348 



Pomona College Journal of Economic Botany. 



eastern markets, is as feasible here as at Fresno, and could be carried on 

 much earlier in the season. 



GRAPES 



Grape culture is one of tlio first experiments in the reclamation of hot 

 and arid lands. Here it has been exploited to quite an extent and has 

 netted big returns in many instances, although a-s yet there seems to be con- 

 siderable difference of opinion as to the best varieties. The Malaga has 

 been planted more than any other grape and is being shipped in refrigerated 

 cars to the eastern markets, both from the Coaehella and Imperial Valleys. 



At Palm Springs, Malagas have l)een iniurod by rain coming at the time 

 of ripening, but growers in the valley stated that they had not been troubled 

 in this way. 



An Tndio grower who raises fancy table grapes says that only early 

 grapes are suited to that locality, as fruit that is not ripened by the time 

 the thermometer reaches 115 degrees is scalded by the sun. Here Blue 

 Portuguese ripen the first week in June, and Thompson Seedless on the first 

 week of July. Tn 1911, three-quarters of an acre produced $375 worth of 

 fruit that averaged $1.60 a crate. Another shipper sold his fir.st grapes for 

 $3.25 a box, in 1911, with a high market throughout the sea.son. Tn 1912 

 the first fruit brought $4, but the price slumped and dwindled immediately 

 to $1.25. 



A rancher near Thermal netted $200 an acre on Malagas, at an average 

 price of $2.50 a crate gross, some going as high as $5.15. He marketed 

 his crop the first week of July, at a cost of $30 an acre, delivered to the 

 packers. The third year from planting, the crop more thf^n paid for all 

 upkeep. In 1906 another planter set 8 acres of heavy land and 16 acres of 

 sandy land to Malagas. The heavy land has never produced a grape of 

 quality. When 3V^ years old, the 16 acres on sandy soil produced $1600 

 worth of fruit; when 4i'2 years old, they brought $3165; when 51/2 years 

 old, $5720. Another 30 acres of ^Malagas 51/2 years old netted above every 

 expense, including salary of caretaker, $9600. A vineyard, 2V^ years old, 

 brought, including picking and hauling, $700 from 21/2 acres. When 3^/2 years 

 old, it brought $1100. 



In the Imperial Valley, Malagas are a paying crop, at present, but the 

 prospects for the future are that Persian grapes will be the more profitable, 

 as they ripen a week to two weeks earlier. 



MISCELLANEOUS FRUIT TREES 



Apricots are profitable, generally, though not so commonly planted as 

 the fruits previously mentioned. Near Indio, the Newcastle ripens during 

 the first week in May, the Royal on the last week. From two Neweastles 

 and one Royal, 7 years old, were picked, in the spring of 1912, 660 pounds 

 of fruit. The Neweastles brought $3 a crate of 20 pounds; the Royals, 



