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TWENTY-EIGHTH FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



place on the Chino Ranch, in San Bernardino County. One of these 

 men has shipped in, by the carload, apples grown in Oregon and east 

 of the Missouri River. 



The coast regions of certain parts of Southern California are becoming 

 famous for their fine apples, while many of the mountain valleys have 

 long enjoyed this distinction. When a connoisseur from the Michigan 

 apple belt declares that the apples grown at Julian are as good as any 

 he has ever tasted, we can not help thinking that the deciduous fruit 

 belt really runs across us. 



Julian brings us close to the extremes in climatic conditions in the 

 south that are favorable to deciduous fruit-growing. In sight of this 

 point in the mountains where apples of the finest quality are raised, is 

 perhaps the earliest fruit district in the United States. From Julian, 

 we look down on what was drifting sand that produced nothing but 

 mesquit and other desert plants, but which now produces grapes and 

 other deciduous fruits that are ripe and luscious a month or more earlier 

 than those shipped from the heretofore early districts of the State. 

 Raisins are here made by placing the fresh grapes on trays and stacking 

 them up in the vineyard or under sheds, where they dry quicker than 

 they do if spread out in the sun in the principal raisin section of the 

 State. Besides, such fruit sells as bleached raisins and is produced at a 

 much less cost than standard grades are elsewhere. Early shipments 

 of Thomson's seedless have returned $1 per vine from vines two years 

 from the cuttings. 



One hundred miles west of this and within the influence of the Pacific 

 Ocean, are found large areas in which late varieties of fruit mature 

 several weeks after the same varieties do in any other part of the State 

 that has been so far devoted to fruit-growing. 



Numerous other features favorable to deciduous fruit-growing in the 

 south might be mentioned. There are also several things which have 

 prevented the development of the industry in the south further than it 

 is at present. The direct cause is the high price at which suitable land 

 is held. 



A large percentage of the lands which now produce alfalfa and wal- 

 nuts would grow deciduous fruits to perfection; but when alfalfa hay 

 sells for twice as much as it does in the large deciduous fruit districts, 

 and when from five to seven crops of hay can be cut and cured in one 

 season, there is little incentive to grow deciduous fruits. 



Walnuts are an inexpensive crop to handle and pay larger profits 

 than are ordinarily obtained for even exceptionally good crops of 

 deciduous fruits. 



On lands less valuable than those referred to above, eucalyptus trees 

 have paid better than it is possible for any kind of fruit trees on like 

 soil. We have a neighbor who paid $250 per acre for land on which to 



