50 Early Fruit Gardens. 
melon profits of 1851, went back to New York State for his fam- 
ily, and, returning to California, brought with him, as he says, 
“with no idea that they would succeed, but as a reminder of 
home,” fifty peach and a few apple and pear trees. To his sur- 
prise the trees grew well in 1852, and the next year blossomed 
and bore some of the best peaches he ever saw. ‘The pears also 
bore some fine fruit the same year. 
Besides the introduction of grafted trees which have been 
mentioned there were others in 1852, for, at a fair held in San 
Francisco in 1853, there were several kinds of apples, grown by 
Isaac A. Morgan, of Bolinas, on trees planted the previous year. 
Apples were also shown from Napa. David Spence, of Mon- 
terey, showed the first almonds grown in California. During 
the winter 1852-53 the distribution of grafted trees must have 
extended widely over the State. Five doilars for a small tree 
was frequently paid at the nursery of Meek & Lewelling, in 
Milwaukee, Oregon, and the trees were carried overland into 
the mining districts of California, as well as brought to San Fran- 
cisco for distribution through the valleys. 
Fruit Gardens, not Orchards.—lt is interesting to note that 
much of the pioneer effort was expended upon fruit gardens 
rather than ftuit orchards. Two ideas, at least, led in this direc- 
tion. One was the popular thought, which, however, was very 
early found to be erroneous, that frequent and copious irrigation 
was essential to the growth of fruit in this dry climate. Another 
was the ambition, which was correct, both from a horticultural 
and commercial point of view, to secure the fruit just as soon 
as possible, for the double purpose of determining what was 
adapted to the novel conditions, and to secure the magnificent 
prices which fruit commanded in the market. For these ends 
dwarfing stocks naturally suggested themselves, and were em- 
ployed to an extent which seems wonderful when it is remem- 
bered that now hardly a fruit tree in the State is worked upon a 
dwarfing stock. Very early, say from ’52 to 58, at San Jose, 
Oakland, Stockton, and Sacramento, small areas, which would 
now only be considered respectable house lots, were turned to 
great profit with dwarf pear and apple trees. The place of Mr. 
Fountain, near Oakland, was called, in 1857, “The finest orchard 
of dwarf trees in the State.’ It consisted of three acres set 
with one thousand six hundred apple and pear trees, all dwarf 
from root grafts, two years old, and four feet high, and most of 
them in good bearing. He started the branches from the 
ground, pruning severely, and heading in during the winter. 
He claimed that dwarfing gave him better and larger fruit, and 
from two to three years sooner than with standard trees. He 
did not irrigate, but plowed frequently, four inches deep, up to 
the first of June. 
