PROCEEDINGS OF NINETEENTH FRUIT GROWERS' CONVENTION. 65 



They showed a very progressive spirit and an intelligent disposition 

 to do things well in every possible way. The men who owned places 

 and who owned vineyards also increased their planting. When 1892 

 came, there came a depression in the price of raisins, which I will state 

 presently, and so they came to find the vineyards in nearly every county 

 and section were heavily mortgaged. That has continued until the 

 present day, and the interest on these mortgages, under the conditions 

 that have existed for the last two years, has been a most difficult matter 

 to pay. They overdid the business — mortgaged one vineyard to get 

 money enough to put out another. They were intelligent men, of great 

 public spirit, and thought they were improving the country. The farmer 

 was crushed, because it was done as much by the educator, by the lawyer, 

 and by the banker as it was done by him. 



The wonderful development of the raisin industry increased to such 

 an extent that last year, the season of 1894, we produced in this State 

 over 90,000,000 pounds of raisins, and the Fresno and Hanford sections 

 alone produced a little over 60,000,000 pounds — over two thirds, the rest 

 of the State producing the balance. While we were able to produce to 

 this extent we diminished the importations, but not entirely. In 1884, 

 53,782,000 pounds of raisins were imported into the United States. This 

 was reduced 20,000,000 pounds in 1892. In 1893 there were 27,000,000 

 pounds imported, and in 1894 13,751,000 pounds of raisins were imported. 

 Besides these, there were imported in the year 1893 33,000,000 pounds, 

 and in 1894 52,654,000 pounds of currants; that is, Zante currants. In 

 1894 we produced our raisins at a loss. In 1895 we are producing at a 

 loss. In my judgment, this year they will not bring more than If cents 

 a pound to the average grower in the Fresno and Hanford district. 



A packer in Fresno told me last Saturday that 2- and 3-crown raisins 

 sold in the City of New York for If cents a pound. That does not pay for 

 the freight and commission and the packing and hauling of these goods 

 to the packing-house, if you take into consideration the difficulties we 

 are laboring under. We must also consider the fact that the average 

 grower has a mortgage on his place, and that that mortgage went on his 

 place to develop it and bring those vines into bearing. The average 

 vineyard takes four years to come into bearing, or before they get much 

 of a crop. An average vineyard will require a tray to a vine, and that 

 means somewhere from five hundred to six hundred trays per acre, and 

 sweat-boxes must also be provided. I would like to know where the 

 profit is in that? I have talked during the last ten days with some of 

 the leading raisin-growers of Fresno County and men who are packing 

 on the cooperative plan, and from not one of them have I been able to 

 find that they have a remedy for present conditions, nor one of them 

 who has hopes for better conditions next year. Now, I am sorry to say 

 these things, but I must look this matter squarely in the face. What 

 would bring about a relief from present conditions? In the first place, 

 in this great boom of raisin-planting, there was land sold to raisin- 

 growers that never ought to have been sold for vineyards, consequently, 

 throughout that district you will find raisin vines planted on sandy soil, 

 planted almost in swamps, on alkali lands, and in hardpan. What 

 must necessarily be the result? It will be a survival of the fittest, and 

 those vineyards planted in soil unsuited to the industry must pass out 

 of existence. This will decrease the acreage, and no more vines will be 

 set out under the present condition of things. 

 5 — fG 



