The San Francisco Call. Newspaper, January 7, 1906, Page 6

Shan THE SAN FRANCISCO SUNDAY CALL. agui 2186. One of the chief causes of the shortness of the crop pear bligh has been do- mmense to the pear of the \cipal producing of California. In the Sacra- it is especially prev: s spread with such rapidity grave fears are expressed for the future of pear growing throughout that entire section, if not the whole State. Vigorous measures, however, are be- ing taken to contro! i he State ey willing The reason nia cherries, heralded crop, and and Federal governments being en- gaged 'in fig g it. The only effective remedy so far discovered for the di- sease is to cut out-the fected parts and bu The disease is bac- and characterized by a gummy tion, and appears to De carried cezing rce to tree and place to place cehan & cts, so that it is very difficult to combat. However, Professor M. B. . Waite, who is in charge of the work e United States Department of ture, says that it can be erad- he expresses the hape that now being undertaken successful in saving this for California. prove g indust California’s Vineyurd Production. ar has bcen an extremely satis- one for the vineyardists of the It was not, of course, 2ll clear the general results have been me little injury resulted to the sections from frost early but the damage was not more consequence was the loss caused by the extremely hot weather of the early part of July, which burned the crop quite seriously in some districts and caused a diminution in the yield, es- pecially of table grapes. The damage to T considerable in the Lodi 1 as in some other parts of he Sacramento Valley. But the remarkable extension of the b ¢ season through the holding off e than made up - weather condi- rlier in the seas: The rains did fall until late in November, and this allowed pr: ally all the grapes to be shipped. Last vear the season came to an abrupt close in September on account heavy rains which fell during that This year grapes were going to vplume long after the t ‘are dotted in which are of California usually over. This brought extra d into the pockets of . nla vine growers. Wine Grapes. Cherries a Short Crop. s inc wine grapes were concerned, however, the season was not so satisfac- tory, though the extension of the harvest de it considerably better than it other- So far as wise would have been. However, the total out sweet and dry wines was ird short of that of last year. about In re were produced in California of wine. The output for according to the closest estimates. exceed 20,000,000 gallons. To offset it may be said that the quality of f the dry wine produced is better - preceding year, while e unusually high. Growers re- for their grapes than they in sweet wine s greater dry wine. This is in ac- the high prices for ralsins Whenever raisins are high wine is made. Raisin Grapes. rape yield was not as heavy nd the output of the bout the same as that s produced. s well out of Apricot Yield Heavy. ts, on the othe ha 2B < i s this fall, and that ac- for the e rdinarily asked for the this year. the chief factor in raisin prices combination of ralsin growers and g00c which control at the present —— about half of the total output. . 3 r affairs in the ralsin district e thing but satisfaciory. There 3 no organization of the wers and ; s¢ s a case of take what_ they could : nd the few get for their produ spring, looked upon much through efforts, a ralsin grow- 1 and do mnot ers' organization was effected, to which w ompetition with was given the name of the California But the Cali- Raisin Growers' Company. This concern @ for controlled about 37,000 acres of raisin good demand for grapes, and the members agreed to mar- ities of the ket thelr entire crop through the com- results from this satisfactory to swell the fruit Later a combination was formed with some of the principal packers, the packers and the raisin growers forming a corporation known as the Central Cali- fornia Raisin Packing Company, for the Peack Crop. purpose of seeding and marketing the \e carly peaches . Taisins, the directors of this corporation P rieties proved a disappoint- Pamed opening prices for new crop goods he yield, the higher than had been expected. The re- cult was that the raisins of the combine led to move out with any great rapid- most of the busin going to out- a result, raisin affairs are at nt in a most unsatisfactory condi- were nearly those : gy ions are that the combinar the buds to swell. This was followed grand total of 11,105,864 boxes. This the cnd of the season values were much account of the fact that most of the land p f ADOUT 3000 A SRS S LA PRSP RAIIS y A S ater & into s - bes from other ns of ! and did not do % Iy s w v the earlier & . T varieties{BY CONSTANCE D'ARCY MACKAY. crrand girl, dishwasher and general of going to the theater was a wonder- hear only the echo. ‘“A-ah!” she seen that, and—and I want you to marry of f Cali- HEY sat in the first row of the gal- 0rudge Esther was not used to much ful rift in the gray of her existgnce. breathed, with a little shiver. And in me.” fornia the e Rt (et The et or Ch ropnwiBeLA by When the great night arrived her spite of her aunt’s instructions, that As Esther listened she had a fleeting t this iery. Mow thal the tumult of U3 The boarders seldom ‘ noticed her. fingers trembled so that slie could hard- was the only word she spoke all the vision of Romeo. How gracefully he had s markets rush wes over the girl had time 0 e, there had been the gawky art ly fasten her simple gown. Her aunt, evening. Mr. Stubbins gave up all efforts stood beneath that flower-hung balcony, e that from take off her hat and smooth her student who used to take delight in Kindled into kindness by the unex- at conversgtion and contented himself while Mr. Stubbins, red from the unwont- . : thereby rumpled hair. She was still breath- drawing her thin, delicate profile and Dectedness of the situation, helped her with gazing about the house, or watching edness of love-making, looked more awk- fierce competition {iess and her cheeks were glowing. The Who always murmured “spirituelle” dress. “It will. be a great thing for the flushed, rapt face of the girl beside ward and florid than ever! She gave a © be looked for, and{p . Leside her turned and looked back WEen she passed him the pickles. But you. Esty.” she said, “if Mr. Stubbins him. little gasp of—pleasure, Mr. Stubbins |.,4--‘- ia growers and GAniphbitly: “sdt pretly well to get until Mr. Stubbins eame no one ever should ask you to marry him. PBesides, At length the final curtain fell. Mr. thougnt. He smiled beneficently. “Of benefit of the higher s Ty fraat. fie Sald. “Thece's 3 iihe had given her so much as a kind word. I've got engugh to do to look after my- Stubbins smiled at Esther. “Pretty course, you're surprised,” he sald, “and are always paid for early B BT 10Nt S0 tanding up 1v's He sPoke to her when they met In the self without taking care of you. I good show, that was” he observed it's only natural. But I mean what I proved true of practically acked house for o Wl otar ball and once he had taken her to hope you'll always remember how kind - genially. say. You're louely, and I'm lonely. I'Tl x zes, and in view of the g walk in the park. It was after that TI've been to you, Esty, and how I've let His voice awakened Esther from her eral eav crop ided ma o < Mg assented the giri, vaguely. k the year the good on s - ou see, it's all so—so new and so . < nge. I've only been to the theater N . Srwn before in my life. That was when Uncle Ben took me to see ‘Shore Acres. res that was so real. I could almost roduc the shipments§ believe it was true. WIill this be like xceeded in volume those of all preceding § "Shore Acres, do you think?” ears with one exception. One thou The man spread his programme out hrec hundred and ninety-one ca on his knee. “Well, no, not exactly,” fruits were shipped, as against 105§ he answered. “This Is ‘Romeo and Ju- year. Prices were good throughout§lict” 1 ain't strong on Shakespeare the cntire season myself, but J thought you might like ee it, Esther.” i Thank you, Mr. Stubbins,” said the The pear crop proved a disappoint-§ girl, with a grateful glance. In agdition to the shortness of She was a pretty girl, fair-haired 1d, the quality of much of the{ and fragile—"“peaked looking” was the s far below stgndard. Total§way the people in her aunt’s dingy East for the season amoufted tofSide boarding-house described .her, those of last year—i0l3} when they spoke of her at all, for as A Disappointing Pear Crop. fruit w shipment less than tion of the packers and the raisin growers will be broken up. On account of the shortness of the crop and the fact that old crop goods are pretty well cleaned up, it is probable that most of the crop will be disposed of in time, but the goods will probably go out, but slowly. Apple Crop a Record Breaker. But though the ralsin growers may have their troubles this year, the ap- ple men are jubilant. The year has been an excellent one for them and the crop is the heaviest ever known in the history \of the industry in this State. Up to November 20 there had been shipped 1714 cars of apples, and there still remained at that time several hundred more cars to go. Not only is the amount of the output greater than ever before, but the auality of the fruit is excellent. The Pajaro Valley is the principal apple-producing section of California, Watsonville being the chief shipping point. In this valley d the Newtown Pippins, w made California fruit kno than anything e Pra lifornia own Pippins goes gland, where they are greatly in demand Prices paid for this fruit are always high. The value of the fruit is great- ly enhanced by the fact that these ap- ples are handled in the most careful manner. Every one o. them is packed separately and carefully as if it were crop the most precious article. The de- mand for the fruit demonstrates what careful picking and packing can do for the fruit grower. The apple crop this year is greatly in contrast with that of 1904. Lgst year the total shipments out of the State amounted to but forty-three cars, of which Pajuro Valley shipped about twenty cars. Other sections of California are com- ing to the front as apple-producing districts. This is especially true of Humboldt County, which has this year made large shipments of apples to Australia as well as to other consum- ing centers. Many apples are also raised.in San Diego County. while So- noma County is giving much attention to the growing of this. frult. Prune Crep Very Short, Prunes have not tugned out as well this year as could be wished or as was expected early in the season. At blos- soming iime a good ecrop was indi- cated, but as the season advanced it became apparent the production would fall far short of earlier expectations, The probable shortage seemed to in cr y until the crop was on the r the output of cured prunes for California was 135,- 000,000 pounds. This year it will be much under half of that, estimates varying from 50,000,000 to 55,000,000 pounds. The actual production proba- bly lies about half way between these two figur However, this very considerable shortage in one of the principal crops sed In this State is probably rather advantageous than otherwise. It has put the market in much better condi- tion than it has been in for a long time. Prunes had been doing poor- ly, so far as prices were con- cerned, and the growers seemed to be making very little money. Every vear there was a heavy carry-over, which helped to keep down the price for the new crop goods. The shortage this year has allowed the holdover to be cleaned up, while prices for the new goods are better than have ex isted for a long time. The California prune seems this year to have come into its own. Conditions in California are helped by those existing in other producing sections of the world. The crop in the Pacific Northwest is very short, while the production in Europe also is light. Altogether, the year will un- doubtedly prove to be an exceptionally good one for the prune growers of this State. Walnuts. Walnuts this year have fallen far short of what was expected ecarly ip the season. First predictions were for a crop of 10,000 tons, but this estimate has had to be greatly reduced. The crop. now being marketed will prob- ably not exceed 5000 tons. Unfavorable climatic ' conditions were responsible for the shortage. In the southern part of the State warm weather early in February started the sap and caused that he had asked her to go to the the- ater. When this piece among the boarders significant glances, “If you marry Mr. Stubbins you won’'t have to work so hard,” said an- other of the boarders, kindly. Esther. opened her brown eyes wide in an astonished glance. She lLad not thought of Mr. Stubbins as a means of escape. He was not an ideal lover. of news spread they exchanged ‘He was red-faced and puffy, with ab- normally large hands and feet. Still, as Esther acknowledged to herself, he was kind, kinder than any one else had ever been in all her life. As for the play—the words Romeo and Juliet meant nothing to her. She had never heard of that immortal trag- edy of youth and love. But the thought by cold and rainy ther, and as a result the top branches did not leaf out until after the fruit on the lower anches had set. The bloom produced on the top branches came too late. The fruit was very small and much of It dropped. Walnut blight, however, was not so bad as it was during the two preceding years. Prices for walnuts are good, as was to be expected. Last year's walnut crop amounted to 15,180,- 000 pounds, as compared with the esti- mated 10,000,000 pounds of the 1905 crop. Almonds. The almond yicld, though consider- ably less than an average crop, is much larger than that of 1904, when the tonnage was only 800. The esti- mated yicld for 1905 is 2100 toms. The production in 1903 was 3200 tons. Bsti- mates during the early patt of the sea- son varied from 150 to 2500 tons and some 'sales were made on this basls, but later prices rose. The quality of the crop generally is better than in former years, Both almond and walnut growers are generally organized into associa- tions throughout the State for the mar- keting of their products and this plan has generally proved satisfactory. Citrus Fruits. The citrus season of 1904-05 in Cali- fornia broke all previous records as tg the size of the crop, while the returns to growers and shippers were much more -satisfactory than had been the case for several years previous. Thirty- one hundred and twenty-two cars of oranges and lemons were marketed—a You work for your board and given you a home. Now, don't sit staring, like a bump on a log, when he's talking to you, and don’t have that far-away look in your eyes that you've got there this minute.” “Yes, aunt,” said Esther, thinking more of ghe theater than of Mr. Stubbins. nd now at last she was there—in- side the theater. The lights, the music, the sense of waiting for one knew not what—all were intoxicating. She hard- ly saw the hurrying usher, the people taking their places. At length came the magic instant when the overture died to a whisper, the footlights shone luminously in-the darkness and the great curtain rose slowly, giving to view a scene in Verona. When it fell there was a thunder of applause, of which Bsther seemed to // was more than 2000 cars in excess of the shipments of the preceding season, which was itself a record-breaker, total shipments for 1903-04 amounting to 29,399 cars. Of the total of 31,422 cars of citrus fruits marketed the past season, 5378 cars were of lemons. But in spite of this heavy crop prices received for lemons were more than satisfactorys Up to the past season the lemon industry had been in a bad way. Prices were bad, there was little demand for the California prod- uct and growers' returns were mostly red ink. Various circumstances last season com- bined to put the lemon growing industry on a sound basis and make the year a profitable one to those engaged in the business. The weather throughout the East and Middle West was unusually hot during much of the summer, and this cre- ated a strong demand for lemons to be used in various beverages. In addition to this the Sicily crop proved to be a very short one and of unusually poor quality. As a result California lemons for the first time took precedence over the European fruit, buyers generally preferring the lemons from this State. Throughout the Middle West California-grown fruit prac- tically superseded the Sicily product, and the same was true to a less extent on the Atlantic seaboard. Consumers there- fore had an opportunity to learn of the excellence of our lemons. The result will be that the demand’for California lem- ons will keep up, and the time will not be long until Sicily lemons will be no longer wanted. s Prices for California Valencia late oranges werc especially good, and toward dream of romance to the actual pres- ent of boarding-houses and drudgery. “Yes—oh, yes, Mr. Stubbins,” she sald. The flush had left her cheek and she was very pale. They spoke little on the way home. Es- ther was thinking of what she had seen. Mr. Stubbins was wondering which was the easiest and quickest way to propose. On the steps of her aunt’s boarding- house they paused. The street was very still. The ugly rows of houses opposite were touched by moonlight—such moon- light as silvered the streets of Verona long ago. Mr. Stubbins cleared his throat. “Bsty,” he began, “I ain't much at love- making, like that Romeo fellow we sa this evening, but my business is doing well and I'm thinking of settling down. You'd make a fine little housekeeper. I took to you from the first—you must have higher than ever before. As much as $14 50 per box was paid for part of the last two cars sold in New York. That means 15 cents apiece for 9-size oranges. Naturally most of the oranges and lem- ons shipped out of the State are raised in Southern California. The part of the State south of the Tehachapi shipped dur- ing the past season 29,592 cars. Redlands, Riverside, Highland, Covina and Corona are some of the principal shipping points of that section. But not all the oranges are raised in Southern California. Citrus fruits are raised in both Northern and Central Cal- ifornia, oranges being grown as far north as Shasta County. Though the total amount of production nerth of the Te- hachapi is small as compared with the immense crop of the southern part of the State, it is by no means insignificant. Tulare, Fresno, Butte and Placer coun- ties all produce oranges in greater or less quantities, and Tulare County grows some lemons. During the past season Tu- lare and Fresno counties shipped 1304 cars and Butte and Placer counties sent out 441 cars of oranges. Altogether Northern and Central California shipped 174 cars of oranges aud eighty-five cars of lem- ons. The citrus fruits produced in these sec- tions have the advantage of not being brought into competition with the fruit from Southern California. This is on ac- count of the fact that, although farther north, the fruit ripens nearly two months earlier than that raised in the south. The orange districts north of the Tehach- api are principally sheltered valleys shut off from the cool breezes and fogs to which the southern fruit is exposed, and the warm sunshine and soft winds ripen the fruit early. Though it is hardly probable that citrus fruits of Northern and Central California will ever prove to be a very strong factor in the ecitrus industry of the State, om give you a good heme, and you'll never be sorry for marrying me.” Esther made a quick, despairing ges- ture. “Wait, Mr. Stubbins!” she cried. “I haven't said that I'd marry you, and T can't say it, because I don’t love you. Ob, I_know you can't understand, but there are things a girl wants more than a home—a thousand time more! I hope you're not angry with me, Mr. Stubbins, for you've always been so kind, and I'll never forget your taking me to see a play that showed me what love really means.” She vanished into the house, leaving the astonished Mr. Stubbins a-gape on the 'doorsteps. “Well,” he ejaculated, “that beats all! A man spends his good money to take a girl to & show, and then she goes and acts llke that! 1 thought seeing Romeo would fix matters, but you never can depend on a woman, anyhow.” (Copyright, 196, by C. H. Sutclifte.) “ can be more advantageously used for the growing of deciduous fruits and other crops, nevertheless orange growing in these sections is steadily increasing. and the output will in the near future be con- siderably greater than it has been in the past. California orange growers were for- tunate last season in not having a strong competitor in Florida. The citrus indus- try In that State was just recovering from the disastrous effects of severs freezes, which in former vears had ecut the crop down from 6.000,000 boxdilite a paltry 75,000, and the crop for 190405 was estimated at about 1,750,000 boxes. But in January another freeze occured which not only ruined most of the fruit still on the trees but also injured the trees them- selves so serjously that it is hardly prob- able that Florida will ever again become a very important factor in the situation. This freeze had the effect of giving practically the entire market in this country to California growers and shippers and did much toward enhancing the value of their fruit. The Present Citrus Crep. The 1905-06 citrus season opened with the shipment of a car of navel oranges from Exeter, Tulare County, on October 2% Since that date a large part of the crop of Northern and Central California has been moved. while a considerable number of shipments have been made from South- ern California for the holiday trade. It is at this time difficult to make any- thing like an accurate estimate of the probable size of this season’s citrus erop. Too many things may occur to increase or decrease the size of the crop befi it is hagvested. Various estimates place the outpat all the way from 24,000 cars to 40,000 cars. The latter figure is without doubt much teo large. Should the same weather conditions prevail throughout the season that were experienced last year, the ecrop will probably be at least as heavy as that of 1904-05. But these condi- tions were very unusual. The winter was arm and dry and the fruit had an oppor- tunity to increase {h size beyond the org! nary. There was no frost was lex the amount of cull oranges practically all the fruit being small marketable. Insect pests did less damage Pthan for several years back. One severe frost could, of course, prac- tically ruin the crop. It is not to be ex- pected that such a thing will oceur, but some loss from frost Is generally to be expected. However, prospects at this time are for a very prosperous season for the eftrus industry of California. The industry is constantly growing, and there is every reason to belleve that the year of a 50,000 car crop is not very far distant. When It comes there will be found a market for the fruit. : In Gemeral. n general, conditions tnroughout the East have aided in making 1906 a very prosperous year for California fruit grow- ers avd shipvers. One particularly tm- portant factor is the extremely small sizs of the apple crop of the United States. That turned out to be not much mors than half the size of the crops of s mcedlnx un:e? years, the estimate for commercial cron this year i n the neighborhod of 23,000,000 b:‘n:d: This shortage places California fruits geperally in a strong position and helps to raise prices. Comparatively few evap- orated apples have been made. and al- fornia cured fruits have been called n to make up the deficiency. The is true of canned goods, while our oranges :hx:l to a uh::;:lxnnt take the place of Tosy-¢l b lutm\ apple for