216 



to $2,000,000 during the past season. This background of fruit country 

 has largely contributed to the building up of the City of Rochester, a city 

 of probably one hundred thousand inhabitants. It may be of interest to 

 say further that the fruit crop of that valley is chiefly apples, and that this 

 fruit is mostly marketed in England and France. The influx of foreign 

 coin for these fruit products has built up a large inland city in the Genesee 

 Valley, and is a most encouraging assurance of our future destiny. 



Report of W. A. Bishop, Alma. 



Alma Valley extends from Los Gatos on the north nearly to Wrights 

 Station on the south. It is nearly six miles long, and from two to five 

 wide. The South Pacific Coast Railway runs through its length, and 

 affords excellent shipping facilities. The soil is generally a gray loam 

 tinged with red, and in places gravelly. Grapes and fruits of late varie- 

 ties do remarkably well. Both soil and atmosphere are much drier than 

 in the Santa Clara Valley. Wine grapes do not do as well as table varie- 

 ties, when bulk is considered, but the wine has a richness of flavor superior 

 to that produced in the valleys, where much larger quantities are obtained 

 to the acre. No irrigation is required either for grapes or trees. 



Table grapes, especially Flame Tokay, Black Ferrara, Muscat, and other 

 varieties suitable for shipping long distances, do well; other varieties not 

 so well adapted for shipping bring good prices, however. French prunes, 

 peaches, Bartlett pears, and late varieties of apples, plums, and in favored 

 localities almonds and cherries, for profit, are most valuable in the order 

 named. 



Small fruits are not extensively grown, and but few places in this dis- 

 trict raise more than are required for household consumption. They do 

 quite well provided they are given some little irrigation, or in spots where 

 the soil is more of a sandy loam, than the greater portion of Alma and the 

 surrounding hills. 



VARIETIES RECOMMENDED FOR PLANTING. 



French and Hungarian prunes, Bartlett and Seckel pears, Yellow Egg 

 and Damson plums, Salway peach, Yellow Newtown Pippin apple. 



Table Grapes. — Flame Tokay, Muscat of Alexandria, Black Ferrara, Red 

 Emperor, White Verdel, Purple Cornichon, Black Hamburg, Rose of Peru, 

 Seedless Sultana, Golden Chasselas. The first five are grown in large quan- 

 tities; other varieties and some wine grapes are also grown. 



Report of F. H. Blake, Gilroy. 



The leading fruits grown in this district are: apples, peaches, pears, apri- 

 cots, and prunes. The leading varieties are about as follows: 



Apple. — Skinner's Seedling, Jonathan, Yellow Bellflower, Spitzenberg, 

 Yellow Newtown Pippin, White Winter Bellflower, Winesap, White Winter 

 Pearmain. 



Peach. — Alexander, Briggs' Red May, Crawford, Salway, Lemon Cling, 

 Seller's Cling. 



Pear. — Bartlett, Winter Nelis. 



Table Grape. — Muscat of Alexandria, Malvoise, Black Hamburg, Chas- 

 selas, Flame Tokay, Emperor. 



Small Fruits. — Are quite profitable, but must be irrigated or planted on 

 moist ground. 



