The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1908-03-05
LETTER FROM ELLIS sIpEs.
Moved to California From Needmore
About Three years Ago. Tells of
Climate and Crops.


try my luck in California, [ prom
ised number Of my friends to
let them, know how l liked my
new home after | had tried the
change long enough. to form some
opinion.
When / arrived here, l bought
twenty acres of unimproved land
! a miles west Of Reedley, mile
from Kings River, and have been
very busy home building and im-
proving it. / have planted 924
peach trees, 2680 grape vines
Mus ,at of Alexander, the varie-
ty from which ralslns are made),
a small plat of mixed fruit trees
for family use. / use three acres
of Alfalfa for hay, from which l
cut last season five crops of hay,
making in all 25 tons. The re
malnder | planted orange trees
and berries-all have been plant
ed two years, and we are all well
pleased to see how rapidly the
trees and vines are growing, and
we feel encouraged IN our work.
/ measured a few peach trees
that were Twelve to fourteen feet
IN height and one foot In circum
ference at top of ground. Peach
trees do very well, and bear well
here, and at present the fruit
brings good price. James A.
Milton, of Reedley, had three ac-
res 1927 trees), which yielded 46
tons of green fruit, for which he
received $50 per ton, making to-
tai of SO, 760, or 1920 per acre.
This was the largest yield IN the
neighborhood, the average being
about $3.50 per acre. Our county
(Fresno) produces three.fourths
of all raisins grown in the United
States. This year the crop in
our county was 10000 tons, the
market price of which was $10j
per ton, yielding a total value of
$6,30O,00O. The pc sch crop
dried and green-smounted to ov
er $4,000,000; VINE and table
grapes to $3,000.000. Table
grapes-Tokays, Malagas, and
Emperors-that retail in stores
in all eastern cities and towns
for 10 to Is cents pound, sell
out of the vineyards for d cent
per pound, and the growers make
money at that, as the yield is six
to twelve tons per acre Tie
Reedley district cannot be excel
led for production of all kinds of
frui but Is not so good for general
farming, as a hot, dry climate re-
quires too frequent irrigation to
be profitable.
Reedley is situated on Kings
River, a very beautiful stream
six miles west Of thu foothills of
the Sierra Nevada mountains, 20
miles southeast of Fresno, the
county seat, and connected with
the same by both Southern Pa
cific and Santa Fe railroads, hav-
ing five passenger trains each
way daily. 1t has a population
of LOO, with a fine graded and
high school. Teachers receive
salaries from SIS to 800 per
month for terms of eight months.
1t has two packing houses, which
bought 10000 tons of ralsins and
5000 tons of dried peaches; also,
apricots, figs, and a very large
tonnage of green peaches and ap1
ricots, and 200 cars of oranges,
last year We have excellent roads
in this vicinity, and Free Rural
mail delivery.
Prices Of land vary greatly.
Good improved orchard land, full
bearing, sells for $500 to $500 per
acre; unimproved, $75 90 to $500
per acre, with water right, as we
have to depend entirely on irrlga-
ton, the cost of irrigation Is 75c
per acre the cheapest rate in the
state, and the best water supply.
We get good supply and can use
our tull amount every day In
season. The mountains just
east have an elevation OF IL, 900 to
1900 feet Mount Whitney the
highest mountain In the United
States, is directly east of us and
can be distinctly seen any clear
day-although 80 miles distant.
1t ls the snow from these
mountains melting IN summer
heat that furnish our irrigation
water. Snow is visible all the
time even in the hottest day In
midsummer. / can see the snow
from my dining room window
or porch.
On twenty acres of good irri-
gated fruit-bearlng land with
good care, 1T will yield net in
come of $1,000 to S3, 900 per year,
on average; and sometimes much
higher; and excepting irrigating
and pruning, will take no more
work than 20 acres of corn. We
also have fine weather TO do our
work iu-~no ice aud snow. All
Ile vinter we have had is over.
1n3 lowest Temperature this sea