. PRICES OF FRUITS. 271 



so, tlie finest in the State ; but the floods so destructive around 

 the city swept away a large portion of the grounds near the 

 river, and covered other parts from three to five feet deep in 

 sand. The finest portions were thus destroyed, and tlie wreck 

 is still to be seen ; the portion remaining bears a heavy crop. 

 Pears and plums were especially fine ; of the former. Dearborn's 

 Seedling, Bartlett, White Doyenne, Winter Nelis, Easter Beurre, 

 Dix, and Glout Morccau were prominent. Dearborn's seedling 

 and Glout Morccau surpassed in size, beauty and quantity any 

 crops we have seen. Trees of Dearborn were bearing eight to 

 ten bushels of fruit ; the Dix "were high colored and fine ; the 

 White Doyenne was in its ancient beauty and excellence. The 

 crops of plums were so heavy as to break down the branches of 

 the trees ; the early Orleans were just gathered and ready for 

 market. Washington plums were superb. The ground where 

 these fine, fruitful trees were growing was covered by sand to 

 the depth of two to three feet, washed on by the flood ; in our 

 climate trees would have perished. 



The apple, pear, peach, plum, and cherry all thrive and bear 

 abundantly in California. The apples are larger than in the 

 Atlantic States ; those growjn near the sea do not keep so well, 

 and arc not so juicy. Those grown in Sierra Nevada, where 

 the winters are cool, keep as well as in New England. There 

 are no worms in fruits ; the curculio is unknown. 



Until last year the production has exceeded home demand. 

 This seems extraordinary when twenty years have not elapsed 

 since the planting of the first orchard. We were told that in 

 1853 peaches were first sent to market, some selling as high as 

 '$6 per dozen, and even $5 for a single peach ; now fruits are so 

 plenty they are selling at 50 cents to $1 per bushel, and even at 

 a lower price. In 1854 and 1855 cherries were brought from 

 Oregon and sold for $2.o0 per pound. A single apple was sold 

 for $5, and 300 boxes of apples brought $1.50 per pound ; 

 peaches raised in Sacramento in 1855 and 1856, a single basket 

 containing sixty peaches realized $Q0. Until last year the con- 

 sumption was confined to the home market. But now tlie 

 Pacific and other railroads open new markets, and greatly 

 augment the demand. The business is now becoming systema- 

 tized, and cars are being specially constructed to carry fruit to 

 Eastern markets. We examined four of them just being finished 



