74 



ing fruit from the field, or to the depot, spring wagons should be used, and 

 care should be taken to have the roads as smooth as possible. An injury 

 to a single peach is liable to cause premature decay, and thereby render 

 worthless a box of otherwise good fruit when a market is reached. 



CANNING AND DRYING. 



In favored locations, peaches are sold fresh at prices that would not 

 justify the grower to can them, and only the imperfect fruit is dried. 

 Peaches to can should be extra large and nearly ripe enough to eat. The 

 rest of the crop may be dried. The peaches of California are much larger 

 than those grown to any considerable extent in any other part of the world, 

 and they can be sold in unlimited quantities at good prices if only the 

 large and perfect fruit is properly and carefully canned. There is more 

 discrimination made by the consumer between large and small fruit when 

 canned than dried, and for such they will pay a greater relative price, 

 consequently there is more profit in canning the largest and drying the 

 smallest. The details of both canning and drying may be left to those 

 engaged in 'these special industries, as it requires skill that can only be 

 obtained by practice. Very good dried fruit, however, can be made at the 

 orchard by peeling the peaches, sulphuring at once, and drying them in 

 the sun. This is practicable in orchards where peaches are sold fresh, 

 and only a small portion of the crop is to be dried. 



PEACHES A NEVER FAILING CROP. 



P There are sections in California where peaches have never failed to make 

 a profitable crop during the last twenty years. The foothills of the Sierras 

 are particularly adapted to the culture of this fruit, where a paying crop 

 can always be relied upon. 



PROFIT IN PEACHES. 



It is not now necessary to deal in theories regarding the profits of peach 

 culture. Statistics taken from the books of orchardists that are fully 

 reliable, are here given in proof of this statement. The fruit from an 

 orchard of eighty acres (mostly peaches) has this year sold for $10,000 

 cash. The total expense of producing and placing this fruit on the mar- 

 ket was $4,000, leaving $6,000 net profit. Only about one fourth of this 

 orchard is in full bearing, most of the trees being only four years old from 

 dormant bud. With many years of experience as a fruit dealer and 

 grower, the owner expects to realize, when this orchard comes into full 

 bearing, much better average profits than he gets this season. Another 

 orchard of thirty acres yields $5,000, more than half of which is net profit. 

 Another of fifty acres gives the owner $8,000. These orchards are all in 

 the same neighborhood, and are exceptional only that they are planted to 

 fruit adapted to the section. The net profits of these orchards will pay 

 interest at 6 per cent on more than $200,000, making the value of each 

 acre $1,250, while the orchards are only in partial bearing. 



