26 



Annals of Horticulture. 



cot Santa Fe, which originated on the shore of Lake 

 Santa Fe in this state, and from which it is named. It is a 

 remarkably early variety, ripening the last of May, and for 

 the past five years the original tree has not missed a crop, 

 while the majority of the varieties of apricots are extremely 

 uncertain in this state. The Santa Fe is a very fine 

 variety and its reliability makes it doubly valuable here. 



j. Tendencies in Calif ornia Horticulture. 



One of the most remarkable developments of American horti- 

 culture in the last few years has been the growth of the dried 

 and canned fruit industries of California. California horticul- 

 ture is developing in every direction with wonderful rapidity, 

 and it is difficult to signalize any branch of it for particular 

 discussion in an annals of current progress; yet its most con- 

 spicuous feature at the present time appears to be the tend- 

 ency and determination to drive all foreign preserved fruit 

 products from American markets. This has been most marked 

 in raisins. The raisin output has increased from 6,000 20- 

 pound boxes m 1873 to 915,000 boxes in 1888. The products 

 have met with good demand in the east, and they are even 

 now finding lucrative markets in the old world. So brisk 

 has been the competition, that Spanish or Malaga raisins are 

 each year decreasing in quantity in our markets. In 1882 

 nearly 1,000,000 boxes of Malaga raisins, out of a total crop 

 of 1,900,000 boxes, were marketed in the United States, while 

 in 1888, only 112,000 boxes, out of a total crop of 700,000 

 boxes, came to this country. The United States Consul at 

 Malaga hears a prediction in Malaga itself that California 

 raisins will soon largely supply the markets of Spain ! It is 

 certainly evident that American markets will soon be supplied 

 entirely with the American product. It is said that the ad- 

 vantage of California raisins over Spanish is that they do not 

 " candy" so soon, and can be kept longer. 



Prunes from California are competing sharply for control of 

 American markets. Fig culture is also attracting great at- 

 tention, and dates are among the possibilities. The follow- 

 ing comprehensive report upon figs by a committee of the 

 California State Horticultural Society presents the latest and 

 best compendium of the fig industry : 



