Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-10-16
FRUIT and FARM.
CONCERNING CALIFORNIA FRUIT
IN THE EAST.
AppIes-Figs-Packing Eggs
Cattle VS. Sheep-Etc.

There has been much speculation in
| dulged in the latter part of the present sea-
| son as to the cause for low prices of Cali
| fornia fruits at the East. There can be no
doubt that a somewhat demOraliZed COM
petition among shippers and unhealthy
| movement at times in cutting rates in
| Apache fashion, proved injurious in some
instances, and reduced or exhausted the
margin of profit to the shipper, or to the
grower if sold on commission. The fact,
however, which is weighty factor in the
problem of reduced profits, is the extremely
abundant crop of all kinds of fruit at the
| East, for much of which no market could
be obtained at any price. When it is taken
into consideration that our fruits have had
to contend with this condition of local sup
ply at the East, the wonder is that even SO
| good market as we have enjoyed was OBJ
tanned. The Norwalk Chronicle, published
in northern Ohio, has the following con-
corning this years fruit yield in that Sec
ton;
This is one of the remarkable seasons for
| abundant crops in almost everything The
| fruit crop is unprecedented in this or any
other section. From the earliest small
| fruits until now there has been wonder
| full succession Of choice, luscious fruits of
every sort and kind, and at remarkably
| low prices. The strawberry crop was
abundant and excellent; this was sue
| ceeded by fine crop of raspberries and
oh -
was literally true that " you couldn't rest :"
there were so many that they could not be
sold or even given away, and bushels went
| to waste. The fall crops have been equally
| prolific. Grapes were never more
plentiful or delicious, and at the low
est ruling prices ever known; they are
retailed from our grocers' counters at 3
cents per pound and are sold in quantity at
2 cents or less. Peaches have brought the
highest prices proportionately, and have
been least abundant of any fruit in this
locality. They have ranged all the way
from 90 cents up to So per bushel, accord
ing to quality. Plums were very abundant
in their season, and unusually fine in
flavor and quality. The prices ranged
from IS cents to 81 per bushel, the latter
figure being for extra choice. Pears have
also been gathered in abundant supply and
of excellent quality, the prices having |
ranged about the same as plums. Good late |
pears are now being retailed at 81 per
bushel. The apple crop is truly and en-
phatically immense. The Oldest inhabitant ]
expresses establishment, and assures us |
that never before has he seen such prolifi- |
cation. The trees are literally breaking |
down under their loads of elegant fruit |
and thousands of them will be ruined |
The prices are hardly quotable, simply be- |
ing what you can bargain for; nice fall |
fruit picked and delivered for 20 to 40 cents |
per bushel. Winter hand picked, choice |
fruit from % to 80 cents. Apple buyers are |
getting all they want for so to IS cents per |
barrel, picked and delivered at the railroad |
stations. 1t is truly year of great plenty |
in all sorts of fruits.
APPLES IN MoDoC COUNTY.
A ride through Surprise and Goose Lake |
valleys last week convinced US that Modoc |
is good fruit country, and that apples in |
particular can be raised to perfection and |
in abundance At Eagleville Judge Gee
has an orchard in which the trees are
loaded down with the finest kind of apples,
and he will have tons and tons OF them for
sale. Along the road leading up to Cedar
vile there are several orchards with
heavily loaded trees. AT Cedarville there
are also number of small orchards, all of
which will yield prolifcally. Passing on up
to Lake City and Fort Bidwell we find the
same state of affairs; while in Goose Lake
valley there are number of young
orchards, which are making a magnificent
showing. 1t appears as though there will
be enough apples in these two valleys 10
supply the entire county, and we opine that
the day for sending abroad for this useful
article has passed for the Modocers can
now get their apples within our own
boundaries.-JfodOeT Independent
PROFIT IN FIGS
James Stewart, of Downey, sold his fig
crop last week to Barnard ( Benedict, of
Los Angeles, manufacturers of crystallized
fruit, for $50 per ton. Mr.. Stewart has but
one acre out to figs, and his crop will
amount to between twelve and fifteen tons.
Last year the crop from the same trees
yielded twelve tons, and Mr.. Stewart says
the crop this year is much heavier than
then. His trees are all the Smyrna vari-
ETY.. This is good showing for one acre
of ground, being, at twelve tons, $500,
which will amount to more per acre than
the best Muscat vineyard in the State, and
very few orange orchards will compare
with it. At these figures ten acres set to
Smyrna figs, in full bearing, would bring
an income of $4,000 year, equal to ten
per cent. on $4,000. How is that for
southern California figures ?-San Gabriel
Exponent.
GOOD AND BAD BUTTER.
The establishment of creameries has ae-
complished one good, apart from financial
benefits accruing to owners and patrons.
They have made the public better &C
quainted with what good butter really is,
and consumers are becoming more exact
ing as to quality This will compel the
manufacture of better article by farmers
and dairymen. Formerly in local markets
" butter,n whatever the flavor, color or
other characteristics, all sold at the same
price. Now, except in some of the smaller
towns, there is a wide range in the price
At some country stores all butter is still
bought at uniform price, sufficiently
low to allow the dealer to make the
necessary classification of "choice roll"
good country" old grease" etc. Many
butter makers would be surprised and NOR
tilted if they knew how much of their pro-
duct went into the latter class. These
country dealers dislike to offend good
customers by telling them their butter is
inferior to that made by others, as farmers
wives especially are sensitive on this SUBJ
ject The result is that those who make
really good article object to helping to pay
for inferior products, and send their butter
to market where classification is made.
Thus the zone price butter-dealer is losing
his trade and the time will soon be when
butter will sell everywhere according to
quality. This will prove great stimulus
to the manufacturer Of good butter, and an
undoubted benefit to the dairy.-Prairie
Farmer.
BEefN TO PACK YOUR EGGS.