September  26, 1895. 
JOURNAL  OF  HORTICULTURE  AND  COTTAGE  GARDENER. 
307 
FRUir-GROWINa  IN  CALIFORNIA. 
lx  a  report  to  the  Foreign  Office  on  the  trade  of  the  consular 
district  of  San  Francisco  for  the  year  1891,  Mr.  Wellesley  Moore,  Her 
Majesty’s  Acting  Consul,  states  that  owing  to  a  number  of  causes,  such 
as  glutting  of  the  market,  hard  times,  unsatisfactory  service,  and  the 
railroad  strike,  the  prices  realised  for  Californian  green  fruits  in  the 
Eastern  States  ruled  very  low  in  1894.  On  account  of  the  almost  total 
failure  of  the  crop  there  the  season  should  have  been  a  prosperous  one 
for  the  Californian  fruit  grower,  who,  so  to  speak,  had  the  great  market 
of  the  east  largely  to  him.self .  This  market  was,  however,  kept  constantly 
glutted,  and  the  prices  to  the  grower  thereby  made  ruinously  low. 
Such  having  been  the  case  in  1894  with  the  eastern  crop  almost  a 
total  failure,  it  is  stated  that  when  the  eastern  crop  is  a  normal  one, 
or  unusually  large,  the  result  will  be  one  of  disaster  to  the  army  of 
fruit  growers  in  California  and  a  serious  crippling  of  the  entire  green 
fruit  industry  of  that  State. 
In  the  earlier  years  of  the  auction  plan  of  selling  fruits  (a  system 
first  introduced  in  connection  with  the  sale  of  Californian  fruits  in 
1887),  it  was  comparatively  easy  to  regulate  the  distribution  in  the  east 
from  the  fact  that  over  90  per  cent,  of  the  shipments  were  made  through 
two  mediums,  which  rendered  it  possible  to  regulate  its  distribution. 
Within  the  past  year  or  two  new  conditions  have  arisen.  In  place  of 
the  great  bulk  of  the  fruit  passing  chiefly  through  two  hands,  a  large 
number  of  co-operative  companies,  brokers,  commission  men,  and  others 
have  entered  the  field,  and  have  been  making  indiscriminate  shipments 
to  the  various  eastern  markets,  resulting  in  disaster  all  round.  Each 
shipper  has  naturally  endeavoured  to  hide  his  movements  from  the 
others,  and  the  result  has  been  that  all  have  worked  in  the  dark,  and 
the  forwarding  of  fruit  has  been  almost  entirely  a  matter  of  guesswork. 
With  a  view  of  distributing  the  fruits  more  intelligently,  and  thus 
preventing  a  glutting  of  the  eastern  markets,  a  Bureau  of  Information 
has  been  established,  which  will  be  supported  by  all  persons  engaged 
in  the  fruit  business.  This  bureau  will  issue  daily  bulletins  to  all 
subscribers,  keeping  them  fully  posted  as  to  the  conditions  of  the  eastern 
markets,  so  that  they  can  intelligently  determine  where  their  fruit  is 
required,  and  can  be  disposed  of  to  the  best  advantage.  It  has  been 
decided  to  have  only  one  auction  room  in  each  city. 
The  shipment  of  fresh  fruit  direct  to  London,  which  was  tried  as  an 
experiment  two  years  since  and  suspended  in  1893,  was  again  resumed 
in  1894.  On  August  5th  a  train,  consisting  of  eleven  refrigerator  cars, 
was  despatched  to  New  York,  and  the  fruit  was  there  transferred  to  fast 
steamers.  The  time  occupied  on  the  journey  was  twelve  and  a  half 
days,  and  the  fruit  is  said  to  have  arrived  in  good  condition.  This 
shipment  was  followed  by  others,  but  the  expenses  were  very  heavy, 
and  it  is  felt  that  unless  the  fruit  can  be  laid  down  at  a  smaller  cost  for 
transportation,  and  with  a  smaller  per-centage  of  loss,  the  English 
market  will  not  prove  a  profitable  field  to  work. 
The  unsatisfactory  prices  which  growers  have  received  from  the 
commission  men  and  jobbers  have  encouraged  the  growth  of  co-opera¬ 
tion  in  the  marketing  of  orchard  products.  The  success  of  the  Southern 
California  fruit  exchanges  in  the  handling  of  Citrus  fruit  and  the 
Campbell  Fruit  Union  of  Santa  Clara  County,  for  the  manipulation  of 
preserved  fruits,  are  said  to  have  largely  brought  about  this  result. 
Various  local  exchanges  sprang  up  throughout  the  State,  and  they  have 
now  effected  a  central  organisation,  known  as  the  Californian  Fruit 
Exchange,  situated  in  San  Francisco. 
These  exchanges  handle  all  the  produce  of  their  members,  which  is 
sent  to  them  direct  from  the  orchards.  It  is  then  graded  by  machinery, 
and  the  grower  obtains  a  receipt  specifying  the  variety  and  weight 
of  each  grade.  From  this  time  its  identity  is  lost,  all  being  put 
or  dried  together,  as  the  case  may  be,  sold  by  the  Association,  and  the 
proceeds  distributed  after  deducting  the  necessary  charges.  The  results 
attained  are  stated  to  be  far  more  satisfactory  than  when  each  grower 
marketed  his  own  fruit.  The  association  is  able  to  make  better  terms 
with  the  purchasers,  handle  the  product  with  less  expense,  and  prevent 
too  much  fruit  being  thrown  on  the  market  at  one  time,  thus  realising 
better  prices  than  were  obtainable  under  the  old  method. 
Experiments  in  shipping  fruit  to  the  Eastern  States  by  the  Perkin 
system  have  been  tried  and  have  proved  very  successful.  The  principle 
is  very  simple.  Attached  to  the  locomotive  is  an  air-compressor,  in 
which  the  pressure  of  air  reaches  over  80  lbs.  to  the  square  inch. 
Air  compressed  to  this  extent  becomes  heated  to  such  a  degree  that 
the  germinal  life  it  contains  is  destroyed.  The  sterilised  air  is  passed 
into  a  receiver,  where  it  is  cooled  and  then  forced  into  an  air-tight 
car  into  which  the  fruit  is  placed.  The  germ-laden  air  is  in  turn  forced 
out  of  the  car,  and  the  fruit  is  carried  to  its  destination  in  perfectly  pure 
air.  With  but  little  loss  of  power  to  the  engine,  this  process  is  kept 
up  during  the  entire  journey.  Where  only  pure  air  reaches  the  fruit, 
the  process  of  decomposition  is  arrested  for  a  long  time.  There  is  also 
a  great  saving  effected  by  dispensing  with  the  ice  in  the  car,  thus  saving 
its  cost  and  allowing  more  room  for  fruit. 
The  importation  of  beneficial  insects  from  Australia  to  destroy  pests 
that  affected  the  fruit  trees  of  California  is  said  to  have  proved  very 
successful  ;  some  of  the  pests,  such  as  the  cottony  cushion  scale  and 
the  black  scale,  having  disappeared  in  many  orchards. 
Mr.  Moore  reiterates  the  advice  given  to  intending  settlers  not  to 
invest  in  land  until  they  have  been  in  California  for  one  or  two  years 
and  acquired  some  knowledge  of  the  country  and  of  the  methods  of 
doing  business  there.  Under  the  present  condition  of  things,  many 
people  consider  it  impossible  to  make  a  fruit  orchard  or  farm  pay.  At 
all  events,  a  man  must  be  favourably  situated  to  do  so  ;  and  if  he  buys 
land  without  a  full  knowledge  of  what  he  is  about,  he  is  very  apt  to 
regret  his  bargain  before  he  has  been  long  in  the  country.  Many  new 
settlers  fail  through  buying  too  much  land  and  not  keeping  enough 
working  capital  in  hand.  Others  buy  orchards  stocked  with  poor 
varieties  of  fruit  trees,  or  badly  arranged,  and  can  never  arrive  at  satis¬ 
factory  results,  no  matter  what  capital  and  labour  he  expended  on  them. 
There  is  no  difficulty  in  renting  or  leasing  Land  in  any  part  of  the  State 
and  thus  ascertaining  if  they  have  an  aptitude  for  the  business  of  fruit 
growing  or  farming  before  sinking  their  capital  in  an  undertaking  from 
which  they  will  find  it  almost  impossible  to  withdraw  ;  certainly  not 
without  heavy  loss. — (“Journal  of  the  Board  of  Agriculture.”) 
A  BLACk  COUNTRY  SHOW— WEDNESBURY. 
The  Wednesbury  New  Town  Horticultural  Society  recently  held  its 
sixth  annual  show  in  the  Red  Home  Grounds,  New  Town,  Wednesbury, 
thrown  open  for  the  occasion  by  permission  of  Councillor  J.  Oldbury. 
It  was  by  far  the  best  show  yet  held  by  the  Society,  and  was  considered 
to  be  one  of  the  finest  ever  held  in  the  heart  of  the  “Black  Country.” 
The  vegetables  were  exceptionally  good,  and  considerably  exercised  the 
judges  in  the  adjudication  of  the  awards,  the  Leeks,  Onions,  Potatoes, 
and  Parsnips  being  remarkably  fine,  and  amongst  the  flowers  most 
praiseworthy  were  the  Asters  and  Dahlias. 
In  the  nurserymen  and  gentlemen  gardeners’  classes  Dahlias  were 
most  prominent,  and  in  the  class  for  twenty-four  Show  varieties  Mr.  W. 
Pemberton,  Coal  Pool,  near  Walsall,  gained  the  premier  position.  He  had 
very  fine  blooms  of  such  as  Duke  of  Connaught,  Colonist,  Mrs.  Langtry, 
Arthur  Rawlings,  John  Walker,  R.  T.  Rawlings,  Harry  Keith,  J.  T.  West, 
and  Mr.  Gladstone.  Messrs.  Townsend  &  Son,  Worcester,  obtained  second 
prize  for  a  very  good  lot,  containing  Robinia,  Harry  Keith,  William 
Rawlings,  Gaiety,  Sunray,  John  Walker,  and  Colonist.  Messrs.  Shaw, 
Kidderminster,  and  G.  Forty  were  placed  equal  third  with  very  good 
blooms.  The  Cactus  varieties  were  well  represented,  and  Mr.  G.  Forty 
took  first  prize  with  a  capital  stand  of  twelve  blooms,  including  very  fine 
examples  of  Gloriosa,  Matchless,  Robert  Cannell,  Ernest  Cheal,  Kynerith, 
Lady  Penzance,  and  a  beautiful  new  seedling  of  the  Lady  Penzance 
type,  soft  salmon  in  colour,  and  was  considered  to  be  the  finest  flower  in 
the  show.  A  certificate  of  merit  was  accorded  it.  It  was  raised  by  the 
exhibitor,  and  named  W.  B.  Child.  Messrs.  Townsend  &  Son  came  in 
second  with  meritorious  blooms,  including  several  of  the  varieties  just 
I  named,  and  Mr.  W.  Shaw  third  with  a  clean  assortment.  For  twelve 
Pompons  Messrs.  Forty,  W.  Pemberton,  and  Shaw  were  respectively 
first,  second,  and  third  with  very  pretty  and  well  arranged  blooms. 
Asters  were  also  well  shown,  and  fine  examples  of  the  “Comet” 
section  were  amongst  a  stand  of  eighteen  varieties  exhibited  by  Mr. 
Forty,  and  who  deservedly  secured  the  premier  award.  The  Pansies 
were  so  good  that  hardly  a  faulty  bloom  could  be  found  in  boards  of 
twenty-four  varieties,  the  prizetakers  being  Messrs.  W.  Pemberton, 
W.  K.  Deeley,  and  W.  Shaw  in  their  respective  order.  No  less  than  ten 
exhibits  in  the  class  for  six  kinds  of  vegetables  were  put  up  for  com¬ 
petition,  and  the  prizes  were  awarded  to  Messrs.  Pemberton,  Forty,  and 
Lowe  respectively  for  some  very  fine  examples. 
The  exhibits  in  the  amateurs’  classes  were  very  good,  and  showed  a 
marked  improvement  on  previous  occasions.  Dahlias,  which  are  largely 
grown  in  the  “  Black  Country,”  are  evidently  very  popular.  For  a  tray 
of  six  blooms  Mr.  J.  Griffiths  proved  an  excellent  first  prizeman,  also 
maintaining  the  same  position  for  six  African  and  twelve  French  Mari¬ 
golds  ;  whilst  Mr.  J.  Gough  obtained  first  prize  for  twelve  Pompon 
Dahlias,  and  Mr.  Griffiths  second  for  twelve  Asters.  Mr.  D.  Morgan 
was  deservedly  accorded  first  honours  for  very  fine  stocks,  notwithstand¬ 
ing  the  lateness  of  the  season,  and  first  prize  was  given  to  Mr. 
J.  Griffiths  for  twelve  Fancy  Pansies.  The  prizes  for  vegetables  were 
well  contested  by  Messrs.  E.  Hood,  J.  Gough,  D.  Morgan,  and  J.  Griffiths 
in  their  respective  order.  In  the  Potato  classes  Mr.  J.  Griffiths  exhi¬ 
bited  excellent  examples  of  Prizetaker,  a  coloured  kidney,  and  of  Vicar 
of  Laleham. 
In  the  cottagers’  classes  the  competition  was  very  strong  and  close. 
The  first  prize  for  six  kinds  of  vegetables  was  won  by  Mr.  Hood  for  most 
creditable  examples  ;  Mr.  R.  Whitehouse  obtaining  first  prizes  for  six 
Parsnips  and  six  Leeks  ;  Mr.  R .  Ingram  first  prizes  for  six  Carrots  and 
six  plants  of  Parsley. 
Among  the  exhibits  not  for  competition  Messrs.  Townsend  &  Son  may 
be  mentioned  as  having  a  fine  collection  of  Roses,  both  of  Teas  and  of 
Hybrid  Perpetuals,  and  a  beautiful  stand  of  twenty-four  blooms  of  Mrs. 
John  Laing.  Mr.  T.  B.  Dobbs,  Wolverhampton,  contributed  a  fine 
collection  of  Onions,  and  for  which  a  special  certificate  was  awarded. 
Altogether  the  show  was  very  meritorious,  and  was  well  attended  by 
visitors  from  the  surrounding  district. 
TRADE  CATALOGUES  RECEIVED. 
W.  &  J.  Birkenhead,  Sale,  Manchester. — Ferns  and  Selaginellas. 
J.  Carter  &  Co.,  High  Holborn,  London. — Special  Baffcdil  List. 
Dammann  &  Co.,  San  Giovanni  a  Teducio,  Italy.— Lists 
of  Seeds. 
William  Paul  &  Son,  Waltham  Cross. — Rose  Catalogue. 
L  Spiith,  Berlin. — General  Catalogue 
R.  Wallace  &  Co.,  Colchester. — Autumn  Catalogue  of  Bulbous 
Plants. 
