The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1892-12-12
NOTES FROn NILES.
Present Condition of Alameda Canyon.
Orchards and Fruit Pests.
Correspondence OF THE MORNING CALL.

Correspondence or 1HE MORNING CALL.
A trip into tie picturesque Alameda Can
yon jusEIow is full Of interest. OLD land
MARKS are gone, fine old trees have been
carried down with the food, favorite camp
ing grounds are completely ruined. and the
roadway is totally unfit ana dangerous TO
travel from one end 10 the other Of the can
yOn. In several places the road is entirely
gone for sections OF 500 feet or more. and
it is extremely doubtful if roadway can
ever be built along the old line. In some
places the stream undermined the railroad
track, leaving no possible room for wagon
road.
The stream rosa so rapidly that the peo-
pie living in the canyon, over a dozen fam
lilies, were compelled all of them 10 move
many of their belongings TO higher ground,
and one gentleman. Mr.. Mehrman. his wife
and young lad, were forced to leave their
hou se-the floor OF which became covered
with four feet of water-and seek shelter
in a neigh boring vacant house.
There is NO means of getting in or out of
the canyon with team. and it will not be
possible to get any road in order until as
late as next June. The men living there
have cut trail to the hilltop west Of them
and come down on horseback over the hills
into Niles. The district belongs TO Niles
and every year from $50 10 $3.50 is spent to
maintain and keep In even passab.e condi-
ton very bad road, and now the owners
| of the land ia the canyon viii endeaYor to
| have new road made along The right bank
| Of the stream entirely through the canyon.
| To rebuild the old road will cost fully
| $500, perhaps more, and the new one
could not cost more. while the difference in
| annual repairs would be enough 10 ore
| than pay the total cost in ten years.
| OrchaTdiSts have been much interested
| In the reports of the meetings of the State
| Board Of Horticulture, and the County H0r-
| ticultural Commissioners, held the middle
/ Of last month in San Jose.
One admiTa BILE resolution called for a
| State officer who shOnld obtain reliable data
concerning fruit prospects, fruit prices and
| suitable markets throughout the world and
| spread the information broadcast among
| the fTuitgrowers of the State. The sugges-
| ton seems so far the best ever offered
| toward the settlement of the question,
How and where shall we sell our dried
| fruits? 2"
These conventions will prove In the end,
| too, Of great value III keeping our orchards
clear from Dests. 1t is not so much what
they have done as what they will do
| In this way. They found the orchards
throughout the State infected, and dscov-
| ering remedy TO cure a disease is very
much harderltha1 finding means to keep a
| di5eas G out As an example, our pruns in
dustry has in five short years risen to be the
| chief industry Of the State. That sounds
| like very rash statement, but it is never
theless true, and in another FIVE years viii
| be dOubiy true.
No pest has as yet attacked the prune, and
| knowing the pest most likely TO attack if,
| the cueulio, the members Of the TWO eonyen-
/ tons are prepared TO watch nil importa-
| tions OF trees, TO enforce laws concerning
| the treatment of ali infected trees whether
| imported or not, and TO assist tile individual al
! ia keeping his trees clear. IT is no doubt
| true that II orchardlsts had known in the
| beginning something about the scale pest it
1 would never have spread so rapidly nor so
entirely over the State. 1t is pretty well
| understood, too, that washes which prove
| effective In one section are OF SO successful
| in another, and what will d o for one tree at
| one season Will not do In another season
| nor Tor other trees. Just now the farmers
| arc discussing the subject Of spraying with
much interest, as they must soon begin the
work. Fully half dozen different washes
| are 10 be used here. and the result will be
watched with attention.
+. Il. Emlay, the gentleman who has SO
| regularly made trips through the county ar
| ranging for and gathering up exhibits for
| the worlds Fair. made another trip
through Niles last Friday. gathering his ex-
| hibts now ready. He will come but once
more TO collect oranges and lemons. He
! had in his wagon, besides fine lars of
| grapes. some fine cases of dried fruits, a
splendid bunch of the ornamental date
palm. grown in the Mission San Jose. and
| stalks Of corn sixteen feet high.
AS in every other such undertaking, the
brunt Of the work falls upon lew workers,
who also must bear all criticism as well,
and what yet remains undone will be
pushed until a splendid display will be the
! result.
The fruit industry has received the most
attention so far, but now that the season is
over the other great Interests In our county
will receive attention.
There are marbles. stones OF various kinds,
coal, borax, salt, chrome sulphur, sugar
and even gold; in fact more than dozen
such distinct displays can be made and
then not exhaust our resources. So far
very little attention has been paid TO them,
but ample time remains, now that more
pressing work Is done.
Work upon the Union High School ia
being rushed. The building will be very
handsome and commodiUus. IL the weather
will permit it will be ready by the Ist OF
February. when the new term begins.
MRS. l.. L. THANE.
Niles Dec 10, 1892.