Mexico weekly ledger., 1890-12-04
FRUIT IN CALIFORNIA.
Enormous Profits From Culture
of the Grape-MissOurians in
The Golden State.
c Correspondence of the Ledger.

put in a great part of my youthful
days in st. Louis and vicinity, l
thought that a few lines in your
far-reaching weekly LEDGER might
be OF interest to your many readers
in California, especially in Fresno,
Tulare, Merced and other counties
In the great San Joaquin valley
| pronounced San Wakeen-also OF
interest to your numerous readers
in Missouri and the middle states.
/ The San Joaquin valley was at
one time bowling desert, the soil
being of a very sandy nature, yet
when it is well irrigated you can
raise anything from ajack rabbit to
an elephant, or peanut to 500
pound pumpkin; of course, in
Fresno, the banner raisin county
of the valley, the land is all laid
out in vineyards from ten to one
thousand acres each, with Mus
cat, wine and table grapes. OF
course there are scores of little
farms planted in peaches, prunes,
figs, apricots, oranges, pears, aim
onds, bananas, and, in fact, all
kinds of tropical fruit; but the
raisin is king here. An acre of
Muscat vines in full bearing will
yield from two to three tons of
grapes on good heavy soil; at 5 l 2
cents per pound in the sweat box,
this means from 1925 to 1926 per
acre, gross. Numerous instances,
however, are known where the
yield of an acre of Muscats amount
to as much as $3.50 an acre; of
vine grapes will yield from seven
to nine tons. These may be sold
either wet or dried. The former
will sell at s12 ton, or from SS5
to 500 for the yield of an acre.
1t will be surprising to you, Mr..
Editor, no doubt, that in Fresno
county alone there are 1000 vine
yardists, that the county is scarce
ly eighteen years old. e., in cul-
tivation; that the total acreage of
grapes is 49,OS6 that the acreage
in bearing is % $50 and the acreage
in wine grapes 5,9O3.
Maybe at some future day, Mr..
Editor, 1 will, if you will accept it,
send to you some valuable informa-
ton concerning the prosperity OF
many Missourians who have cast
their lot in the valley "where the
sun is always shining and the snow
Is but a name" In any part OF
Fresno county you can see the
snow-capped peaks of Mount Whit
ney, and any of the lesser peaks
on the great Sierra Nevada range.
The San Joaquin valley, as you all
know, lays between the Sierra
Nevada and what is know as the
Coast range, and here, if desired,
you can have an artesian we'll that
will flow for many ages if sunk
deep enough. There are many
such wells in Fresno and Tulare
counties.
| From early May till late in
autumn rain is unknown here; but
we have vast system ofirrigation,
l. e., large bitches drawing water
from the Kings River and the Sar
joaquin, which run almost parallel
with each other at a distance O.
ebout forty miles between. OI
course the valley is almost level
and irrigation is simple by tapping
the rivers up the foothills.
| My duties, as roamer over this
valley, often bring me in contac
with the Missouri rancher, ant
when such is the case, am sorry t.
say, as far as time ls concerned
the Missourian and ! am out con
siderable. No later than las
week l was in Visalia, Tulare coun
lty, and found a photographer pack
ling a camera on his shoulder
When questioned as to what he wa
doing with his instrument, he state'
that he heard that there was a Mis-
souri, Republican in town and tina
, he wished to take his photo to sem
to the Worlds Fair at Chicago-s
: rare is Missouri Republicans Ii
: these diggins. We have man.
r office holders in Fresno and Tular
counties that are full of anecdote
and Jokes from their old home il
Missouri.
By the way, Mr.. Editor, I ra
across young man who was Dor
and raised in Audrain county an
in the town OF Mexico; no doubt b
| is well-known. He is one of tn
leading business men of KING;
r bury, Fresno county and has take
to his bosom a native daughter c
e the Golden West. He lately pul
K chased one of the finest dwelling
8 in that thriving town and is pre-
}. prietor of the Cosmopolitan So
a loon, resort where they dispens
e good Democratic liquors. Thl
young man is none other tina
Jack Morris--a CHIP of old 2. |
=, Morris, who lives at Thompso
b Station, 5 miles west of Mexico.
: l am pleased to know that th
Democrats had an avalanche an
- showed under all the Republican
= in the Eastern States this yea
Hurrah for Cleveland in 1892. Ol