Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1884-08-16
FRUIT INTERESTS.
SOME OBSERV4 TIONS CONCERNING
SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA.
An Immense and Successful Fruit
Dryer - Orchards Grain = The
Rabbit Pest-CFickets-Etc

general crop is beans, of which there are
thousands of acres planted on the lands
adjoining the road between San Buenayen-
tura and Santicoy. 1t is claimed that the
net returns from the bean crop per acre
nearly triples that received from growing
wheat on the same lands. Near Santicoy
we visited the apricot orchards of J. A. Day
and NJ L. Isham, the orchard of the for
mer containing $50 acres, which will be all
in bearing next season. That of Mr.. lsham
contains fifty acres, all i'll bearing. These
lands are located in what is known as Santa
Clara valley. The name is derived from
the Santa Clara river, which flows through
the valley The apricot trees grow thriftlly
and bear well and show an excellent
growth AS these orchards are isolated
from any market where the fruit can be
sold green in quantity, their products must
either be canned or dried on the premises
SUCCESSFUL FRUIT-DRYER.
Mr.. Day has completed a dryer of his
own construction, of which one section is
in operation, and appears to be great sue
cess. 1t was our good fortune to meet Mr..
Day, and he explained its structure, etc.
He states that from time to time he secured
the rights of the use of the best patents, and
from them constructed the dryer he is now
using. l did not take any measurements,
but will attempt to explain its structure.
THE IRON WORK.
The iron work consists of a shell about
"a feet long and q inches square, open At
both ends and placed few inches above
the level of the ground. Inside OF this
shell, attached to the sides and top, is row
of two-inch gas pipes. Excepting a few,
these pipes extend beyond the shell at both
ends. On the back end of each pipe is an
elbow, to which is attached piece of pipe
about three feet long. The back end of the
shell is filled with brick, leaving an open
ing for a smoke-pipe, and outside of which
the pieces of twO-inch gas pipe attached to
the pipes inside the shell are formed like
the ribs of fan. The pieces attached to
the pipes that do not extend the whole
length are fastened to the pipe through
holes made in the top of the shell. The
smoke and heat are carried by two eight
inch pipes placed over the shell, to the
front, and then returned to a smOke-stack
II inches in diameter placed in the rear of
the dryer.
THE BRICK WORK.
The iron-work is incosed by brick work,
reaching to the floor above-say two feet
heat OF about twenty-siX feet by six feet.
The fre-barS are placed i'll the front end of
the iron shell, thus giving heating sur
face from the shell of over 200 square feet
and from the smOke-pipeS say 100 feet in
length, of 200 square feet In addition to
this the ends of the two-inch gas-pipes ex-
tend beyond the front wall and are
open, then pipes being placed inside
of the large iron she'll are heated to very
high temperature, and a steady flow of air
passing through them, which is regulated
according to the temperature required by
valves or openings on the top of the drier,
and in this manner supplies the drier with
4 large quantity of hot air which is con-
stantly passing up through the fruit on the
trays in addition to the heat generated by
the iron work.
THE DRY-RooM.
On the second floor, and on top of the
brick work, is constructed the dry-room,
in which are set the trays which are OPP
Grated from both sides of the drier. Each
tier contains twelve trays. The entire sec
ton now in operation holds three tons Of
green fruit. For the regulation of the heat
chamber is constructed on the top ofthe dry
room, extending its entire length, in which
are placed the valves for regulating the
draught of hot air entering through the
gas pipes. and also by damper in the
Smoke-stack the heat from the fire can be
regulated. The thermometers in the dry
rooms are six III number; those in the back
portion over the ends of the gas pipe for
which the hot air generates, indicated 1889,
while those in front, directly over the fire.
indicated 1873. Mr.. Day expects, when the
three sections are completed, that he can, if
necessary, turn out from three to four tons
per twentv-fOur hours of dried fruits.
THE PACKING ROOM.
When the fruit is dried it is emptied
off the trays into hopper box and
passed into a room on the first floor. The
room is about thirty feet long by twenty
wide The root, sides and ends, and also
the windows, are neatly covered with white
muslin, so that ii is nearly impossible for
flies or moths to get inside this room. Mr..
Day purposes putting up his fruit in small
packages offive and two and half pounds.
He sent his fruit East last year and received
for it 80 cents pound. This certainly will
be the most extensive and best arranged
apricot-drier, when completed, on the coast,
and worthy of the consideration of all per-
SONS looking for a market for their surplus
fruits.
SANTA PAULA
Is a neat village, located in a narrow por-
ton ofthe Santa Clara valley, sixteen miles
from San Buenaventura, and about thirty
five miles from Newhall on the Southern
Pacific Railroad The lands around Santa
Paula are well adapted for growing citrus
and decidious fruits. Blanchard e Bradley
have an orange orchard of one hundred
acres Of seeding trees, twelve years planted
and now coming into bearing, which will
compare iavorably with those planted in
| some sections of more established reputa-
ton. They also have lemon orchard,
containing eleven acres of the Sicily and
| Eureka varieties, which readily bring al San
Buenaventura for local trade, s. per box, or
| two cents each.
The alfalfa and grain and bean fields in
this vicinity indicate 4 fertile soil. Rail
road communication is wanted in this val
| ley to enhance values, and the establish
ment of sanitariums of high order.
At A. NJ. the sage passes Santa Paula
! for Newhall. The stage road continues its
course up the valley through q district but
thinly populated, although such por-
tons rs are under cultivation
gives every indication of rich soil
About fifteen miles from Newhall
the stage road enteres the lands of Mr.
Newhall, which are well fenced along the
line of the road, and for many miles the
Santa Clara river FIRMS the opposite
boundary.
DAMAGE BY RUST AND FREsHET.
Although the presence of rust on the
wheat crop is noticeable all the way up
the valley, it is on the Newhall property,
located along the Santa Clara river, that
the most damage to the crop appears. For
many miles OF a continuous wheat field
the crop will not pay for cutting. Some of
the wheat growing between the Santa
Clara river and Newhall Station
may not be so bad but is dam
aged by rust to a serious extent.
The reports of the damage done by the ex-
ceSSiye spring rains in this section of the
country can only be fully understood by
passing over this section of the road, be
tween San Buenaventura and Newhall,
and witnessing the amount of land de-
stroyed by the overflow of the Santa Clara
river and its tributaries. The water-courses
cut by the overflow of water from the
mountains, the number of bridges swept
away and not yet repaired, and the amount
of work done to make the road passable,
have to be seen before any correct idea can
be formed.
THE RABBIT PEST.
w. G. Struble of Colfax, Placer county,
writes:
OF late have been much troubled with hares
in a new vineyard / am starting, and was adj |
vised by Ar. Wetm0-c TO write you for q remedy. |
Any information YOU can give me on the subject |
will be gratefully received. ] have been spray
100 &