166 RURAL CALIFORNIA 



ning of commercial production of these fruits. Still 

 the importation of dried fruits from the eastern states 

 and from abroad was valued at $1,745,000 annually. 

 In 1866 also there came to San Francisco from the 

 vicinity of Los Angeles 250,000 oranges, while at 

 the same time about 3,000,000 oranges were received 

 from Mexico, Central America and the Pacific Is- 

 lands. In those days oranges were counted and whole- 

 saled by the thousand fruits and not by boxes or 

 carloads. 



It is notable that exhortation and effort for a home 

 supply were always accompanied by anticipations of 

 mastery of the American supply and reduction of 

 importations of semi-tropical fruits to the United 

 States, which is indicated in Chapter IV. The move- 

 ment of the fruit-growers toward realization of an 

 overland railway is also noted in that connection. 

 There are, however, specific historical steps in the 

 attainment which are interesting. From many simi- 

 lar contemporaneous declarations, the following are 

 taken as indicating quite definite conceptions of Cali- 

 fornia's capacity and opportunity. E. L. Beard, in 

 his address as president of the State Fair held in 

 San Jose in 1856, said: "Within four years I 

 ventured to predict our markets will be abundantly 

 supplied with all the choice varieties of northern 

 fruits as the most favored sections of the Atlantic 

 States, and after a few years we shall actually pro- 

 duce more olives, figs, raisins, oranges, lemons, 

 prunes, dates and nuts than the present imports 



