The herald., 1897-04-02
cuing the country from the plutocratic
leeches that have fastened themselves
upon the product of the brain and Drawn
OF the people.
CHERRIES AND APPLES
horticulture in Southern californi

Horticulture In Southern California
mental stages of development. 1t is
new country, with more varieties OF
climate than, perhaps, any similar area
on the globe. This variance of tempera-
ture comes from the presence of large
ocean and a grand chain of mountains
In such close proximity. The soil differs
as widely as the temperature and the
rainfall keeps pace with both in the
volume of precipitation owing to the
same influence.
The consequence is that we produce
as good wheat as Minnesota and as good
corn as Missouri alongside of as good
vines as France and as good olives as
Italy or Spain, while near by our oranges
vie with the best from the Mediterranean
and our lemons come in in the same
line of successful competition with those
of Sicily
Not only the influences of climate, soil
and rainfall, but the inexperience of
many of our farmers and fruit growers
place our industries in the tentative cat
egory to some extent. The people who
are interested in the products of the
soil here are, generally speaking, much
more intelligent than is the case else
where but their intelligence is not spe-
cific in the details of the business in
which they are engaged. 1t is no rare
thing to find among US farmers who
have spent most of their life in the gro
Gerry or dry goods business, or in some
manufacturing enterprise. A fruit
grower of a years experience in this
pursuit may have had to write bellies
lettres in college for young ladies until
his hair turned gray.
or less gravity are sometimes made
which may result in severe embarrass-
ment for the time being, although sure
to be rectified in good season.
1t is said that up in Antelope valley
farmers are learning that the altitude
is too high and the heavily snow-capped
peaks too near to make almond and
apricot culture safe one year with an
other. Warm, forcing weather in Feb
ruary may be followed by sharp frosts
in March, running orchards inclined to
bloom too early. We must remember
that Palmdale is perhaps 5000 feet above
sea level and at the foot of the San Ga
briel peak, whose crown is snow covered
in July or August.
But such seemingly adverse conclu-
sions as these often direct the horticul-
turist to a path which leads to greater
profits than ever could have been found
in the road on which he was travelling.
For example, the apple and cherry crops
never suffer in these localities so un-
favorable to the apricot and almond.
Now, he that would take it in bad grace
to see his hopes of a crop thus blasted
should in reality rejoice. For while
apricots and almonds are a profitable
crop, cherries and apples are more profit
able. This section produces a surplus
of almonds and apricots, which must
find a market outside the section, while
we shall hardly ever get enough good
winter apples, and never half enough
cherries of home growth to supply the
home market At San Jose and other
portions of Central California, where
the cherry thrives, last year this fruit
paid a gross revenue of $500 per acre,
while year in and year out half that
4