THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 501 



we would have the domestic consumption for the three years ; from this 

 we could figure the average annual consumption of prunes in the United 

 States. This I believe to be about the most practical method of securing 

 this important fact — and it is important to our industry. The prune 

 crops of California for the three years were as follows : 



1911 190,000,000 pounds 



1912 205,000,000 pounds 



1913 ^— 9G,000,000 pounds 



Oregon and Washington — 



1911 22,850,000 pounds 



1912 8,000,000 pounds 



1913 28,000,000 pounds 



Total production 549,850,000 pounds 



Exports — 



1911 74,328,074 pounds 



1912 117,950,875 pounds 



1913 69,813,711 pounds 



Total exports 262,092,000 pounds 



Domestic consumption for three years 287,757,340 pounds 



Average annual domestic consumption 95,919,113 pounds 



Unquestionably part of our prune output will find its way into some 

 of the European countries, but not in like proportion to that which has 

 existed under periods of peace, owing, first, to the fact that the doors of 

 Germany, our biggest export market, are closed to us; second, the 

 shipping conditions, facilities, restrictions and lines of credit are so 

 complicated as to make trading and shipping a great business hazard. 

 How^ long this condition will exist no one can guess. 



I am stating these facts, not with the idea of bringing to the attention 

 of the growers of the State the importance of the European markets to 

 us, but to emphasize the importance to our industry of the development 

 of our domestic markets. Our efforts should be bonded toward building 

 up an increased domestic trade, for, regardless of what effect the 

 ultimate end of war conditions may have upon our European markets— 

 whether it be for good or bad— a proper building up of domestic 

 markets can result in only one end, namely, that of increased demand 

 for our products ; and this means good prices. 



According to the statistics furnished by our State Horticultural Com- 

 missioner's office, there are in bearing at the present time in the State 

 of California 81,818 acres of prunes. There will be coming into pro- 

 duction during the next five to six years anywhere from 15,000 to 

 20,000 acres additional, this increase representing trees already planted 

 during the past three or four years. The necessity of building up 

 domestic trade, European war or no European war, is apparent when 

 we consider these figures, but with the European uncertainty it is doubly 

 a necessity. Increase of consumption is necessary for the welfare of 

 the prune producers. A succession of good ct^ops could put us in bacl 

 condition under our present market situation, for the carrying over of 



