Sacramento daily record-union., 1888-09-29

and marketing was less than $3.50.
j. y. BARTON
Bought forty acres of land four miles
southeast of town last February and saws:
at was one Of those improved farms that
some people class as failures, and was in
neglected condition, not having had any
water on it for two years. OF the forty
acres there were about twenty eight acres
in fruit and grapes. Of the twenty-eight
acres there are 1000 young pear trees not
yet in bearing. One-half of the balance
are trees three years old From this place
my gross receipts have already been over
$4,000. | bought this place February I'd,
entirely too late to get it in anything like
what | would call a number one condition,
but consider that | have been wonderfully
blessed. | paid 1900 for it. A month
after | bought it and cleared it up l was
offered and refused $4,000 | propose to
keep it for my home. By the way, l had
a small patch of Muscat grapes that are
worth mentioning. l cannot give you
exact figures, as my books are at the house,
but from the vines | had at least 1900
pounds of raisins to the acre, which, with
the shipping grapes | marketed, | am sat
isfied will net me $3.50 per acre. My
three-year-oId Alexander and Hales early
peach trees averaged four and three-fourths
boxes to the tree and averaged me 81 %
per box. The former are a very poor
peach-about the poorest excuse of any
thing grown, but as they come in early
they sell"
q. J.. THRELKEL.
WAS born and raised here. | have
been in the fruit business all my life Con-
slider peach trees the best and safest, in
fact, peaches are the backbone of our fruit
business. Every kind of fruit does well,
some in certain localities better than
others, but peaches are the staple. have
now about fifty acres in fruit, thirty acres
in peaches, from 8 to 9 years otd. Have
young orchard of Salways, planted three
years ago, from which | sold this year
5000 boxes for 81 800. These are planted
twenty feet apart, or los to the acre. From
these next year | expect at least 5000
boxes, and will get them if there is no
frost to prevent. The best yield that ever
| had was from variety that is not nearly
so desirable as some others. From 100
trees of Ward clings, in twelve trees more
than an acre, l picked 500 boxes, for
which | received 55 cents per box. |
picked thirteen boxes of marketable
peaches from one tree of McDevitt
cling, and as they were carefully
sorted there was considerable refuse.
| think these trees will average all
through, one year with another, six to
eight boxes to the tree. They should be
planted at least twenty feet apart. / have
a vInnvar1 Of what OAI
vines. and | am going to pull it up and
plant to peaches. Three men take care of
the orchard and do all the work on the
place until picking time, then l have to
hire two or three extra hands for about
three months.
If proper care is taken of trees they
will bear for thirty years = anyway, |
know of trees here now of that age that
are thrifty and still bearing. Cherries
are good fruit, and / have, / think, the
largest young cherry orchard in the county,
and it will come into bearing next spring
From 120 bearing cherry trees my father
sold 81 $50 worth, and l thought ! would
give them good trial. | think, next to
peaches, however, that Bartlett pears are
the safest plant, although have had poor
success with them myself"
A. FREITAS.
Besides the deciduous fruits, Newcastle
can boast of her citrus products. A..
Freitas, who secured the first premium on
his exhibit at the last Citrus Fair, gath
cred in 1885 from his young grove eigh-
teen thousand $4,000 oranges. From the
same trees in 1886 he gathered thirty
thousand 100000, a very good increase for
one year. The lowest price for which he
sold any of his crop of 1886 was at q
cents per orange. The size and value of
his grove is steadily increasing.
MRS. D. A. RICE
Has in her garden in town about 200 fine
orange trees, free from pests of any kind.
One tree, q years old, measures 36I
inches in circumference, is about %
feet high, and from it have
been gathered in a single season
as high as $500 oranges. Another, 81
inches in circumference, produced l6 boxes,
which sold for S32, and, as one of the boys
said, "There was enough little oranges left
to pelt pigs with all winter"
FURTHER INSTANCES
OF yield, in every way as remarkable as
those related, could be multiplied almost
indefinitely, and include figs, plums,
prunes, nectarines, apricots, raspberries,
apples, pears, ounces, ETC. But enough
has been given to show beyond any reason
able doubt that in fruit-farming is found
most remunerative calling, the labor of
which is light and of the most healthful
and delightful character.
LAND VALUES.
Land, like everything else, ought to be
worth that price upon which the average
net annual returns would pay liberal
interest on the capital invested. But OF
course it is not as yet here in California.
or anywhere near it. Take for example
fruit lands, such as these under considera-
tion, and estimate their worth on such a
basis, and the figures are simply astonishing.
Peach trees can be considered in prime
bearing in five years from planting 1--WE
have shown results at even three years.
and planted at the greatest advocated dis
| tance of 20 feet, stand 10S trees to the
| acre. Eight boxes to the tree, one year
with another, it is stated here, would not
be even a liberal estimate, but we will
figure now at only FIVE. These at the
minimum price means a gross return of S27C
per acre. Allowing one-haf for expenses
which Is altogether too much, to cover
every possible incidental in labor, boxes
taxes, etc, and there remains net income
| of S135, or an annual interest of 10 pei
cent on an investment of $3.50 per acre.
To talk such prices now would be to
invite ridicule on every hand, and yet the
time will surely come when people will be
glad to avail themselves of an opportunity
TO invest at extremely large figures
While there remains unimproved lands il
this section of equal fertility, that can be
had for from $40 to $50 per acre, those
prices will continue 10 rule But wher
that is gone, and the desirableness of the
| section becomes better and better known
people will vie with each other for prop
erty until figures based on the interest on
! investment will prevail
A MATTER OF INDUSTRY.
| But no matter whit the richness of the
soil and the accompanying advantages o
| climate, no one need expect to come Il
California and locate in this or any Other
section, and gain home and competency
without the necessary effort. Nature
has here laid noble foundation for man.
home, but the home must be the work O.
the man himself. To the immi grant il
4 i II