The herald., 1893-08-27
GOV. MARKHAM'S PEACHES,
How He Started Out as a Fruit
Grower.
With Aid Of Work Money Can Be
Easily Made in California.
His First Attsmpt 1t Marketing Fruit
Was Not Great suooess-what
His Two Little Girls Accom-
plishsd in vacAtion.


said asnumber of good things, Of which
the following are samples:
came to California with the idea
that I wanted to be fruit grower, so /
bought fruit ranch and started out in
earnest to raise it. n3
I believe it will not be out Of place for
me to give you little of my experience,
because before this convention is over
you will hear q great deal upon the
question Of theories, and Home of the
best theorists in fruit growing never
raised a particle, OF fruit in their lives,
and have never picked pound OF
peaches in the world. began with q
young orchard of trees not as tall "a my
self (laughter], and when the first crop
ripened-and assure you that L
thought it never would ripen-I start
ed out one morning about A O'Clock
to pick the peaches I thought were
ripe to take to the cannery, and have
them canned. I did not understand
picking them very well, or how to test
them, or just what to do, but felt OF
every peach to determine If it were in
proper condition to pick. worked
very industfously till 8 O'Clock and
then had my breakfast, after which
started for the cannery. On my ar
rival they were weighed out apd re-
ceived for them just 81 cents. Laugh
teri Now, the peaches we're not to
blame, and the treee were not to blame,
but simply picked them little too
early, and it took me great while to
find very few peaches that would do
for canning purposes. After that con-
cluded to wait until the peaches were in
better condition. I have kept that up,
and have never lost interest In it. l
have worked personally in the cultiva-
tion of fruit, and if I wish to have
anything done that is really ecientific
my hired man renders me all the neces-
eary assistance, because he knows
more about it than l do. Laugh
ter. In short space of time
learned to pick peaches as we'll as he
could, and received 90 good q price in
the market as he did. The facts of
attending to those things personally,
and entering into the absolute labor
necessary to produce fruit, has given me
a great intereat. in the business, and
have gotten 80 now that can talk of
fruit first rate. OF course, do not
want the most experienced men who
are in business to talk to, because do
not think would create favorable i'm
preston but the ordinary fruit man
can converse with in q very intelligent
ing fhow great deal s9d abddnhp pellsgsi llSss
raising. Laughter x ~
The impression that received con-
cerning the fruit ranches in this state
can be related in very few words. l
have felt that II we could have our fruit
ranches taken by industrious people. by
people who, with their families, are
willing to work and devote the same
time and attention to them that the
farmer and his family do in the states,
there could be little question that money
could be made more easily in California
than 1t is made on the ordinary farm of
the east.
believe there Is not Q person here
who will not bear me out in the asser-
tion that there are very few farms in the
east OF 100 acres, after the interest and
necessary expenditures for the farm in
proper condition were paid, but would
leave very little at the end of the year
for the owners work; but in the east,
az We all knew, the average wealth of
the farmer, VINO went into Wisconsin.
Minnesota and Iowa. for the first 10
years was about $780,. They went in
there and worked; every man worked
from sunrise to sundown; every child
in the family had something to do, and
in that way, by the strictest economy,
in very short time they were able to
have ell the comforts of life; and TO-DAY, in
many OF these states they are very COM
and most of them independent.
In the neighborhood where 1 settled
| found it fill up with men like myself,
who had always been accustomed to do
ing something else; and who were not
accustomed to doing labor that could be
employed at 81 to 81 day, and the con-
sequence was that they hired every.
hing done.l If they had fruit enough to
pay them to go to market they would
90. and il they thought there was not
luite enough they would simply stay at
aome, and let the fruit rot ON the
gr0und. Now, that Is the history OF
hose among whom l settled for the first
ew years. If it were possible for me to
10 east upon the farm as have recited.
do something toward taking
are OF the fruit, 1t would, at the end OF
be year De benefit to the family who
vailed themselves of the opportunity.
am pleased to note that wherever
have been throughout the state for
he last two or three years find that
he canning and drying Of fruit, and.
many instances, picking, is being
one Dy ladies, and oftentimes by
hildren; and they do it without a
selling thst they are doing anything
'rong, and without injuring their health
the least. They do that kind Of work
hich requires skill and time, but not
} very much hard labor.
l was proud of my two little girls when
returned from Washington two or
,ree years ago, when my wife recited
} me what they did. They applied to {
leir mother for an opportunity to earn !
,mething for themselves, and she said
II you want to earn something there
70 some peaches there; dry them, and
hatever you gain for them you shall
ave for yourselves" want to say to ! /
N that those two little girls, without
10 slightest assistance from anybody. e
'epared the peaches, apricots and
unes, dried and put them into sacks q
I'd took them to town myself, sold I
em, and received $96 for their labor 9
at fall. TApplause. !
It occurred to me at once that even 4 q
9 children, il they saw fit, could help v
earn something towards supporting o
9 family and caring for themselyes.
think every boy and girl ehould be
1ght to know what it is to earn q
liar by their own hands, let them be a
"a or poor. [Applause.] II Ia the