The Birmingham age-herald., 1903-06-21
MINISTER WRITES ABOUT CALIFORNIA Tells of the Industry of Pre-
 serving Eggs FRUIT AND DAIRY TRADE Member of the Presbyterian General Assembly Was Much Pleased With
 the Way the Assembly
 Was Entertained.
FRUIT AND DAIRY TRADE
BY THE REV. THOMAS WALKER.

pr nE nENs TOMHS WAENEns
 Coronado Beach, San Diego. June o. l They do business on business principles
 here in California, not only in the way of
 entertaining the Presbyterian Assembly,
 but in every way.
 So much has been written of our elegant
 reception and entertainment as Presby
 terians, that I will simply add my amen
 to that, and proceed to call attention to
 the practical side of California life, which
 am sure will interest many of my old friends among your readers.
 While enjoy the balmy air of southern
 California-for the climate Is perfect
 and admire the grand scenery-for I am
 a lover of nature-what most attracted
 my attention was the high degree of per
 lection to which their business methods
 have been brought. While labor unions
 are not as powerful here as in the east,
 we find the country districts bound to-
 gether by a web of association that Is simply wonderful The orange, lemon, beach, pear, grape, olive. almond, walnut, honey and even to egg producers each have a separate association, controlled by
 their best men. and by thus combining
 they are enabled to get much better prices
 for their products.
 This was strikingly demonstrated to me
 by an association that handles eggs; the
 community in which It operates sells no
 cheap eggs, but preserves them all during
 the period of low prices, and do not sell
 any until they bring at least 90 cents a
 dozen, and generally go up to 30 cents or
 40 cents during the winter. I asked the
 secretary If 1t was not difficult to get so
 many farmers to bring their eggs in reg
 NFtVarr To T
 of the people preserve their eggs at home
 the association furnishing the preserver
 and telling them when to bring the eggs In for shipment He said: "We have in- telngent people out here; they will not sell their eggs for twelve cents a dozen. when they can preserve them for a cent dozen, and by holding them four or i've months get thirty-five cents for them. It would be foolish for the farmer to sell his wheat for thirty cents a. bushel. when he knew that by holding 1t four or five months he could get seventy-five
 l asked him if people could make money in the east preserving eggs, as I would like to try 1t. He said they could: that he started preserving eggs in Indiana. with $lO. and in seven years made six ten thousand dollars; that there was no locality where people could not make 15O per cent preserv- ing eggs as eggs got low In sum mer and high in winter everywhere, and that person starting with even five dollars would soon be rich by reinyesting the proceeds of each year. l then asked him If he would sell me the formula and at what price. He said they did not sell formulas, but he would gladly give me one, as they always sent the formula free to anyone that wrote for one, or gave them to those that called, so if any of my friends in the east want to try pre- serving eggs you can get the formula with complete directions free by address, Ing the Egg Producers association, Oceanside, Cal The eggs keep perfectly for year and you cannot tell them from fresh eggs and 1t only costs a cent a dozen to preserve them: If you write Tor formula you should enclose three or four two-cent stamps as it takes money to pay postage. lam going to preserve some eggs as soon as l go home, for this Is something that minister can do without conflicting with his duties In the least; am going to start with $1O. and reinvest the proceeds for ten years and then I can buy a Callforla home too.
 Another thing that greatly interested me was the beautiful preserved fruits of all kinds that you see here. They put it up without heating or sealing and it tastes like fruit freshly picked; it does not shrink up or get soft dS OuI CdHHeu IFult does, and you can keep 1t in this fresh state for years, for cost of about a cent c quart. Anyone can also get this formula for keeping fruits without heating or sealing free, by addressing the California Fruit Association, Carlsbad, Cal. (of course enclose stamps for postage, etc.) Many of you have no doubt seen fruit kept in this way, at the exposition where California fruits are exhibited; 1t Is simply grand and then so little trouble and I cannot conceive why people in the east do not put up fruit in this way. If they had to pay big price for the formula 1t wuuli perhaps be more generally used, as we in the east, like things that come high; but for one never expect to have any more canned fruit about my home when with less trouble and less cost, we can put 1t up cold and thus always have --esh fruit on our table.
 The dairy business is a particularly good business here. Milk and butter ai- ways command a big price. while COWS are not higher than in the east; butter Is now retailing at 30 cents a pound and people of moderate means that will keep few chickens and cows can live nicely here Southern California
 or course orange groves are beautiful, but 1t requires an artesian pocketbook, that flows large stream, to maintain an orange grove; in fact I think irrigation of the pocketbook. fully as essential as irrigation of the orange grove.
 When l return home I will write you | more of California business methods, as they can teach us old land marks in the east, many things we know not of.