Discussion. 51 



and not in the growing season. I think the new growth is 

 allowed to grow until after the crop. I do not think they 

 have the superabundance of new growth that we do where 

 we let it run at liberty. 



Mrs. Smith — How many stalks were considered as enough 

 for a good stem? 



Mr. Stickney — Just enough to let the light and air come 

 through. Three or four stalks probably. They get better 

 currants if not more bushels in that way. Now in the way 

 of obstacles to fruit growing, they have vastly less than we 

 do. I do not know how it is, and they do not say how it is. 

 There are very few insects that bother them. They do not 

 seem to have to take the trouble that we do, with the ex- 

 ception of thtse scales on the orange trees. The climate 

 seems to hold them thoroughly in check. Frosts they nevei* 

 have. Blighting winds from the ocean sometimes hurt 

 them. One of the products, cherries, for instance, is 

 hurt in this way, and this is a very fine product near San 

 Fransisco. The same as on their apple trees, they get a 

 blighting wind that troubles them. Yet these are very little 

 things against them on their balance sheet. My attention 

 was called to the work of a little bird called the linnet. 

 Almost every bud, on tree after tree, was taken by these 

 little birds. Things of that kind happen to them as well as 

 elsewhere. The apples are the least important of anything 

 there, but there are occasional orchards being planted there. 

 In answer to my question, "What fruits |pay best?" the 

 answer was, "peaches, table grapes, plums, pears, apricots 

 and cherries." I rode by and walked by, and gathered fruit 

 from hundreds of apple trees that had winter apples hang- 

 ing on the tree and not a leaf on the tree. This was in 

 the dry season. The foliage was all gone, but the apples 

 were all hard, and about as full of flavor as a very poor 

 white turnip. I picked a good many, and bit a good many 

 of them, but never ate one of them up. As a matter of fact 

 there is not much but the Bartlttt pear in the pear line, that 

 they count on for profit there. As far as they can ship it, it 

 does very well. Now, in thinking of California fruit grow- 

 ing, my mind had gone out to a whole state, a thousand 



