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COMMITTEE TO TEST FIGS. 



The Chair appointed the following to consider the varieties of figs: W. W. 

 Smith, Frank A. Kimball, and G. M. Gray. 



The Secretary read the following letter from C. A. Wetmore, of Liver- 

 more: 



Livermoke, Cal., November 20, 1888. 



B. M. Lelong, Esq., Secretary State Board of Horticulture : 



Dear Sir: I send by express a branch of the so called (Redding) Picholine olive, from 

 my orchard, near Livermore, to serve as illustration of general effects of girdling during 

 time of bloom, and especially the development of summer growth just beneath the place 

 of girdling. The time to girdle, if effect on the fruit is desired, is during bloom, just when 

 the flower petals are turning brown and dropping. Some think a little earlier would be 

 better, but my experience was otherwise. 



I call your attention also to the wonderful vitality of the olive, which, when vigorous, 

 will heal over the wound caused by girdling, if the operation is performed early enough 

 in the season. I have girdled branches in July which are now healed over. 



If a bud, according to the method I have explained to you, had been placed on the 

 limb under the girdle last June, it is easy to see that it would have developed a good 

 growth during the season, as you can observe the new growth which was forced out since 

 that time. 



I intend this year to make oil with my Picholines (?), and will report results for your 

 information. I believe this variety is a fine oil olive, although there are many more 

 desirable varieties. 



Next year I shall have a good many bearing Lucques and Amellaous, budded on the Red- 

 ding Picholine, besides single trees of the Rock collection. 



My Mission olives are partly on a hillside and partly on a poorly drained magnesian 

 flat ; on the hillside they yielded eight gallons to the tree, on the flat Very much less ; trees 

 six years old last spring. On poor land they are more fertile than the Picholine (Red- 

 ding). The latter variety needs very good soil. For poor dry lands I would select the 

 Rubra. 



Very sincerely, 



CHARLES A. WETMORE. 

 Here a recess was taken until one o'clock in the afternoon. 



AFTERNOON SESSION. 



DISCUSSION ON FRUIT DRYING (RESUMED). 



[President Cooper in the chair.] 



Mr. Gray: I would like to have one idea corrected that went out this 

 morning, which was that apples could not be bleached without bad effect. 

 I think that is a mistake; of course they can be very easily injured or 

 ruined. They will take more sulphur than mankind can eat, but by 

 bleaching they are much better; we sold all that we had at seven cents a 

 pound, which was as much as we got for our best peaches, so that the 

 apples can be bleached, and are very much better to use than those not 

 bleached at all. We have been carrying our trays of dried fruit on a rail- 

 road track in cars this year, which we find to be very much better than 

 the old way of carrying them back and forth, and saves a great deal of 

 work in handling, running the cars directly into the depot with the fruit 

 on, and we have a plank to walk on, instead of walking on the ground, 

 because in this section we have a good deal of trouble with our dry ground 

 becoming very dusty, and the more we can keep people off of the ground 

 the less dust we will have. Instead of using a revolving duster like that 

 which Mr. Smith speaks of, we have been using a wire table with about 

 three eighths mesh, and the fruit is assorted into three sections on the 



