The sun., 1890-07-20

AS the future prosperity OF California de-
pends on the development Of her agricultural
rather than her mining industries We turn
with especial curiosity to the chapters which
review the successive advances made in the
production OF cereals. fruit growing and wine
making The principal grain staples Of Cali
fornia are wheat and barley. and next but at
O long Interval. Indian corn and oats. Wheat
was raised to some extent by the Spanish Cali
fornians before the discovery OF gold yet 10
1850 the crop was only li,32S bushels. By
1880 the annual yield had risen to $4,000, 900
bushels, and in 1889 to 50,000000. The
amount exported increased from about
three quarters OF a million bushels in 1867
to nearly thrice as much in 1888. The yield per
acre. which at one time reached 10 bushels
has now fallen to about IL; this. however is one
fourth more than the average for the United
States. The quantity OF barley harvested in
1850 was but 800 bushels: In 1880 it was
l2.4GOOjO. and in 1883 1t hal increased to
2O.0OO.0JO bushels. large part Of which was
used for mailing. The average yield OF Indian,
corn in recent years is said by Mr. Bancroft n
have been between 100000 and 5.O00C 90
bushels. Rye and buckwheat are only slightly
cultivated. and the attempts 20 raise rice san
not be pronounced successful. The eX PERI
ments with cotton, sugar and the silk worm
have also been unpIomisng. but the sugar
beet is found to contain II larger propo hion OF
saccharine matter than the European root.
1t is. however Pomona rather tb an Ceres
who is destined to be the tutelary oddess OF
California In this favored region fr ait picking
never ceases for the citrus season Hlls up the
months when the other orchards sIeep. Cher
ries are in the market from MPY to October.
and strawberries nearly all the year in the
southern counties. The flavor II the Califor-
MIA apples. peaches and Strawberries is ac-
knoWledGed 10y Mr.. Bancroft te be inferior to
that OF the same fruits Growa in the Eastern
States. but this cannot be sKid OF the grape
and pear while the apricot; Give and fig thrive
better in no section OF the Cnion The apple
trees predominae in Californian orchards,
numbering no fewer than 2.4OO,O0O. In size
and beauty Tho apples are unsurpassed
anywhere in the world. The Gloria
Mundi attains normally weight OF
twenty ounces and sometimes that OF
q. pounds. There are 3 10000 peach trees and
100000 pear trees. In San joss there are old
Bartlett pear trees Which yield annually 40
bushels apiece. In 1895 1t was recorded of GER
tain peach trees thrt they each bore nearly
ton OF peaches, some OF which were % ounces
In weight and over a foot In circumference.
The crop OF RpricoGI for 1889 was estimated at
lS,O00.OOO pounds. OF apricot trees there are
25O.OOO; of plum and prune trees 2G0 OOO OF
cherry trees. l30!k0; Of ilg trees. 80. OOO there
arc also 10000 lemon and 200 900 orange trees
In bearing. Ihaorange crop for 1853 was COM
puted at S5OOV boxes aad its total value at
$l,oOO.OUO. TBre are $4,000 olive trees in
orchards. exceedingly healthy md prolific. but
the slownsss of their growth has checke d plant
ing Tho attoulpts to cultivate tho almond have
been dscougs ged by the fact that in parts OF tho
State the tree blooms without producing fruit.
Certain to DO the chief OF all the prOlucts of
California D. the grape. whose cultivation has
within tht last ten years arou ed the interest
OF the wlLolo community Scarcely had the
spaniariR settled In tho country than they in
troduceu from Mexico two loading varieties Of
tho dc'AI!orated yet hardy fruit OF Houth
Spanish stock now known "a the Mission
grape. viz tho reddish black grape OF Los An
geles rich in sweet Juice. and the blush black
sono ma which yields n lighter wine. Los
Angeles long sustained tho supremacy In viii
cultbrs. producing In $50 some 57.OOO gal
lonI "oi wine. tut tho high prices realized led
to rapid extension Of grape growing even
IL up the Sacramento valley, whore the Vine
J Ad been planted shortly before the discovery
81 gold To this day tho southern counties.
FS niorcsd by those Of tho San Joachim val
Icy. are the chief Crane producers. though the
vitcultural regions of tie north, souoma and
NapR have been supplemented by III Dorado
and districts beyond II In the Sacramento
valley by 1889 about 10000 acres
were planted with some l2O,OOO,OOO vines,
half OF them In bearing. Fully hall OF
tho latter as yet bear Mission grapes. but
according TO Mr. Bancroft tho GrOR planted will
in few years bO doubled with ~ prepondsr-
Rnce OF foreign varieties. At full maturity a
Yield OF three 10 four tons OF grapes TO the acre
may bs expected. although some vineyards