PROLIFIC CHARACTER OF FRUIT TREES IN CALIFORNIA AND THE WEST. 



In speaking of the prolific nature of fruit trees in California, in our examination 

 of the fruit jj:;artlcns in various sections this year, we have seen as follows, and very 

 recently: Bartlctt pears nearly ripe, and the trees blossoming again — not one, two, 

 or three trees only, but nearly all in the orchard; this at Briggs' orchard on the 

 Yuba, near Marysville. In the vineyards of Gov. Boggs, in Napa Valley, clusters 

 of grapes nearly ripe and the vines in full blossom again j this on nearly every vine. 

 At the large peach orchard of Messrs. Thompson, Suscul Valley, the trees loaded 

 with luscious ripe fruit, and a second crop of fruit coming on ; and this, too, on 

 numerous trees. Pear trees also, at llanch, have a second crop. 



Those who feel any interest in these remarkable instances of the wonderful 

 fecundity of fruit trees and the desire to investigate the causes will do well to ex- 

 amine all these places. They can all bo seen and the proprietors will be pleased to 

 show them. 



We can cite innumerale instances of peach trees where every peach on the tree tcan 

 double and several cases where the peaches were triplets. Apples and pears are found 

 double, and melons in handsomely formed pairs, twin grown. "We know, however, 

 that these facts are becoming so common, among those who are observant, that they 

 are of every day occurrence, but the great mass of the people should know the abun- 

 dance that is soon to be poured out upon us. 



The Strawberry has already proved a jjopctual fruit. The Fig gives us two croj)s 

 and ere long will yield three ; and we hesitate not to say that by and by, at every 

 State Fair, there will be exhibited many kinds of fruit of a second crop, and several 

 also oi perpetual species, never before known of that habit. We shall also have on 

 exhibition the second crops of our cereal grains, for however much we now have to 

 boast of in this land of plenty, "the half has not been told." — Ccdifornia Farmer. 



Iowa Monster Productions. — We at the East shall have to give up. Im- 

 mediatly on hearing the above from California, we took up the Iowa Farmer, and 

 read as follows : 



*' The productions of the West are rather of a wonder to those who have been accus- 

 tomed to see large vegetables or fine fruits only as the result of the highest cultiva- 

 tion. We take from western papers some notices of monster vegetables. At Eddy- 

 ville a tomato was raised 16 inches in circumference and weighing two pounds; at 

 Oskaloosa, a watermelon weighing 46 pounds; at Ottumwa, a radish weighing 51 

 pounds; at Burlington, also, a beet 261 inches in circumference. We ourselves 

 saw upon the tables at the late meeting of the Fruit G rowers' Association, a peach, 

 raised near there, 12 inches in circumference, also a pear, weighing 1^ pounds, 

 another, Beurre Did, raised by J. F. Tallant of Burlington, weighing 11 pounds, and 

 last though not least a pear raised by John B. TuU of Pontoosuc, Ills., weighing If 

 pounds. 



