The morning call., 1894-07-16
A FINE ORCHARD.
Developing Fruit With
out Irrigation.
A Garden Spot in the Vicinity OF
Ceres on Land That Looked
Like a Desert.

There is an orchard of thirty acres, en-
bracing a variety Of fruit trees that -four
is 81 in the temperate and Sem-trOpic zones,
out on the sand plains within four miles
of Modesto that is revelation to the visi-
tors In more ways than one. The asser-
ton that fruit trees will flourish in our
sand soil without irrigation. is one that the
average citizen will laugh to scorn, yet
here is an orchard grown without irriga-
ti0n that possesses a wealth of foliage, a
substantially and general thFiftiness not
surpassed by orchards anywhere, irrigated
or non-irrigated. AS for the fruit, larger,
better favored and more abundance we
have never seen on trees of the age of these.
The orchard is the property of c. n.
Whitney of Ceres and is situated close to
that town. 1t was set out three. perhaps
four, years ago, as an experiment, and
the result has far surpassed the most
sanguine expectations. The land Sc
Iected was corner cut off by the rail-
road track. and a more unprOmising tract
could not have been found nywhere. The
soil is sandy; 80 sandy that the unculti-
waited surface presents a white and
hungry-lookiDg appearance that would
condemn it without question in the eyes
of a person not familiar with its fertility
under favorable conditions, and would be
regarded with decided disfavor by nine
out of ten OF our own citizens for orchard
purposes.
To-day there are tons of apricots as
large as peaches on the three-year-old
| treps-apricOtS that have moGth-wateT-
| ing flavor. There are three-year-Old nee
tarine trees the boughs of which are bend
ing and breaking under their heavy load
| of fruit; there are fOur-year-od peach
trees the product of which possess rare
lusriousness; white and black figs, large
| and sound, on four-year-old trees; there
| are varieties of prunes; there are olives {;
there are almond and walnut trees, none
| over four years old and all as healthy and
| productive as any trees of the age to be
| found in California.
The growth of the trees and their ad-
vancement toward productivity would be
considered highly satisfactory, if not re-
markable, in the best known fruit-grow
sections on the coast. Umbrageous foil
age stretches away 10 avenues in every
direction, a veritable oasis in a seeming
desert.
AS we have heretofore stated, these trees
have been grown without irrigation, nor in
! the first year and most important stage
did they have the care OF an experienced
horticulturist. Thorough and frequent
cultivation has been relied upon, anG has
succeeded wonderfully. The sand retains
moisture to a surprising degree under these
/ conditions. moisture being found two or
! three inches under the surface late in
August. With water for irrigation, jul
diciously used, particularly in the first
year of planting, the growth and develop
ment of fruit trees of all kinds on our
| plains would, judging by the results OBJ
tanned by Mr. WhitmOre without irriga-
| zion. be little short of phenomenal
| Near the center of the orchard three or
| four acres are devoted to berries and gar
! den produce, irrigated by means of water
| raised by two windmills. In this dlrec-
| tion too, the results have been mos graft
flying. Blackberries grow in wonderful
profusion, the berries large and of most
palaUable flavor. Beans, peas, lettuce,
onions, asparagus and a dozen and one
products of the vegetable Kingdom are
grown very successfully, while a few
square feet devoted to an alfalfa expert
ment demonstrate beyond cavil that that
nutritious forage is destined in few years,
with the advent of water for irrigation, to
extend in great tracts over the plains, pre-
senting an evergreen landscape and afford
ing frequent, never-failing and profitable
crop.
A mile away, out in a wheatfield where
number Of Modestoans own small tracts,
is young vineyard of ten acres. Remote
from water, its growth solely due to cult
walton, it is green and thrifty and we'll ad-
vanced for its two-year-old state.
Half mile or so in another direction is
another young orchard, set out last year
by Mr.. Dickey and Mr.. Whitmore jointly.
Here, too, cultivation is alone relied upon
and the trees are making very satisfactory
growth. Under windmill in this orchard
corn and other vegetables are growing in
great profusiOn and with splendid deVel-
opment.-M odesto Herald.