Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-11-20
FRUIT-GR0WERS.
THEY MEMORABILIA CONGRESS-
AND ADJOURN.
Essays on the Olive, the Walnut, the
Almond and the Prune-The
Next Convention.

The Fruit-growers' Convention reassem-
bled in the Supreme Courtroom of the
State Capitol at A NJ. yesterday. The at
tendance was not so large as on the preced-
ing days, many of the fruit men having
left for their homes on the preceding even
ing.
The Chairman announced that the pro-
gramme for the day would be the reading
of several essays, and discussion, g Pro-
lection to Fruit Industries
It was announced that the following dis
patch was received last evening from D.
Lubin, now en- route East
FREMONT (Neh.), November 18th.
There is a Convention of Union Central and
other railroad managers at Chicago to adjust
and fix rates of freight. This would be an oppor-
tune opportunity TO ask concessions for fruit
growers. ID. LUBIN.
The Convention authorized the President
to send the following reply
D. Lubfn Sherman House Chicago. You are
appointed by the California Fruit growers State
Convention to representa- at the Railroad Con-
vention in Chicago. We want passenger time,
ten cars, $500 per car TO Chicago 800 to New
York and Boston slow freight to Chicago, $3.50.
o.
were added to the committee hitherto ap-
pointed to frame law in relation to insect
pests.
Mr.. Curtis, of the firm of Lyon &, Curtis,
was added to the committee appointed to
consult with the Southern Pacific Railroad
authorities.
THE ALMOND.
a. T. Hatch read the following essay
upon the almond:
There are as many varieties of almonds as
there are of peaches, though generally it is
supposed there are only three kinds. The
almond requires considerable room, say
not less than twenty-four feet apart, and
farther apart is better. They will not grow
IN the water, nor do well in a heavy, poorly
drained place. The almond root is the best
for the almond, although they do well on
peach roots. They will not unite well with
apricot roots The almond will do well on
lands not rich enough to produce good
crops Of peaches, apricots or cherries. No
shrubs or vegetables will do well between
almond trees after the first year. if the al
mond trees do well, as they are many and
long time feeders. Almonds, to pay the
grower, should bear well every year, hull
easily, have clean. thin, soft shells, and
smooth, bright and plump kernel. They
do better out of the fog than in it. The
trees should be as young as possible when
transplanted from the nursery. Large trees
are Objectionable even if only one year
from bud Ny best success has been in
dormant buds, although they required
more care than one-year-old trees. They
should be pruned the first three years to
form the trees. After that only to thin out
Objectionable branches. Summer pruning
is to be avoided.
Good cultivation IS essential. No irriga-
ton if little rain. II find California seed
lings to be more hardy than the imported
kinds, the crops suffering much less dam
age from frosts.
The nuts should be thoroughly dried,
then sprinkled and submitted while damp
to the fumes OF sulphur for about seven
minutes. then dried and taken up the same
day. Twenty-Five pounds or more of thin
shelled almonds per tree, at fifteen cents
per pound, that will hull easily, pay the
producer better than fifteen pounds or less
Der tree of such as will only bring ten cents
per pound that are difficult to hull That
is my experience with the seeding over the
imported varieties. Almonds will make
better returns from leaner lands than any
other product, except it may be vines,
olives or figs. Almonds with long single
kernels are preferred in general to such as
have double ones.
The Lauguidoc has proved failure wher-
ever tried in California, so far as producing
regular paying crops. In case of strike
Of help when gathering almonds, you may
bid them good day" and get another sup
oily of half and gather the crop while, if
it were apricots or peaches it might be
necessary to give the fruit and boxes to the
help in order to save it from decay.
A gentleman from Los Angeles said the
almond was a failure in that section. They
could not be grown with profit The soil
and climate were not adapted to it.
They thrive well in Central California,
and are grown with great profit in Solano,
Sacramento, and Placer counties.
Elwood Cooper read an exhaustive essay
upon the olive. 1t was with slight add
tions, the same one which was written by
him some years ago and distributed among
the fruit-growers of the State in pamphlet
form. He also read an essay upon the
English walnut. He has walnut orchard
of fiftv-tive acres, from which he cleared
over 81 900 on this years crop.
Professor Klee read scientific essay
upon flngoid diseases.
DR.. Kimhalrs essay on the apricot was
not read before the Convention, but was
ordered printed in the report.
a. Block, of Santa Clara, was unani-
mously recommended by the Convention
to fill the vacancy IN the State Board OF
Agriculture, vice DR.. S. F. Chaplin, disqual-
fled on account of change OF residence.
THE PRUNE.
The following admirable essay on the
prune was written by W. H. Aiken:
The word prune is derived from the
Latin prltnunp, which means plum, and
NAV be more specifically defined as plum
of fine texture, easily dried whole in the
sun or by artificial heat without ferment-
ing at the pit Prune culture in this State
has become large and growing industry,
and to successfully compete with foreign
prunes protective tariff, an intelligent
culture of the trees, and the best method
of curing the fruit is Indispensable. The
policy OF this Government is and has been
from its foundation, the protection OF
home industries and manufactures by pro-
per duties upon foreign imports The pro-
ducts of the soil have not been protected
10 the same extent or degree as manutact-
nred articles so much used by the farmer,
and especially is this so with the prune.
The tariff of one cent per pound on prunes
was liked before they were raised to any
extent in this country, and was rated for
purpose of revenue and not protection, as
appears from the fact that the dd valorenl
duty on prunes amounts to only 49, per
cent, while the average dd raloren rate of
duty on all articles is 423 per cent.
THE IMPORTATION OF PRUNEs
For the year ending June 80, 1885, was
81 .631, $50 pounds, valued by importers at
S214T, sos; and for the year ending June
60, 1856. 81, 995 547 pounds, valued at s., 026,
595-showing an increased importation in
1886 of 7.363,725 pounds, but a decrease in
value of $120,910.
The prune product of California for the
wear ending June 80. 1885, was estimated at
1875, 600 pounds. of the value of S150,000,
at cents per pound. For the year ending
June 80, 1856, 1,550,000, valued at sos, 600,
at 6 cents per pound. showing falling off
in production of $4,000 pounds, and in
value of 1000. The explanation of this
is that there was not sufficient rainfall last
year to mature large prune that would
command fair price in competition with
an unusually large and cheap importation.