PART THIRD: ORCHARD FRUITS. 
CHAPTER: XV, 
THE APPLE. 
During the last decade notable progress has been made in 
apple growing in California. The old idea that our conditions 
did not favor excellence in an apple has given way to full assur- 
ance that in wisely selected elevations and exposures the very 
highest points of size, beauty, flavor, keeping and shipping qual- 
ities are secured. Even before the wondertiully satisfactory test 
of both northern and southern California appl.s at the New Or- 
leans World’s Fair, it was clear that the right variety grown in 
the right place yields an apple in California than which a better 
can not be grown anywhere, and during the last five years Cali- 
fornia early apples have been in sharp request for shipment to 
all regions of the northwest and British Columbia, and Cali- 
fornia winter apples have been sold at the highest prices east of 
the Rocky Mountains and in Europe. Shipments beyond State 
lines of above seven hundred car-loads in 1898 testify to these 
facts. 
Localities for the Apple-—Speaking generally, it may be laid 
down that the great valleys of the interior are not well suited 
to the apple. In the early regions of the Sacramento Valley 
and foot-hills, however, excellent early apples are profitably pro- 
duced. In the great valley and lower foot-hill region of the State, 
the late apple usually lacks character and keeping quality. On 
the great plains the tree is liable to sunburn, or sun blight, as it is 
called. Some varieties, because of the character of their foliage, 
are less liable to this injurv than others, and it is possible that 
this evil may be finally overcome by the selection of varieties 
with blight-proof foliage, as will be mentioned later. In the 
great valley, however, on the rich river-bottom land of the Sacra- 
mento and the San Joaquin and its tributaries, the apple roots 
deeply, attains good size, bears good fruit, with fair keeping 
quality, while but a few miles away on the plains it would be 
inferior. 
(187 ) 
