San Andreas independent., 1857-08-22
PoMoLoGY AND FARMING.-A great deal has


PoMoLoGY AND FARMISG.-A great deal has
been said and written in relation to the supe-
rior advantages which the climate and soil of
California presents for the successful cultivation
of the various kinds of fruit and grain espe
cally the cereals In the course of a very few
years California will produce the different kinds
of fruits, which, in quality and quantity. will
be excelled by scarcely State in the Union
Nearly all ranches in the valleys have planted
upon them large number of fruit trees fire.
quently ranging from one hundred to many
thousands, such as apple, peach, pear, plum
and cherry land also grape vines) and the pre-
cocity OF these trees would hardly be cred
ited by the people of the older States; but the
facts of which are familiar to residents of the
racine coast. |. D. Morley writing to the CAL
ltornia Farmer under date of August 5th, de-
scribing the ranch of ]. X. Ostrander, located
on the Merced river, speaks of the orchard,
which " "contains three hundred and fiftv apple
trees one hundred and fifty peach, some cherry,
plum and pear and one thousand five hundred
grape vines. Many of his trees are producing
fruit, although they have not been planted but
one year last January" In speaking of his
grain he says: ale (Ostrander) showed me
field of wheat of seven acres, from which he
had cut two and one-half tons of wheat-hay per
acre early in the season, and now has fine
field Of wheat which he intends to thrash for
-four or market; this surpasses anything we
I,--o n
wheat upon the ground before it was cut, for
$3.50, and since the wheat has been cut it has
sprouted anew, and produces abundant feed
for number of horses and cattle" The editor
of the Farmer speaking of Lewelling's orchard
and nursery in Alameda county, says: "The
orchard of twenty-four acres contains two
thousand trees of two years planting and one
thousand one year old, a select variety of APP
Piles, pears, peaches, &C." "Mr L. showed us
a group of two-hundred and fifty young apple
trees, planted only gear this last spring. that
have yielded him S275 net-some trees bearing
one or two apples, some quite full, and some
none, yet the net profit was the sum named
Can eastern orchards beat this ?" Among
the apple trees bearing, we saw many
young trees that were so loaded as to have the
limbs all bent like the weeping willow, and we
counted on one limb twelve inches long sixteen
apples, closely packed around it." THE nur-
sery OF Mr.. L. comprises sixteen acres and pre-
sents very fine collection of trees of all kinds,
ready for the market this autumn-some twen-
ty-hve thousand apple, ten thousand pear, and
other trees in proportion, all finely grown"
Who says we will not have an abundance of
fruit in this country ere long? All the ranches
and gardens in the mines are being set out with
fine assortments Of fruit trees. Families are
beginning to show proper taste in this matter
and to exhibit a just appreciation of the impor-
tance of setting out fruit trees in their yards
and gardens, which unites both the useful and
ornamental.
This is right and We hope to see it practiced
more extensively hereafter, as men who have
their families here begin to look upon this
country as place of permanent abode, and as
worthy of laying out few dollars, which will
be returned ten fold, besides adding comfort,
beauty and taste to every dwelling. We expect
after this year to hear no longer of peaches
selling in our mining towns for IS cents to 81
per dozen, and other fruits in proportion-and
we are satisfied it will not be so, as their abun-
dance will place them within the reach of every
person and at reasonable prices
This State has risen in seven years from be-
ing dependent upon others for her bread to be
an exporter of that article and the time is not
far distant when we will astonish ourselves and
other communities, by having an abundance of
dried fruit to dispose of in the same way