5g CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



vine or fig tree, is nowhere more enthusiastically manifested than 

 in California, and nowhere else does the emotion of comfort in 

 ownership yield such profound and protracted satisfaction. 



THE OUTLOOK OF THE INDUSTRY 



The outlook for California fruits and fruit products involves 

 considerations of much economic interest. Though the volume is 

 already large and there may be experienced now and then tem- 

 porary dullness or depression in this line or that, the business is 

 on the whole brisk and profitable. There is such a wide range in 

 the fruits grown and the products made from them, and such 

 changes in local conditions in the many purchasing States and 

 foreign countries with which Californians deal, that there must be 

 some fluctuations in the values of some of the supplies offered in 

 distant market. The result is that first one fruit and then another 

 one seems to be more or less profitable. The fact, however, that 

 all are increasing in volume and the total traffic brings each year 

 more money to the State, is a demonstration of the standing of the 

 collective output. Each year new markets are found, both at home 

 and abroad, and the capacity of old centers of distribution is shown 

 to be greater than anticipated. There is every reason to expect that 

 the products can be profitably multiplied. There have been secured, 

 largely through co-operative efforts of growers, so many improve- 

 ments in handling and transportation that distant shipment has 

 become more safe and profitable and distribution far wider. It is 

 reasonable to believe that further improvement in movement and 

 reduction of cost will be realized and the per capita consumption 

 in the populous parts of our own country proportionally advanced. 

 In spite of all that wintry States can do for local supplies, Cali- 

 fornia can find open markets before and after the short ripening 

 season of the Eastern States for her early and late fruits, and can 

 use her own midseason fruits in the drying and canning industries, 

 though it is a fact that in the height of the Eastern fruit season a 

 considerable quantity of California fruit will command the highest 

 prices because of its exceptional size, beauty and keeping qualities. 

 The citrus fruits, so long as they are allowed to remain under the 

 favoring tariff which now exists, will continue to supply an Amer- 

 ican product of exceptional quality and freshness, while prunes, 

 nuts, raisins and wines will not only do this, but will push forward 

 into the trade of Europe, as they are now beginning to do in a most 

 vigorous manner. A very significant report was made by one of the 

 United States Consuls in France recently that our canned and dried 

 fruits were appearing on the shelves of all the provision shops of 

 the smaller French towns and were being freely sold without reduc- 

 ing the prices of the locally grown fruit. Practically the same 

 thing could be said of points in Germany and other European 



