STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 209 



That the Fruit Union has done a good work this year, and will enter 

 upon another with augmented strength, can easily be seen at this point of 

 the season. 



Fruit which producers counted themselves lucky in securing from one 

 and a half to one and three quarters cents for last year, has sold readily 

 for three cents, much more fur three and a half cents, and a considerable 

 quantity for four ami even four and a half cents, delivered on board cars 

 at shipper's station. The Union could stop where it is, and say to every 

 member who has paid a dollar into its treasury, that they have been many 

 time* repaid for the little they risked. But not one can afford to let it stop 

 where it is. With this year's experience many mistakes can be corrected, 

 and what has been accomplished this year can be many times increased 

 next. 



If nothing else had been secured the rise which the Union has given to 

 the salable value of orchard and vineyard property would amply justify 

 all who are interested in this direction to, if need be, make a donation of 

 what little they have given to the Union, to any organization, firm, or per- 

 son who would guarantee to accomplish what it has in the way of increas- 

 ing the market value of their property. The prices of the past two or three 

 years had begun to have its effect on values, and another similar year would 

 have told the tale for a good many, but now we see real estate all over the 

 State advancing rapidly. 



I quote from the San Jose Herald: "Real estate men report that the 

 holders of fruit lands have advanced their selling prices twenty-five and 

 thirty per cent. Land that has heretofore been offered at $250 to $350 per 

 acre, is now held at $350 to $400, etc.," while, from my own knowledge, I 

 know such to be the actual fact in the Vacaville belt. So much for this 

 end of the line. 



Our shipments so far this year have, in most instances, proved very sat- 

 isfactory, and often when a simple shipment turned out disastrously the 

 average of all would be all one could expect. But taking this view of it, 

 that if by sending one car East, on which you come out even, you increase 

 the price on your two cars remaining at home twofold, why all cannot help 

 but be content. 



We have yet to find a way of shipping late apricots successfully, but if 

 we send all the early ones East next year, as we did this, realizing from 

 three to five cents net for them, and thereby leave a home market at three 

 and a half and even four cents for the remainder, no one should complain. 



The output to the East this year will be much in excess of last, and this, 

 with a crop fully one third short. I cannot, of course, give you any accu- 

 rate figures, but would say that shipments for the next two months of 

 peaches, medium and late grapes, and late pears, will far exceed the ship- 

 ments of the two months just passed. 



The Union during the shipping season (to date) has sent off 302 cars. I 

 am not prepared to say, positively, but know that Sacramento shippers have 

 sent a good many more than we, but say, for example, that they have sent 

 the same number, making 614, and that for the next two months fully one 

 third more in excess will be shipped, it would give us at the end of the sea- 

 son 1,409 cars; but I am certain the Sacramento folks have shipped fully 

 150 more cars than we, and I think it is safe to say that 1,500 cars will be 

 sent, in all, this year, as against 1,122 last, and the crop much in favor of 



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