The commercial. (Union City, Tenn.) 190?-193?, 1907-10-11
FRESNO, CALIFORNIA.

There have been so many inquiries
from friends ana neighbors, l will try
and give a few facts and figures, con
corning Fresno and vicinity Fresno
is called the raisin city, EMPOWERED In
trees and surrounded by vineyards
1t ID a city Of $4,000 people. with
many banks, number Of great pack.
Ing houses and many wineries and
canning factories, and about 1t more
than 1000 families who live on less
than forty acres each and are prosper
GUS The town site was staked off In
1872 1t was then part Of tireless
plain and the most of it remained SO
for some years later Now there are
we'll paved streets, splendid business
block, fine opera house, courthouse
with its own nice park, good church
es, fine schools and elegant residences
A net work OF railroads and electric
wires, street car service and wilder
ness Of flowers and half tropical shade
trees--an oasis Of beauty In what
seemed a hopeless desert The irriga-
ting ditch and energy has wrought
the miracle.
Everywhere are vineyards and or
.chards, olive groves and groves OF figs,
forests OF almonds and apricots, peach
es, pears and prunes, avenues and Or
chards Of orange and lemon, hedges Of
pomegranate Long lines Of lombardY
poplars extend across the plain, tall
palm trees rise, the date OF Arabia and
the desert palm OF South California
Eucalyptus australian gum pine,
deorder cedar, curacarias and sequoias
are becoming splendid trees The
vineyards stretch away for miles
wine grapes, tables grapes, raisin
grapes so extensive that one not ac-
customed to the sight cannot help but
marvel at the immensely
In the sun-long days the land seems
to overflow with its fruitage The
roads are crowded with teams, haul
ing fruit to the canneries, grapes to
the wineries, or new made raisins to
the packers A purple stream trickles
along the wayside, the waste from the
wineries; clusters Of grapes lie I'M
noticed, and the musky breath Of the
crushed fruit fills the air, mingled
with the peculiar smell Of fig trees and
their fruit and ripe fruits OF all kinds
RAIsINs
But not all these vast vineyards
yield wine The greatest single In
dustry Ia the Fresno region Is the
making Of raisins A bout tive-sevenths
OF the total raisin production Of Cali
fornia comes from Fresno and the Inn
portation of raisins has fallen of from
1860, 5e8 pounds In 1897 TO 4,04l, $50
pounds Ia 1905. Fresno alone supplies
the country with about SIS 200, 900
pounds annually. They are already
sending raisins abroad. The seedless
ralsins, especially, is rapidly captur-
ing the Jraue.
FIGS
The celebrated Smyrna fig. the fig
of commerce is now produced In per-
lection 1t has taken twenty years In
study and cost a small fortune to learn
how to equal the old world product,
and not until the insect with the long
name, the Blastophaga, or fig wasp
was imported and colonlzed, was sue
cess achieved The United States
Government took deep interestin the
problem and aided In It's solution
Now success has crowned endeavor
and a new industry is assured
In size, 10 flavor, Ia color. In sweet
ness, the home product is said to-
equal the figs Of Smyrna aud command
the market The colony OF fig wasps
has increased and seem at home 10
the new world The production Of an
edible zig ennai 70 that Of any country