The Hood River glacier. (Hood River, Or.) 1889-1933, 1914-05-28
HUXLEY TELLS OF
WATSONVILLEDISTRICT
Watsonville, Cal, May l9, 1914.


Editor Glacier: People engaged in
similar occupations always have inter
ests in common, and on this basis am
assuming that many Of your readers
will be interested in my impressions Of
the Watsonville apple district.
The Pajsro Valley, in which this dis
rict is located, is shaped like horse
shoe with the open enc fronting the
ocean. The Pajaro river and its tribu-
tsries embrace the entire valley, which
for the most part is nearly level, slop-
ing west. The city of Watsonville is
about four miles from the ocean, and
the valley extends from the ocean to
the Santa Cruz mountains east about
eight or ten miles, and Is from eight to
ten miles in width north and south.
This does not include the foothills,
which would add to these dimensions
in all directions.
Many varieties of fruits and berries
are grown here, as well as vegetables
of all kinds; in fact, it seems that any
thing that will grow anywhere is grown
in varying quantities here. The two
largest crops grown for shipment are
apples and strawberries.
The soil in which the apple orchards
are grown is mostly heavy black loan,
made up of sediment and silt which
have been washed down from the
mountains in the ages past, and in
many spots this soil runs to a great
depth. Where 1t is mixed with clay it
requires very careful cultivation to
keep it in just the right condition, but
where more sand prevails il is easy to
handle, and in all cases is very fertile.
AS soon as the winter rains begin,
carpet of burr clover and wild
mustard springs up. and by sthe time
the blowing season has arrived heavy
growth isei eady to be plOwed under,
solving automatically and without ex-
pense the problem of cover crop.
The apple and cherry trees grow
large, those in the many of the older
orchards running from 36 to 40 inches
in circumference, with spreading tops
to correspond. The yield in an apple
orchard like this will run from 20 to 30
boxes per tree, and such orchards are
numerous. this being an old district.
Strawberries are grown in large
quantities and are profitable crop,
the harvesting season beginning in
April and ending in December, there
being a continuous supply from the
fields throughout the entire period.
The crop is all marketed in the various
large cities in this state The straw
berries are irrigated mostly from wells
by pumps operated by gasoline and
electricity: the fruit trees are not irri-
gated. The berry crop is harvested on
shares by japanese almost entirely, as
japanese cannot own land in this state,
and the owners of the fields do not care
to harvest the strawberries themselves.
Nearly all the orchardists have one
or more tenant houses for their regular
help, which they employ by the year to
care for the orchards. All pruning is
done by expert SlaVonian pruners who
make orchard work their sole occupa-
tion, their charge being 81 per day, ex-
cept for spraying, for which they
charge So. so per day.
A normal crop of apples from this
valley is about $500 carloads, about
1900 cars of these being Belleheurs and
most of the balance Newtowns. There
are, however. few hundred cars of
Smiths Cider. White Winter Pear
mains and some other scattering vari-
eties. The crop this season is esti-
mated at 70 per cent normal.
The marketing of the crop has al
ways been done by the growers indi-
vidually, some selling their crop on the
trees, the buyer caring for the grow.
ing crop, some selling their crop after
being grown; and various other plans
have been followed The idea of CO.
operation. however, has taken root in
this district, and last year five associa.
tions were organized and put into oper-
alton. Hood River growers will realize
what cooperation will eventually mean
to the Watsonvlle district. There is
little doubt that when these new asso-
Citations have proved to their own sat
isfaction the benefits of organization
the entire district will combine in .one
big association with still better re-
suits.
Cold storage facilities here are very
limited, and the cost of storing apples
in cold storage is 20 cents per box for
the season, no other rate or arrange
ment being offered or considered. The
fruit growers have no storage facilities
of their own, and no apple houses on
their farms for handling their crops.
All apples are hauled to town loose
and delivered to some private packing
concern. There are some so packing
and shipping concerns, who charge the
growers 28 to 30 cents per box for sort
ing, grading and packing the apples,
the packing concern furnishing every
thing and allowing the grower the use
Of orchard boxes to pick and haul his
crop in.
The orchards here seem to be taken
care of very well indeed, cultivation
being almost continuous, many growers
cuitivating as often as every 10 days,
finishing about August |. Spraying is
thoroughly done with power sprayers.
Thinning is also thorough. and is under
way at this writing. The orchards look
thrifty, and the whole valley has a
prosperous appearance, large fine resi-
dences being the rule. The size of the
orchards is mostly from FIVE to 40
acres, but there are few larger ones.
Everybody keeps COW and chickens,
and many raise gardens. but, strange
to say, not all. The temperature is
said to be nearly even almost the year
around, and winter clothing is worn
throughout the year, very little else
being found for sale in the stores.
have been shivering for week, as
came here prepared for hot weather.
With best wishes ! remain,
Yours truly,
H. M. Huxley.