PROCEEDINGS OF TWENTY-STXTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 31 



The prune industry of California is only, commercially, thirty years 

 old, and has experienced the fate of other industries in its rewards and 

 losses. 



Comparing' former with present prices, some may conclude that 

 prune-growing in California does not pay as well as it did in early 

 years, and complain that they can not get more than one half the prices 

 they formerly did. We mnst not fail to take into consideration the 

 important fact that the purchasing power of the money we now receive 

 has doubled in the past thirty years. For instance, we now pay for 

 clothes, shoes, sugar, kerosene, tinware, hardware, and furniture for our 

 homes and steel products for the farms, substantially only one half 

 what we paid when we started in business some thirty years ago. The 

 wages of labor, however, have kept up to a high standard, making our 

 enterprise profitable at least to the hired man who has proved himself 

 worthy of his hire. 



The Chemical Composition of Prunes. — The Agricultural Depart- 

 ment at Washington, D. C, has analyzed prunes grown in France and 

 Oregon, and the State University has analyzed the prune grown in 

 California, so that I am able to submit to you a comparative scientific 

 test of sugar and fruity quality in the prunes of those countries : 



Variety. 



Number 



per 

 Pound. 



Percentage. 



Flesh. 



Pits. 



Acid. 



Sugar. 



French (Imported) _. 



50 



87.8 



12.2 



.56 



41.56 



French (Oregon) . ... ... 



128 



78 



22 



1.51 



.^5.15 



French (California). 



45 



88 



12 





55 



Itahan (Oregon). 



38 



87.6 



12.4 



'"i.5Y"" 



35.18 



The California prune, though raised by me in the Santa Cruz Moun- 

 tains, in Santa Cruz County, may be considered a Santa Ciai'a prune in 

 quality, as the trade pays the same for it. The record shows that the 

 California prune is superior to any other in sugar, which is the stand- 

 ard of excellence, indicating rich, fruity quality, and, further, that the 

 French and Italian prunes grown in Oregon have the same acid and 

 sugar. 



Californians, don't get discouraged, but, believing that you can pro- 

 duce the best prune on earth, do it bravely and well. 



Raise and sell sound, ripe, well-cured prunes that will command full 

 value, and that can be sold by the merchant at a profit and eaten by 

 the consumer with a relish. 



Stand up for your State, county, home, and business, and make your 

 product a luxury and a necessary of life, thus becoming benefactors of 

 yourselves and mankind. 



The address of Mr. Aiken was received and placed on file. 



