54 . Fi'iiit Fanning for Profit iit California, 



is a lively demand for prunes at $40 and $45 a ton. 

 Son:e of tlie growers are holding out for $50, and it is 

 reported that as high as $52 has already been offered 

 for a few choice lots. The market for raisins also 

 promises to be good; h\ cents is already offered for 

 sultanas.- — PA oenix, 



ViSALiA Prune Crop. — C. J. Berry, in Visalia 

 Times : — Last year our prune crop was not so large as 

 it had been in previous years, but it was good enough 

 to pay a profit of $300 or $400 per acre, even at the 

 low price of fruit. This year the crop is simply im- 

 mense. In the older orchards, trees seven years old 

 will average 700 lbs. of fruit to the tree. It will be 

 safe to make the statement that some of the trees will 

 yield 1000 and up to 1200 lbs. At the present price 

 of prunes, there are 900 trees on the Briggs' orchard, 

 situated near the city, that will yield the owner at 

 least $9000. The orchard is under the supervision of 

 M. J. Eouse, who was the manager in 1890, when one 

 prune tree yielded 1102 lbs. I wish to say right here 

 that Mr. Piouse's ideas of pruning a tree and mine 

 coincide. Orchardists cannot pay too much attention 

 to their pruning, as on it depends to a great extent 

 its crop. The entire crop of fruit of this orchard 

 is simply immense. One would scarcely be believed 

 if he were to tell the bare truth. To an amateur 

 fruit grower any large statement is accepted, but 

 to a practical fruit grower the production of the fruit- 

 trees of our Visalia district is phenomenal. I'll venture 

 the statement there is one Moorkark apricot tree on 

 the Briggs' orchard that will yield one ton of fruit. 



Following is the affidavit of Mr. Clarke, supple- 



