Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-12-11
store-Fruit orchards.


In the early days of California, before the
debris from the mines had raised the beds Of
the principal rivers, the lands Immediately
on the river banks were considered the best
orchard lands in the State. Thus the Briggs
orchard, near Marysyille on the Yuba, the
Smith orchard, near Sacramento on the
American, were among the finest and most
prolific orchards. not only in the State, but
in the United States. Later the Reed or
chard, opposite Sacramento on the Sac
same river iu Suffer county, were examples
of the great value of the river bottom-lsnds
for orchard purposes. And going still lower
down the Sacramento and on both sides or
the river, there were found some Of the finest
orchards and most prosperous and profitable
fruit farms in the world. Indeed, beginning
ten miles below Sacramento city ten years
ago, there was ON the Sacramento side
of this river an almost continuous orchard
for twenty-five miles in extent further
down. In all these orchards the peach, the
apricot, the nectarine, the plum and the
Cherry trees grew vigorously, were healthy,
and produced magnificent fruit, and in great
abundance The markets of Sacramento and
San Francisco were then supplied with all
these stone fruits principally from this sec
ton, and from these river orchards. At that
time the stone. fruit trees were planted on
all these river bottoms with confident expec-
%oL 49, ~ hat 4hax
tinus to gather fruit from them of the same
rare quality and in the same great abundance
for generations, and perhaps for an unlimited
period in the future. These river bottom
lands were then considered of great value,
and were actually sold at from 500 to S200
per acre. and fruit culture was the main con-
sideratiou that gave them this great value.
For the last ten years the mining debris has
been gradually filling up the river bed, and
the water level in the river and the adjoin-
ing lands has been gradually rising
aud approaching nearer and nearer to
the surface. As it has reached the roots of
peach and other stone fruit trees, these trees
have each year shown unmistakable marks
VI 1Lo uCASJckNJAn tilENto upbn 6ucti anu tuclE
annual crops of fruit Yellow leaf, curled
leaf, and annually increasing number of
dead limbs, have been the indications of ap-
preaching disease and decay of the trees,
while the fruit has steadily decreased in
quantity and size, and has gradually lost its
high favor and other former distinguishing
good qualities. During the past summer
large numbers of trees that started good
crops of fruit, and seine Of which mere or
less perfectly natured their crops, have since
died. Year by year orchardists have been
convinced of the futihty of trying to keep up
their orchards, and have reluctantly aban.
doned their former fsvorite and profitable
business and at this time stone-fruit tree
planting in all the section that ten years
since was the best in the State for
this class of fruit has been almost entirely
abandoned. The fact that good peaches,
good nectarines aud good spricots have almost
entirely disappeared from our markets during
the season for such fruit, and that the poor
specimens that are to be found command such
high prices that people cannot afford to buy
them. shows that with the decay of the bust
ness in the sections named it has not been re-
newed to any extent in any other. From
this fact we are inclined to the belief that a
false impression is obtaining in regard to tie
adaptability Of our State to the production
of this class Of fruit. We fear that orchard
lists have not sufficiently studied the causes of
-f1,a 3 h. !
fruits named And right here we would
point out the fact that while local cause has
fallen where it was capable of doing q
great local damage, it cannot reach any other
locality and should not be allowed to operate
against the planting of stone.fruit orchards
anywhere in the State. Some of the great
est successes in peach culture that have been
known in the State have been achieved in the
foothills of the Sierras. The largest and best
peaches ever raised in the State were pro-
care as to varieties or cultivation. Our eli
mate is certainly among the best in the world
for stone-fruit culture, and there are to be
found soils In great abundance just SIS favor
nhle as those on the river banks A light,
sandy, warm loan, in locality that can be
well drained is all that is required for such
fruit orchard. Then good trees of good vari-
cites, well planted and cultivated and care.
fully pruned, viii bring successful crops and
large profits. In our opinion there is no other
enterprise in the State at the present that
holds out better Inducements than the plant
ing in central and northern California of
orchards Of the stone fruits, with the view of
producing fruit for sale, either in fresh, pre-
served or dried form.
The Kinds Of Grapes to Plant. and Where
and How to Plant Them
In consequences of the favorable turn in
the commercial value of California wine and
the consequent rise in the price paid for
grapes, there is prospect that larger num-
Der OF acres will be planted this year in vines
than ever before were planted in q single
season in the State. Grapes for wine have
become the most profitable crop in the State,
and the prospects now are favorable for their
continuing SO for AN indefinite time in the
future. This situation of things causes a
great many inquiries as TO the best varieties
of grapes for wine, as to the best locality and
soil to plant them iu and as to the best mode
of planting the vine. In an early day the
men who planted out vineyards in California
seemed to think they were doing a very
praiseworthy, if not very wise thing fnan-
cially, by planting great number of varie-
ties. Hence our earliest cultivators of the
vine and our earliest exhibitors of grapes at
our fairs frequently cultivated from 100 to
$50 varieties. While this practice did not
prove profitable to those who adopted it. it
proved valuable lesson or guide for those
who to-day are proposing to plant vineyards
1t led to knowledge of the characteristics
and practical value of all, and helped in the