Morning journal and courier., 1882-09-18
The Great Fruit State.
CaIffornia's Most Profitable Ind ustry Sup plying the World with Canned Goods.
 he Staafa eit


 plying the World with Canned Goods.
 -tFrom the staats zeitung.l
 California fruit has become an important staple in the markets of the world, and is sent, canned, preserved and dried, to all countries It is the wonderfully comprehen- sivs character of fruit culture in this State that constitutes it's most striking trait. The variety of fruits successfully grown here far surpasses that produced by any other region of equal extent, and 1t keeps continually increasing, by the introduction of new grades and species from every part of the globe. Although semi tropical fruit thrives best south of the 35th degree of latitude, in the counties of San Ventura, Santa Babara, Los Angeles, San Bernardino and Diego, it has { been planted successfully in other parts of the State and even as far north as the bor- der county of Shasta Many of those who grow fruit for their own use raise side by | side that of the tropics and that of the north 1 temperate zone-the currans and the orange, | the cherry and the fg stra wberrles and plne- apples, bananas, dates and apples. ranch | on which such @ combination of diverse species of fruit is to be seen in grotesqne | exuberance is that of the well-known fruit | grower Dr. Strantzel, at Mortimer, not far 1 from this city. Many of the districts of the | State, however, are known to be best for 1 particular species of fruit, and those who | grow for profit plant accordingly.
 California fruit ranches display apple, pear, peach. plum, prune, apricot, nectarlne, | cherry, quince, fig orange, lemon, lime, pomegranate, olive, English walnut and al- l mond trees The fig tree gives two crops | year in the southern counties of the State. | All kinds of berries grow in profusfon, and | come earlier and stay longer than in the ! East Strawberries are usually to be had the | whole year round, and always from March to l January. Some of the most valuable fea- l lures of California fruit are the freedom from l worms, the fitness for drying, and the exemp 1 ton from any form of disease.
 1 It has been said by some that California fruit | lacks flavor and juiciness and is in these re- | spects inferior to eastern fruit, but the as 1 sertion will not bear fair test There is | fruit grown in California that is not of the | best quality, but there is not much of it, and
 every year the quantity is decreasing Im- | provsment in grade and species Is going on 1 continually, and the care and skill displayed
 are constantly becoming more marked. The | average fruit raised to day is of high order l of excellence.
 l At the beginning of the present year, the l State possessed about COCO, 900 fruit trees,
 among them 2,40O, 900 apple, SO0,O0O peach, BOG, 900 pear, ,26O ,O00 plum and prune, 130, 900 cherry, 25O, ,OOO apricot. 50,OO0 fig, LOGO, ,000 l orange and 140, GOO lemon trees. Trees begin
 to bear at a much earlier age than in the i East This is one of the great advantages,
 pecuniarily considered, of fruit culture in | this State. Peach trees often bear the second
 year after planting apple trees begin tc 1 yield in the third year, and bear abundantly
 in the fifth. In this dry climate, too, ripe | fruit keeps in good condition much longer, and is hardier than it is in moister climates.