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



product was too small for shipment, and whose buds were inferior and 

 poorly developed, surprised the most experienced observers with a good 

 crop. Our plum shipment reached a total of 1,526% cars, or only 237 

 cars less than in 1908. Prices were unusually good. Our plums seem 

 to be increasing in popularity everywhere, and are a very desirable 

 fruit. Many of the so-called Burbank varieties resemble the Bartlett 

 pear in having the exceedingly valuable property of ripening up beauti- 

 fully and developing an exquisite flavor when picked green. This is 

 true particularly of the Climax and Wickson. 



PEACHES. 



The peach shipments were quite heavy for California, a total of 2.599 

 cars going forward, or 620 more than last season. The quality of the 

 fruit was not very good, much of it being small and inferior, and in 

 some localities was very wormy. Owing to the shortage of this variety 

 in Eastern fruit growing centers a strong demand was anticipated, thus 

 undoubtedly causing the shipment of a quality that should never have 

 been permitted to leave California in its fresh state. Prices were low on 

 the major portion of the shipments, and returns to growers were very 

 small. To add to the misfortune, there was a car famine that came at 

 the height of the season, some of the fruit lying on the loading platforms 

 and in the packing houses from twenty-four to seventy-two hours, thus 

 causing it to arrive at destination in a soft and overripe condition. 



PEARS. 



The Bartlett pear crop was very good, and the quality of the fruit 

 was unusually fine, being of good size, and free from scab and other 

 defects. Winter pears were generally a short crop. Shipments were 

 2,638 cars, being exceeded by those of the preceding year by 63 car 

 loads. Prices were generally very good, owing to the fact that the crop 

 was almost entirely sold at a time when the Eastern markets were nearly 

 bare of domestic fruit of all kinds, and especially of this variety. The 

 reason for the heavy Eastern shipment of pears is to be found in the 

 absence of demand on the coast, the canners who are usually heavy 

 buyers being practically out of the market until the bulk of the crop 

 had been moved. This variety is undoubtedly the most popular of all 

 California fruit, and for eastern shipment we may well call it '"The 

 King of Fruits. ' ' 



GRAPES. 



The grape shipment in 1909 exceeded that of any previous season by 

 more than two thousand car loads, the total for the season being 5,875 

 cars, while that of last year was 3,812 cars, a gain of over fifty per cent 

 in one year, and it is probably true that there were more than 1.000 

 additional car loads available had the demand and condition of the fruit 

 justified shipment. 



The grape market was satisfactory until about September 15th. cover- 

 ing the sale of upwards of 1,200 car loads, but after that time prices 

 were low, and in the great majority of cases showed no profit to the 

 grower. A reason for the low prices is to be found in the fact that not 

 only was the shipment from this State very much heavier than ever 

 before, but unfortunately it came into direct competition with a very 



