The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-12-25

to stock the whole acreage. AS it is, one
can scarcely SOW this plant too thinly.
believe that when the merits OF this plant
are once thoroughly appreciated by the
farmers there will be no more arid lands
or alkali wastes within the entire State.
The other plant | speak OF is the Ca
naiere. or tanners dockweed. This is
root which contains remarkable amount
of tannin. From the juice squeezed out OF
a root from 80 to 40 per cent OF fannie acid
Ss proauoo0.
The sale of fruit trees during the past
year has been enormous, from which it is
fair to argue that great increase OF fruit
acreage has been going on. Nnrserymen
find, too, that the planters are wide awake
to the Importance of setting out only the
| best stock. California orchards are grow
| ing very rapidly, and they are improving
| in quality even faster than in acreage. Our
orders are always for the superior varieties
| of tree, and we are constantly taxed to
supply the growing demand for novelties
in this line.
| The question has been preached as to
whether there is not danger OF overpro-
! duction in this line. I believe there is no
| SuCu UuHSeT, nor IL uSCcosdAy ~ SPSOA
| late on the future or formulate elaborate
theories to substantiate this view. We
| had this same question confronting us in
! 1880, when We exported by rail only $40
| carloads, and we had it in 1891, when we
| shipped 0,706 carloads, including ship
| ments by sea. Strangely enough, there
| are fewer persons now who doubt the mar
ket than there were in 1880, although we
export forty pounds now where we shipped
| one then.
There is one very convincing fact to my
| mind that the danger of overproduction Is
imaginary. It is this: Our horticulture
lists are deeply interested in the questions
they are, as a class, reflective and intelli-
gent-I think 1 may truthfully say, very
superior body of men. Their interest and
success are deeply involved in knowing
the truth of the matter; they are not land
agents, and few of them have land for sale.
Every personal consideration would lead =
them to discourage planting, if they
thought there was any danger of overpro-
duction. But they not only do not dis
courage. but are doing all they can to en-
courage it, and are extending their own
paintings wherever they can.
". II. Mills. high authority upon the
question of distribution, has recently
pointed out the fact that our fruits do not
reach over 100000 of our citizens out OF
the s., 600 600 who will buy them if they
can get them.
We shipped by rail to the East in 1891
of green fruit less than three pounds per
capita OF our population; of dried fruit one !.
pound per capita; of raisins about two e:
thirds of pound per capita, and OF canned
capita-about five and half pounds per
capita of all kinds.
It must be obvious to all that this i.
only tasting fruit-not eating it. But our
population is increasing at the rate of over
one and half million people annually.
It will take thousand acres of new or
clMrds every year to keep pace with this
increase alone at the present small per
capita consumption. IT. however, our
fruit is consumed by 100000 people, they
must buy 100 pounds per capita, which
shows our utter inability to overproduce
when we shall have reached all the con-
sumers.
There is a word more, 1 think, could be s
proftabiy said in such an article as this,
upon the subject of arboreal decorations.
l refer particularly to San Francisco, where
the absence OF trees and shrubs in the
streets must be marked to our Eastern and
foreign visitors. Why should not some
thing be done to beautify our residence
thoroughfares? OF course there is one
answer very evident. 1t is that it would
be offering insult to the beautiful things
of nature, trees and shrubs, to plant them
on thoroughfares plethoric with chuck
holes and ruts. We must first pave our
streets, but we all live in hope of seeing
that done some day. May we not hope,
as we'll, that our Supervisors may be
spurred by public sentiment strong
enough to convince them that our streets
should be beautitied by the planting of
trees and shrubbery? It. is well that San
Francisco is built upon seven hills, as it
were, and that the residence quarters as a
rule sit high and command view of the q.
bay. We point out our marine picture to
the visitor and he sometimes forgets the
absence of natural decorations in our
thoroughfares. And yet l have heard
many comments upon our lacking of beau
tiful streets. 1t is lacking that should
be speedily mended.
Let me say now, in conclusion, that In
the nursery business and all its allied in
dustries, the past year has been prosper
Gus, or at least more profitable than the
year of 1894, and that there is a bright
promise for the coming year.
~ @N.:o