$14 to $15

14 to 15

15 16

The wine tables show a constant annual increase from the 1875, without a single fluctuation. The brandy tables show a The following are the average prices per ton asked in the several wine export for 1878 than for 1877, by about 9,000 gallons. This must istricts mentioned: accounted for by the higher price of grapes in that year, and theos Angeles, for Mission grapes. fore a less amount of distillation, and consequently an advaniapa Valley, Mission grap price for brandy. There has also been a very notable decreaseton, Mission grapes Sonoma Valley, the importation of French wines into the port of San Franc between 1874 and 1878. The importation in 1874 was:

Except in Los Angeles, foreign grapes command from forty to sixty per cent. higher for wine making.

THE CROP PROSPECT.

The crop will be larger than that of 1878, though by no means as great as was anticipated at the beginning of the season. It is estimated that not less than 6,000,000 gallons of wine will be made this coming vintage. Napa Valley, on the same vines, will yield less 15,900 than last year. Sonoma will yield considerably more, and Los 385,900 Angeles County will also yield considerably more than in 1878. From Sacramento and El Dorado we have no returns. Santa Clara

370,000

Showing a decrease of 495,900 gallons into this port in four ye will also yield more. Relatively, throughout the State, there will be time. To say the least, we must look upon this change as favora a little over half a crop. The importation of French wines into all ports of the United Sta has greatly decreased, as the following figures of importation for # years will show :

1868.

1869

1870

1871

1872

1873

1874.

1875.

1876.

1877

5,964

5,511

PHYLLOXERA.

The ravages of this insect, or pest, seem to be confined to Sonoma. I have looked closely for some signs showing its presence in Napa 3,41 Valley, in Los Angeles, at the Mission San José, and in Tehama 6,663 County, but am gratified to state that in none of there places have I 6,290 found anything indicating its presence, and it is my sincere hope, as 7,080 it must be of every well-wisher of the vinicultural interest of our 5,29 State, that it may never spread or gain a foothold in any new local3,263 ity. Though great havoc has been created by it throughout Sonoma 2,751 Valley, the people of that locality have to congratulate themselves upon its very slow progress, compared to the devastating ravages and This very notable reduction may be ascribed, first, to the cheapne The rapidity Werous experiments are being made throughout the the rapidity with which it executes these in the wine districts of and good quality of our own wines, and secondly, to the thorou Sonoma wine district, with the aim in view of either checking or enforcement of the present customs tariff.

PRICES.

2,486

The prices for wines and brandies were lowest during the year 18 and the beginning of the year 1877, and so slight was the deman and so great the stock on hand, that the viniculturists becar alarmed throughout the State. These matters have, however, be once again regulated by large distillations in 1877 and 1878, by increased home consumption, and a very considerable increase our exports. It was thought in 1877 that the business was overdon and that we had too many vines. But a reaction has taken plac and in 1879 our plantations have been greater than for many year back. In the northern wine districts, where, in the fall of 1876, th Mission grape was sold for from $7 50 to $10 per ton, and the foreig from $14 to $18, in 1878 brought for the Mission from $12 to $14, an for the foreign from $22 to $26 per ton. From what I am able to lear

eradicating the pest; and it is to be hoped that some of these may meet with success, and the results be made public. There is a belief that if the vineyard be entirely abandoned-be left without pruning attacked will recruit themselves, and, instead of dying out, as they or cultivation whatever for two or more seasons, that the vines would otherwise in variably do in two additional years, would, on the contrary, live and regain their pristine vigor. This fact I have noticed to be in casure true in one vineyard in Sonoma Valley— the one known as the Butler vineyard.

MISTAKES IN WHEAT CULTURE AND

IN CALIFORNIA

HARVEST

arket, and brought the highest price. Now it ranks second or bird in quality, and the fact is that while we have lost about 50 Now it is quite common to attribute, these losses to the er cent. in yield per acre, we have also lost in quality about 25 per eterioration in our soil by too constant cropping. While this may e and probably is the principal cause, it is by no means the only ne. We have allowed our land to become foul with weeds, and ave not been careful enough in cleaning our wheat before putting t upon the market. Buyers, to protect themselves, have been nated to be contained in the wheat, but they have also made a leduction in price for the expense of cleaning this seed from he wheat. Another and by no means unimportant mistake we have The cultivation of wheat has formed one of the principal emen making for twenty years past in wheat raising is, that we ments of man since the remotest periods of antiquity. Ancient his Sepeated our seed as well as our crops on the same land. The seed both sacred and profane, give accounts of the manner in which we are using now to a very great extent is the product of the seed we was sown, cultivated, harvested, and prepared for food since the egan with a quarter of a century ago. As the soil has grown weak historical periods of the world. As nations have arisen and advante seed has grown weak and impotent, not only because it has been to civilization and power, wheat culture has increased, and wheat mable to extract the material from the soil to make it strong, but become more and more the principal article of food. The Chiecause of the well-known law of nature, in the vegetable as well as and Japanese are the only important exceptions to this general the animal kingdom, that like produces like. A mustang sire will Rice has been with them what wheat has been to the other got produce a thoroughbred, nor will wheat seed inferior in the nations of the earth, and the check in the advancement of their chualities required to make good, strong milling wheat produce good, ization is attributable, it is believed by many, mainly to the inferitrong milling wheat, and the oftener we repeat the crop the greater of rice to wheat as food for man. The modes of sowing, cultivafill be the ratio of deterioration. We have no hesitation in stating and harvesting wheat have changed materially since the Romhat it would be a good paying enterprise for the farmers of Caliplowed the ground with a crooked stick, brushed the sced in with prnia to import their seed at least as often as every two or three years, top of a tree, and gathered the golden grain with a hook or hand to exchange seed with different localities in the State every year. sickle, but the principal changes in these plans of working have tathe climate and soil of the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys is place within the last half century. The United States has withinquite different from the climate and soil of the coast counties, and a time become the greatest wheat-growing country in the world, change as between these different localities could be made with but within the last quarter of a century, or since 1850, the product of little expense each year, and the gain would be to each individual ifornia has increased from 15,000 to 40,000,000 bushels. The old meimportant, and would add very materially to the quantity and of cultivation could never have brought about such a prodquality of the whole crop. If the defertilization of our soil were the Nothing but the facilities of the gang-plow to turn up the soil only cause of the decrease and deterioration of the wheat crop of the seed sower to sow the seed, the immense harrows in use in this State, then our virgin soil or soil bearing its first, second, or third to cover it, could render it possible to put in such a crop as was trop of wheat-should make as great a yield of as good wheat as did in in 1877-8, and had not the improved facilities for harvesting the virgin soil twenty years ago. Another very important cause of thrashing it been invented and brought into use it would have the decreased yield per acre of our wheat lands, and the deterioration impossible to have secured the crops that have been produced in of the quality of our wheat, may be traced to the time and manner in State for the past few years. We have been rushing into the wh which we business so rapidly, and it has been, as a rule, so profitable to It has been considered one of California's chief advantages as a viduals, and of such great immediate financial gain to the peop heat growing State, that her dry summer climate favored the plan a whole, that we have not taken time to inquire whether we have of allowing wheat to remain standing till it had become so ripe aud been making many mistakes as individuals and as a State. dry that it could be cut with a header and thrashed and sacked Twenty years ago the average yield of wheat in California was That considerable is gained in the way of economy in the handling fo immediately without risk of damage from heating and molding. bushels per acre, while to-day the average yield is hardly twel One of the main causes of this shrinkage, no doubt, is the defert but it is now worth our while to inquire whether we have not all the and in the is tion of the soil. We have been drawing from the soil cultivate time been losing more in one way than we have been gaining in wheat the properties required to produce wheat, and we have nother. It is to know that a cargo of our dry wheat, while on returned to the soil anything to restore these properties. the passage Home San Francisco to Liverpool, gains largely by the these circumstances is it any wonder that our wheat yield absorption of moisture-nearly enough, we believe, to pay the freight. from decreased per acre? But this decrease in bulk or weight is not sit not evident, then, that what the shippers gain by absorption, the

BY I. N. HOAG, AGRICULTURAL EDITOR OF THE RECORD-UNIobliged to charge the farmers with the proportion of weed seed esti

only way in which we have been losers in wheat culture. Twe

years ago our wheat was counted the best wheat sold in the Liverp

harvest our wheat.

loss in weight alone, by allowing the wheat to become over ripe Mr. Laney, in commenting on the experiment, in the Minneapolis cutting, this loss is considerable; but the gain by absorption Tribune, says:

means represents the full loss to the farmers, by allowing their The appearance of the grain advances and declines in precisely the same way as the quantity. to become over ripe, and cutting it with the header. There is the grain of the first cutting was miserably shrunken, resembling, it was frequently remarked the fairs, that of the crop of 1878 in the southwestern portion of the State. That of the sectain stage of ripeness or maturity when wheat has gained its greeting showed a vast improvement. That of the third some improvement over the second, weight and best quality, and if cut at this stage, with the full nt not so much as in the preceding case. The grain of the fourth cutting was by a few proof straw, and allowed to remain in the straw in a position to hunced the best, but the majority readily agreed on the fifth. The grain of the sixth entting had up gradually, this weight and quality become fixed so as never st its bright color-was bleached. The condition termed ripe was this: most of the stems, straws, had turned, not dead white, but a rich, lively yellow. Some were still somewhat lost. But if the grain is cut before this proper condition is attareen. The berry, when pressed between the soft parts of the thumb and finger, would yield, kernels shrink and wilt, and the meat or flour making subsut nothing liquid or doughy could be pressed out.

and flour making and food producing qualities. The effect of Thus it will be seen that there was a loss of two bushels and a half wheat too green is precisely the same on the kernel as is the effo the acre by cutting the grain in the advanced dough, and of one an apple plucked from the tree when too green. It is simply pushel and a half to the acre by allowing it to pass the ripe stage and The nutritive juices, which would otherwise go through a napecome dead ripe. This is the loss in grain yielding only fourteen chemical or refining change, making sugar and gluten, evap bushels to the acre, and in the comparatively damp climate of Minleaving simply the shrunken organization of the kernel with hesota. On grain yielding twenty-one bushels to the acre in the same life-giving and sustaining properties which are absolutely nece climate, the loss, it will be seen, would have been two and a quarter to make good milling or flour producing wheat. On the other bushels to the acre, by allowing it to stand till dead ripe. It is also if grain be allowed to stand in the field uncut until it has passed Evident that in our dry climate the loss would naturally be much proper stage of ripeness, the effect is almost or quite as bad in our greater, as the evaporating force of the air and sun are much greater climate as that which results from cutting it too soon. Every fahan where this experiment was made. But allowing the loss to be has experienced how detrimental it is to hay to allow it to stand the same from the same cause, let us see what California farmers lost till over ripe. The leaves part with their substance, while the on their wheat crop of 1878. The number of acres sown that year becomes hard, brittle, and woody, and loses nearly all the quibushels to the acre. Now, assuming that our crop stood in the field was 2,470,000, and the total yield was 41,999,000 bushels, or about 21 that, if cut at the proper time, would go to make it good feed for The effect is precisely the same on wheat straw, while the berryt may be cut with a header, and heaped up in the heads or thrashed till it was dead ripe that year, as is the custom with us in order that its sugar and gluten, and leaves only the form-the dry, wood and sacked immediately-the loss to the farmers on that one crop in stances, and starch-with a material reduction in weight and mweight was 5,557,500 bushels. At a dollar a bushel, $5,557,500. This value. These statements are not founded upon mere conjectus the loss in weight alone, but we have seen that the loss in quality theory, but are substantiated by analysis and actual field experis also very great. Some of our best millers estimate the latter at and by the experience and observation of all good, thoughtful mitrom five to ten per cent. at least. Now we present these facts and An experiment conducted by Charles T. Lancy, of Minnesota considerations to the farmers of this State thus early in the year, that 1879, at the suggestion of President Folwell, of the State Unive they may study the subject well before the crop they are just now of that State, is especially interesting and suggestive to the farmeplanting is nearly ready for harvesting. But there is another considthis State. Six plats of ground, 429 feet long and 13 feet wide, feration in connection with this subject. We refer to the greater draft vacant spaces between them about 18 inches wide, all on the upon the soil, as a result of allowing the grain to stand till dead ripe. character and quality of soil, were selected. These plats were all It is well known to all farmers that all growing crops draw more on the 15th of April with Scotch Fife wheat, and the grain grew heavily both on the moisture and fertilizing properties of the soil formly and presented an even appearance. The result of cutti during the last stages of ripening. Since it has been proven that it is different times and stages of ripeness and weighing may be set an actual damage to the wheat to allow it to go through this stage the following table:

while standing connected with the soil, and it is known that the soil itself is greatly defertilized by the process, we would suggest whether California farmers are not making a serious mistake in their time and in bu mode of harvesting? Does it pay to use the header as a harvesting 60 machine? Are we not unnecessarily drawing the fertility from our soil, while at the same time we are deducting from the weight and quality, the money and full value of our wheat?

ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA.

BY I. N. HOAG, AGRICULTURAL EDITOR OF THE RECORD-UNION,

groves and forests it still has a stronger hold upon the affections of man than any other fruit or ornamental tree. But it is not of the beauty of the tree or of the fruit we propose to speak in this article; Ne rather intend to call the attention of the people of our State to the ralue of orange culture as a matter of profit, as a product of commerial importance to California. First, then, we will consider where the orange can be cultivated with profit in California. The fact that the original European settlers on this coast had never planted the orange to any extent in any but the extreme southern portion of the State, now embraced in the Counties of San Diego, Los Angeles, and San Bernardino, would indicate that they held to the opinion that The orange is said to be a native of tropical India, and accosthis was the only locality where it would prove successful. The fact to ancient records was, some time during the eleventh century, that the Americans for a term of twenty years or more after the State duced into Arabia and Persia, and from thence to Spain, from whwas settled by them did not plant orange orchards in any other porit spread into different parts of the world where the climate was tions, is an indication that they also entertained the same opinions ficiently favorable to warrant its cultivation. The orange gross to the circumscribed area in which orange culture could be sucFlorida are not indigenous to the country, but were undoub cessfully prosecuted. This opinion, so long held and acted on, has, brought there in the early settlements from Spain and cultivate like many other erroneous opinions of the capabilities of our State, a time and then abandoned with the changes which time and rebeen dispelled more by chance than design. A few persons in nearly tion wrought in that section. The orange was also brought from every section of the State, after the fact had been demonstrated that to the southern coast of the Pacific, and the first orange grow our climate was generally favorable to fruit culture, had the curiosity Southern California were planted by the founders of the old miss while eating oranges to plant the seeds, not thinking to do anything who were also from Spain. The oldest orange grove in Los Angmore than grow the trees as a novelty or as a garden ornament. County is at the Mission San Gabriel, and is now over ninety Among those so planted and that first came into bearing, was a single old, but is still in a healthy condition and bearing heavy crops tree grown on Bidwell's Bar, in Butte County, almost at the foot of year. The orange is a long-lived tree, and when cared for retail mountains covered with perpetual snow. The traveler may pluck fruitfulness to a wonderful age. There is a tree in the oranger and eat fruit from this tree in the morning, and on the evening of the Versailles now over 450 years old. It has an interesting his the same day may retire to his bed surrounded by snow banks, and with the thermometer 10° to 20° below the freezing point. The fruit It grew from some seed of a bitter orange planted at the comme from this tree is of more than medium size, of a good deep orange ment of the fifteenth century by Eleanor of Castile, wife of Ch III, King of Navarre. They were planted as many of the seed color, the skin is thin and the flesh fine grained, sweet, and of a most excellent flavor. Indeed, it is one of the best oranges ever raised in which have sprung a number of the trees growing in different set the State, and, though a seedling, the scions from the tree are much of this State-in a pot, and were grown and kept in the same sought for for propagation. Marysville, Sacramento, and many other until 1584. In 1799, when more than two hundred years old, cities and towns, from San Diego to Red Bluff, have large numbers of were removed from Pampeluna to Versailles, and the surviv these trees is now in a healthy and vigorous condition, not exhiborange trees now in bearing, and at this time of year the golden fruit shines out from the dark green foliage in thousands of front yards all any signs of decay. There may not be at this time an orange over the State. growing in this State that will live as long or achieve so interest Though most of the bearing trees are now of natural fruit or seedhistory and so lasting a name as the Grand Connetabable, as the lings, the fruit as a general thing bears a favorable comparison with Versailles orange tree is called, but there are many, that to those the best imported oranges, and in many respects is superior to the planted the seed and nursed the trees till they began to bear same. Of course the trees grow and bear better in protected localities golden fruit, have a history that will be preserved in family than in the open plains, where the prevailing winds either from the tions for generations to come, and those who planted and reared north or south have an uninterrupted sweep at them. A good borwill be remembered as benefactors by the people who perhaps cent der of evergreens, of pine, or spruce, and any good sized building, furhence may pluck and eat of the golden apples that will then "nishes sufficient protection to insure success to the orange after three down their branches. The apple, the peach, and the pear, thous or four years old. Outside of the cities, where the buildings and great value to man on account of their food properties, and so ger shrubbery favor the orange both in summer and winter, the foothills cultivation and use, have never been regarded with so much inte of the Sierra Nevada and Coast Range mountains have been found as has the orange in every country in which it has found a gemore favorable for orange culture than any other sections of the State. Like the grape, the orange seems perfectly at home on the eastern The orange tree, on account of its beauty, its symmetrical form slope of the Coast Range and the western slope of the Sierra Nevada, deep evergreen foliage, is and ever has been a universal favori from Tehama County on the north to the extreme south end of the all countries where care and nursing can bring it to anything State. Contrary to general expectation, the orange ripens from two perfection, and in those countries in which it grows natural weeks to one and a half months earlier in nearly every locality north

climate and soil.

of fan Francisco than in Los Angeles. In some localities in the tention the average can be made to equal $1,000 per acre on trees hills, favored by the warm belts frequently found there, it is beli the fruit on mature trees will ripen two months earlier than relve years old. I have seen trees on our property that have yielded The for the past five years, present orange orchards of the southern counties. While the 1000 oranges per tree, which oranges at $20 per thousand would give would give to these localities great local advantages over seose who have shipped their oranges, has been between $20 and where the fruit ripened later, the general result to the State woul 25 per thousand." The average prices for oranges in San Francisco of immense value, as we would be able to supply oranges for sole past two years has been $22 50 per thousand. A gentleman time each year that the income therefrom would be greatly enha old San Bernardino has an orange orchard of eighty-three trees to while the profits of the trade would be distributed through he acre, and the average sales per tree has been 2,000 oranges, sold all sections of the State. The peculiar adaptability of the three cents apiece, or $30 per thousand, equal to $60 per tree, or hills to successful and profitable orange culture has been so 4,980 per acre. The Wolfskill orchard in Los Angeles, consisting of demonstrated by actual successes at many different points, ty acres of bearing trees, realized for its owner in 1878 the sum of the attention of practical men, as well as capitalists, has 50.000. Gullesio speaks of trees seen by him in Spain which yielded attracted to this industry as a new opening for the enterprise of,000 oranges per annum, and it is certified to that one tree in the former and the investment of the latter. In localities favor Sandwich Islands produced 12,000 oranges in one year. These are of situated for transportation, like Newcastle, Penryn, and other statcourse somewhat exceptional products, but they go to show the possion the Central Pacific, and Folsom, and Mud Springs, on the libilities of orange culture under favorable circumstances, and offer the Sacramento Valley Railroad, every acre of available land great inducements to the creating of favorable circumstances by culorange and small fruit culture is being taken up, brought under divators. Will the business continue to pay? The oranges produced tivation and planted into orchards, and land in these localities in California now are all consumed within the State, and 5,000,000 within the past two or three years, enhanced in value from 100 to more are annually imported from Tahiti and other islands, so that per cent. Now these are not the only localities favorable to this until this demand is satisfied there is already a market awaiting an ture. There are hundreds of other places, now without a name increased production. By the time this demand is supplied from our these foothills all along from Butte to Los Angeles County, own orchards it is certain that the increase in population in the Pacific equally as good natural locations and with even better soils and Coast States will create at least another equally increased demand. favorable climates, and where land in abundance can be had for But it is not to the Pacific Coast alone that we may look for a market taking up the only disadvantage being that they are not provifor our oranges when we have produced a surplus. It will be rememwith railroad facilities for transportation. Let these lands be ap bered that up to the time when we had raised wheat in excess of priated and cultivated in the vine and orange, as those in the vier home consumption the price of wheat was not as steady and certainly of the places named are being planted, and an equal enhancemen remunerative as when Liverpool merchants were assured that they value will very soon follow, and railroads will come also when fre could draw on California for the supply of a certain portion of their is assured for their transportation. annual deficiencies. It is an almost universal rule of commerce that

There being no longer any question as to the natural advantagea supply creates or discovers a demand. When Chicago, New York, very large portions of California for orange culture, it is in orde Philadelphia, Boston, and other Eastern cities can be supplied with inquire whether orange culture will pay when the business is gre California oranges, their merchants will look to California for that increased and the product is proportionately augmented. That supply just as certainly as the merchants of Liverpool now look to culture is at present very profitable is attested by facts too plair California for her annual surplus of wheat. There are good reasons be overlooked. During the past few years property generally in for this assertion other than commercial reasons. southern counties has been at a low figure and the times extren, California oranges are superior to either the Florida, Louisiana, or dull, but amid this almost universal depression no orange orch Havana oranges in many respects, among which we may mention in have been placed upon the market, and none could be bought at this connection their superior keeping qualities, which gives them price. This kind of property has uniformly remained firm great advantages in a commercial sense. The New York Evening unchanged. An intelligent cultivator of this fruit in Los Ang Post, speaking of some oranges sent them from Los Angeles, says: County, speaking of the business last year, remarked: "An or "They are of remarkable fineness and of a flavor which, without orchard is a bank, whose deposits are safe beyond a question, possessing the saccharine sweetness of the Havana orange, is even whose dividends are regular, munificent, and we might say, prince more rich, and, in consequence of the blending of its sweetness with * * The orange of Tyre, of In answer to an inquiry of the Los Angeles Chamber of Comm a little acidity, is more agreeable. in 1876, another well known orange cultivator made this statem Sidon, and of Jaffa, is peculiarly fine in size and quality, but it does not excel in either respect that of Los Angeles." An intelligent with others in that market, says: "They combine the qualities of writer in a new York journal, comparing the Los Angeles oranges the Florida, the Louisiana, and Havana oranges, having the size of 50 than either the former, the skin of the second, and the delicious flavor of the of the above mentioned, and the fruit lasts longer on the trees, is

in regard to the results of his own experience: "By very car estimates made in 1874, of the crops on an orchard of 436 trees of which were twelve years old from the seed (the balance being young to bear), I obtained as a net result, over and above transportation to San Francisco, commissions on sales, etc., $20 tree, or an average of $1,435 per acre. I do not claim this amoun an average crop or result, but I do think that with proper care

*