92 



ing on grain, and there is a crop failure, we suffer a loss ; but if we are depend- 

 ing on fruit for a livelihood, we are not so anxious as to whether it rains or 

 not. Let me ask this question: Is there any enterprise in California, or in 

 any other country, that offers such certain paying profits as the fruit indus- 

 try ? Just notice it for a moment ; notice the different possibilities there are 

 in this great industry — green fruits, dried fruits, canned fruits, crystallized 

 fruits, jams, jellies, marmalades, candied fruits. There is no industry to 

 compare with it. It is a grand business to those engaged in it. The influ- 

 ence it exerts is salutary; it ennobles, refines, and makes people better. 



What is there to discourage any one who wishes to engage in the fruit 

 industry in California ? Are there not fifty million people on the other side 

 to use our fruit ? Is it not a fact beyond a doubt that there are millions of 

 fruit trees killed by the severe winters in the East, and horticulturists are 

 discouraged there? In the first place, the orchardists have to wait eight or 

 ten years for their trees to come into bearing, then to have them winter killed. 

 And suppose they replant; it is only a question of a few years, and they are 

 again exposed to one of those severe winters, and most of the trees are again 

 killed. I met a gentleman a short time ago from Ohio. He referred to a 

 peach orchard which he had, and he remarked that the winter of 1884-85 

 killed the entire orchard. Can peaches, pears, plums, prunes, and apricots 

 be produced in paying quantities there? No; not at all. There are some 

 apples in all States, but in many places they do not succeed well. Take 

 Champlain County, Illinois, which a few years ago sent out of the county 

 fifty thousand barrels. At present they send elsewhere for apples for home 

 consumption. 



THE PROFITS. 



I will refer to one hundred and fifty pear trees of A. F. Kercheval, of 

 Los Angeles, planted in 1880. He sold from those trees, according to his 

 books, in 1881 $35 worth of fruit, in 1882 $100 worth, in 1883 $240 worth, in 

 1884 $300, and in 1885 $445. These trees have not made a large growth, 

 and some of them have been damaged by gophers. This is not a large 

 yield, but a fair one. Some of those trees yielded $7 and $8 worth each 

 this year. The last four years they have averaged $271 for those one hun- 

 dred and fifty trees, on one and one half acres of land.. These are facts 

 which Mr. Kercheval will verify. 



Let us look at the demand there would be for our grapes if the price in 

 the East were fixed at 6 cents per pound. The producer can afford to 

 raise grapes at $25 per ton, which is 1^ cents a pound, 1\ cents for freight, 

 If cents for the retailer, which is 4-J cents, with \\ cents margin for con- 

 tingencies. Then just think that the grapes we are shipping are superior 

 to any grape grown anywhere. In fact, grapes that we produce in such 

 abundance cannot be produced in the East, except under glass. 



I would like to refer to the vast quantities of fruit that will be put in 

 cold storage in the East and sold from December to June. There are more 

 than one hundred cities that will have a cold storage in the near future, 

 and these cities will use from one hundred to one thousand tons of fruit, 

 and if these cities use on an average two hundred tons from December 

 until June, that would amount to forty million pounds, equal to two thou- 

 sand carloads of fruit. There are six cities in California that will ulti- 

 mately have cold storage and will take some of our surplus fruit. It is 

 only a question of time till the cold storage will come into general use. 

 Then we will appreciate having ripe fruit from December to June, the same 

 as in July, August, and September. 



