Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-10-18

A Short Crop, But 1t Was Turned to
Splendid Account.
WASHINGTON, October l7th-The October
crop bulletin devotes more attention to
California than any other State in the
Union.
It says: The past year has been prosper
Gus TO the farmers of California as a whole.
The winter on the Pacific Coast was one of
the most severe ever known. The temper
ature was very low and rain and snow fell
excessively. In the valleys of California
grain sowing was interiered with aud the
seed bed was cold, wet and heavy. and on
large areas the plant wss drowned out by
spring freshets and oVerflows. Barley, as
well ss wheat, suffered ftom these un-
favorable conditions.
THE wheat fields of the State are mainly
in the Sacramento and San Joaquin val
leys and the conditions governing the cul-
tivation and growth of cereals are radically
different in each valley. The precipitation
in the Sacramento valley is generally
abundant and the soil well able to with
stand drought, but peculiarly susceptible
to damage from excessive rains, and result
ing in Fl )ods On the contrary, the fields
of the San Joaquin valley are more liable
TO injury from drought, and capable of
withstanding heavy precipitation with
little damage.
This adspabiliiy to opposite meteor
logical conditions in the two grain centers
renders fair crop in one section or other
almost certainty, and the conditions of
the present season, while materially dam
ing The output in the Sacramento valley,
insured good result in the greater portion
of the San Joaquin valley.
I'm Tulare and Fresno counties the yield
is probably larger than last year. While in
other counties of large production estimates
of crop range from 25 TO 10 per cent. of
previous production. A consensus of local
estimates might make crop of State from
20 to rs per cent. cf that of last year.
though the Department will make no esti-
mate until the close of the season.
Definite estimates of the barley product
are difficult to arrive at. Among arabic
crops II is second only to wheat, and its use
is so wide and varied that no record of the
crop movement can be made. Large
quantities of this grain are now annually
shipped from the State both TO foreign
ports and to domestic markets east of the
Rocky Mountains. 1t is commerce car
ried on both by sea and by rail. No less
than 81 per cent. of the shipment of
ISSS-S9 being overland. During that
year tine aggregate shipments amounted
to 2,620 42S bushels. of which 1,204 426
bushels were to foreign countries and
$780, COZ bushels TO domestic markets.
The average price of net feed barley in
the San Francisco market, based upon ac-
tual sales, was for the year under consider
ton rs cents per Genital. The crop of
the present year is smaller proportiOnally
than that Of wheat and the effect of re-
duced yield is already apparent in the re-
| duced shipments from the State and the
increased market price of the product.
The San Francisco price of No. l feed bar
ley on October l, 1882 was 72l cents per
GENITAL while at about the same date the
present season it was 81 81, having nearly
doubled in value.
"In spite of the short wheat crop the
price of that cereal has not materially
changed during the past twelve months,
and in view OF the prospect OF shortened
supply in the worlds markets, and GER
taiply of smaller product for this country.
! failure of prices to respond is peculiar.
"The most remarkable results of the
year have been in fruit and vine industries
of the coast. The fruit crop was one of
only medium production, below the usual
average or standard both in quantity and
Quality, the hard winter and wet spring
being unfavorable to full development.
| Under ordinary conditions it would have
been year of DISBURSEMENT, but the
practical failure of all fruits east of the
Rocky mountains created such demand
] from the new markets and so advanced the
| prices as to make it a season of unexam-
pied prosperity to the horticultural inter-
ests as soon as ii was apparent that the
fruit crop of the East was failure.
EARLY in the year shrewd dealers
| throughout the country began to make ar
rangements to handle California products
and the overland shipments have been
enormous, comprising the choicest of the
States production. The prices paid have
been such as it might be said growers never
| hoped to realize, and tine crop wss large
enough togive all interested in the industry
| the benefit of the exceptional values
| Activity in fruit shipment extended to nine
| products, and many carloads of California
| choice table grapes reached markets hereto
| fore held exclusively by local product,
creating taste and demand which will con-
| tinue hereafter even in less favorable years.
| The year has presented golden opportunity
for the dissemination throughout the coun-
| try of practical knowledge of the fruits of
| the golden State, and every advantage has
been taken of it. A trade has been opened
up which must continue with mutual
benefit to the producers and consumers of
fine fruit, despite the distance and costly
| transportation.
leSoiuo VI tolai oni ipluen'o W polnlS out-
side of the State are not yet received, but
San Francisco authorities on the fruit
trade believe that it will be equal to 10, coo
car loads, and liberal estimate would
make the value of these shipments per-
haps $10,000,000, value almost half as
large as that of the States exportation of
wheat during 1889. Peaches have brought
growers $50 per ton, with higher prices for
choice varieties, and all grades. as rule.
have commanded from double last years
prices upward. Wine grapes are bringing
better values than ever heretofore realized,
the general prosperity of the year extend
ing to all branches of horticulture and
wine growing.
"On the whole, the year will go into
history as one of general prosperity of the