Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-12

plantings to equal this output OF olive
oil, and we have as much more in North
ern California. If you would set about
olive planting with the zeal that has at
tended your orange and raisin planting,
| you could in twenty years produce as
much olive oil as Italy And if your in
telligence and success equalled that OF
your eminent citizen, Mr.. EIwood
Cooper, of Santa Barbara, you would
have this enormous wealth as the prod
uct OF about III 900 acres OF land.
wish could inspire our young men
of California to grow olives. Mr.. Cooper
obtains ten bottles OF oil from 7-year-old
trees, and every bottle is worth 81. Sew
enty such trees to the acre yield you
500, and when in bearing you have an
orchard that wi grow more productive
year by year for fifty years and yield it's
precious fruitage unstinted for many
centuries.
AS we must look to diversified agri-
culture to lift us up to our true level,
and as fruit-growing is the most promis-
ing branch now engaging attention, it is
pertinent to answer the doubts expressed
upon the question Of over-production.
Mr.. George West, by his conspicuous
relation to grape culture in the state.
has, by his pessimistic view of the
raisin grape, sent thrill of dismay over
the state. He suggests that we have
now probably reached the maximum of
profitable planting. This is important
and serious, if true, for by the same
reasoning we would cease almost all
other paintings, especially the orange.
The subject is worthy our attention.
Mr.. West says in 1895 we shall have
100000 boxes of raisins, which he esti-
mates at $500, 900 boxes IN excess OF
the then consumption.
am indebted to Mr.. Gustav Eisen for
some OF my statistics, which | have
taken from his excellent work on Raisin
Growing, The raisin crop OF the world
for 1889 was 3l2, 900 tons. Of this Cali
fornia produced the comparatively in
significant amountof TO- 900 tons. Greece
and Smyrna alone produced 245 900 tons,
and Valencia and Malaga over 2S, 900
tons.
The raisin districts of the world are
not large and are limited by climatic
and other conditions. The present ad-
vancement OF the industry dates from
comparatively recent years. The gem
erous consumption of the raisin of today
fairly represents the growing disposition
to eat more fruit and less meat. 4.s
Our importations of the raisin (and so
OF most fruit) have increased in striking
disproportion to increase of population.
In 1873 we imported OF Valencias an d
Malagas 17,776 tons. In 1852 we reached
our highest importations, 81 ,268 tons.
In 1878 California added 60 tons to con-
sumption; in 1882 she added 1852 tons.
In 1873 the United States consumed IT,
S36 tons, and in 1882 we consumed 81
APO tons.
Our population increased about 25 per
cent. and our consumption OF raisins
100 per cent.
In 1860 we consumed a little over
1000, 900 pounds. In 1890 we consumed
over 1000, 900 pounds. In 1860 we con-
sumed less than one thirtieth of pound
per capita. In 1890 we consumed one
and ohe-third pounds per capita, or forty
times as much per capita in 1890 as in
1860.
In 1884 it was found that we consumed
OF raisins and currants 1.70 pounds per
capita, while Great Britain consumed
4.3S pounds per capita.
Is there any reason why we may not
consume as many raisins per capita as
the people of Great Britain? If we
should (and everything indicates rapid
increase OF consumption) we will require
four times cur present output to supply
this need; and we must double our
present output to displace importations
and reach present needs.
But we must add to this the require
ments OF about 1,500,000 annual increase
of population. 1t will require 100000
boxes to be added to our output each
year to keep pace with this increase of
population. 1t is my belief, expressed
with all respect for Mr.. Vests opinion,
that California is not likely to overtake
the demand in the United States alone.
When planters are content to make
from $50 to 800 profit on an acre, we
will see consumption leaplng to ten
pounds per capita, and that means 81
000,0 900 boxes instead OF 100000 as
now. But what OF the $4,000 tons
produced on the globe, only a small
part of which will hereafter come to the
United States? Where is your Ameri-
can enterprise that shrinks from attack
ing this foreign demand? The United
States produces nearly 50per cent of the
worlds deficiency of wheat. We push
our wheat into foreign markets against
great odds-may we not our raisns
The paintings of all ages of raisin
vines, based upon Mr.. Eisen's figures,
are &c, 900 acres. i think this estimate
not much in excsss of the actual plant
ings. Mr.. West states that in the San
Joaquin valley alone there are 56,43O
acres. ~
Mr.. West estimates three tons of
green grapes, or one ton of raisins, per
acre, equal to 100 boxes per acre. as q
fair average yield; and / think he un-
derstates the yield, rather than over
states it.
But on his figures, you will see that
consumption of two pounds per capita
will dispose of these. By the time these
vines are all in bearing we shall have
six million more mouths to feed.
must not quit your presence, how
ever, without word for the wine grape.
think it safe to say that half the So
called wines now consumed are impure
and are not composed of the Juice OF the
grape. And this because the wine-grow-
ing areas of the globe do not produce the
demanded supply. The chemists art
has been substituted for the alchemy of
nature; the imitation has supplanted
the genuine.
California has the distinctive advant-
age OF producing all the finer varieties
Of foreign wine grapes, by reason of her
climatic conditions.
l look for that irresistible genius for
conquest that peryades all Americans to
upt fipH tho vyou ~ tho No1o%o of kho