PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-SIXTH FRUIT-GROWERS ' CONVENTION. 77 



Surely the whole State of California appeals to man's better impulses, 

 and invites him to come and make his home among her apple orchards 

 and citrus groves, where are ever found those influences which lead to 

 the best in human life. (Applause.) 



PRESIDENT JEFFREY. The next paper is entitled "The Berry 

 Industry/' by Mr. W. I. Newcomb of Sebastopol. (Applause.) 



THE BERRY INDUSTRY. 



By W. I. Newcomb of Sebastopol. 

 In taking up the question of the berry industry this paper will be 

 confined to Lawton blackberries, Antwerp and Cuthbert raspberries, 

 loganberries, and Mammoth blackberries, with incidental mention of a 

 few other varieties that are grown in the foothill region of western 

 Sonoma, adjacent to Sebastopol, and locally known as the Gold Ridge 

 country. 



While the growing of stawberries is carried on to some extent, one of 

 your large "patches" in the Pajaro Valley contains more than our 

 entire acreage. We leave this variety to the Watsonville district, whose 

 reputation for growing this berry is world-wide. 



Berries have been grown in the Sebastopol district since 1872. At that 

 time the late W. J. Hunt planted the first blackberries. It was soon 

 proven that the sandy loam soil, together with the moist cool summers, 

 tempered by the coast breeze, and an abundance of winter rains, made 

 it a favorable place for berry raising. The first planting was of the 

 Lawton Black variety, and its adaptibility has been proven by the test 

 of time, for to-day it leads in production by double all other varieties 

 combined. 



The planting of Lawtons was soon followed by the Antwerp rasp- 

 berry, which was usually called the Cuthbert, but differs considerably, 

 both in fruit and growth , not being so rank a grower and fruiting in a 

 shorter period, making it better suited for canning purposes, to which 

 the berry business developed into, as San Francisco was the only fresh 

 market available, and the profits from planting these two varieties 

 stimulated planting to such an extent that in a few years there was 

 such an overproduction that if the canneries had not taken hold of 

 them the berries would not have been worth raising. 



During these years of development berries showed the same fault that 

 all other California fruits have shown, viz., production taking place 

 faster than consumption, the finding of new markets for this class of 

 fruit at a distance being considered impracticable on account of its per- 

 ishable nature. The first attempt, when the production became too 

 large for the San Francisco market, was in evaporation. Good success 

 resulted in this effort and a good trade was built up. Then the cannery 

 came into the field and the tide ran the other way. No berries were 

 dried, consequently that trade was lost. 



The cannery requirements for berries were easily met. Fruit too 

 ripe for shipment was in just the condition for them. This led to loose 

 methods of picking and handling and quantity only was considered, 

 until the grower was handling his berries about the same as he w T ould 

 a hay crop, and was only sorry he could not use a derrick fork. All this 



