The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1895-06-19
PACIFIC COAST FARMS,
The Superiority of California
Fruit Over That of
Europe.
WHAT THE ANALYSES SHOW
Preparations for Farmers InSti-
tute to Be Held in San
Diego.

During the month of July the State Uni
versity college of agriculture and United
States experiment station) will conduct a
series of farmers institutes in Southern
California covering period OF six days.
The first meeting will be held at San Diego
on Monday and Tuesday, July s and 9; the
second at Escendido on Wednesday and
Thursday May 10 and IL, and the last at
Santa Ana on Friday and Saturday, May
II and Ii. The immediate supervision OF
each institute will be under the charge of
Professor A. J. Cook of Claremont who is
duly accredited representative OF the nj
versity in institute work in Southern Cali
fornia.
California ranks tenth in the United
States in the value of it's farm products.
The increase in total value of all farm prod
ducts in California, as compared with some
of the principal agricultural States, and
with the United States, shows that CaIifor-
| MAS increase in the ten years from 1880 to
1880 was 46 per cent, or more than twice
the increase during the same period of any
other State in the Union. This showing of
facts, from the statement copied by Man
ager Towne of the Southern Pacific Rail
road Company. is interesting and valuable.
The richest gold mines of California will
be discovered in the products of her fields
and orchards.
c. K. Niles of San Marcos, CAL, is ship
ping blackberries, says the San Diego Sun.
He expects to gather about 5000 boxes off
of less than half an acre of vines. AT the
low price of cents box this would
amount to about $500 an acre. And yet
some people say there is no money in Der
ries.
A series of experiments have been con-
Quoted by Professor Beach of Sydney, Aus
tralia, which in their results coincide with
similar experiments made here in the same
direction, says the Rural Californian.
Out of LII varieties of grapes, twenty-seven
were able to fertilize themselves, thirty
four were able to produce partial crop of
fruit fourteen were able to set fruit which
never developed and the remainder could
not fertilize themselves. Hybrids, espe-
cially, require to be set among other varie-
ties or fertilization cannot occur salts
factorily. One remarkable lesson from the
experiments showed that sterile blossoms
can respond to pollen of some other vine,
as pears have been fertilized by apples,
| peaches by cherries, but the fruit was often
seedless. With many varieties of apples
there is no difficulty, but with others and
with many varieties of pears sorts that
blossom at the same time should be planted
together.
Professor E. w. Hilgard in an address
on Fruits in the Arid Region" says that
1.-THE superiority of California fruit as
compared with that from Southern
Europe has all been demonstrated by
chemical analysis. California grown plums,
peaches and prunes contain from two to
five times as much sugar as European
fruit, while oranges, figs, grapes and april
cots contain nearly one-haf more. A
similar difference is found in the quantity
OF albuminoids. or flesh-forming ingredi-
ents, as the stone fruits contain from one
and half to three times as much as
those from the Mediterranean"
The Cornell formula for Bordeaux mix
ture is: Copper sulphate, 6 pounds; quick
lime, 4 pounds; water, 40 to 80 gallons.
Place the copper sulphate in bag of
coarse cloth and immerse in at least four
gallons of water, using an earthern or
wooden vessel. Stake the lime in like
quantity of water, then add to the dis
OF the water. 1t is ready for immediate
use, but will keep indefinitely. For peach
foliage add an extra pound of lime. For
carnations and cabbages it will adhere bet
ter if about pound of hard soap be dis
solved and added to the mixture. The
Bordeaux mixture is for use against rot
mold, mildew and all other forms of fun
gous disease.
San Bernardino, San Diego, Ventura and
Santa Barbara bee men report that the
crop of honey will be large and OF superior
quality. Revival of business should Sc
cure them good prices and they look for a
year of unusual prosperity. Besides, the
bee men are to be protected from the bogus
honey makers. The bill has already been
approved by Governor Budd, providing a
severe penalty for the sale of anything for
honey except the unauthorized product of
the hive.-San Diego Sun.
The cultivation of tobacco plants is being
carried on at the State University with
such success as to warrant the statement
that when the plants are properly handled
with that intelligence in the matter that is
born of experience tobacco culture will
flourish in California. The plants thrive,
but the product thus far is chiefly suitable
for filters, though not for wrappers. This
latter point, however, will be attained by
careful culture, and there is no doubt that
the no distant future will see market for
California cigars made, fillers and wrap
pers, from California tobacco. Some thirty
varieties OF tobacco are grown on the land
of the agricultural department, mostly
from Louisiana and Connecticut plants.
The watermelon crop around Lodi is
larger than it was last year by some 400
| acres, says the Lodi Sentinel. Last season
about 1900 acres were planted, but this
year fully 20O0 acres have been planted in
the immediate vicinity of Lodi. 1t is said
| by those who know that the crop this year
| is in better condition by far than it was at
| this time last year Taking it altogether
| the outlook for the melon-raiser is far
better now than it has been for many
years. To start with, it is evident that
without some unforeseen accident there
| will be good crop. Again, there is every
| probability that good prices will be OBJ
| tanned, for the reason that there will be a
scarcity of fruit this year, and melons will
| be used instead to great extent.
Professor Hilgard of the University Of
| California tells the Petaluman that he is
receiving requests from all parts of the
| world for seeds of the Atriplex semibaccum
| Australian salt plant. This has proved Of
great value in strong alkali lands in the
| San Joaquin, forming a heavy mat OF
| leaves and stems which can be cut like
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