The record-union., 1893-02-07
OUR FRUIT INDUSTRY.
Citrus Culture in Central and North
ern California.
Greatly Increased Demand for Trees
What an Experienced Nursery
man Says on the Subject.

y
ing big trade in orange trees this
spring." said NJ. \. Williamson, Of the
w. X. Strong Company, the other day.
The Worlds Fair dress rehearsal at the
Mechanics Pavilion, San Francisco, has
proven great object lesson to our fruit
growers, and not few of them will
profit by their observations.
Sacramento county especially has sur
prised the people all over the State. The
citrus fruits from the country, and even
the city OF Sacramento, will compare fa-
vorably with those grown in locations al
ready famous for their golden fruit.
Citrus fruit tree planting was never
engaged in except in an amateur way in
this part of the State until after the hard
winter OF 1887. The fact that heavy ice
formed in almost every fruit section of
the State did not have the effect antici-
pated. Horticnlturists were first to OBJ
serve that few orange trees in Northern
California were injured, and that espe-
cially in the thermal belts of the foothills
citrus trees hourished notwithstaud-
ing the unusual cold weather. 1t be-
came clear to them that if cit
rus fruits could survive the extreme
low temperature their culture would
be success. At that time the com bined
annual sales of all the nurseries of this
city was hardly in excess of 900 trees
The following year our firm alone sold
10000 orange and lemon trees, and other
concerns did like thriving business.
Since that time, each year has mark ed an
increase in the citrus plant.
The citrus fairs in this part of the
State have done much TO stimulate the in
dustry, and the Improvement of the
nursery stock offered to orchardists has
assured success in this branch of fruit
growing.
"The old theory that a man must plant
oranges for his children and grandchil-
dren, has been exploded. Oranges now
bear earlier than any fruit in California
some time ago customer expressed
! douDt that an orange tree would bear as
early as peach. L told him to 90 out
into the yard and select the finest peach
tree he could lind, and that 1 would Sc
lect an orange tree tor him. He should
plant them in a favorable Ioca-
ton and give them the same culti-
Vatlon, and thus decide for himself
lie planted the trees in January,
two years ago, and last February be
called at the office with two fine navels
had forgotten the circumstance of the
proposed test, and, after admiring the
line fruit, asked him where it had been
grown. He informed me that the two
nne specimens were from the orange tree
selected by myself. The peach tree has
not borne any fruit yet, but will doubtless
produce generous crop the coming sea-
son.
"This satisfactory result of early bear
ing has been brought about by budding
upon tive-year-old sour stock. The bud
is taken from bearing tree. 1t is inn
planted In strong, healthy stock. and,
having the bearing qualities of the parent
tree, the bud simply unfolds, throws out
a thrifty branch and in year or two is
in condition for fruiting.
1.-The budded stock stands two wears in
the nursery before it is offered to the
orchardist; hence, when it is planted, it
is in reality Seven-year- tree. 1t
then has only to throw down roots into
the alien soil and open its branches to the
genial sunshine, and in year or two is
is condition to yield its golden harvest.
There IS strong demand for olive
trees in the southern part OF the State.
but very little planting is being done in
this section. UnqueStionablv olive-cult-
ure would be as profitable here as in any
place in the world, but our people have
not the patience to wait for the maturity
OF this somewhat slow-growing tree.
1.-The big demand this year is for free
stone peaches and apricots Last season
the run was on prunes. There is also
heavy demand for cherries. especially the
Royal Ann variety. Last season our
firm burned up over 10000 trees of this
variety, and this year we could DISPOSE
Of that surplus and 10000 more at good
round prices.
The run on trees is usually controlled
by the fruit sales of the preceding season.
and this accounts for the demand for
peaches one year, prunes another. and
cherries at some other period Last wear.
for the first time, cherries went to ali
points in the East, and were delivered to
dealers as fresh and luscious as the hour
they were picked from the trees. Hand
some profits were realized on them. 1t
was the same with peaches. This was
made possible by the improved shipping
facilities offered by the Southern Pacific
Company.
There is a steady demand for Bartlett
pears and shipping grapes. The grape
planting is confined almost entirely to
the Sacramento Valley and adjacent foot
hills. 1t is now, and will doubtless re-
main, the great table grape center.
1t is remarkable fact that, notwith-
standing all nurserymen and fruit grow
ers agree that just now apple culture of
1ers the greatest return of almost any of
the deciduous fruits, no planting is being
done. Good apples are now worth 81
box. There are thousands of acres OF
mountain land suitable to their culture
which can be bought at from $40 to S25 an
acre, and yet this important fruit is ne
elected. Oregon and the East is now sup
plying California with very inferior ap-
pies at exorbitant prices, simply because
we do not raise enough of them to supply
home consumption.
''On the whole, l think can safely saw
that the tree plant in Northern California
this year will be double that of last year
Every nursery in the city is already short
on all the leading varieties"