298 TRANSACTIONS OF THE 



not only so, but he may actually gather fruit of some kind from his or- 

 chards, if not every day, certainly every month of the year. Let us con- 

 template for a moment the various crops that are now being successfully 

 and extensively grown, and we will take them in order, commencing with 

 the— 



Winter Fruits. — These embrace oranges, lemons, pomegranates, olives, 

 and persimmons, which all ripen during the months of November, Decem- 

 ber, and January. It has only been during the last four years that it has 

 been generally known, even to our own residents, that the first two would 

 do well here, consequently there are not a large number of bearing orchards 

 to be found, but enough full grown trees exist to prove that they can and 

 do thrive and produce fine fruit. The writer is personally connected with 

 a firm that has brought to Sacramento County during the last three years 

 over fifty thousand orange and lemon trees, and will bring here, in addi- 

 tion to those now growing in its own nursery grounds this winter, at least 

 fifty thousand more. So great has been the demand for planting, in this 

 district, that it is sure that in a few years orange and lemon culture will 

 form an important part of our industry. The crop of oranges in Sacra- 

 mento County this year, is estimated at one thousand boxes. Five years 

 hence it may be fifty thousand boxes, and increase thereafter in like pro- 

 portion. Oranges and lemons ripen here much earlier than in the southern 

 part of the State. This fact may seem strange to many, but any who 

 doubt it may prove it to their satisfaction very easily by comparing the 

 fruit from the two localities in November. It is a fact, that the oranges of 

 Sacramento and other central counties, are always sold at fancy prices 

 long before any are received from the southern counties. This is an 

 advantage which will be apparent at a glance. As to the quality: the 

 writer, with others, in charge of the Citrus Fair exhibit from Central Cali- 

 fornia, at Chicago, in the winter of 1886-87, was assured by experts, that 

 no better oranges ever reached that market. They were compared with 

 the products of Florida, Louisiana, and the Mediterranean, and suffered 

 nothing by the comparison. The Japanese persimmon is the finest fruit 

 of that family in the world, and grows here to the size of apples. Olives 

 do well, and are being extensively planted. They are very profitable both 

 for pickling and for oil. A grand opportunity is here presented for any one 

 who will make a study of the business of raising olives, and who under- 

 stands their commercial value. Samples of olive oil made in Sacramento 

 County, and in the foothill region adjoining, were exhibited last year at 

 Chicago, and were pronounced much superior to the imported article. The 

 olive tree grows rapidly and bears prolifically; it is easily grown and very 

 long lived. There can be no doubt that before many years the olives of 

 California, like her raisins now are doing, will drive the foreign article out 

 of the market. Olive culture, as well as orange and fig growing, is soon to 

 be a leading industry in Sacramento County. ' 



Spring Fruits. — We next come to the spring fruits, such as mature and 

 are marketed in April, May, and June. These embrace strawberries, 

 raspberries, blackberries, and cherries. Every acre of tillable land in Sac- 

 ramento County will grow the finest strawberries in great profusion. This 

 is a very profitable crop, and should be more largely cultivated. On the 

 second year after the vines are set out a heavy crop may be gathered; and 

 the fact that such quick results may be had, makes it a desirable crop. 

 Less than five hundred acres are now cultivated in strawberries, whereas 

 there is a market for the product of ten thousand acres at fairly remuner- 

 ative prices. Raspberries do well here, as experiment has shown, and pay 

 well. Blackberries are not so profitable, still they can be dried as well as 



