The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1895-11-08

mat these great industries nave been
successfully established and prose-
cuted and have supplied the markets of
| the United States for such products.
| That profitable growth of this business
Oh the Pacific Coast demands better
and cheaper facilities of transportation
| by sea and land than now exist; that
| the Nicaragua Canal would open the
markets of the world to the products Of
this coast and bring prompt and perma-
| nent prosperity to all our industries.
Your memorialiStS therefore respect
fully represent that they favor the
| Nicaragua Canal and ask that it be
made, owned and controlled by the
Government of the United States in the
interest of commerce.
The memorial was adopted
A discussion Of mechanical appli-
ances for economical work in the fruit
interests followed, and the convention
took recess till / 80 p. IN.
Afternoon Session.
The afternoon session opened with a
paper on Pruning" by c. J. Berry
He said that the first thing to learn
seemed to be, not how to prune, but
how not to prune. BY some strange
perVersity of human nature, if there
are two ways of doing a thing, a man is
almost sure to do it the wrong way the
first time. 1t is folly to lay down rules
for pruning that will answer for the
whole State. 1t is easy to see that the
rules that are proper for the northern
part of the State can not be applied to
the southern part, where the conditions
are SO different and the direction of
wind, amount of rainfall, heat and cold
are to be considered. He gave an &C
count Of his experience in pruning and
said that he practiccd summer pruning
only.
The question of how to prune olive
trees was asked, and a member said
that in his opinion the best way was to
cut out the limbs that cross and then
| to let them alone. The olive tree, he
said, does not require much pruning.
Mr.. ROding said that when olive trees
| are planted, most of the foliage should
be cut off. If a tree is set out in Janu
airy, when it is dormant it will remain
so throughout the season, but if it is
tranSplanted after it has commenced
to grow in March, it will grow right
along without stopping He had set
them out in May and had them do well.
He kept trees cut back each year for the
first three or four years, and they
made a compact growth, but did not
bear.
Another gentleman, who said he had
a nursery in Los Angeles, said that
might do in Fresno, but it would not
do in the southern part of the State.
The question of cutting back for the
first three or four years resolved itself
into a question of whether the grower
preferred 10 have his trees properly
shaped or to get quick returns from it.
r. D. Stephens, who was presiding,
announced that the Sacramento Cham
Der of Commerce had arranged a spe-
cial train to go to Folsom in accord
ance with the Governors invitation, in
order to see the electric power plant,
the dam, etc, provided sufficient
number can be secured who will go.
4 large number responded and it was
announced that the train would leave
the depot at 3 a. m. on Saturday, re-
turning in time for those who wish to
take the afternoon train for San Fran
cisco.
The question of summer pruning of
deciduouS trees. was discussed. Mr..
Berry said that with winter pruning
the new shoots grew in clusters and
like whips. If some of them were cut
out they left a weak place. Summer
pruning, on the contrary, made the tree
spread laterally, instead of growing
high. The fruit was also sweeter and
better. He told of a peach tree pruned
by him in that way that produced 300
peaches, weighing 30S pounds. One
block of trees of five acres produced
nineteen tons and half.
"Oh, Major, come and sit down."
said Mr.. Sprague, amid a general
laugh, but the Major did not sit down
and went on to tell about some magnifi-
cent peaches sent from Visalia to New
York.
Mr.. Wright said that it had always
seemed nOnsensical to him to cut a
great lot of wood from a tree and then
H. i
He knew Of a man who had never put a
pruning knife into his orchard and
who raised more fruit than anyone in
his locality.
A long discussion ensued, in which
many members took part
The next question asked was
Should the renting Of orchards to
Chinese be encouraged?"
A member said no" and when
pressed for his reason, said that al
though he rented to Cinnamon, he
thought it would ruin the fruit bust
ness. If Eastern visitors come here to
look around and see the way the fruit
is handled, they viii eat none of it.
Another said it should be discouraged,
as it would bring the white man who
dries his own fruit into competition
with the Chinese and he must take the
same price the latter sells for, as much
Of the fruit put up by them is not fit
for market
B. F. Walton said it should be dis
Outraged as the owner of the orchard,
regarding the Chinaman as an ire
sponsible party, binds him up
tight by a contract. Then when the
buyer comes the owner sides with the
buyer and compels the Chinaman to
sell far earlier than fruit should be
sold, and before ii is fit for market.
Another member, who lived above
CIico said that the Chinaman displaces
the white man and his family, and pre-
vents the country from growing up.
He gave an account of how it had
worked there in the past twenty years,
and begged his hearers TO stand by
the American who builds up towns and
needs schoolhouses.
4 =. Hall said that there was an ex-
cuSe for many who rent to Cinnamon.
They are unable at the rate fruit sells
for TO make living, and have to rent
to Cinnamon, who can live cheaply, in
order To get something out of their or
chards to live on. He was not in favor
Of renting to Cinnamon, but did not see
what else some of the growers could do.
a Fresno member said that he liked
white man better than a Chinaman,
and always employed him in preference,
but he had had some unpleasant expe-
riences with them. They got dissatis-
ned and quit; they got drunk and had
fights; they turned up missing
in the morning, when they should have
been at work. He had no such trouble
with the Cinnamon, and he could not
wonder that people employed them.
Another member said the Cinnamon
were here and he supposed they must
be employed. but he believed If fruit
growers would exercise care to plant
profitable kinds of fruit they could
market it themselves at profit. He be-
lieved America should be for Ameri-
cans.
Mr.. Bogue said he leased his orchard
for a long time. but had to break the
lease. or he would have had no orchard.