California Agriculturist and Live Stock Journal. 



25 



In the fall of 1867 I hatched whitefish 

 and herring, and iu the spring of 1868 I 

 hatched the spawn of the wall-eyed pike 

 and red sides; the fall of the same year 

 I hatched salmon tront, and stocked 

 many waters with them, and have con- 

 tinued every year since I commenced to 

 stock the small lakes with all kinds of 

 bass and wall-eyed pike. I get gfiod re- 

 ports from nearly all of thera. \Vc have 

 647 lakes and ponds iu this State, (New 

 York,) and every one of them is capable 

 of furnishing a fish dinner for every 

 family living within five miles of any 

 one of them. When I commenced ex- 

 perimenting on hatching fish on the Con- 

 necticut and Hndsou rivers, I was called 

 a lunatic, and was treated aeconliiigly. 

 I have had a dozen men standing on the 

 banks of the river, hooting and calling 

 me all sorts of names, and they would 

 break any of my apparatus that I was 

 experimenting with, if they could do so 

 witht)ut my seeing them. I have lived 

 to see the day that I am not called a lu- 

 natic in the above mentioned places. 



I believe artificial propagation of fish- 

 eggs will be practiced for all time to 

 come, and all our rivers and lakes, great 

 and small, and the ocean, will be stocked 

 equal to the best, by the above method. 



fomalagical 



PRODUCING AND MARKETING 

 FRUITS. 



fE. J. M. PATTERSON, one of the 

 most experienced, practical and 

 successful prune orchardists in 

 our State, writes the following 

 chatty and instructive letter 

 about producing and ai-irketing fruits. 

 He knows whereof he speaks in this 

 matter, and his word may be regarded as 

 authority; 



. Editor Agricdltubi.st: — I noticed in 

 the November number, Mr. Settle's ex- 

 perience in fruit drying with the Aldeu 

 fruit dryer. I think at the time I made 

 out that the Drying Company made five 

 hundred dollars more than the producer 

 on the Petit prune. Now I think that 

 amount ought to have been divided be- 

 tween the producer and the dryer, as 

 one cent and a half is pretty low to pay 

 for our fruit. I wish, also, that Mr. 

 Settle had given the price of land, and 

 how many years it took those trees to 

 come into bearing to bring the amount 

 there stated per acre; also, the interest 

 on the money invested in the laud, and 

 what could be raised between the trees 

 until they came into bearing. It would 

 have been what a great many who are 

 coming here want to know. I think 

 none of the land those prunes were raised 

 on could be bought for less than four 

 hundred dollars per acre, unimproved. 

 1 had the privilege of examining the i 

 prunes after they were dried, and pro- 

 nounce them a good article — the best I 

 ever saw dried with hot air. They ought 

 to bring not less than 15 to '20e per lb., 

 as such retail for 25 cts. per pound. 

 There ought to be three or four such 

 dryers in San Jose. 



I dried quite a lot of the Petit prune 

 in the sun, also the Gross prune, that 

 were too ripe to ship to San Francisco. 

 I will send you a sample, and would like 

 to have your better half break them open 

 and examine them before cooking. They 

 must be put on the back of the stove, to 

 simmer, they should never boil, as they 

 were ripe; Ijoiling spoils the flavor. 



Some object to sun-dried fruit, as the 

 worms get into it. I have kept such 

 three years and no worms ever got into 



them. Keep out of a sack, out of the 

 house, away from moths, in a place 

 where the light and sun can get in, and 

 there will be no worms iu sun-dried 

 fniit. To be sure, I let on steam from a 

 boiler for a few minutes before packing; 

 this makes the fruit look nice, and d»- 

 stroys any larva> that might be there. I 

 don't want it uudcrstoud that I have any- 

 thing to say against hot-air dried fruit, 

 as we want more of it, and dealers only 

 want to know where they can get a sup- 

 ply for their customers. 



A great many are crying: " The fruit 

 business is overdone." Why, Mr. Edi- 

 tor, we as a State are only in our in- 

 fancy in trtiit raising. First raise the 

 right variety for shipping, then put it up 

 in good shajx! for market and it will al- 

 ways sell. I noticed a great man) of 

 our papers this year told about so much 

 fruit rotting on the ground. I think I 

 had not over one box go to waste this 

 year of the immense crop I had. I got, 

 even in SeptfUilier, when the market 

 was glutted with fruit, one dollar a box 

 of 20 lbs., for the 



FKLLENBERO PRUNE. 



In speaking of this variety, I would say 

 they will ship East without being wrap- 

 ed in paper; only put a sheet of paper 

 between the layers, and they will keep 

 three weeks after they arrive there. Thin 

 has been tested «his summer, and as soon 

 as the people East find out its qualities, 

 there will be a large demand for it. For 

 drying, there is none better, as it pits 

 nicely, being a free-stone, and of excel- 

 lent flavor. The 



GROSS IMtUNK 



Is also saleable. Although a cling, yet 

 with Mr. Tarleton's pitter this will pay 

 well to dry, even should the market gel 

 glutted with them. On my trip East 

 this year I took a great deal of pains in 

 making inquiry which variety of plum 

 or prune is iu most demand. The an- 

 swer always was, the gross prune, as it 

 was the largest size. This year this va- 

 riety has been tested and will carry nice 

 and in good order by freight train, al- 

 ways admitting that they are just right 

 and beginning to color when picked, are 

 handled care.'ully, and are a No. 1 arti- 

 cle. 



Here let me say, Porter & Brother, 

 Chicago, get fifty cents per box more than 

 any other shippers East, as their fruit 

 is all selected. This is almost enough 

 above the average; to pay the producer 

 for the fruit! 1 would also say, they do 

 not want dried prunes East with pits in. 

 They want pilled fruit, and a No. 1 arti- 

 cle, and there is no end to the demand 

 for best dried prunes. There is too 

 much poor trash dried and put on the 

 market. There is no use of having a 

 poor article. Graft the trees now bear- 

 ing poor varieties, and in two years you 

 can have a No. 1 article. 



There is no use in orchardists in Santa 

 Clara valley raising early pears, or Bart- 

 letts, for shipping East, as they are too 

 late, and come in competition with the 

 peach market. Here, for profit, we 

 must raise lale pears — a few varieties 

 only — Winter Nellis, Easter Buerre, 

 and Beurre Claergeau. The Easter 

 Buerre must have soil adapted to its 

 wants, as they don't do on every soil. 

 This can be ascertained before planting 

 from those that have them. The Easter 

 Buerre stands high in market, as they 

 are large, and can be kept through the 

 winter in cellars and ripened up as 

 wanted. They must be produced iu the 

 coast counties to keep long. I found 

 Bartlett pears selling East for California 

 pears that were raised in the Southern 

 States. One glance showed that they 

 were not Cahfornia fruit. We should 

 produce nothing, and put up nothing. 



but A No. 1 articles, either dried or 



green. 



BEST VABIETIEB. 



For shipping, a tew varieties only. For 

 drying plums, the Columbia and Gen. 

 Hand. Prunes, the Gross d' Argcu and 

 Fellenberg. The Petit they don't want 

 East, owing to its inferior size. The 

 beat plums for cunning to ship East are 

 the Green Ciage and Magnum Bonnm. 

 They paid me at the San Jose Canning 

 Factory, in '76. one cent per pound on 

 the tree for Green Gape— not very en- 

 conraging. Magnum Bonum two cents 

 per pound. The reason of this is, the 

 oanuerieg put up the Imperial (iage, a 

 very inferior article, and mark it Green 

 Gage. Of course our eastern merchautB 

 will Boon find that out, as I found some 

 had already. Such a thing, Mr. Editor, 

 is what is g'ling to jmt a dumper on the 

 fruit business. 



I saw a few days ago some Green Gage 

 plums that werc^ put np in London and 

 «lii|ip(il to California! and the cry ia, 

 "the scarcity of money and the hard 

 times." The same can be said of rais- 

 ins, niitfi, ami all kinds of fruits. Thin 

 State can raise all such things to supply 

 all of the United States, and will, as soon 

 as the farmers East can take their tjrfen- 

 b'lct,-!! and come here. That is all they 

 are waiting for. Nearly every one I con- 

 versed with East, told me that was the 

 trouble about coming here, Here is u 

 chance to settle the Chinese question. 

 If our government is not better than 

 gold, it is not worth mnch. 



I noticed an article in the San Jose 

 Mercury of December 23d, from the San 

 Francisco JiuUclin, saying that old-time 

 shippers objected to the 



refrigerator cars, 

 As what fruit that would pay to ship 

 East could be shipped in the common 

 cars, and would do away with the ice. 

 As far as pears are concerned, they will 

 go very well; but for peaches, plums, 

 apricots, prunes, and grapes, it will pay 

 to send in ice, and the ice can be put in 

 at the stations while the cars are oiling 

 up, say three or four times between here 

 and Chicago. I took the trouble to en- 

 quire at the stations the price of ice, and 

 find it can be bought, after being iced on 

 starting, on an average at $6 per ton. 

 If put iu at diflcrent .stations, ten tons 

 of fruit can bo carried in a car with ice. 

 The fruit should hang on the tree nntil 

 nearly ripe, and can be carried through 

 at a temperature of from 34 to 3.5 de- 

 grees, and if obliged to lay on a side- 

 track for some time it will make little 

 difference as long as the ice is kept in. 

 I mean in the refrigerator that was on 

 exhibition at the Centennial. .■VUegrctti, 

 an Italian, is the inventor, and I under- 

 stood that Wheeler ,t Wilson, the sewing 

 machine men, were helping with means 

 to introduce it. The fruit carried in this 

 refrigerator car will have its natural fla- 

 vor when its gets there. This refrigera- 

 tor has no blower, and as for the fniit 

 sent in ice not keeping after it arrives 

 there that has also been attended to, and 

 there are stores prepared with refrigera- 

 tors where the cars can run alongside 

 and discharge. A sample of the fruit 

 can be seen by buyers. So don't let ns 

 hear that the change of temperature is 

 too great for fruit to keepafter it arrives, 

 as it can be kept almost any length of 

 time. • The only trouble is to get the 

 railroad company to put the freight down 

 so low that trains of these cars can be 

 run over the road, and the merchant can 



Pears worth here 70 cents to $1 per box, 

 sold there at $6, i}7, and $8 per box. I 

 mean a No. 1 article. 



REMARKS ABE USELESS. 



Of course it will take some time to 

 regulate these things. When freight gets 

 to Omaha it is all right as to time, as 

 there are four companies waiting and 

 anxious to get the first hold. Even the 

 passenger trains are switched off and the 

 cattle cars go ahead, there is so much 

 competition to get freight. Those com- 

 panies are willing to pay a fair rate per 

 mile to bring these cars over the C. P. 

 and r. P. roads. 



hiUic iijcouomu. 



THE PEOPLE S BEST INTERESTS 



more iinpor- 

 masses, that 

 and just gov- 

 ,. ledge of how 



J i to produce wealth':' Of what advan- 

 tage is wealth Ui the man who has pro- 

 duced it, not for himself, but for some 

 money lords who hold him as completely 

 in their power as though he were their 

 slave':' Is it not time that the people be- 

 come awake to the great issues of the 

 day. and comprehend the true condition 

 of things as their own interests are af- • 

 fected'/ Is it not time that we all strive 

 to inform ourselves as to our duties to 

 ourselves as citizens, and to onr go%-em- 

 ment, which means to onr whole peo- 

 ple ? 



As sure as a free and just government 

 depends upon the people theniBelves, bo 

 sure are the people responsible for all the 

 wrongs and abuses that they will either 

 tolerate, submit to. or neglect to correct. 

 We have faith that there is enongh vir- 

 tuons desire for a good government rest- 

 ing with the people, to correct the evilg 

 that have grown into power, if the need- 

 ed, intelligence upon such matters be 

 sought, and the facts of our present con- 

 dition and needs be comprehended. 



We propose to devote a department 

 each month to this object, believing that 

 it is onr duty, and the desire of the hon- 

 est masses. 



Must the People Starve. 



"A note of discord in the festivities of 

 the holidays. The wolf gaunt and hun- 

 gry lingere round the doors of hundreds 

 of our city homes, and stalks grimly be- 

 hind the garish show of wealth on" onr 

 streetjs. 



"There are 10,000 people out of work 

 and bread in this city, with nothing in 

 the world to keep soul and body togeth- 

 er. It is a stcnj grim fact that iciU not 

 doirn. 



"The notes of suffering, at first hejird 

 faintly are harsher and louder. " 



The above is from a Buflfalo, (N. Y.,) 

 paper, and a similar cry is echoed from 

 every city in the Eastern .States. 



And this breaks in upon the music 

 swelhng merrier and louder in the halls 

 of revelry in our national capital. Here 

 in the frozen winds of winter flutter the 

 thin rags of the starving mnltitndes. 

 There, the only care is a rivalry in dia- 

 monds and laces, wines, costly as Cleo- 

 patra's pearl.s. cordial, flowers worth the 

 homes and lives of many an American 

 citizen: luxury nnboonded. 



Salaries are still too low for onr offi- 

 sell the fruit so low that the people can ^ cials. Some new tax must be contrived . 

 aflford to buy it. Here is where the , to wring a little more from the aching \ 

 trouble now lies. For instance, prunes [ hands of toil. On with the dance! Draw I 

 that sold in San Jose for 50 cents per i the silken curtains; shut out the groans l, 

 box of 20 pounds each, I saw sold East of the hungry; feast your eyes on th<- 

 at from four to five dollars per box. | glitter of costly apparel. Hush! Hark 



