STATE AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 2 11 



think it altogether probable next year thai Bun-dried pears will be almost 

 entirely done away with, and that everything will be evaporated. 



Sun-dried Grapes. — The prices offered by the wine men this year for 

 grapes has caused a greal many to he crushed into wine that have been 

 heretofore dried. In the dried state the mission grapes of California can 

 he used for a cheap cooking raisin at a fair price, and large quantities of 

 them can be sold. 



Sun-dried Nectarines. — This fruit is one of the finest in California, but 

 as yet the production has not amounted to very much. For what reason 

 we are hardly able to state, as we know of no better fruit than a nectarine. 

 The trade, however, has not been educated up to them as yet. and for this 

 reason the demand continues to run light. We believe that the' time will 

 come when the nectarine will rank equal in demand with the apricot or 

 with the peach. In certain sections of California they are produced abun- 

 dantly, and there is no reason why they should not meet with a heavy 

 demand where they are introduced. 



Sun-dried California F'kj*. — We note a considerable increase in the 

 product this year, and which is of better quality and of better packing. 

 Wherever these figs are thoroughly introduced we always notice an increase 

 of orders. Outside of the fact of their being of a purple color, they are 

 equal in flavor to the imported figs. Nothing is against them but the 

 color; but, as before stated, they are gradually winning their way in dif- 

 ferent parts of the country, and we look to see the time when a California 

 purple tig will take its place in the great markets of the country the same 

 as the Smyrna figs of to-day. 



It -is a "tree that, planted in certain sections of California, produces 

 abundantly, and even at the low prices now ruling pays the grower about 

 as well as any other fruit that we know of, as scarcely any care is needed 

 and the fruit is generally allowed to ripen on the tree and drop off. Then 

 it is picked up, packed into boxes or sacks, and shipped to market. All 

 the expenses that are attendant upon the preparations of other dried fruits 

 are not required with the fig. We believe that California in time will be 

 dotted with fig orchards. We are also producing here, but in very small 

 quantities as yet, the California white figs, from imported stock. This fig, 

 samples of which we have seen, is equal or superior to the best goods from 

 Turkey. 



Sun-dried Apricots. — Owing to the very heavy demand in the fresh state 

 for this fruit on eastern account for the past year, like peaches, the product 

 was very seriously curtailed, and there has been a corresponding advance 

 in price. There is always a good trade for our sun-dried apricots, at fair 

 prices, and really there is no limit to the demand, unless prices are ad- 

 vanced so high that dealers turn to cheaper fruits. We can repeat our 

 recommendation of last year, that all sun-dried apricots should be bleached, 

 as they bring a good deal more money, and are much nicer in appearance, 

 sell more rapidly, and in every way are preferred by the jobbing trade, and 

 it is simply impossible to get enough of sun-dried bleached apricots for the 

 demand. 



Evaporated Apples. — The output this year of this fruit shows some 

 decline from last year, owing to a short crop of the green fruit. In qual- 

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