THE MONTHLY BULLETIN. 103 



CROP REPORT AND STATISTICS. 



THE ACREAGE OF FRUITS, BEARING AND NONBEARING, BY 



COUNTIES, IN 1915. 



By Geo. P. Wkldon. 



Jii the Dcceinher luiitibor of Thc^ Monthly IJullctiii for 1IJ14, a tahh; 

 showing the acreage of fruit trees l)y counties was puljlished. This was 

 the first comprehensive table of the kind that was ever compiled by the 

 oilfice of State Commission of Horticulture, and it was with a realizatiim 

 of the fact that such a table could not be perfect that it was published. 

 Subsequently a series of maps were made fi-om this table, which showed 

 graphically the counties producing each kind of fruit and the relative 

 importance of each county. These maps were exhibited at the Worhl's 

 Panama-Pacific International Exposition, in the Palace of Horticulture, 

 as a part of the exhibit of the State Commission of Horticulture. 



As expected, there was some criticism of the figures in a very few 

 cases, but on the whole much less than was expected. A searching 

 investigation in cases of the most severe criticism revealed the fact 

 that the parties taking exception to the figures had nothing better to 

 offer, and consequently very few changes were found to be necessary. 



With the 1914 table as a basis for future estimates, the county 

 horticultural commissioners, who have done splendid service in this 

 work, carefully revised the figures for 1915, that are given in the table 

 which folloAvs. This table we believe is the most complete and accurate 

 table of the kind that has ever been printed. In a few cases it has not 

 been possible to get as accurate statistics as we had hoped might be 

 available. For example, Fresno County, with a very large acreage of 

 fruit and a tremendous amount of work for a county commissioner, 

 was not able with the limited help and time to make a careful census 

 in 1915, and the figures which appear in the table were in most cases 

 compiled by the Raisin Exchange in 1914. Solano County, one of the 

 important fruit growing counties of the State, is very unfortunately at 

 present without a county horticultural commissioner, and although 

 repeated efforts have been made to get figures from other sources, they 

 have been of no avail and former Commissioner M(d^ride's estimates 

 of acreage, bearing and non-bearing, for 1914, are used again this year. 



In general the figures given can be depended upon as fairly accurate. 

 This statement is made after a careful investigation into the methods 

 employed by the vai'ious county horticultui-al connnissioners in doing 

 the work. It was found that in many counties an actual tree count 

 has been made. This in each case has been reduced to an acreage basis 

 by estinuiting so many trees per acre. This, of course, may bring about 

 a slight discrepancy, as the acreage will depend on the numlier of esti- 

 mated trees per acre, but in all cases a fair average has been taken and 

 there should be no bad errors. Hasty publication has been avoided, 

 and all doubtful figures lu-ought to our attention have been carefully 

 investigated. 



