The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-01-05
JOYOUS BELLS.
Holiday Events at Niles. Hea,as.
burg and Centeryille.
Balls and Parties-The Effect of the Storm
Farmers Occupied in Planting New
Orchards.
Special to THE MORNING CALI.

Hear the tolling of the belI-iron beIIsi
what world of solemn thought their monody
cOmpeIS!
What gush of euphony voluminousy weIlsI
now IL swelIs, how it dwells the future
Edttor Morning Call: With jangling
OF bells, songs and merry laughter the
young people watched the old year out and
the new year in. The day was a lovely one.
Rain began falling Monday evening. and
during the week more than half inch has
fallen. The farmers are as busy as can be.
especially those who are planting out new
orchards-the earlier the trees are planted
the more progress do they make. By the
way, there are more theories upon the sub
JeeI Oh tree-piantng than one can count
they must be planted early or late, or deep
VI shaliow, or before rain or just after rain,
or In the rain; must be pruned down close,
must De nipped off only, or not pruned at
al. But experience is good teacher, and
observation soon shows us what experience
has taught. Trees that are planted i'm
mediately after the first rains of the fall will
grow as much again as those which
are planted in February or March; trees
Lhat are planted, say % feet apart will in
nVe years De as large and sturdy, and will
pear as large crop as those in neighbor-
ing orchard, which are two years older, but
are 10 or IL feet apart; so says experience.
Almonds. planted 30 feet apart, will be in
SIX years upon such soil as Niles has to
10 inches in diameter, will have spread Of
% or 30 feet, so the branches intermirgle,
and Will stand IS feet high. 1t can readily
be understood that such trees can bear year
after year, their one, two or three hundred
pounds of nuts. The same holds good with
trnlts-giye the tree plenty Of room to live,
and the results will be satisfactory. Take
the nurseries in Niles, one of which was
the oldest established in California
and one of the best, and the other the
largest this side the Rockies, it would
be almost impossible TO believe the
amount of stock they handle themselves,
and send out through the two shipping sta
ton at the depot. Orders come in during
August and September necessitating re-
plies the cost of postage upon which
sometimes reaches twenty-five dollars a
day. All trees are grown from seed in
this State. except cherry, plum, apple and
pear; these are imported from France each
year, about thirty to thirty-five crates being
brought in, each crate, 9x3:6xl Is feet, con-
tanning from twenty to forty thousand tiny
seedlings, packed tightly in dry moss and
straw; these are planted in nursery TOMS
and budded in due time, as are their own
seedlings. Stock is dug as soon as the first
rains will allow, usually i'll November, and
shipping continues frUm that time until late
in March, almost too late for planting in
any but wet land and in wet season.
These last shipments are usually stray or
ders from oTchardists who are filling in va
cant spaces. In December last twenty car
loads of seedlings We're brought down from
branch nursery at Briggs, to be handled
in Niles, and hundreds of carloads are sent
out each year. The demand for varieties
varies greatly each year, the fashion this
year Is for peach, apricot, prune and pear,
and MERGED County alone has furnished
more than twenty-five thousand olives.
New Years eve the Christian FndeaVOr
Society met as usual at the church, then adj
journed for n matchmaking at Miss Jane
Smiths; at u promptly ringing the church
bell in unison with all the firing of guns and
whistling, shouting and singing of other
watchers III town.
The Cotillon Club gave its second invita-
ton party last Friday evening. Although it
was holiday week thirty-six guests and
members were present and spent delight
full evening. The hall was deliberately
decorated with red berries by the young
ladies', under the direction of Mrs. c. Is
Oyeracker. Merino Bros. were the musicians,
anG after the mixed programme was finished
the dancers joined in the beautiful figures
OF the german. led by Oliver Ellsworth and
c. b. Overacker Lights were out at 2, and
the tired dancers drove homeward, humming
the latest bit of music as they went.
Christmas services were held in the Con-
gregational Church by the Sunday-school
last Sunday. After brief sermon, the fol-
lowing programme was well carried out by
the children: Song. Rely Night Bible
class; recitation. Rock of Ages" Edyth
Iurnori song. Mrs; Tyson's class; Christmas
letter. W. w. Bristol; song. Hazel Thane;
talk 10 the little folks by the pastor; song,
Mrs. Dickey's class; selections, relating to
life of Christ; song, Mrs. Shinn's class;
recitation, ''St. Nicholas" Florence Hud-
son; presentation OF Christmas books and
awarding of prizes for special work to Ben
ME Sanborn, George and Willie Peterson
and Oracle Peterson. Rev. f. Ii. Maar, the
pastor, and Mrs. L. E. Thane, the Sunday
school Superintendent, both received a
handsome book. a record Of the years
progress was read. The number of classes
at the beginning of the year was five, and
average attendance the first three months
ffty-fOur. The number of classes now is
seven. and the average the last three
months was siXty-eght The church was
most appropriately decorated with Christ
mas berries by Miss Florence Mortimer,
who is always SO successful in all her dec
oTations.
Nites, Jan. g. 1891. Mrs. L. L. THANE.