INTRODUCTION OF IMPROVED FRUITS 47 



grafted trees in bearing, and nursery stock as well, about the time 

 the demand sprang up for it in California. Up to 1847 the cultivated 

 fruit of Oregon consisted of seedlings introduced by the Hudson 

 Bay Company in 1824, and by the early settlers from the Mississippi 

 Valley. In 1847 Henderson Lewelling crossed the plains from Henry- 

 county, Iowa, to Oregon, bringing with him a pretty general vari- 

 ety of grafted fruits. He fitted up a wagon, selected small plants, 

 and planted them in soil in the boxes. He arrived in Oregon, late in 

 the fall, with three hundred plants alive. The same fall William 

 Meek arrived in Oregon with a few varieties of fruit trees. He and 

 Lewelling put their stock together, and commenced the first nursery 

 of grafted fruits on the Pacific Coast about five miles south of Port- 

 land, on the east bank of the Willamette river. In March, 1851, 

 grafts of apple, pear, peach, plum and cherry were brought to Cali- 

 fornia by Mr. Seth Lewelling and sold in Sacramento. 



Other commercial importations and shipments by planters for 

 their own use were also made, so that the plantings of 1851-52 were 

 quite large. Still there was great doubt as to the success of the 

 trees. Mr. G. G. Briggs, after his great melon profits of 1851, went 

 back to New York State for his family, and, returning to California, 

 brought with him, as he says, "with no idea that they would succeed, 

 but as a reminder of home," fifty peach and a few apple and pear 

 trees. To his surprise, the trees grew well in 1852, and the next 

 year blossomed and bore some of the best peaches he ever saw. The 

 pears also bore some fine fruit the same year. 



There were other introductions of grafted trees in 1852, for, at a 

 fair held in San Francisco in 1853, there were several kinds of 

 apples, grown by Isaac A. Morgan, of Bolinas, on trees planted the 

 previous year, for which a silver medal was awarded, which is still 

 cherished by the members of his family. Apples were also shown 

 from Napa. David Spence, of Monterey, showed the first almonds 

 grown in California. During the winter of 1852-53 the distribution 

 of grafted trees extended widely over the State. Five dollars for a 

 small tree was frequently paid at the nursery in Oregon, and the 

 trees were carried overland into the mining districts of California, 

 as well as brought to San Francisco for distribution through the 

 valleys- 

 Fruit Gardens, Not Orchards. It is interesting to note that much 

 of the pioneer effort was expended upon fruit gardens rather than 

 fruit orchards. Two ideas, at least, led in this direction. One was 

 the popular thought, which, however, was very early found to be 

 erroneous, that frequent and copious irrigation was essential to the 

 growth of fruit in this dry climate. Another was the ambition, 

 which was correct, both from a horticultural and commercial point 

 of view, to secure the fruit just as soon as possible, for the double 

 purpose of determining what was adapted to the novel conditions, 

 and to secure the magnificent prices which fruit commanded in the 

 market. For these ends dwarfing stocks naturally suggested them- 

 selves, and were employed to an extent which seems wonderful when 

 it is remembered that now very few dwarf fruit trees are grown. 

 Very early, say from '52 to '58, at San Jose, Oakland, Stockton and 



