Perkins' Windmills, Etc^ SEND FOR CATALOGUE. Windmills, Horse- Powers, Tanks, Pumps, — AND ALL KINDS OF — PUMPING MACHINERY. Manufacturing Works and Office: 51 Beale Street, SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. P. W. KROGH & CO., Inventors, Patentees, Manufacturers and Sole Proprietors. SEKD FOE ILLUSTEATED CATALO&UE & PRICE LIST, ^ UIJRN I NCr URANUS — M ^n i£: uv — A.E.RIDLEY&CO. :i5^ HRUSHES INIiSPOTS&c FRUIT GROWERS, ATTENTION! Orchard and Vineyard Singletree. la a sure preventive against damage to Trees or Vines by care- less driving, and will save its cost every day it is ia use, besides relieving ail anxiety for the safety of the bark. A glance at the accompanying illustration fully explains the principle of this neiv and novel Singletree. Any common set of wagon traces can be used, which are hitched to a hook, and passing through a loop of iron (open at bottom to facilitate hitching) around the end of a Singletree, they furnish the protection so much needed in plowing an orchard. To see one will convince the most skeptical that for simplicity and effective- ness this Singletree is the best made. Made out of Best Seasoned Hickory. Price, $1 eacli, or $ 13 per dozen. For Sale by all Country Dealers, or J. T. RICHARDSON, Dealer In Agricultural Implements, 335 and 337 N. Los Angeles St., Los Angeles, Cal • FRUIT DRIER ON EXHIBITION. One of the Meeker Sun Fruit Driers, with all the latest improvements sug- gested by the experience of last season, is now on exhibition at the factory, 5th and Bryant streets, on and after Monday, January 25th. As now arranged we consider it much the most perfect and economical of any of the various Driers to which the attention of fruit-growers has been called. Its various productions are the perfection of purity and excellence, and at the same time the most economical in cost of production. Fruit- growers are invited to examine and test the Drier and the fruit prepared in it. Those using this drier last season realized handsome profits on their fruit. GEORGIA STREET 18 Georgia St., Los Angeles, JAS. T. BROWN, Proprietor. VaJu^'^' ''" PRICE LIST OF BIRDS AND EGGS: Kind of Fowl. Plymouth Rock Brown Les;horn 13 White Leghora 13 Houdan 13 W. F. Black Spanish 13 Croad Lang^shans , 13 Light Brahmas 13 S. S Hamburgs 13 Black Hamburgs 13 Bronze Turkeys 9 eS" Single Birds, from S3 to ^8. Birds, per pair, from |5 to $12. Trios, from $10 to i3 00 8 00 3 00 3 50 3 50 3 50 3 50 3 50 3 50 4 00 Eggs. $5 00 5 00 5 00 6 00 6 00 6 00 6 00 6 CO 6 00 7 00 $20. Eggs. Price. $10 00 10 00 10 00 12 50 12 50 12 50 12 50 12 50 12 60 R. J. TRUMBULL. CHARLES W. BEEBE. R. J. TRUMBULL & CO., GROWERS, BMPORTERS AND DEALERS IN SEEDS, TREES AND PLANTS, 419 and 421 Sansome Street, Between Clay and Commercial, SAN FRANCISCO, CAL, ESTABLISHED 1863. TIZOS. MEHERZ2T, Importer, Wholesale and Retail Dealer in A Large Stock of AUSTRALIAN PERENNIAL RYE GRASS at Reduced Rates. EVERGREEN MILLET, ALFALFA, RED AND WHITE CLOVER, Timothy and Orchard Grass, Kentucky Bkie Grass, Hungarian Millet Grass, Red Top, etc. Also a Large and Choice Collection of BULBS, ROSES, MAGNOLIAS, PALMS, Etc., AT REDUCED PRICES. i^"Budding and Pruning Knives, Greenhouse Syringes, Hedges and Pole Shears. (P.O. Box 2059. THOS. MEHERIN, 516 Battery St., S. P. SS''Price List Mailed on Application. °®i AGENT FOR R. D. FOX'S NURSERY. Booth's Sure Death Squirrel Poison For Squirrels, Gophers, Birds, Mice, Etc. ^f ^Endorsed by the Grange and Farmers wherever used.'^Jk The Cheapest and Best. Put up in 1-pound, 5-pound, and 5-gallon Tins. Every Can "Warranted. This Poison has been on the marlcet less than two years, yet in this short time it has gained a reputation of "Sure Death," equaled by none. By its merits alone, with very little advertising, it is now used extensively all over the Pacific Coast, as well as ia Australia and New Zealand. SEND FOR TESTIMONIAIiS. MANUFACTURED BT p.tentea^^a^^^^'' A. R. BOOTH, Seh Luis Obispo, Cal. For Sale by all Wholesale and Retail Dealers. Special Terms on Quantities in Bulk. S -A. 33^/1 "CJ E! Xj :^I=IE30IS., SUCCESSOR TO IMPORTER AND DEALER IN GARDEN and VEGETABLE SEEDS, Alfalfa, Timothy, Red and White Clover, Millet, Flax, Red Top, Blue Grass, Lawn Grass, Orchard and Rye Grass, Bird Seeds, etc. Imported Red and Blue Gum and French Mangel Wurzel and Sugar Beet Seed. I No. 317 WASHINGTON STREET, SAN FRANCISCO, CAL. CARBOLIC SHEEP WASH, 80 Per Cent Strong. POWDERED CAUSTIC SODA, 10-Pound Tins, 98 Per Cent Strong, For Sale by T. W. JACKSON & CO., Manufacturing Agents, 804 California Street, San Francisco, Cal. HAAS BROS., Importers and Wholesale JoL O C JBj JoL S. SOLE AGENTS ON THE PACIFIC COAST FOR AMERICAN LYE COMPANYS LYE. Webber's High Class Centrifugal Pumps. GREGORY'S Spraying Pump. The above represents the only Pump which has been adopted by the State Horticultural Society. It is of California manufacture and entirely different intern- ally from a light Eastern Pump which resembles it very closely externally. The GREGORY Pump is the only one which will stand the corrosive action of the alkalies m the various insecticide mixtures. These Pumps are designed for water supplj , Irrigating and Draining land, and all places where a large body of water has to be elevated to a moderate hight quickly, cheaply and ef- fectively. It is absurd to presume that the same pump will do equally good work at high or low lifts; therefore, several varieties of these pumps are manufactured, especially constructed for the hight the water is to be raised and the work re- quived. The Webber is unquestionably the HIGH- EST CLASS CENTRIFUGAL PUMP IN THE WORLD. A^Send for full Illustrated Catalogue and Price List to the Pacific Coast Agents. S. p. GHEGOH.V <& CO. 2 and 4 California Street. S. F. .C17 1885 Copy 1 JAW 28 181 i 3T WHAT I'VE BEEN LOOKING FORI NEW BRADLEY VINEYARD PLOW, Price, with one extra share, $15,00. Especially adapted for cultivation of VINEYARDS and ORCHARDS. This is one cf the atect things out, and is the most com plete tool cf its kind in the market. It has crooked stan- •^ard and shifiing handle, so that it can be run clote under e v'nes without brtaKing or injuring them. There has been a large num- ber placed in Cal • ifornia during the past season and all Gave the i?LP»EX HARROW. The Best Ullage Tool. Indtstructible. THE BEST FOR VINEYARDS AND ORCHARDS. saves the use of a plow. Every one guaranteed. Sent on trial, if not satisfactirv may be returned. Price, $40.00. Best of Satisfaction. NEW Mccormick no. 2 mower. The Best in the World ! 4} Feet Cut $ 90 00 4h Feet Cut J 00 00 TJHEi-X- ILj:£3.i^X> THE! T7VC:>HXjiI> ! McCormick Daisy Reaper. CANNOT BE EXCELLED. 5 FeetCut $175 00 Kew McOormick Steel Binder. IMPROVED FOR 1886. 6 Feet, $250 00 7 Feet, $360 00 THE MIIBURN WAGON. Is Cuariintced. SUY IT. MILBDRN HOLLOW IRON AXLE WAGON. Lightest, Strongest and Cheapest Wagon in the World. US' Agents for David Bradley ManufacturiDg Company. A full stock of Plows, Cultivators and Harrows on hand. Also, a full line of Extras. Ci'- ders will have prompt attention. Address : TRUMAN, ISHAM & HOOKER, 421 to 427 Market Street, S. F., Cal,