STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 219 



^Evaporated Peeled Peaches. — As will be noticed, the product this year is 

 largely in excess of hist season, but the bulk was sold for eastern ship- 

 ment early in the season, and has largely gone into consumption. We 

 are pleased to note that peeled peaches in California are being yearly 

 indulged in on a more larger scale, for the reason that we believe peeled 

 peaches pay the producers better, and while the trade is not as large as for 

 the unpeeled, the demand from all portions of the country is constantly 

 on the increase. We would recommend for the coming year a more gen- 

 eral putting up of this fruit in two and five-pound packages, as in that 

 style the consumption will be increased in all portions of the country. 



Evaporated Unpeeled Peaches. — A very heavy increase is noted over the 

 product of last year of this fruit, and generally of better quality and more 

 tastefully packed. The California evaporated unpeeled peach has really 

 no competitor anywhere, because it is of better flavor and finer generally. 

 Notwithstanding the heavy quantity put up this year, the stock now car- 

 ried in California is extremely light, and not enough more than will be 

 required for the running coast demand from now until the end of July. 

 While the trade on these goods formerly was principally derived from two 

 or three large western markefs, at the present time the sale extends all 

 over the Union, and the evaporated peaches of California, like the canned 

 fruit, are being sought and sold in all the markets of the Union. There 

 is no possibility whatever of overdoing it, as the consumption is increasing 

 yearly far ahead of the production. 



Evaporated Pitted Plums. — What we have said of the sun-dried will 

 apply to the evaporated. The low prices last year very seriously curtailed 

 the putting up of this product this year. What has been prepared, how- 

 ever, has been of nice quality and has brought figures highly remunerative 

 to the growers. We can hardly expect, however, any very heavy demand 

 for evaporated plums, for the reason that the California sun-dried pitted 

 plum is of such excellent quality that at the difference in price the major- 

 ity of the trade will take the fruit. 



California Walnuts. — We estimate the product this year at one million 

 five hundred thousand pounds, which shows a very gratifying increase over 

 1886. It is also a pleasure to note that the best California walnuts, prop- 

 erly bleached, and due attention being paid to careful grading and curing, 

 are now in a large measure supplanting the imported article. It was only 

 a few years ago that a California walnut, even that was as good as the best 

 imported, as far as eating quality, was sold in the eastern and western 

 markets at anywhere from 3 to 6 cents per pound under the imported. 

 This, however, is now being changed, and discriminating dealers will take 

 our best walnuts at prices equal to, and in many instances exceeding the 

 imported goods, and there is no reason why they should not, as they are 

 not only fresher than anything that comes from abroad, but are of better 

 flavor, and the quality certainly is not inferior. California offers a fine 

 field for the production of these nuts, and while there are a good many 

 new orchards being planted, we do not think the attention is being devoted 

 to this industry that is warranted, by the fact that we have the United 

 States for a market. The best walnuts come from Southern California. 



California Almonds. — The product this year is a light one owing to 

 various causes, but the quality has never been better. The low prices pre- 

 vailing in New York for the imported almonds, has not left much margin 



