270 BOARD OF AGRICULTURE. 



500 bushels were Lawrence. And here in a grove of fig-trees, 

 as large as apple-trees and twenty-five feet high, we partook of 

 figs, aj)ricots, pcaclies, plums, pears, blackljcrries, melons and 

 grapes at the same time. Of the grape, he had one vineyard 

 containing 10,000 vines, all of the Muscat of Alexandria, and 

 of these he sent last autumn to Chicago five tons or more. 

 Another fruit grower, iu Petaluma County, we were informed, 

 raises 60,000 bushels or 20,000 barrels of apples a year, and at 

 Cliristmas time sends 300 to 500 bushels a day to market. 



.On the 5tli of July we visited the Alhambra gardens, in the 

 Alhambra valley, near Martinez. The ranch embraces some 

 700 acres, ninety of which are planted with fruit ; thirty-four 

 acres are covered with grape, half with the Mission grape, so 

 called ; the other sorts embrace White Muscat of Alexandria, 

 Flame Tokay, White Chasselas, Black Hamburg, White Corinth, 

 Palestine, <tc. Bunches of the last-named we found, on meas- 

 urement, to be eighteen inches in length, though of course the 

 berries were not half grown. Isabella and Catawba have been 

 tested and found unsuccessful. Tlic orchard contained 1,200 

 apple-trees, 1,000 pear-trees, 1,800 peach-trees, besides plums, 

 cherries, almonds, apricots, figs, walnuts, pomegranates, quinces 

 and oranges. The quince-trees surprised us ; they were grown 

 witli one stem, like an apple-tree, and were the finest and largest 

 we ever saw. The pomegranates, 180 in number, were superb 

 plants, about six feet in height, covered with fruit and flowers. 

 A splendid sight of the kind, and such a one as we never en- 

 joyed before. They ripen in September and October, and sell 

 for eight to fifteen cents per pound. In good seasons they pro- 

 duce GOO pounds. The Alhambra valley is narrow, wholly 

 occupied by this plantation, and sheltered on two sides by hills 

 some 600 feet high. The climate is therefore very warm, and 

 on the first of July the mercury rose to 109 in the shade. The 

 cottage of this gentleman was surrounded with groves of orange, 

 fig and pomegranate trees ; and here we dined most sumptu- 

 ously, everything upon the table being furnislied from his own 

 grounds. 



The next orchard which claimed our attention was a short 

 distance from Sacramento, owned by the Messrs. Smith, who 

 formerly carried on an extensive nursery business in addition 

 to fruit-growing, and their grounds were regarded, and justly 



