The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1910-04-30

BUMPER CROPS ASSURED FRESNO COUNTY THIS YEAR

water Is low. The perpetual water
right, included with the purchase price
of the land, is about 1925 per acre.
Great as the raisin and fruit indus
try is. wheat is grown on vast areas,
the ranches running in the thousands
of acres and the product in good years
amounting to millions of bushels. con-
siderable portion being worked into
! flour in Fresno. Barley is grown in
large quantities, and so is alfalfa.
There are creameries and skimming
stations, and butter and cheese are ex-
ported An unlimited market for dairy
products, with the fact that one acre of
alfalfa will keep one COW in green feed,
offers the farmer of limited means an
opening for immediate and profitable
| returns. Sheep by the thousands roam
over the foothills.
"Deciduous fruit shipments, green
! and dried, represent several million
dollars Citrus fruit growing is a de-
veloping industry. Watermelons are
| exported in hundreds of carloads The
vineyards cover thousands of acres,
most of which are In raisin grapes, and
the remainder in wine or table va
rieties There are many large wineries.
Excellent port brandy, sherry and an
gelica are made, as we'll as other va
| rfeties.
YIELD OF VINEYARDS
AT the head of the long list of val
liable products stands the raisin. When
a vineyard Is in full bearing it pro-
! duces about 1000 pounds of green
grapes to the acre, which will dry to
over one ton of raisins. The average
product of year old vineyards is a
ton of raisins to the acre. The Califor-
MIA raisin has possession of the Ameri-
can market and is extensively shipped
! abroad
| The growing of nursery stock is a
remunerative occupation. Honey is pro-
duced in considerable quantity, and
more so with the increased production
| or alfalfa. Alfalfa honey equals in quail
ity clover honey of the. east. Gold is
mined in the mountains, and millions
OF feet of lumber cut annually, most
OF which is fioated down in fumes
There are large planning mills and many
lumber yards in the city of Fresno
The growth of the dairy business
dates back only q few years, when
smaller interests merged and became
| what may be properly called a large
clearing house for butter fat. Before
| this, dairying was>conducted in des-
| ultory way by ranchmen who gave
| their time to grain, vineyards or other
| possessions, and. these permitting the
cows received attention later on. Now
the farmers find it advisable to attend
to their cows.
HERBAGE FOR SToCKMEN
Along the river bottoms of the
Kings and San Joaquin sheep raising
fiourishes. Here, between October and
April, scores of bands of sheep are
herded every year. The section is fer
tile and rich in heritage, upon which
the animals thrive until the dry season
sets in. when they are driven into the
mountains.
THE raising of hogs, cattle, horses
and mules has advanced both as to
numbers and as to quality in breeding.
Large numbers OF cattle are being re-
ceived continually from Arizona, to be
fattened and either slaughtered here
or reshipped to San Francisco and else
where.
Thoroughbred, standard bred and
high class draft stations have been
brought into the county, and great in
terest is manifested among horsemen
in raising the grade of the runner, the
trotter and the work horse. Some of
the best roadsters in the state are in
Fresno. and very promising youngsters
in the running line are also attracting
attention, while the production of the
heavier breeds has met with equal sue
cess"