The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1893-09-11
IN A FRUIT SECTION.
Life Is Not Without Trouble to the
Growers of Fruit.

Correspondence OF THE MORNING CALL
When orchardists have such weather as
has been prevailing the last week or SO,
just in drying time, they are very apt to
think that there is very little pleasure or
profit in fruit-raising. The thermometer
stands about go deg. all the time, but it
has been so cloudy, dull and showery that
fruit has not dried during the past two
weeks. Early peaches have dried we'll and
most of them are housed. Late peaches
are still out, some have been on the trays
two weeks and are still damp. As a result
many are widowed aud if good drying
weather does not come in a DAY or so they
will be total loss. Prunes. too. have been
out over two weeks and are not yet dry.
They are not so apt to mildew, and if they
do the second dipping in boiling glycerine
or syrup remedies all that. Farmers who
have found 400 trays enough to handle
their crops any year before have been COM
PEELED to buy and make in haste double
that number. As consequence the lum-
Der firms are doing a good business. 1t
has always been possible to buy ready
made trays In San Jose or Oakland, but
there has been such demand that none
could be had this last week. Shakes are
now generally used for these trays and n OF
ohohO NOuAO No hoU az any VI tuC III HIS III
the valley.
1n several orchards prunes and peaches
are lying on the ground waiting for better
weather, and goody proportion will be
ruined. More fruit has gone to waste In
this valley this year than for many years
before; and more has been dried. in fact.
than the major part OF the crop. Now and
then rancher tries shipping into the
market. but S12 and SIS ton does not
pay. So farmers who have before finished
their summer work in perhaps six weeks
will this season spend thres aud four
months harvesting their crops, and at a
very great additional expense, and must
wait, too, until it is ali done and shipped
before they can get their money, which in
many ways is a hardship. Laborers want
their pay at the end of the week, and
ranchers as rule depend upon the sale of
fresh fruits for ready money to pay their
help.
A curious thing was brought up in the
Board of Horticulture which il is well to
bring to the attention of the farmers
Nurserymen wish 10 organize to protect
themselves from ignorant BUYERS, who de-
mand damages, sometimes excessive, from
Durserymen when trees do not prove true
to their kind. There has always been an
idea that 1t is wise 10 make laws to pro-
tect people from corporations. etc, but it
would be curious thing to find these
nurserymen forming themselves into a cor
poratlOn TO protect themselves from the
people.
L know Of but one nurseryman who
warrants" his trees, and why all can't do
1t is past finding out. One nurseryman, in
the course of a general conversation, used
the following remark to me: II found yes
terday that our Chinese builders had set
peach buds into about 5000 apple stocks"
Upon my replying that that was quite a
loss. he replied, "Oh. no; we will work
them off on some one" That tells the
story. La nurseries peaches. prunes, al
monds, etc, are planted in nursery rows in
great blocks. and it is very simple matter
to weed out all chance trees of other varie-
ties. In budding there should be no chance
taken; responsible men should provide the
buds 10 the Chinese or other workers from
the desired stock; it should not be left as
Il is too often. TO the builders themselves
In many catalogues small footnote ap-
pears. stating that the nurserymen will
| not be responsible for the trees that they
shall be true to varieties. in fact, will not
warrant them.
MRS. J. L. THANE.
Niles, September 9. 1893.