EXCELSIOR 
YEAR, 
islit Cent* 
II Pnrk How, New York. 
H2 lliillnlo St,. Hoclicutcr. 
FOR THE WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18,1889 
[ Entered ac c ording to Act; o f Congress. In the by n. D. T Moons. In the Clerk’s Office of the District Court of tlio United States for tho Southern District of (few rorlc.J 
4. Fall Pippin,—Weighs 10 ounooa; measures 
13# by 13# inches. Tender, Juicyuml fine flavor. 
r>. " Nieajack."-^o called by Mr. S. B. Fox of 
San Jose, who furnished the specimen before 
us. Jt resembles the Gravenstein somewhat In 
shape and color, but la larger In size. It also 
bears some resemblance to the Ulue Pearmnin. 
The ground of a light yellow, splashed pretty 
freely with red, and dotted with light small 
specks. It weighs 15 ounces; measures 1.3# by 
12 # inches; tender and good flavor. 
0. Eunpua SpUzcnberg. — Weighs 12 ounces; 
measures 11 by UK inches. This docs not vary 
materially from the same variety raised in the 
State of New York. 
7. Yellow Newtown Pippin.—Weighs 12 ounces; 
measures 12 V by 12 inches. Very like the saute 
fruit at the East. 
8 . Jewett's /fed.— Weighs 8 ounces; measures 
10# by 10 .V inches. A beautiful apple, and of 
line, rich flavor; color bnir, largely striped and 
splashed with red; akin very thin; not a com¬ 
mon variety. 
lb JcnaHalcL— Weighs It ounces; measures 11 # 
by 11 inches. This apple so nearly resembles the 
Relnette TrUrmphante, sometimes called Victo¬ 
rious Reine.tte, that I am Inclined to think it may 
bo tho same. 
10. llUte Pearmain.— Weighs 15 ounces; meas¬ 
ures 18 V by 13 inches. Quito equal in quality, 
we think, to those of tho East of this variety. 
11. Wagoner .—Weighs 8 ounces; measures 10# 
by 10 Inches. Skin rather tough, but flesh ten¬ 
der, juicy and of tine flnvor. 
18. li’afiTii Jen net ting. — Weighs 12 ounces; 
measures 10V by lo inches. Fine flavor, crisp 
and juicy. A very beautiful rosy-cheeked apple. 
Known East, we believe, as Rawle's Janet, 
a blush of brown near tho cavity of calyx. 
22. American Golden Russet.— Weighs 8 ounces; 
measures 10 by 10 inches. A bright, golden 
color, with the least tint of russet. Flesh very 
tender ami delicate, but rather dry. 
23. Black Gillijlowcr, — Weighs 12 ounces; 
measures 10 # by 10 # inches; juicy and of line 
flavor, quite equal, if not superior, to the same 
variety East. 
2 -t. Tulpeluickan. —Weighs 10 ounces; measures 
13V by 13 Inches. This does not. appear to bedo- 
scribed in our books, nor do wo know of its 
origin. It is a large, fair apple, resembling in 
appearance the largo sized Mountain Greening. 
Its flavor, also, is not unlike tho Greening. 
25. Rn.rbury Russet. — Weighs il ounces; 
measures 11# by 10# Inches. A juloy, good 
flavored apple at this season ol‘ the year. 
26. Gloria Mnmli. Weighs26ounces; measures 
16 by 16# incites. This Is the king of apples, ns 
to size, and 11 is a very good eating apple. Its 
rich golden color makes It very attractive in its 
appearance. 
but not a late keeper; skin quite yellow, strong¬ 
ly marked with green russet dots. 
31. Detroit Red.— Weighs 14 ounces; measures 
11 V£ by 11X Inches. A beautiful tipple to look at. 
and tender and juicy. Its color, tho deepest 
shade of rod. 
32. Stman—Weighs 10 ounces; measures 10?., 
by 10# inches. An excellent, tipple in tho au¬ 
tumn, but begins to shrivel by early winter. 
33. Lady Apple. —'Weighs l'« ounces; measures 
8 # by 6 inches. For a wonder, the Lady Apple 
of California Is quite ns small, if not smaller, 
than I ho same variety East, 
These are tho loading varieties of apples; 
nearly every variety that is grown ai the East 
Is or can bo produced in California in great per¬ 
fection. Hut we have noted .samples enough to 
illustrate how the varieties grown here compare 
with the same in the States East, which is tlio 
main object of this article. 
Pears. 
1. Wintci' Nells.—A delicious pear, Hie host, 
perhaps, ol‘ the season. Weighs 8 # ounces, and 
measures, in circumference, 10# by 9# inches- 
a golden russet. 
2. White Doyenne, or Vlrgallcu.—Thla luscious 
pour is nearly past its season. Weighs 5 ounces, 
and measures 8 by 7# inches. 
3. Lawrence .—'’rids is also nearly past its season. 
It is moiling, Juicy, and weighs 8 ounces; meas¬ 
uring 9# by 10 inohes. Yellow, and faintly 
mottled. 
4 .Sheldon. — Clear, golden russet — weighs 8 
ounces; measuring Sly: by 9# inches. Flesh ten¬ 
der, juicy and of flue flavor. 
5. Vicar of Winhlidd. -This Is a splendid pear 
to the eye, but not so luscious to the taste. It 
weighs 21 ounces, and measures 124; by 1(1 inches. 
0 . Doyenne. Vowmck.—ls a splendid looking 
pear. Weighs 17 ounces,and measures 12X by 13 
Indies. Melting, Juicy; very much larger than 
tho same variety East. 
7. Duchess* n'Angovleme.— Not so large ns some 
grown East. Tho sample before us weighs 11 
ounces, and measures 10 # by 11 # indies. 
• 8 . Gray Doyenne .—Weighs 5# ounces; meas¬ 
ures i) by 8 # inches. 
9. Bearn Bttchclier.— Weighs 6 # ounces; meas¬ 
ures h by 8 # inches. A tender, Juicy, good eat¬ 
ing pear. 
10. Bcurrc d'Anjou. Weighs 8 #.‘ ounces; meas¬ 
ures IS# by 9 inches. Quality only common. 
11. Bemre ('lairge.au. Weighs It ounces; meas¬ 
ures 10#by 11# inches. Not yel. in prime; tough 
and stringy. 
18. Clapp's Favorite. —Weighs 13ounces; meas¬ 
ures 11 by 12 indies. Heautlful yellowish color, 
handsomely dotted with bright russet specks. 
Not yet i:i prime. 
13. Doyenne d'Alencon. —Weighs 5# ounces, 
measures 8 by 8 V Inches. Color dark greenish 
russet. Not yet lit to eat. 
II. ('olumbia. Weighs 10?* ounces; measures 
I OX by 11 inches, 'render, sweet and juicy. Not 
yet quite in its prime. 
15. Josephine de Mnlines, -A variety not given 
in Dowsing or other authorities at hand. 
Weighs Itf ounces; measures 8 by 7# inches. 
Color greenish, with patches of russet. Calyx 
largo, set in moderately shallow, broad basin ; 
stem an inch long, without depression. Grown 
by A. Ryan’, OnlsboOrchard,Sacramento Valley’, 
In shape obovate, obtuse pyriform ; flesh juicy’, 
tender, sweet, but not yet at full maturity for 
eating. 
10. Summer Rose.— Weighs 4% ounces; meas¬ 
ures 8 by 7.#' Inches. Flesh white, juicy and 
sweet. A beautiful golden russet, shnped very 
like an apple; similar to a Japan pear. 
17. Beuirc DteU— Weighs 15 ounces; measures 
11# by 13 inches. Flesh white, sugary, melting, 
delicious. In perfection last October and first 
November. 
18. Faster Beurre. — Weighs 13 ounces; meas¬ 
ures It# by II# inches. Not yet in perfection. 
19. Pound Pear.— So called although the speci¬ 
men before us weighs 30 ounces and measures 
14# by nw Inches; and still larger specimens 
have been on exhibition, to say nothing of the 
huge specimen, which was sent to Europe a few 
years since, in wax, weighing, if wo recollect 
aright, over four pounds. 
Among t he curiosities in tho way of pears, was 
a cluster produced by Mr. Bmoos, at Marysville, 
a few years since, containing fifty penes, on a 
branch eight inches long weighing nineteen 
pounds. This was tin* Louise Bonne de Jersey 
variety. We have a drawing of tho duster be¬ 
fore us. 
Pearlies, Cherries, Apricots , Plums, and all the 
small fruits are produced in great abundance, 
and in great perfection in California, and ripen 
very early. Apricots and ligs are ripe by tho 
flrst of June; cherries nearly as soon; straw¬ 
berries nearly every month in tho year; grapes 
and poaches by first of July; and all other kinds 
are comparatively early. 
Grapes. 
Of the grapes on exhibition no mere sketch 
cun do them justice. There were fine specimens 
or the White Muscat of Alexandria, the Black 
Hamburgh, the Black Morocco, the White Na¬ 
poleon, the Lombard or Fhune Colored Tokay, 
Rose of Peru, and in fact almost every variety 
THE FRUITS OF CALIFORNIA 
Illustrated liy Descriptions of Sample* from 
the Industrial Fair Held at San Fran¬ 
cisco Sept, and Oct., 18G9. 
The fruits of California are becoming 
world-renowned; but it is only since the 
opening up of the great overland railway 
from the Atlantic to the Pacific that, the 
people of the Eastern States and of Europe 
have begun to realize wlmt. California is 
producing, and is capable of producing, in 
the way of fruits of every character and 
variety. When people find in the fruit mar¬ 
kets of New York, Chicago, and other 
Eastern cities, grapes fresh from the vine¬ 
yards of California, three thousand miles 
distant, brought in one week, (less time than 
it used to take, in the boyhood of the writer 
of this, to go front Buffalo or Rochester to 
the city of New York,) — grapes, too, such 
as can lie produced in no other State of this 
groat Republic, and such as can only be 
raised on the sunny shores of the Mediterra¬ 
nean, and these, furthermore, brought to 
market weeks earlier than they can lie ob¬ 
tained from balmy Spain or sunny Italy— 
and when they set; specimens of pears, apri¬ 
cots, plums, apples, peaches, oranges, figs, 
olives, almonds, etc., the equals of which in 
size, form, quality and early maturity, the 
world has never looked upon—when they 
see. all this, the wondering multitude are led 
to inquire whence come these marvellous 
productions of nature?—these wonderful 
prodigies of Hie kingdom of Pomona? Can 
it be other than from the famed gardens of 
the Ilesperides? 
But our present object is not so much to 
descant on the general fruit productions of 
California as to describe some o. ( ' the choice 
specimens of apples, pears, grapes and 
oranges which were exhibited at, the Annual 
Fair of the Mechanic’s Institute, held in San 
Francisco, through the month of October, 
commencing the latter portion of the month 
of September, Although this exhibition of 
fruit is not intended as a specialty in an ex¬ 
position designed mainly to exhibit tlu; 
mechanical skill and manufacturing products 
of the State, yet as an industrial exhibit ion 
of the material resources of California, this 
exhibit is not by any means the least, inter¬ 
esting of this successful exhibition. 
We arc indebted to Mr. E. .T. Cummings, 
Superintendent of the Fruit Department of 
the Exposition, for choice samples of the 
fruit on exhibition—which, at this late sea¬ 
son of the year, is necessarily confined to 
apples, grapes, and a few varieties of late 
pears, a few oranges, Ac. AVe do not present 
them as new varieties, because most of them 
have been known to the world for many 
years; hut the object, in describing them 
minutely in this place is that the people of 
the Eastern States, and elsewhere, may see 
the difference between the same varieties 
grown in the East and in California; may 
see what the soil and climate of this State 
have done in changing the appearance of 
fruits long cultivated in the States East. We 
give tlu; weight and size, so that the differ¬ 
ence may be made more readily apparent. 
Apples. 
1 . Tompldm County King.—The sample before 
us is the largest and finest we have ever seen. It 
measures 15 inches in circumference and 14 
inches longitudinally, and weighs 19 ounces. Its 
beautiful deep red color, the ground slightly re¬ 
lieved by a mellow shade of fawn, gives it a very 
rich appearance. Fine flavored here as in New 
York, but does not keep as long. 
2 . Bellflower. —A flue Juloy apple, of excellent 
flavor. Weighs 10# ounces; measures 11 by 12 
inches. Similar to those or Now York. 
3. Carter's Red Winter.— Weigh* 15# ounces; 
This is a beautiful 
12. Rhode Island Greening .—Weighs 15 ounces; 
measures 12# by 11 # inches. Similar to same 
variety East. 
13. Oglehy .—So called by Mr. Fox. It resem¬ 
bles the Yellow Newtown Pippin in form, but 
the color Is nearly white, dotted with small 
green specks, mid u blush of green on one side. 
Weighs 8 ounces; measures 10# by 10# inches. 
14. Baldwin .—Weighs 16‘ounces; measures 13 
by 12 incites. Much larger, it will be observed, 
than those raised East. It is an excellent fall 
and winter upple m California. 
15. Pen nock's Red Winter ,—'Weighs 15 ounces; 
measures 11# by 11 # inches. Very fair quality. 
16. Bachelor.— Weighs 15 ounces; measures 13 
by 12 # inches. A beautiful apple in appear¬ 
ance ; yellowish ground, splashed with red ; flesh 
tender, crisp and juicy. Now in its pi ime. 
17. Kentucky Red. — Weighs 14 ounces; meas¬ 
ures 10# by 10# inches. A fine eating apple, 
tender, with an aromatic flavor. 
27. Northern Spy.—Weights 18 ounces; measures 
12?i by 12# inches. This apple is u great favorite 
in Western New York, whereitoriginated, (near 
Rochester.) We cut grafts from the original 
tree, and sent specimens of the fruit to Mr. 
Downing, when ho was preparing the first edi¬ 
tion of ids great work on tho “ Fruits and Fruit 
Trees of America." We do not think its fruit is 
quite us good in California us iri Western New 
York; nor docs it, keep as well here as there. 
2 «. Randio .—Weighs 8 ounces; measures 11 by 
10# Inches. This is an excellent fall apple in 
California, but, is now (1st November) getting 
past its prime. 
29. Seek-No~Furt her .—Weighs 10 ounces; meas¬ 
ures 10# by lb# inches. In California, as at the 
East, this is an excellentapple; but it. docs not 
keep as long here as there. 
30 . King’s Russet .—Weighs 9 ounces; measures 
9# by 9# inches. A very good autumn apple, 
THE ELACK MOROCCO GRAPE. 
19. White Winter PearilUiin .—Weighs 13 oun¬ 
ces; measures 11# by 10# inches. A spicy, aro¬ 
matic flavor, but a little tough, 
20. Flushing Spltzenberg,— Weighs 16 ounces; 
measures 12 by 13 inches. Good flavor, but quite 
sub-acid. 
21. Red Cheek Pippin. Weighs 10 ounces; 
measures It# by II inches. Hus very much the 
appearance of a R. I. G reening; very good flavor, 
but rather tough and stringy; dark green with 
measures 13 by 13 Inches. __ 
apple, yellowish ground, beautifully striped and 
splashed with red. Flesh tender, juicy and of 
pleasant flavor. 
