The record-union., 1898-10-16
FRUITS AND MARKETS.
INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT
CALIFORNIA CROPS.
Acreage Of Grapes and Citrus
Fruits and Other Matters
Of Interest.

Besides the matters already pub
lished in the Record Union" concern
ing the work of the State Board of
Horticulture there are several other
features worthy of note, particularly
figures with reference to the fruit crop
of the year, and facts regarding the
efforts to get pure olive oil introduced,
and to promote the sale of pure foods
generally.
In Secretary B. NJ Lelongs report
there are several questions Of interest
all over the State. He reviews the crop
shortage of this year, and the sum-
mary shows better than might have
been expected, considering the drought
and the bad season at the time Of bios
soming. Up to September 4,033 cars Of
fresh deciduous fruits had been ship
ped from the State as against 4, 800 for
1897, which is shortage Of but 557
cars, though much of that might be cut
down if one We're to figure on the
amount that was used in the canneries.
Against all this, however, 1t should be
remembered that in a normal year the
new bearing trees should have in
creased the output over that Of 1897.
knowledge in the possession of the
bureau shows that there is an increas-
ing demand for California horticultural
products Of all kinds, especially for
canned goods, for which far better
prices than usual prevail.
The following figures show certain
facts Of interest concerning the output
of various crops this year: The pack
output of peaches was $4,000, 900
pounds, prunes 100000 pounds, pears
100000 pounds, apricots. 500,O 900
pounds, apples 100000 pounds, plums
100000 pounds, figs 2,OOO,00O pounds
and nectarines 100000 pounds.
The has been a wholesome growth of
citrus shipments in the northern part
of the State, as seen by the table of
exports from the following counties in
1898: Tulare 11S cars, Sacramento Z
cars, Placer cars, Butte 156 cars; to-
tai, 2S6 cars.
The shipments of citrus fruits from
the State for 1897 have been figured by
the commission to be 81 ,O94 900 pounds.
Owing to various causes the olive
crop has been almost a total failure
Bad weather at the time Of blossoming
has been held responsible for this,
| though the future of the olive business
(.
1t is said that few people know the
value Of olive oil and olives as food.
One thing that olive growers have had
to contend with is the vast amount Of
spurious oil on the market These
goods do very much to hurt the legiti-
mate markets for genuine oil. People
are slow to see the value of the real
article compared with the adulterated,
though there is hope that good results
may follow from the enforcement Of
the strict law against aduIteration.
The consumption Of olive oil in the
United States in 1897 was over 1921 900
in value, and that of olives a few thou
sand more. 1t is said that the value Of
the consumption in this country is in
creasing each year, and that the work
of health food societies is doing much
to expose the injuries that come from
using limitations Of olive oil, such as
cotton seed authorizations. From all
these facts it is evident that the future
markets for pure oil are likely to be
better than those Of to-day.
The estimate of the County Assessors
Of the State as to the acreage of fruits
in this State for 1897 is as follows:
Fruits, 452, 252 acres; grapes, $1,000
acres.
Much of the report is taken up with
recipes for the treatment of various
evils that affiict the orchards of the
State. 1t abounds in various useful
suggestions that must be withheld from
the public so long as the State Print
ing Office shall remain closed There
is systematic treatment of the various
diseases and pests that aff1ict orchards,
and much patient learning is compiled
relative TO what to do.