186 



COLUSA COUNTY. 



Report of Albert N. Thompson, Arbuckle. 



The excellent soil, grading from the light sandy loam to the heavy 

 adobe, together with the favorable climate of this locality, have rendered 

 grain raising too profitable a following for the advancement of the fruit 

 industry. Enough of the several varieties have been cultivated, however, 

 to prove that fruits in the main will grow and produce bountifully. The 

 dry, heated winds of our valley are not favorable to the growth of the 

 citrus fruits, though where somewhat protected and well cared for, moder- 

 ate success is assured. Small fruits thrive best where irrigation is prac- 

 ticed, yet thorough cultivation overcomes, in a great measure, the want of 

 water. With the exception of the grape, no especial care has been taken 

 as to varieties; hence, the difficulty of naming them. 



Report of Thomas Nichols, Orland. 



The land around Orland is chiefly gravelly loam with a mixture of clay, 

 varying greatly in quality and composition. Stony Creek runs one and 

 one fourth miles north of this vicinity. The first attempt to grow fruit on 

 the plains in this vicinity commenced about ten years ago. There were, 

 before then, only three or four small orchards in this vicinity, which had 

 been planted convenient to water on creek bottom lands. It was then gen- 

 erally thought that trees could not be grown, nor fruit produced on these 

 dry plains, without irrigation. Since then quite a number of orchards and 

 small vineyards have been planted, and a good deal of fruit — good, excel- 

 lent flavored fruit — has been produced, although the seasons have been 

 getting drier and drier ever since the wet season of 1877-78, and little and 

 in many cases no irrigation has been practiced. 



The soil and climate seem especially adapted to the apricot; the trees 

 grow thrifty and bear well, especially the Royal; the Moorpark, after it 

 has borne a year or two, seems to need summer pruning to make it bear. 

 Almonds do well, so does the peach. Plums and pears bear enormously, 

 but they are apt to gum and gradually decay, and borers kill most of 

 them off in seven or eight years. 



Without irrigation the early kinds of fruit only can be depended upon. 

 Winter flooding appears to be all that is needed, except for strawberries 

 and blackberries, which need more irrigation. Sunburn and borers during 

 our dry seasons greatly damage our trees. We have great facilities for 

 winter and spring flooding, and are now taking steps to avail ourselves of 

 them. Certain success will then be assured. 



Report of L. F. Moulton, Colusa. 



The leading fruits grown here are: the peach, prune (French), plum, Bart- 

 lett pear, almond, cherry, and the Red Astrachan apple. Other varieties 

 of apples do well if planted near the river, as the water seems to kill the 

 codlin moth. 



The varieties of fruits I would recommend for planting are: 



Peach. — Early Crawford, Foster, Susquehanna, Muir, Wager, Salway, 

 Early Tuscan Cling, Edward's Cling, Orange Cling, McKevitt's Cling. 



Prune. — Petite or California Prune, Prune d'Ante, St. Catharine. 



Plum. — Yellow Egg, Coe's Golden Drop, Columbia, Peach Plum, Pond's 

 Seedling. 



