The Bryan daily eagle. (Bryan, Tex.) 1895-1898, 1897-12-16

NH the world" lie Is
efCN perhaps the Oldest
i/G9tl seedman ON the
" Pacific coast. says
a Los Angeles letter 10 the Brooklyn
Eagle. What he does not know about
iruit' grain and vegetables Is not worth
knowing. Asked about vegetable mon
strosities yesterday he refreshed his
memory a moment and then continued:
'ot course. you have heard Of the big
grapevine at Santa Barbara. which
covers an area OF three acres OF land.
Ihen there Is the monster rose bush AZ
santa Rosa. remember. when a boy.
marveled at the size Of this. floral
plant II grew 10 an enormous height
ana completely covered the house
where Il grew. During my lifetime
here In California I have handled
sQuashes running all the way from
100 to 300 pounds each. Watermelons
! have seen weighing from thlrty-hye
TO 100 pounds Beets are freQaently
known on this coast Weighing all the
way from forty to seyenty-nvc pounds.
remember one beet raised al San Ra-
fael which weighed about eighty
pounds. Las fall I saw three onions.
the aggregate weight Of which was
nearly five pounds In the Pomona
valley ! have known OF onions weigh
ing from one and three-Quarters TO two
and a half pounds Tomato vines fire.
quently grow ten or twelve feet across.
and ! have seen radlshes that looked
Ike big turnlps
How about potatoesg"
Well. have observed specimens ri
the Humboldt county potato which
weighed from two 10 three pounds. Il
Is not az all unusual to see cabbage
Weighing from thlrty-fye 20 seventy
1--WE pounds Some years ago q Mr..
Fox. who lived down In the Santa
Cruz mountains, raised a carrot Of the
white Belgian variety which weighed
about twenty-elght pounds. Il was the
biggest carrot on record. In the way
OF fruits. we have raised on this coast
enormous peaches and pears The
largest pears that rome to the San
Francisco market. OF course. are what
they call pound pears. but ! have seen
them weighing two and a half pounds.
Al a recent convention OF frult-grow-
ers held In Pomona. r. p. Fowler Of
Paradise valley exhibited q remarkable
assortment Of deformed and abnormal
oranges. One OF these deformlties
looked for all the world like a pair Of
Jenness Miller's patent leglets AZ the
same convention a farmer named Il.
Schulenberg Of Claremont exhibited n
variety OF strawberries known as the
Triumph le Grande. measuring three
inches In diameter
Al kelsey's orchard. near Santa Bar.
bara Is a remarkable plum tree. known
as the Japan plum, which was planted
In 1876. The fruit Is heart-shaped and
Of rich yellow color. The plums
from this tree are frequently from
eight 10 ten inches 10 circumference.
In Los Angeles ~ l.. Baker OF Union
street displays a rose bush which ha,
reached a height OF sixteen feet Gmh.
ed upon lts branches are twelve varle.
ties of roses. The parent stalk 4.
twelve years Of age The stalk. a Few
Inches above the ground. Is ave inches
10 circumference
a man In Ontario recently discov.
cred a wonderful freak Of iature In IA,
shape Of a monstrous apple blossom
on one OF the trees In bis orchard
The blossom. which resembles a larg,
sized rose. measures nine aud a hall
inches In circumference, and d What
may be- called a second-crop blossom
An ordinary apple blossom contain.
ave petals. while this one has thirty OF
forty.
The big grapevine az MontecIto. near
Santa Barbara Il famous The vim,
was planted about forty years ago
The grapes are Of the mission variety
The parent stalk u torty-six Inches IN
circumference one foot from IN.
ground. Where Il commences Q,
branch. three feet from the ground. iti
circumference Is slxty-thr,e inches
The vine yielded four and half ton.
Of grapes IN a single season. The win,
covers an area ot 100 by 80 feet som,
years ago a photographer. IN lookin,
about the golden state for vlcws. cam,
across a giant cactus near los Angeles
the trunk of which was sIX feet foul
Inches In circumference he also fnun,
In the same vicinity pampas nlumei
growing 20 the height ~ ten feet
- the rooms OF the state board o
trade In san Francisco some remark
able products OF California soil are or
exhibition. Last year. when the sea
son was well advanced pumpkin
weighing 261 pounds we're upon exhlhI
ton there There were also cahhaee
Weighing nlnely-hyc pounds onlun
that tipped the scales az 1--we pound
and a huge sweet potato raised nea
Santa Ana that weighed twenty Nv
pounds. Apples weighing twent,
ounces are frequently on exhibition
and a hye-gallon glass Jar contain
eight pears. the weight Of which q
thlrly-three and one-thlrd pounds
These eight pears completely an III
aye-gallon jar Flowerlng plants grow
to enormous size In an parts Of M
state. Florists say they have seen lille
In California fourteen feet high. Will
geraniums that look like trees are com