The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1899-07-18
Agriculture
and
Hortic ulture.

6OrtlCultQre.
Inc Following news concerning agrl-
cultural and horticultural matters in
acme Coast States shows some phases
" oiVers interesting questions:
PAJARO APPLES.
Los angeles Times: Last season the
@aJaro Valley evaporated apple was not
exeeied In any market and prices were
good. There is a wide market for first
quailty dried apples, and lots of them,
says the Pajaronian.' can be furnish
eo by this district if packers will OPP
crate driers for the cultivation of their
Wlndfalls. The San Francisco fresh
Arult market will not take windfalls nor
moth tunneled apples this year.
Inc same authority says: The PaJaro
valley is going to have big apple
crop this fall, and the leading question
now is it's marketing. New markets
must be opened and the new mining
districts and the Pacific islands trade
should be carefully looked after.
GRAPE GROWERS MEET.
Cloverdale Reveille: A meeting OF
the grape growers of Northern Sonoma
County has been called by E. G. Fur
Der, VIM. Caldwell and S. Pinschowel
TO consider the proposition of ii. j.
Croker, who agrees to pay S14 and ST.
per ton for grapes for the coming
seven years The meeting will be held
Saturday, July 18th, at 2 p. M, in the
Citrus Fair pavilion. All growers in
this vicinity have been notified ana
will undoubtedly be a large attendance
The proposition is an important one to
the grape men, and many leading
growers have announced their intention
to contract with Mr.. Croker. They
state that at those figures the grape in
dustry is assured of a better condition
than has existed for years and enables
a very handsome return to the vine
yardists. The meeting will determine
the action of the growers of this sec,
ton whether they will accept the offer
of Mr. Croker or take the chances of
an open market.
FARM LABORERS.
Fresno Democrat: Complaints come
from all over the State of the scarcity
of laboring men. The compliments are
the farmers, the fruit growers, the hop
raisers, the contractors and manufac-
turers. This scarcity of laboring men
is attributed to the prevalence of bet
ter times. The time was, not so many
years ago, that men in the cities were
loafing about the streets begging for
money to buy meals because, in many
instances, they could not go into the
country and work for the small wages
the farmers and fruit growers offered
them. Japanese and Chinese were then
hired to go into the orchards, grain
fields and hop fields. The wages are
now SO good that all the white laborers
as well as the Japanese and Chinese
are at work, and still there is complaint
that there are not enough men to fill
the demands The scarcity of labor is
as much in evidence in Fresno as else
where. Labor is in great demand here
for the harvests. A carpenter cannot
be had for love or money, as all are
employed For harvesters in the hay
field last year 10 cents to 81. p day
and board was paid. The ruling rate
to-day is from $3.50 to So a day. House
wives are also in trouble because SER
want girls are not to be had. Efforts
have been made to secure workmen
from San Francisco, but the field there
is overrun.
A FIG TREE TENT.
Briggs Argus: Lonny Lucas and sis
ter, Miss Flora, who occupy the home
stead block near the school grounds,
take great pride in the trees and shrub
berry growing in their residence lot,
but their especial pride is centered in
two fig trees which not only produce
an immense amount of fine fruit, but
form perfect tent or summer house.
One tree, which measures four feet in
circumference, forms the center pole,
to a hight of ten or twelve feet to a
point where the main limbs branch on.
from all around the trunk and drop
until the points touch the ground. The
smaller branches and twigs intermingle
and interlace into solid mass through
which the SUMS rays never penetrate.
and rain water is shed as from a tent
The dense foliage covering a space of
about sixteen feet in diameter at the
ground decreases until it encloses the
body of the tree at the top. The in
terror makes an excellent shade in sum-
mer, and the owners spend many a
happy hour in comfort in this natural
bower, while their less fortunate neigh
bors swelter in the heat.
PLANT TREES.
Briggs Argus: With the return of
summer the residents of Western Butte
realize the need of shade trees along
the public roads and lanes. condition
that is continued on account of neg
1eot simply. No country anywhere pro-
duces a shade tree in a shorter space
of time than here. and all that is re-
quired is to plant the tree and give
it a little water occasionally in sum-
mer for the first two or three years.
There are many varieties of trees that
make a splendid shade. which if plant