50 



CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



terest in Nevada, and the construction of roads across the Sierras, 

 opened the way for the disposition of much fruit grown in the foot- 

 hills and in the region around Sacramento. 



The imports of dried and canned fruits were large, and growers 

 were exhorted to take steps to secure this trade for themselves. 

 Something was done in this direction, for by 1867 the local product 

 of canned fruit was equal to the demand. Drying did not advance 

 so fast ; for two years later there were imports of six thousand bar- 

 rels of dried apples, while hundreds of thousands of bushels of 

 the fruit were rotting under the trees in our orchards. 



The decade under review was also notable for the first appear- 

 ance of cured raisins and prunes at the State Fair of 1863. The 

 raisins were from the Muscat of Alexandria grape, and the report 

 states that so-called raisins exhibited previous to that time were 

 merely dried grapes. Dr. J. Strentzel, of Martinez, was the first 

 exhibitor of Muscat raisins, and he exhibited also dried grapes of 

 four varieties to show the contrast between a raisin and a dried 

 grape. It is recorded, however, that true raisins from the Muscat 

 grape were made by A. P. Smith, of Sacramento, in 1858. J. R. 

 Nickerson, of Placer County, exhibited the dried prunes, which were 

 of the German variety. 



Though this decade was one of uncertainty and doubt, there 

 were rich lessons of experience learned, and the foundations for 

 coming greatness were well laid. Many of our leading lines of 

 production trace their beginnings to this period, and their later 

 developmentis have been beyond any anticipations then cherished. 



Fresh Fruits for Distant Markets. In 1869 the first fresh fruits 

 were sent East over the newly-opened overland line. The first sea- 

 son's shipments amounted to thirty-three tons of pears, apples, 

 grapes, and plums ; in 1870 seventy carloads, or about seven hundred 

 tons, were sent. A new era began with the year 1886, when the first 

 full train load of fifteen cars of fresh fruit from deciduous trees 

 went overland. Shipping train loads of oranges from Southern 

 California began at an earlier date. The development of this phase 

 of California fruit production during the last fifteen years is shown 

 in the adjacent table. Statistics of long distance shipments of 

 fresh fruits from the beginning are given in earlier editions of this 

 book. 



Shipments of Fresh Fruits Beyond State Lines by Rail, in Actual Carloads. 



Miscel- 

 Year Oranges Lemons Apricots Cherries Grapes Peaches Pears Plums laneous Total 



1910 . . 28,317 4,782 290 250 4,948 2,518 2,361 1,552 17 25,542 



1911 39,630 6,764 215 216 6,374 2,0272,3251,366 16 45,638 



1912 . . 34,329 5,961 196 244 6,357 1,621 3,135 1,776 15 58,738 



1913 15,893 2,192 158 231 6,363 2,3592,4961,706 19 53,622 



1914 45,594 2,954 382 166 8,773 2,1442,7251,907 49 34,121 



1915 40,011 6,851 392 205 9,563 1,6892,6462,225 58 65,326 



1916 38,034 7,200 290 164 9,722 1,9093,7011,999 106 64,753 



1917 46,447 7,914 403 33013,944 2,4324,8022,651 66 69,902 



1918 17,204 6,331 440 35616,358 3,1374,5712,483 75 50,955 



1919 39,307 10,023 420 335 19,017 2,773 4,248 2,918 49 79,091 



1920 35,547 9,029 312 49424,065 3,1074,3762,533 312 80,777 



