Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-09-03
PEACH RANCHES.
How the Delicious Fruit is Raised and
Shipped.

The fact that New York is compelled to look
to distant California this season for the bulk of
her fruit supply has awakened inquiry to an
unusual extent concerning California fruit
ranches. Pears and peaches have made up
the greater part of the California shipments to
date. man familiar with the fruit growing
OF the Pacific slope Yesterday said:
1T is worth the while of any tourist to Cali
fornia to take a run up the Sacramento river.
Not one tourist in thousand does this. simply
because the attraction is not advertised. But
such peaches and such trip, Let me tell you
about it for the enlightenment of travellers in
search of something new. and also in the inter-
est OF general information.
THE fruit ranches of the Sacramento river
district are near the river banks or levees.
The river is narrow and winding. A fringe of
cottonwood trees marks it's course for miles.
These cottonwoods also make wind break to
protect the orchards The Sacramento river
fruit which comes east is packed carefully in
boxes. 1t exhales less Odor and is duller look
ing than the ripper fruit which is ready to 20 to
San Francisco for immediate consumption. Ii is,
i'll fact. expected to ripen on the way, while the
consignments for San Francisco are in their
prime. And here let me suggest that while
California has Its mining romances the daring
and successful marketing Of green fruits-car-
rled over snow-clad mountain ranges and ex-
the palates Of New Workers may be tickled, is
something out Of the common.
"These orchards are carefully cultivated
as a flower garden in the east. There is not a
weed an inch long or a blade Of growing grass
between their uniform and well-trimmed rows.
They have as basis a rich bottom lands soil
and the glorious climate of California. They
are scattered all along the river on both sides
The fruit boats which visit them are stern
wheelers, which plough up the water like an
old-fashioned churn. And here come in the
picturesque features OF the trip. There are no
wharves-nothing but bank landings Each
boat makes trips of two sorts. The first is
made largely after dark. The boat is filled
with empty baskets, which must be de-
iivered from the city back to. the owners
at their ranches to be retilled. This is on the
up trip from the city. The pilots steer up in
the blacklist night with unfaiing accuracy to
the slight breaks in the cottonwood barriers
none over a few feet wide-to the bank land
ings. By some occult sense the deck hands ac-
quire equally exact acquaintance with the iden-
tity and number OF baskets to be thrown ashore
at each Of the many stops. Overhead the dark
sky: underneath the quiet river; on each side
a ragged row Of trees Except for the tinkiing
of the bell in the engine room and the pound
ing Of the wheel Oh the water astern the trip is
accomplished in almost total silence
But with the coming of the daylight the
scene changes. At each gateway through the
trees there are great consgnments Of fruit
smelling sweet as all the spices of Cathay and
rivaling any flower in rich coloring. Great,
juicy, luscious peaches, in thousands of
baskets, mutely implore you to eat them. bloom
and all! While the baskets are going over the
gangplank q am speaking entirely now OF the
shipments to San Francisco) you have chance
to view the ranches. First there is an odor
OF clean, fresh straw, which is spread at the
landing to keep the dust down. Then view
of a California home-a tasteful wooden build
ing. Its surrounding turf is brilliant and
odorous with the most luxurious flowers, all
the result Of irrigation coupled with the eli
mate-let the climate never be forgotten.
Then you see the hitherto concealed orchards
The trees are small, without one particle Of
dead wood on them. All the strength of the
soil il in the fruit and the manner
in which that has been thinned out at
an early stage of growth would prove a sur
prise to the novice or tenderfoot. These orchards
Jointly cover many thousand acres and each is
cultivated to the highest possible degree.
They are SO many gold mines in a season of
high prices and a source OF good income at any
time. Easier than eastern farming? Yes, of
course, but the orchard owner has some
drawbacks. He is constantly menaced by the
ever shoaling Sacramento river, for one thing.
The miners have poured such a mass of detri-
tus into the river that the bed has been raised
30 that the levees must be made higher and
higher. There are one or two ISLANDS in the
river which are, or were, practically submerged
a few years ago. Whether their many broad
acres have been reclaimed since then. I don't
know.
We'll, the work of loading the steamer for
her trip to San Francisco, where she will arrive
in time to be uuloaded before daylight the sue
ceeding day, is Of course monotonous. But az
the cargo accumulates until on board there are
peaches everywhere except in the cabins, a con-
centration Of sweet odors and m aggregation
of lusciousness il reached that would fiil the
eastern man or woman with delight. have
seen all the fruit-growinS sections. but there is
nothing else which 80 necessarily provokes the
palate and sense of smell The boat is full
early in the afternoon. Then she leaves the
last boat landing, threshes her way down
the river to the city, while the waves
wash the high tules on either side to and fro
Before midnight she is ploughing the waters of
Suisun bay. Before daylight she has passed
the Golden Gate, feeling the ocean swell, and
has landed. her fruit at the Jackson street
wharf. When the cargo Of this and other fruit
boats 10 piled up there il ID net necessary to
look further for great fruit show-fruit by the
tom"