10 STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



advance it to the line of perfection as nearly as possible. One 

 of the remarkable things in connection with fruit-growing is 

 the rapidity with which it has forced itself to the front. For, 

 while fruit has been grown in California from the date of the 

 first settlement, it is only within the past twenty years that the 

 industry has come into any prominence. In that time it has 

 become the great specialty of the State, so that California now 

 boasts the proud distinction of being the orchard of the United 

 States. 



The climate and soil of the State render it especially adapted 

 to fruit culture. In common with all our pastoral and agricul- 

 tural pursuits, California owes the introduction of horticulture 

 to the Mission Fathers, who first of all planted fruit-bearing 

 trees on the Pacific shores. These plantings were small and of 

 no great importance except so far as they proved that fruit 

 would do well in California. Their orchards were planted with 

 no regard to their commercial value, and the only object in 

 planting them was to furnish the Fathers and their servants 

 with fresh fruit. The best varieties then obtainable found 

 their way here, but no effort was made to improve them. In 

 fact, early horticulture in California, as with all other develop- 

 ments of agriculture, was very crude, and its products in no 

 way comparable with those of the present age ; but in the 

 planting of their primitive orchards the Fathers laid the foun- 

 dation for a gigantic industry and "builded better than they 

 knew." 



In 1767 the .Jesuits were expelled from the missions in 

 Lower California, their possessions were turned over to the 

 Franciscans, and Junipero Serra was selected as President of 

 the Missions. A dispute arose between the Franciscans and 

 Dominicans over the division of the property. The latter 

 claimed an interest in the mission work. In consequence of 

 tliis a division was made, and in 1769 the Franciscans started 

 northward, entering and occupying what is now the State of 

 California. The avowed object of their establishment was the 

 conversion of the savage races to Christianity ; but while devot- 

 ing themselves to the harvest of souls the Fathers did not 

 neglect the material interests of themselves or their establish- 

 ments. The surrounding country was speedily subdued and 

 the natives were changed from hunters to herdsmen and the 

 flocks of the missions became numerous and of great value. 



