32 JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



will grow fruit trees that will as certainly bring in £20 sua acre 

 when in full bearing, as other land in the county does. One of 

 the last of the great Spanish grants in Santa Clara County was 

 the great Catherine Dunne Ranch of 18,000 acres. This is now 

 being sold in lots of 5, 10, 20, and 40 acres. Prices range from 

 £5 to £'25 an acre, quarter cash, and the balance in six equal 

 payments, with interest at 7 per cent., the mortgagee to pay the 

 tax. 



Bernal's Fruit and Vegetables. 



Ygnacio Bernal owns, on the Monterey road, about nine 

 miles south-east of San Jose, 395 acres of land. The soil here is 

 exceedingly fertile, as it consists largely of silt washed down 

 from the surrounding hills. In this vicinity were located 

 immense cattle and slaughtering pens, and the great pits where 

 the refuse meat was thrown. Here hundreds of tons of bones 

 have been mouldering for more than half a century, and bone 

 dust is one of the richest fertilisers known. Here Ygnacio 

 Bernal planted his orchard. He could scarcely have found a 

 richer spot, and his trees show a most remarkable growth. The 

 Peach trees are now three years old, are about 10 ft. high, and 

 bore this year a large crop, considering their age. The Prune 

 trees are much larger than ordinary trees of their age, and bore 

 a few Prunes this year. Mr. Bernal utilises the space between 

 the rows of trees by planting Corn, Peas, Beans, Melons, and 

 Pumpkins. The Pumpkins produce on an average ten tons to the 

 acre. The price received for them varies with the season. The 

 lowest price is 6s. a ton in the field not cut, and the highest £1. 

 The Peas raised are the Spanish Garvanzas, or Soup Peas. The 

 produce ranges from ten to fifteen 100 lb. sacks to the acre. The 

 price is generally low, bat this year rose to £1 a cwt. The corn 

 averages 2,000 lbs. an acre. Lowest price received Os., and the 

 highest 8s. a cwt. Musk Melons sell for from 12s. to 20s. a 

 hundred. The usual crop of hay upon Mr. Bernal's valley land 

 is two tons to the acre, and upon the hillside less. The price of 

 Hay varies from 32s. to £5 a ton, the average being about 

 £2. 8s. 



Mrs. J. H. Smith's Six Acres. 



Mrs. Smith owns six acres on meridian 125°, about a mile 

 from the Alameda, which is one of the most luxuriant and pro- 



