The record-union., 1891-05-23
FRUIT AND WHEAT GROWING IN
CALIFORNIA.

The report Of General Chapman to the
State Board of Trade upon the compare
tive value of wheat and fruit exports of
California was published in full in the
RECoRD-UNIoN of Wednesday. It is to
be hoped that it was widely read, for it
sheds much light upon the question of
production in California, and arms the
people with a great amount of valuable
information with which to respond to in
quiries from the East, that are addressed
to probably half the people from day to
day.
From the report, which appears to have
been prepared with care, we learn that
the fruit exports for 1890 by the Southern
Pacific system required no less than II ,94S
cars. The deciduous fruit shipments ag-
gregated 22o, $40 pounds, or 1lO,264
tons; the citrus fruits, is. "A $40 pounds,
ported by the same system q SIC, $50
pounds, S0,12l $50 pounds of canned
goods, 1,574,230 pounds of nuts, and of
dried fruit 43, 377 $40 pounds.
By the Santa Fe system 1885, 900
pounds of oranges were exported, q ,2l7,-
271 pounds of dried fruit, 1886, 271
pounds of deciduous fruits, and Is, $50 600
pounds of raisins. The total cars re-
quired of the Southern Pacific system for
this export was 11,948, as stated, while
the Santa Fe system was called upon for
but 4,246. There were 10, 64S more cars re-
quired for the California shipments in
1890 than in 1880.
The report shows that value lat point of
shipment) of all our exports Of green and
dried fruits, raisins, oranges, canned
fruits, grapes in wine and grapes in
brandy was $685., S26, while the total
value of our wheat and flour exports was
$l9, 327, 166, or $3.50, $50 less than the value
of our fruit industry. The San Francisco
Bulletin takes issue with this phase of the
report, claiming our wheat and flour out
put to have been $50, coo, 600. But we must
assume General Chipman's report to be
drawn from reliable data. At any rate,
placed simply abreast it reveals won
derful change in the character of produc-
ton in California within comparatively
brief period.
1t is not putting it strong at all to say
that five years ago it would have been
deemed rash prediction to forecast that
California fruit production would in ten
years equal that of wheat. But here we
have the fact that the former source of
prosperity has already passed beyond the
latter in moneyed Importance. 1t means,
however, more than money, because
| fruit-growing stands for more homes
than wheat-growing it represents more
consumers, and, as a rule, a superior
state of civilization. And this is said
without any intention whatever to reflect
harshly upon the social conditions in
wheat-gro owing sections. For it is con-
coded that wheat-growing is not conserv-
alive of those community interests and
that diversity of industry to the extent
/ that is horticulture.
| General Chipman's report goes on to
show the comparative fruit production of
! the north and south sections of the State.
| The showing is that the total value of
fruit exports from the north, with 943, 2S4
/ population, exceeds those of the south,
with 223 1886 population, is as Sl3, 213,3 1873 is
to S6,664, 493. But the per capita profit in
| the south has been greater than north of
| the Tehachapi range. 1t is, however, to
be kept in mind, as Mr.. Mills pointed out
at the reading of the report, that in the
north there is 100000 of population in