Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-12-19

An important meeting of the State Board
of Horticulture was held in San Francisco
Wednesday afternoon. There were present
MeSsrs. Elwo0d Cooper, DR.. +. Kimbali,
William NJ. Boggs G.. n. Miico and DIR. ;.
F. Chaplin President Cooper III the chair
and y. II. Webb, Secretary. After calling
the roll the Secretary read the proceedings
of the last meeting, which were approved
as read. After the reports of committees
and the reports of the Secretary and Tro,.S-
urer were read and approved, and also re-
ports of members relating to horticulture
in their several districts, DR.. Chaplin, the
Inspector of Fruit Pests, read an extended
and interesting report of his work as In
spector, which was also approved. All
these reports will be published in their
biennial report TO the Legislature. DIR.
Chaplin spoke in the highest terms of the
very earnest and efficient work in the sup
preston of insect pests by A. f. Coronel,
one of the Commissioners at large in the
Los Angeles district; also of Dr. J. De
Barth Shorb, of San Gabriel.
DR.. Kimball and DR.. Ckapjn were ap-
pointed committee to appear before the
Legislature and request certain changes in
the present law governing the State Board
of Horticulture, and President Cooper was
requested to act as a committee of one to
urge upon our delegation i'll Congress to
procure such amendments to the revenue
laws rs to require every article imported,
whether dutiable or free, intended for hu-
man consumption, to contain Il true label
of its contents, subject to confiscation by
default.
Secretary Webb's report shows q most
wonderful growth of horticulture in this
State, and some facts stated are worthy OF
note He says: MANY thousand of acres
have been planted to fruit trees of various
kinds during the past year 1t is estimated
that in the county of Santa Clara alone
(Which has ever been conspicuous as a
truit section), eleven thousand acres were
added to the already extensive and prosper
Gus orchards. In the counties of Napa and
Sonoma fully five hundred thousand French
or Petit d Agen prunes alone were planted,
and the unrivaled Naca valley, long noted
for early and choice fruits has kept pace
with the rest. The fertile and thrifty Sui
sun also claims attention rs containing one
orchard alone of some $50 acres, which will
soon be one of the finest in the world. In
the northern portion of the State the desire
to plant trees is just beginning to show it
self, and it is believed that the coming
planting season will show most wonder.
ful increase in orchard-planting The same
and more may be said of Fresno, Tulare
and neighboring courties, while the c0un-
ties of Los Angeles, San Bernardino and
San Diego, with reputation known to all
and eXcelled by nOne are all increasing
their acreage at a rate unaccountable,
and although California is even now far
in advance of the Eastern States in hOrti-
culture she is yet III her infancy of great
ness as a truit-producing country.
But while every appearance may seem
bright and hopeful for the future, we
should not shut our eyes to the threatening
=,
eign competition | allude, OF course, to
the so-called reciprocal treaties with Mexico
and other Central American Republics. 1t
is unjust, because it is openly acknowledged
by the advocates of reciprocity that the ad-
mission of the fruits OF those countries free
of duty is the chief equivalent offered by
the United States for the benefits to be de-
rived by those combined capitalists and
corporations engaged in the production and
manufacture of coal, iron, steel and petro-
leum and the articles manufactured there
from. 1t is gratifying to know, however,
that the State Horticultural Society," at their
last meeting, passed unanimously strong
resolutions against the treaty with Mexico.
But it may not be proper to further discuss
this subject in this short report. The next
and most vital subject that concerns the
fruit-grOwer is the growing necessity for
cheaper transportation. This it is conf
IDENTIFY believed, will at no distant day be
satisfactorily arranged between the trans
portation companies and fruit. growers.
With this accomplished, and regular daily
trains loaded with our choice fruits as fast
freight to the Eastern markets, and the
dangers of competition referred to opposed
and defeated, we shall be content
----s --
An ELECTRIC SEAT-Mark Twain and
George Cable went to Albany to call on
Governor Cleveland. They also visited
the Adjutant-GeneraPs Office. That gem
tleman was out. Twain sat down to wait,
and, with his usual sang-froid, made
chair out of one of the office tables The
party were chatting cheerfully and con-
Quoting themselves peacefully when
dozen clerks and deputies of the depart
ment came rushing into the Office, and
with unusual vehemence asked what was
wanted. None of the visiting party seemed
to understand the situation. An inyesti-
cation disclosed the fact that Twain, by
accident or design, had planted himself
squarely on long row Of electric buttons,
and thus set ringing as many call-bells.-
[Chicago Herald.