Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-08-09
About Truck Gardening
and Fruits.

Something About Truck Gardening
and Fruits.
Prince Krapotkine has lately taken to
estimating the ability of the earth to sus-
tain population. This discussion is not
original with the Prince. One of the
most striking and eloquent chapters Of
Henry Georges Progress and Poverty is
devoted to the same topic, and George
has worked out his theorems in man
ner very fascinating to an idealist
Prince krapotkine, who has lived much
about Paris, has given number of very
interesting facts as to the achievements
OF the French market gardeners in the
neighborhood of that gay metropolis of
the world. OF course all the views of
this Russian Nihilist have reference to
the monopoly Of land, which in his eye
is as nefarious proposition as the mon
opoly of power by Emperors and Kings,
but the facts he cites are useful dissociated
from his political and socialstic theories
He cites the instance of a market gardener
near Paris, who from two and seven
tenths acres Of land, produces an aver
age of 125 tons OF vegetables a year.
That is to say, he raises 250,0O0 pounds
of esculents every twelve month-enough
probably to sustain life in one hundred
people. At the low price of one cent
per pound for these vegetables these two
and seven.tenths acres would yield
$500. Two cents pound is probably
the right estimate, which would give
$4,000, or nearly $4,000 an acre for the
reward of the French market gardener.
He also cites an instance of an English
market gardener who clears $4,000 off an
acre in attractive truck specialties. The
profits of the French market gardener
must be large, because the average rental
per acre is $3.50 of the lands applied
to this purpose in the neighborhood
OF French cities.
To accomplish these wonderful re
suits the French market gardener is
obliged to use highly expensive fertili-
zers, and to resort to ingenious expe-
dients in the shape of erecting walls to
shut out adverse winds, thus creating
artificially more southern temperature.
One of these men has run pipes under
half acre of ground which he has covered
with glass in the environs of Paris, which
he fills with steam. BY this device he
is enabled to raise and sell from 1000 to
1900 punches of fresh asparagus a day.
At two cents bunch, which we presume
is a moderate price, he thus realizes
from 500 to $24 dollars day gross, from
this incredibly minnifed tract of ground,
which throws the "Ten Acres Enough, !"
of the ingenious American author, far
into the shade.
AS conclusion of his inquiry, Prince
Krapotkine, who has plagiarized his fun.
damental idea, concludes that if it were
not for monopoly of land the earth would
support 1000 people to the square mile.
At this rate Massachusetts could support
a population of 1900, 200 and the United
States could feed 100000, 900, twice
the present population of the globe.
Dropping the Princes political and social
theories, these facts about French mar
ket gardeners are Of great interest in
Southern California. Here we have the
sun for which the Partisan has to make
such heroic fight in expedients. We
have virgin soil of inexhaustible rich
ness. Our advantages, as compared
with almost any other portion of the
United States, are practically illimitable.
Take, for instance, the matter Of cheese
making, butter-making or the raising of
graded stock. In Orange county, New
York, the farmer can rely upon one crop
OF clover and perhaps a scant second
crop a year. If he harvests two and a
half tons an acre between both he does
well. In Los Angeles county, on the
other hand, if he has land adapted to
growing alfalfa he can look for from five
to eight crops year, ranging in yield
to from eight in ordinary to fourteen tons
in exceptionally favored soils a year.
The advantages in favor of the Southern
California farmer are unspeakable.
In the whole range of vegetable and
fruit production it is the same tremen-
dous disparity in our favor. By proper
system OF alienation the Los Angeles
gardener can be producing something in
every month in the year. 1t is ques-
ton as to whether the palm of superior
profit lies with the fruit grower or the |
market gardener. Mr.. Fleming, of San