2G6 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



into bearing in less than half tlic time, od, The fruit is sure, 

 large and handsome, and yet nearly exempt from diseases and 

 insects. 4th, Tlie atmosphere is so dry during the whole season 

 that rotting on the trees is unknown ; and the fruits remain on 

 the trees sound long after they are ripe, thus greatly prolonging 

 the season of gathering. 5th, The ground requires much less 

 cultivation than at the East. When the dry season commences 

 weeds cease to be troublesome, and for a period of between four 

 and five months very little labor is needed to keep the ground 

 in order, which is an important saving. And lastly, labor is 

 quite as cheap as with us. The necessity for good culture 

 exists there no less than with us, and is probably greater, as we 

 observed instances where a single year's neglect had nearly 

 ruined the plantation, owing to tlie exhausting nature of a cli- 

 mate where heat and drought are so prolonged. 



As I have remarked, fruits and fruit trees are, in a great 

 measure, free from insects and diseases in California ; however, 

 the few which exist, it is reasonable to suppose, will increase 

 with the extension of fruit culture, the same as in other countries 

 grown old. We saw a few caterpillars on the apple, slug on the 

 pear and cherry foliage, aphis on the orange and olive trees, and 

 mildew on the grape, cracking of the pear and curling of the 

 peach leaf; but in all these instances only in a slight degree. 



At the time we arrived in San Francisco, on the 20th of June, 

 we found an abundant supply of all the early fruits. Of straw- 

 berries the first crop had passed, the second just coming in ; 

 apricots, early sorts abundant and beautiful ; cherries in their 

 prime, large, beautiful and excellent ; currants plentiful and 

 very large ; early pears, chiefly Doyenne d'Ete and Madeleine ; 

 apples, mostly Red Astrachan ; figs, gooseberries and early 

 plums. We took immediate steps to ascertain in what locali- 

 ties we would find the best examples in the several dei^artments 

 of culture and within easy reach of us ; and ascertained that 

 the valleys of Santa Clara, Napa, Sonoma, Sacramento and 

 San Joaquin contained some of the largest and best-conducted 

 orchards and vineyards in the State. In the valley of Santa 

 Clara we visited a large orchard which consisted of 8,000 pear 

 trees, 4,000 apple trees, 85 acres of strawberries, 10 acres of 

 grapes, — in all 73 acres. Grapes were planted among the pears, 

 the orchard having been planted in 1855. The pear orchard 



