702 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



with prices above normal. Returns are better than average year. "Wherever irriga- 

 tion is being resorted to, crops are doing fine, and look as well as in the ordinary- 

 year — F. R. M. Bloomer. 



San Bernardino County: 



The returns for crops as compared with last year or other years is difficult to 

 ascertain, as there are numbers of pacliing houses with no one near from whom to 

 get reports. The railroads can give us shipments, but not returns. However, the 

 report of our Exchange, by G. Harold Powell, gives the most definite information for 

 the whole Exchange, viz. : "The f. o. b. average price is 47 per cent higher than the 

 average for 1911-1912." It goes to show that because of this, even though the ship- 

 ments are only 53 per cent of last year's, the f. o. b. returns equal 79 per cent of the 

 returns of 1911-1912. Of course, this applies to the whole district, not merely our 

 county, but this will give an idea of how the returns compare. I have some figures 

 on the county, but they vary so that I do not consider them suitable for publication. 

 The report in some localities on some kinds of fruit shows some poor ana some normal. 

 Alfalfa — 100 per cent of normal crop. Apples — 92 per cent crop. Grapes {raisin) — 

 80 per cent crop. Lemons — 20 per cent of normal crop. Olives — 55 per cent crop. 

 Oranges — 75 per cent crop. Peaches — 95 per cent crop. Pears — 95 per cent crop. 

 Prunes — 90 per cent. Walnuts — 95 per cent crop. — S. A. Pease. 



San Joaquin County: 



Peaches, clings — very light crop, about 20 per cent. Levy clings — full crop. 

 Phillips' clings — very light crop ; about 30 per cent. Muirs — a fair crop ; about 60 

 per cent. Lovells — very light crop ; about 20 per cent. Elberta — very light crop ; 

 about 40 per cent. Plums (.shipping) — crop about 80 per cent. Prunes (French) — 

 crop about 80 per cent. Prunes (Sargents) — crop about 30 per cent. Grapes (wine) 

 yield from 1,000 pounds to 2J tons to the acre, and up. Grapes (table) taking the 

 county altogether, will not average much over a ton to the acre fit for shipping. 

 Vegetables of all kinds are very scarce and high. Potatoes are going out at the rate 

 of about 40 cars per day and are of very fine quality. They are yielding from 30 to 

 200 sacks per acre. General conditions: The dry seasons succeeding each other have 

 resulted in a shortage of moisture to a depth of from 13 to 30 feet, and in many 

 instances orchards not irrigated have not been able to mature the fruit in a normal 

 condition. On the other liand, the dry season has been productive of some good 

 results, in that the orchardists have installed pumping plants, and by the aid of irriga- 

 tion, have procured good crops, which, in the future, will render them more independ- 

 ent of the rainfall. Another thing which I have observed this summer is that the 

 orchards and vineyards which were irrigated previous to the starting of the growth 

 have proved more satisfactory ; first, they have borne the heaviest crops ; second, 

 they have not suffered from sunburn, which the late irrigated vineyards have. In my 

 opinion, this sunburn is due to a large extent to a development of a surface root 

 system for which late irrigation is responsible, in that it brings the roots near enough 

 the surface so that, when an extremely hot spell comes, it is the roots that suffer 

 from the heat, and the foliage depending on those roots shows the damage done. As 

 proof of my conclusion, orchards and vineyards which have never been irrigated late, 

 but have been irrigated before the gi-owth starts, and having an abundance of moisture 

 deeper in the soil, and held by thorough cultivation', were not so injured. Trees or 

 vines under the last mentioned condition show no signs of the extreme dry season by 

 sunburn ; grapes grown under the last mentioned condition are much finer in quality, 

 size and crop, and are not i-eady for shipping yet. Tlie peach crop has been very 

 uneven in this county, on account of late frost, some orchards having all the trees 

 could carry, while others had scarcely any fruit. — W. M. Garden. 



Santa Barbara County: 



Alfalfa — crop normal. The alfalfa area is being constantly extended, and the gross 

 product is increasing. Apples — Crop 100 per cent actual; acreage of varieties not 

 available. Apricots — Crop 100 per cent actual, mostly Royals. Beans — 75 per cent 

 crop; dry year. Lima, 90 per cent, due to irrigation. Small white, 65 per cent; 

 dry year; other varieties, 70 per cent. Cherries — crop 110 per cent; new bearing 

 trees. Figs — crop 100 per cent. Grapes (wine) — crop 100 per cent. Hay — crop 75 

 per cent, due to dry year. Lemons (Eureka, Lisbon) — crop 96 per cent, due to cold 

 winter. All are setting full and will return to normal, or better. Olives — crop 190 

 per cent, being the fruitful year. Oranges — crop 100 per cent. The orange outlook 

 is especially good. Peaches — Peaches with us are sold in the fresh fruit market and 

 embrace most of the varieties in all classes. Peaches (shipping) — crop 100 per cent. 

 Pears — crop 100 per cent. Potatoes — crop 90 per cent. Dry year makes crop short. 

 Prunes — crop 100 per cent. Walnuts — crop 198 per cent. Aphids and blight not so 

 severe as in 1912. A hot wave has damaged nuts 20 per cent in price, not in tons. 

 General crop conditions : At one time it looked as though the apple crop would suffer 

 from short rainfall, but nothing of the sort has shown up in the crop now being 

 gathered. Lemons having been in demand, the returns from crop are greatly in excess 

 of any previous year. I should estimate at least 50 per cent better returns to the 

 grower than previous years. This, with new plantings coming to fruit, makes the 

 income to the county quite considerable. The lemon area is being extended quite 

 noticeably, and young trees are coming to fruit, promising much for succeeding years. 

 The hay and grain crops were short ; the hay crop quite normal, owing to many acres 

 usually gathered as grain being cut for hay, the result of dry conditions at time of hay 

 making. Hay prices are 20 per cent higher than usual. The returns from hay and 

 grain are below normal by about 25 per cent. Beans are not filling well on dry, sandy 

 land, nor are they doing usually well on adobe that was not worked at its best. Clayey 

 soils are making a poor yield, except where irrigated. Irrigated portions are pro- 

 ducing nearly 50 per cent above normal crop. Prices are stiff and buyers eager, 

 making the net returns from all sections quite favorable. Cherries are proving 

 remunerative and dependable, and acreage is being extended in cherry districts. 

 Alfalfa is increasing in area so rapidly as to make comparison wholly misleading. 



