The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-27
LETTER FROM NILES.
women Carrying on Farms-Cnl-
ture of Olives.

Editor Morning Call {: There is no pos
siDle reason why women cannot become as
expert 1rult- growers as men; nearly twenty
years ago few of the teachers in the Girls
High School in San Francisco formed a
sort OF CLOSE corporation" and purchased
lahd In Fresno; one of their number, Miss
Jane Austin, lovingly remembered by hun
oreds OF San Francisco women who were
ner pupils, finding her health falling went
10 Fresno and personally took charge of the
ranch; OF her success it is enough to say that
hYe years later she had broad acres covered
WIN raisln grapes-had shipped the first lot
Vi ralSins East from that section, where
tiiey commanded as good prices as any
american product in the markets. She had
charming country house surrounded by a
iuAuriaht garden, full barns. fine cattle and
leans. and had attended to every detail of
Tue management herself. We often, too, see
women, farmers wives, when left as
WIDOWS, managing with success their broad
acres Oh grain, as we know too of several
women who continue the care of their
orchards after their husbands or fathers
may be gone
but why do not women who may have a
pug heSt-egg buy and carry on the raising
VI fruits lhemselvesP 1t is not necessary to
hfnoW now to pillow or to prune, or even to
nnow one tree from another to succeed; the
niali requisite must be common sense and
plehty OF 1t. Within one season an obServant
person can know every tree and its general
mahts VIII know when to plow, now to-
ndloie her fruits, where to sell them, and
wiz, IL a lover of country life, have become
81 interested In the work that it becomes
pressure: Many of the wives of the ranch
Sis III TINS section, while their husbands are
pusV at the actual work, drive off to the
tanners and sell the crops, and when sold.
WINE their husbands attend to the picking
ana hauling to the depot, will superintend
Ihe boys or men at the packing tables or
uTYlhg-trays, or, if :heir husbands are sick
ot away, 20 into the fields and order the
picking with as much skill as the men.
:, tnere are two or three women Orchardists
III tliS section whose well-tilled acres, green
trees, lovely homes and gardens and better
sun, well-hlled purses at the seasons end,
put 10 Shame some of their more careless
male neighbors
one man can easily attend to twenty
acres oil orcharding, except to spray and
Ptuhe. when 4 few days extra labor may
ue required, and in the picking season, when
nany hands are required to handle the
irull when ripe; this being a small town it
- impossible to get white labor enough. If
tne weather is cloudy and cold the fruit
"opens slowly and picking goes on slowly.
IL ~ u lew hot and sultry days come, tons Of
lfult Will ripen at once and then there is
grand rush for men.
0hyes are usually gathered in December
anu January. The last of the bright purple
berries nave Just been picked. There are
no ollVe groves In this section still there are
hunureds OF the trees, the most of them
peing OF the Mission variety, planted from
cuttings taken from the original Spanish
trees brought from Spain in 1890 aud planted
IN the Mission San jose. one or two of
winch stll stand, their black trunks and
sllver-Hned foliage whispering tales of
Years ago. In the southern part of the
State there are three or four factories
Tor making the oil and for bottling the olives
as eondlment; but the only one in the
northern part of the State is Lear Los Gdtos,
ior making the oil only, which is a compare
tiFeiy simple process. The preparation of
the olive for condiment is more difficult,
requiring the utmost care and attention. A
gentleman near Niles has experimental until
ne has succeeded in making continent equal
TO the best imported brands. The Mission
olive Is smaller than the imported berry, and
OF a purple color, instead of pale yellow
or green. a few hundred boxes find their
way way INTO INTO the San francisco markets
eacn year. and are eagerly bought by
foreigners, especially those who come from
countries bordering upon the Mediterranean
Sea. They bring from to cents pound.
ana It is safe to say that not one in 1000 peo- .
pie know what the little glossy purple berry
Is when they see it. The trees blossom early
IN February, in tiny, struggling punches, SO
near the color of the foliage that they can
hardly be seen.
The trees are grown from cuttings, which
may be as large as it is possible to cut and
plant. These cuttings sometimes remain dor
mant two or even three years, but when
once started grow rapidly. A tree may be
said to be at maturity when twenty years
old, when IL will bear from 200 to 800 pounds.
1he olive needs no water, but plenty of sun
shine and air, and, indeed, the more sterile
and dry the soil the better will it thrive.
Nearly 1000 trees have been planted al
ready this year.
The church curtains, which were stolen
some three months ago, have been returned,
none the worse for their travels. John
Pratta, who stole them, has been SEN
fenced to two and half years at San Quen-
tin.
The Spare Minute Circle met last Satur-
day at Harry Mosher's and continued their
trip to Mauna Loa. These imaginary trips
are becoming very popular. and the bright
descriptions read are most interesting
The Kings Daughters are busy fitting I'D
box Of phythings to be sent to the Chill
1ren's Hospital in San Francisco, and the
Ladies Guild will work another week upon
the garments to be sent to the same place.
The weather is still warm and lovely as
spring, almonds are blooming, the moon
light Is perfect and the morning star CLOVIS
bright in the east
Mics. Jan. &c, 1891 MRS L. Z. THANE.