The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1896-05-21
THE FRUIT OUTLOOK.
CaIifornia's Output Will be an
Average One.
REPORTS OF FROSTED DISTRICTS
Frost PreVentAtives-Future Value OF the
Fruit Industry-A Summary OF
County Reports.

April has, no DOUBT, seriously injured
the crops in some parts of the State,
says the San Francisco Chronicle, but
the total result has been loss which
had it been properly distributed ovel
the whole State would have been only
a proper thinning out of our orchards.
stranger reading some of these re.
ports would conclude that Californis
bad gone to pieces and would have
nothing to sell this year. Nothing Of
this kind is true. There has been fol-
the past month a deficiency of heat
entirely unusual at this time Of the
year, and series of frosts, actually
killing in some Localities and for some
varieties of produce. But California il
a great State, and while we hear
promptly of the hundreds who are
hurt, we hear little or nothing from
the thousands of growers who arc not
seriously injured. We do not think
that at present any accurate estimate
Of the condition of our fruit crop can
be made, but from mailed letters OF
inquiry to well-known farmers and
horticulturists in all parts of the State.
requesting the judgment Of those ad-
dressed in regard to the condition OF
the crops in their respective localities,
we find that the facts are just about as
stated above. A summary of the crop
reports show that the cherry crop will
be very light. A poor crop is reported
q mi d0 o.
Clara. Solano and the extreme north
ern counties also report fair crops.
Peaches are in good condition in nearly
every district. Very few districts re-
port serious losses. No damage of any
consequence is reported on pears.
The Moorpark apricots have been seri.
ously damaged almost throughout the
State. On the lowlands the entire
crop is gone. Other varieties of this
fruit are badly damaged and only a
fair crop will be gathered. No dam
age has been reported on apples. olives
or citrus fruits. No estirate of the
prune crop can as yet be made. 1t is
not believed that any serious injury
has been done by frost to this crop ex.
cept on the lowest lands, but what
harm may come from the continued
cold weather cannot yet be deter
mined. The growers of early vegeta-
bles have probably suffered more seri-
ously than other farmers. These pro-
ducts are usually raised on the lowest
lands. and themselves lie close to the
ground. While the neighborhood of
water. which is quite usual, is more
or less of protection, it is reported
that the tender varieties are generally
cut down. The watermelons of Lodi
will have to be generally replanted.
In MERGED county vegetables have
been about ruined. The vineyards on
the lowland were hard hit, out those
on the slopes escaped injury. The
loss on other fruit is not as heavy as
reported.
Fresno county seems to have suffered
severely, says the Waterman. From
one end of this vine-growing belt to
tho other the devastating visitation
has left its ruthless waste in evidence.
The raisin interest is not lonely in
this painful blast. Peaches, apricots
and other fruits similarly advanced
travel the same road of injury. For
the raisins. the CLEAN sof hope lies in
good second and third crops, aided by
a late warm and dry fall. For the
other injured fruits there is no possible
recovery.
The grain crops north of and includ-
ing northern San joaquin county are
reported in all cases as good" or
very heavy" says the San Francisco
Chronicle. South of San joaquin
county the effect of the light rainfall
is shown in gradual falling off in
the promise of the grain yield. Near
the coast in Southern California there
are one of two reports of good" crops
of barley, but generally even there
both wheat and barley are reported
as light grain crop. but south of there
the reports are uniformly almost
failure. The crop at the north, how.
ever. if it meets with no disaster, will
be heavy.
As things are now fruit is very much
damaged in Tehama county. All early
potatoes are badly hurt, and in a great
many cases will have to be reolanted:
grain has held its own. and with
warmer weather promises well.
Says the Santa Rosa Democrat: We
ind that the damage done to early veg.
such as beans, corn and pota.
toes. is very heavy, in many instances
leaving nothing; and the vineyards
above Healdsburg are, so to say, not
damaged to any extent. In the Sonoma
md Rincon valleys the frost was very
,eavy. as also in the Bennett valley,
md some vineyards are totally frozen
md again others are hardly touched
Ind only slightly damaged; SO that
% take the matter all through, the
natter is not one.half as bad as re-
ported. What the damage to the
ruit trees is. it is impossible to state
It present, but we predict that the
GENERAL crop will be far from fail.
ire.
The frost Of April goth caught Sono.
ma valley with disastrous results to
vine grapes. 1t was the most serious
rost OF the season. The temperature
ell to 80 degrees above zero. The
'rost played havoc in all the vineyards
except those on the billsides. There
las not been SO much rain in April
or ten years. Hay. grain and pasture
lever looked better. The fruit crop
will be light. The growers of the
3eyserville country will work with
he Sonoma County Fruit Exchange
n future.
The cool weather. light frosts and
considerable wind has been rather Diet.
mental To the growth Of oil n.o.,a