500 THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



chances than later ones, and could probably be profitably disposed of, 

 in any case. The great diversity in climatic conditions affects this 

 phase materially, and permits the different sections to produce Bartlett 

 pears from early June until late October, thus giving canneries a long 

 run and the green shipping season a lengthy period. Even these ideal 

 conditions would probably be in vain should all of the young trees come 

 into bearing; but, persevering pear grower, be not alarmed over the 

 coming congestion ! 



Pear blight, a most virulent disease, has wiped out the Bartlett pear 

 industry of the greater part of the United States, leaving California 

 and the northwest practically alone in the production of Bartlett pears. 

 Blight is raging in California at the present time. Where it will stop 

 we are unable to say. It is a fact that in no community of which I am 

 aware is there being waged a consistent campaign against this dread 

 disease. 



Individual growers may follow in isolated instances the rules for 

 blight extermination, but in the majority of cases these rules are not 

 folloM'ed out. In that one fact I see a future for the growers who make 

 the fight. I certainly look forward to the time when all others will 

 have failed. 



In conclusion I would say that, considering the limited area in the 

 United States adapted to the culture of the commercial Bartlett pear, 

 the vast consumption, the opening of the Panama Canal, which is a 

 coming factor in distribution — if under these conditions one engaging 

 in the industry is fitted by nature and training to wage a constant and 

 never ending conflict against the numerous foes of the Bartlett pear, 

 success may be assured. 



OUTLOOK FOR THE CALIFORNIA PRUNE.* 



By E. N. Richmond, San Jose, Cal. 



In complying with the request of Dr. A. J. Cook, State Horticultural 

 Commissioner, that I prepare a paper on the "Outlook for the Cali- 

 fornia Prune," to be read before the California Fruit Growers' Con- 

 vention, I want to say that any one who can give any definite informa- 

 tion as to what the future outlook is going to be for our dried prunes, or 

 any commodity produced in California which is dependent upon the 

 European market for the taking up of its surplus, has a future ahead 

 of him as an adviser, unless the producers are willing to help themselves 

 m the development of markets offered in the United States. 



The real importance of the export market to our prune industry can 

 be gleaned by going over the statistics given by the California Fruit 

 Neivs m its issue of December 26, 1914. We all know that following the 

 spring of 1910 the market centers of the United States were absolutely 

 cleaned up on prunes. We furthermore know that in the spring of 1914 

 a similar condition existed, so that, by taking the crop statistics as ren- 

 dered by the California Fruit News, and adding to these statistics the 

 crop of Oregon and Washington for the corresponding years of 1911. 

 1912 a nd 1913, and deducting the exportations for the same three years, 



•Address before the State Fruit Growers' Convention, Palo Alto, Cal., July, 1915. 



