Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1890-12-01
LELoNG,s REPORT.
Proceedings of the state Board of 30,
ticuiture

ticuiture
The annual report at Secretary Lelong of
the State Board of Horticulture for the
current year will be ready for distribution
within few days. Advance sheets show
1t to be volume of nearly 600 pages and
h!led with many valuable Suggestions 20
ffuit-groTers. Ii contains complete YER
batim reports OF the convention in Los An
geles last March, giving in detail sill the in
terestlng points brought out during de-
bates, es well IS papers on timely subjects
by prominent horticulturists. Four full
page coiored Autographs, twelve photo
engraving plates and about one hundred
wood engravings add interest to the text
4 sketch of the Mission olive in California,
treatise on oliveoil manufacture, detailed
consideration of beneficial and Injurious
| insects, and an article on that pertinent
subject to all fruit-growers at present-fer-
uiization. with formulas for chemical fer
tifizers-are all of interest. There will be
10000 copies of the report issued for free
distribution throughout the State. Below
are few extracts Of interest
The Mission olive is among the first OF
trees that were introduced into California,
and from the authorities at hand il appears
that prior to the introduction of this tree
but few fruits were known. Most Of the
fruits then consisted of seeding peaches
apples, pears, ounces, pomegranates and
grapes. They were SO inferior in quality
that the ''prickly pear Tuna opuatia)
ranked first in favoritism among the PEG.
pie. In an address in 1884 General John
Bidwe!l says: II remember the time when
there was no fruit raised in California ex-
oept at the old missions Some attempts
were made on the ranches to raise few
grapes. and perhaps q few pear trees, but
they were invariably failures SO far as |
knew"
The Mission olive is supposed to have
been introduced into California from seeds
brought from San Bias, Mexico, by Don
Joseph de Galvtz, during an expedition 10
rediscoyer the port of Mon erey On the
suppression Of the Jesuit order in Mexico
IL l767, aud its consequent expulsion from
al the Spanish dominions, it was decided
TO send body of San Franciscans TO take
charge of the Jesuit missions ia California
These were all in Lower (Sou hern) Cali
fornia; no attempt ct settlement having
yet been made in Upper California. The
band OF missionaries numbered sixteen.
Father Junipero Sierra was put in charge of
it. aud was appointed President of all the
California missions. 1t appears that the
purpose of the Spanish Government was to
proceed as soon ss possible TO the colonial
ton of California. Among those repre-
senting the King of Spsin in inspecting the
work of the Government in every province
of the Spanish Empire was Don Joseph de
Galvez, who held the Office of Visitor
General and Commander" Upon him
rested the responsibility OF the practical
organization of the first expedition. 1t was
he who ordered the carrying OF all sor's of
seeds of vegetables, grains and flowers
and everything that would grow
in old Spain he ordered to be planted in
the new. From this expedition resulted
the establishment OF the San Diego mission,
the parent of those of San Gabriel, Santa
Barbara, San Luis Obispo and others, to all
of which the fruits which Galvez had in
troduced were carried, and there thfove
abundantly. The first seeds Of tne olive
are said TO have been planted at the Mission
San Diego in 1869, and these seeds which
Gslvez had been so provident in sending
took root and prospered The fathers built
new missions and among the first fruit
trees planted was the olive. The olives
planted st the various missions were
from the San Diego Mission, and the trees
afterward transpianied to various places
throughout the State are from the San
Diego and other missions.
These trees are still growing at San
Diego, bearing fairly well, and illustrations
of them are given in the 4 port
As this is the season for picking AID
crushing olives, the hints given are timely
They are chiefly from Italian authorities.
1t is noted that the prevalent belief that
olives yield more oil when harr Vested late is
one of thu !, errors which it is absolutely
necessary 10 correct. Above ali, late gath
cred olives give an oil of poorer quality.
This fact wss noted even by Columela,
| who, despite his opinion that very ripe
olives yield more oil, could not but help
acknowledge that is quality was im paired
IrIaod ha on Cr,hi 10
riper the fruit, the harsher and less agreea.
bic the juice" Besides, BY remaining a
long time on the tree the olives weaken the
plant very much and hinder the formation
ard growth Of new buds, Consequently the
next crop is always light. Also the longer
! the fruits are left on the tree the more are
eaten by the birds, which are fond OF them.
The olives, moreover, are then subjected to
rough weather and frost, and large quaint
ties are carried away by the rains, while
the oil oblaiue ed from the remainder is less
abundant ard of lower grade.
The best ard most cDmmeI6a5le way TO
gather the olives is to 90 it by hand, since
thus are avoided the evils produced by
beating down the fruit Or by its natural
fall. When the olives are picked by hand
the tree is not injured in any part; the
| shoots destined to bear fruit are no. broken
| or bruised; the olives can be taken off the
| plant IN cue season, and hence not only is
the future production not curtailed, but
healthier and nicer fruits are obtained and
in greater quantity, thus producing more
and better quality of oil. In Tuscany the
proper time for harvesting having arrived,
| the tree is surrounded with large pieces of
canvas, held rather tight. The pickers rub
by hand the small branches loaded with
| olives and let the fruit fall upon the canvas.
AS soon as the stretched cloth is sufficiently
covered, the ends are brought together and
the olives dumped into baskets close by,
which are then carried to the oil factory.