FRUIT REPORTS. 
243 
that growth found on the richer river bottom lands. There is the same 
difference between the fig tree grown on the red foot-hill land and that 
grown on the river bottom land that there is between oak trees grown in the 
two places. The foot-hills oak is clean, trim, has thin bark, while its neighbor 
on the river bottoms has thick, rough bark, is stocky, and has soft spongy 
wood that never makes a good hot fire like that which comes from the hilly 
land. As with the tree, so with its fruit. The foot-hill fig is by far the most 
delicious raised in the State. Perhaps a larger crop can be harvested from the 
bottom land trees, but it is so much poorer in quality as to attract the atten- 
tion of a novice, while fig men will give them the go by at once in favor 
of the upland fruit. The largest dealer in figs in this State said to me a few 
days ago, “We have to bleach the lowland fig, but the upland finishes up 
bright enough for commercial purposes and at the same time retains the 
pure fig taste.” 
As I did not irrigate my trees they were driven to find moisture for them- 
selves, and for two years I do not think they grew one foot in height, but 
they were not idle during that time. The roots were going down further 
and further into the red loamy land, until some of them are fully twenty 
feet beneath the surface and have a formation that resembles a corn broom, 
that collects all the moisture that the tree requires to bear its crop of figs. 
By not irrigating them, the fig grows almost round, very smooth, thin skinned, 
not easily hurt by intense heat, easily cured and has the pure fig flavor. But 
chiefest of all, should a heavy rain come on in September, before the crop 
is harvested, while many will fall and become covered with mud, yet 
this can easily be washed off, and the fig comes forth as bright and fresh 
as could be wished for. A very few will sour but not many, and the crop 
is but little, if at all, injured. Such at least has been the result on my 
place for the past three years. 
My trees were two years old when I planted, or set them out. Last summer 
I cut away the extra wood, trimming them very severely, and cut away the 
lower branches so that I could plow around them, smooth the ground under 
the tree, and thus be able to harvest the crop without interference, and yet 
it is estimated that the crop will amount to fifty tons of dried fruit, while 
another year’s crop ought to exceed one hundred tons. I plow the land in the 
winter once only; it is harrowed but once. With a drag, I smooth the 
ground under the trees, but this is done only after the spring rains are over. 
All persons know that hill land w r ill not come up to weeds and grass and 
other vegetable growth as does the bottom land, and there is no need of going 
over and over the ground to kill weeds and grasses. One harrowing at the 
close of a rainy season, and no green things appear to mar the growth 
of the trees till the following winter’s rain falls. It follows that the ex- 
pense of taking care of a foot-hill orchard is much less than that on bottom 
land. 
My orchard is planted on ground that has a gentle slope from the top of 
a hill to the creek in which there is water in summer only. The trees on 
the topmost part of the hill are the largest, finest looking, and most prolific 
bearers, and are the least affected by the severe frosts that once in awhile 
visit the place, and with this result before me, I shall plant further up the 
hill confident of getting my best results there. Were I to attempt to find 
water by sinking a well anywhere along the upper row of trees, I am con- 
fident I should not reach it till I had reached a depth of at least fifty feet, 
and perhaps not then; but that row of trees is the finest on the ranch. 
