THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 



42.'. 



FRUIT GROWING POSSIBILITIES OF GLENN COUNTY. 



By C. Hugh Wren. County Horticultural Commissioner. Orland, Cal. 



Glenn County's position among the fruit producing counties of the state is all in 

 the future, but that future is particularly bright. Only a few short years ago all that 

 greeted the traveler's eye was billowing fields of grain or large areas devoted to 



grazing from one end of the county to the other. 

 Enough fruit of different varieties had been planted, 

 however, to prove conclusively that our soil and 

 climatic conditions were favorable and it only 

 remained to develop irrigation facilities on a large 

 scale and to cut up the large holdings to allow the 

 orchardist to come in and do his part. 



Two large irrigation canals, the government Stor- 

 age dam and canal system at Orland, and the Cen- 

 tral Canal, taking water out of the Sacramento River 

 near Hamilton, now furnish water to a large part of 

 the county, while there are large areas of laud that 

 can be irrigated by means of pumps tapping the 

 inexhaustible underground supply. 



That advantage is being taken of these conditions 

 we have abundant evidence when we find that now 

 we have about 2.500 acres of bearing and about 

 7. -"ini acres of nonbearing trees of various kinds. 



While we have conditions as favorable for citrus 

 and olive culture as anywhere in the state, it will be 

 as a producer of almonds, prunes and figs that the 

 future rank of Glenn County will be reckoned. 



We now have about COO acres bearing almonds and 1,250 nonbearing. The quality 

 of nuts produced is equal to the best anywhere. The opportunity for the growth of 

 this industry is indicated by the fact that we have not had a total failure in the 

 twenty-three years our oldest orchard has been planted and that in that time only 

 once have orchard heaters been used. A fair average production from our soil is 

 three-fourths of a ton per acre. There are at least thirty thousand acres in the county 

 that is the very best type of soil for the growing of this nut and all of it capable 

 of being irrigated. 



The prune is coming unto its own here likewise. While we have only about 200 

 acres bearing, about 1,000 acres additional are now growing and fully twenty thou- 

 sand acres lying along our river and creek bottoms are available for the culture of this 

 staple food crop. Even the sedimentary clay loams along our numerous winter water- 

 courses across the floor of the valley are highly satisfactory for prune culture. One 

 30-acre five-year-old orchard on one of our poorer soil types will yield a crop this 

 year of about 6J tons of dried prunes. 



Our prunes are high in sugar content and run uniformly to the larger sizes. Under 

 average climatic conditions they dry evenly with small per cent of bloaters. Our 

 weather conditions are perfect for sun drying as is the case elsewhere in the Sacra- 

 mento Valley. 



Figs are being planted to the extent of about 50 acres bearing and 350 coming on 

 later. Old trees here have long produced exceptionally heavy crops of fine quality 

 and the young trees now producing are proving as profitable here as anywhere in the 

 state. The area suitable for figs is large and the planting will undoubtedly be largely 

 augmented from year to year. 



While the three kinds of trees indicated above are, in my judgment, the ones that 

 are going to be the leaders in this county. I can not pass without mentioning that 

 much of our land is suitable for peaches, both canning and drying, as well as for 

 shipping plums. 



