The Emporia weekly news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1881-1889, 1881-09-29
DIVIDENDS.
Profits of Fruit Culture in California

SAN JOSE, Cal, Aug. y, 1851.
EDS. NEWS: Your paper has lately
worn an aspect of dumb reproach, as if
telling your California correspondent
that he is neglectful Of his duties. Per-
haps no topic would be more interesting
than the achieved results of some of our
Pacific coast industries.
My home is on the Santa Cruz noun
tains, about 81 miles from San Jose
whittier my duty as teacher calls me
daily. live on height about 1000
feet above the sea, which is some seven
miles distant I am comparatively a
newcomer, but some of my neighbors
have lived here long enough to realize
the fruit of their labors. l have lately
been going through their vineyards and
orchards, learning the particulars as to
their business.
My nearest neighbor is n Delaware
farmer, who has just begun to gather re-
turns from his small peach orchard.
He failed to thin the fruit, and receives
but small price, 2H cents apound for
it. 81 III
Next to him is Judge Miller, from
Illinois. He bought vineyard of 12
acres, planted with the old Mission
grape, cut off the vines, and grated
them So years ago, with improved table
grapes. East year his vineyard gave him
$4,000, above the cost of marketing and
harvesting.
Next to him lives Mr.. Morrell, driv-
ing Maine Yankee. He has some 80
acres in trees and vines of all ages and
his sales this year aggregated some $780,
600, An acre of good peaches, properly
thinned in April, is worth $500 at the
canneries. Deduct 500 for the cost of
gathering and marketing, and there
is still profit. The above statement
only applies to fruit grown upon
the Santa Cruz range, which commands
a much better and higher price than
the fruit of the valleys. Four and a half
acres of Black Ferrara grapes, grown at
this vineyard, yielded thirty-two tons of
fruit, which sold at the station mile
away for $40 ton for shipment to Chi
cage. All his Tokay grapes, very huge
and red, are contracted at $50 per ton
this year. They are all sent east, for the
delusion and discontinue of the
Yankees. No weli-informed Californian
ever eats one.
Mr.. Morrell has several acres of Tin
fandel, German claret grape. These
were gathered and pressed last fall,
yielding over 1000 gallons of wine per
acre, and this sells in casks at about fifty
cents a gallon. 1t is bottled at San
Francisco, decorated with French labels
and sold as high-priced French wine.
Good Kansans know it not.
Adjoining this place is that of Mr..
Taylor, a gentleman who scorns all
vintages on account of their mildness.
His specially is the olive, which thrives
wonderfully on these seward heights.
His trees have been planted nine years,
and last year they averaged about eight
dollars per tree, the fruit being purchas-
ed for picking. The market for this
and for the oil is unlimited.
Rev. Mr. Sears, retired Methodist
clergyman, was the last on the list. He
has made home for his declining years
on these beautiful hills, and the material
returns seem better than would have
come from Il promotion to the episco-
pate He tells me he wants no better
income than that which comes from
raising and drying prumes at 10 cents
pound. He has steam dryer, prepares
sweetmeats of all fruit and
juices, and seems thankful and hopeful.
His best fruit is the St. Martins prune-
a beautiful, large white plumb, which
loads the trees almost to breaking them
down, and seems to combine all lucious
savors He loaded me so plentifHlly
that could Como further, but elambered
with my huge bag of fruit upon my
mustang, and started homeward through
the redwoods l saw enough to fully
convince NE that one acre of California
fruit is worth ten of Illinois corn. But
these splendid results are attained only
by the highest culture and the most un-
faltering care. The ground is titled
like garden, the trees nursed like the
children OF a royal family; and the
battle with insect pests is costly and in
cessant, still, it pays.
1t is sad to read of the evils that
plague the east; drouth, hurricanes and
forest fires. Here nature is as kind as
ever. The mist comes in from the sea,
the sky is always bright, the winds blow
softly and nothing distuFbs the peace of
our hills. So far as we are concerned,
the great planetary conjunction is not at
all distinctive, and the comets shed
down no maIign influences. GFimmer,
Mother Shipton, and the Great Pyramid,
have no terrors for US. BY daily jour-
neys down to my work in the valley are
always a pleasure.
School-ma'ams seem to be q staple
crop here. We have SOME $50 students
now, mostly ladies, and there are o.
in our senior class, completing the third
and final year OF the course.
Mr.. Hamlin, of Ottawa, has located
for the winter at Santa Cruz, and find
Jawhawkers everywhere. None of them
seem inclined TO return east. N b. N