Grand Rapids herald. [volume] (Grand Rapids, Mich.) 1892-1959, 1892-08-08
RISEOF THE RAlSIN
Fsesno's industry and Its Won
derful Growth.
WAR ON The JACK RABBITS
Professor swensbsfE Relates the Cali
fofnian's Story Of the Day When
10000 Rsbbts Were Killed.

The raIsin industry ia California is as
yet IA its infancy. 10. be sure, dried
grapes have heeu know ever SINCE the
mission fathers. bat IT, dried mission
grape IS not . raisia. The men who
thirty years ago seat over To Europe
Tor the choicest yarletsesof wl.e grapes
imported among other cuttings the
Museatei, the Muscat OF Alexaadria
aud the Ieher lagos the three nnest
Taisin grapes III SPAN. Bat the rAisin
Ike the tx, requires sk.iltul treatment
and for years tae California grower
made no headway, although he read
ali that had been written on the eur
ing of the raisln.
Several enterpri-.ng men went To
Spain To ssrev the subject At first hand,
but despite "a thus, no progress WAS
made. NALL several of the pioneer
raIsin mcu oe Fresno cut loose from ali
psecedeut. dried their grapes in simple
and natGrst manner and made u sue
cess OF 10. From tAs time. not over
ten years agO the growth OF the indus
Try has ecApsed that OF every other
branch OF horticulture IN California
anu the total value of the product
promises soon 10 exceed tile value of
the orange crop. OF the yield Of wine
and brandy. Fresno City Is IN the
center from which one may drive IN
three directions and pass through mile
A - - a al .hn
ing Signs of wealth, aud comfort.
A favorlte shade tree 10 the umbrella
tree, winch mas the graceful rounded
form OF the horse chestnut, but with So
thick - foliage that its shadow is not
dappied WITH sunlight. Above 1t Is the
intensely dark green, while viewed
from below 1t Is the most delicate shade
OF pea tree. Rlvaling this in popu-
larity Is the pepper tree. also an ever.
green. and the magnolia, fan palm,
EUCALYPTUS, or Australian blue gum,
and the poplar. All these trees grow
luxurisntly. IL has also become the
custom IN planting - vineyard to put
row OF white Adriatic ny trees around
the place and to mark off ten or
twenty acre tracts IN the same way.
The dark green foliage OF the fig Is a
great relief tn the eye when the sun
beats down on the sandy soil.
Fresao's Drissway..
Leading odt of Fresco are five drive
ways The soil makes natural mac
Adam, which dries IN u few hours.
Throughout the year those roads are IN
good condition for trotting and nearly
every ralsin grower Is also an expert in
horsetiesh and has u team that will do
n mile IN less than $50. Fresno's new
race Course - one of the finest in the
state. Toward the west from Fresno
there has been opened u magnificent
driveway which promises in few years
To rival the Magnolia avenue of River
aide. TINS 10 called Chateau Fresno
avenue. Ii has two driveways sepa-
rated by fan, palm and magnolia trees,
while along the outer borders are the
same trees with other choice tropical
growths that will one day make this
avenue well worth travelling miles to
see. Probably the finest avenue in
Fresno ut present 10 the pop,ar-lned
main driveway through the Barton
vineyard. IL is mile in length and
the trees, fully fifty feet high, stand so
thickly together that when in full lea [
they form . solid wall in green. THIS
vineyard, which is q mile square, is also
surrounded by q single row of these
superb poplars. The largest raisln vine
yard IN California. II not In the world
- that Vf A. Il. Butler. IL comprises
oio acres. Butler WAS Texas cowboy
and came to Fresno with very little
capital. lie secured possession of a
section OF land and planted 1t to grapes.
The Colony system
The colony system, which has been
brought To great perfection around
Fresno, permits family of small
means To secure good home without
much capital to start with. For those
who love life IN open air. there is
nothing IN California with greater at
traction than rsisin growing IN Fresno.
The desert of few years ago has been
transformed INTO = garden and Irriga-
ton has performed miracles in fruit
growing. Had some one twenty wears
ago spoken of such change. and scenes
he would have been consldered a tit
subject Tor an inssne asylum. No one
supposed that water could ever be 40.
cured for irrigating this wide-reachng
plan, or That IL could possibly be OF
any Use II secured. One of the nov
wealthy citizens offered at that time
To eat all the fruit man could ra,-e
by irrigation. But time aud labor
works surprising changes IN any under
taking. Irrigation has been tried. and
with results that have surprised even
the most ssnguIDe, converting many
thousands of acres of the once worth
less desert into . rich and most pro-
ductye garden.
Fresno county is the home OF the
jack rabbit. TINS fcstive pet -four
isues here N great numbers and TO the
annoyance of every innahtsnt. To
give our readers an idea Of the nun
bers. We reeits the fact of the cele-
brsted rsobst hunt, which occurred on
March 10, at the close of the session of
toe q. A. X. in state encaaapmant az
Fresno. A pen of wire fencing was
put up with an opening at one side.
from either side of wnich persons IA
the number of 500 or more. iucluding
the OLD soldiers deployed az sdirmsh-
ers The surrounded large tract Of
land and gradually narrowed the err.
Gle towards the wire pen. The result,
W. most astounding. and -. ooO lack
Fstnits IF Fresno were gathered "a
tleir fathers oa tast day.
teassea tT.sse Rabbits Ear..
.>aversi Of our friends were engaged
in tae hunt and they assured us TIA,
tee figures given we're Mt overdrawn
and after many were carried away the
ears OF T.5oe By actual count wers
secured md turned ever for the state
and county eoaaty. which y SO Der