Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-07
GEN OF THE COAST
Fresno and Its Riches Fully
Described.
HOME OF FRUITS AND FLOWERS
II l. a ysfitabis Paradise sor Plszsafs
and PEoEs-PTolsssos S~sasbesg's
Thassentn Legzss.

Fresno Is the home of grsps-ralsers,
the land Of vine. The beautiful new
esty presented . holiday apps~rA ice on
cur zrrIvAi, and business VI ali Kinda
was virtually suspended. Flags and
gay buntlng we're flying from the tops
OF the possofiice. business houses and
private residences along the hne of our
drive, with a banner across the street
bearing the inscription, Fresno Well
comes the y. Il. A." Here again We
said. as aany times previous, "ls there
anything on earth more delightful to
Dc enjoyed than tais.' On our ARRIVAL
we we're driven to the several hotels
for breakfast. after which We we're
treated 10 an extended carriage ride
through the grape and VINE districts.
The Thermometer stood 100 in the
shade, and We venture 10 say that the
pulse OF many visItors beat At east ten
degrees higher after having passed
thr0agh several OF the large vine eel
lars war VINE casks 80 large that one
makes a sarload. Many considered
c1uld call for any brand. 81 the same
time naming the labels like old veler-
ans ia The business Fine raIssns we're
also distributed and greatly en-
Joyed- Alter this extended drive
splendid collation. was served
al the Barton by about one
hundred fair women An address of
welcome ~as delivered and excellent
music vas part of the program. No
matter IN what direction we went or
landed the \. r. A. had lts friends. A
WARM welcome, kindness. courtesy.
attention. and royal treatment was al
Ways the order OF the day. Bands,
hag-. flowers, fruits and banquels were
present everywhere. A bar II temes-
Cal tn was presented 10 every Journal
ist, which may % seen at fHE HERALD
oliice.
An Empire within Itself
Comparing Fresno county with 9TH
err, aEd even with states and king
doHIs, 10 Is IA empire WITHIN itself 1t
- larger thar. the state Of Name; with
5000 square miles OF this vast area the
central portion q a great valley, about
sixty miles square. or 1901. 900 acres
of comparatively level land. From
east To west the county Is about 40
miles long and extends from the top of
the sierra on the east To the top of the
coast range on the west. The foothills
and mountain section east OF the val
ley - about forty-tve miles WIDE, and
a ike section on the west of the valley
10 about twenty miles wide.
The county - iutsrsccted by large
rivers. like Kings and San Joaquin,
which give All unfaillng supply of
water. Nearly al valley lands may be
irrigated by these rivers and the fitness
OF the soil for this mode of culture is
s1cn that by 1t the productiveness OF
nearly all known fruits and cereals Is
SIMPLY marvellous. IL is only about .
dozen years since irrigation on large
scale was attempted on these plains.
The success has been far beyond the
snacipations of the most ssnguine. In
tDs county are over 900 miles OF pub
lie irrigating canals capable OF fitting
for agricultural uses not less than &C.,
600 square acres. Usually each lot Of
land mas watersrIgnt attached at an
original cost OF about SIS per acre and =
yearly tax of from 90 to 60 cents per
acre raised for the repairing of bitches.
The water IS brought TO each section,
when the owner uses II 1T MS pleasure.
Diver.insd Products
The productions are wheat, oats,
barley, potatoes, alfalfa, aud all kinds
of vegetables. Fruits of the temperate
zone thrive by the side of the orange.
lemon. lime and tx trees of the tropics.
Cotton. hops. tobacco, sorghum and
caster beans DO remarkably we'll. and
miilet NAY De cut from three to- five
times from one planting. Large
quantities OF fresh. dried and preserved
fruds are shipped from Fresno. There
are often two or three crops of ralsin
grapes, sometimes as many as SIX
crops OF alfalfa. Fruits, vines and
flowers OF nearly all kinds grow
luxuriantlv, but the most profitable
crop IN this particular section 10 the
true raisu grape. The soil and climate
of the foothlii region are emlrently
suitable for the successful growth OF
the orange. The number of orange
trees IA the county at present is come
thing over $4,000. In 1891 some 60 900
boxes OF oranges were cold. This is the
center of the ralsin industry OF the
state. with advantages for profit of the
most siinrlng character. Fresno has
no dew IN the night, . cloudless sky.
and the most perfect conditions for
dTying fruit and making raisins.
The process - supple IA detail and
affords q pleasant employment. Tne
sogl - peculiarly adapted TO tins fruit.
and seems On Impsrt vIgor IN the vines
that - unkuosn ELSEWHERE. The second
crop - ssid to be often very nearly
equal To the frat, ana the third comes
before the ieavee.fsii. More thsa half
the rsisu grspes produced in Califor-
ma are produced here. The rsisin
pack in 1891 vas about Doc, 600 boxes.
Including tuose sacked q ran over
SOC. 600 boxes. or about 800 ear loads.
valued At about 81 .0o0, 00o. The largest
rsisn vineyard - 200 acres. though
there are many of them nearly ss
large, aud they are rapidly increasing.
Prolific ia Cereals.
One Of the largest products OF the
country = wheat and barley. Immense
fields Of grain are annually harvested
producing thousands Of tons. The