CALIFORNIAN FRUIT AREA

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1612, 21 January 1903, Page 64

CALIFORNIAN FRUIT AREA

(By W. G. Allen, in the “Agricultural Gazette,” of New South Wales.)

In the year 1880, when I first went to California,, there was hut very little fruit finding its way to the Eastern States, and not much, if any, being exported. The area planted to-’’ fruit trees was infinitesimal as compared with what it now is, and. still there are large areas being planted every year. So long ago as the year I mention, many were found who prophesied that the fruit industry was being overdone; and yet, notwithstanding the many obstacles which have had to be overcome, the people of Califraia have, through their energy and push, gone on from year to year increasing the area under fruit, and by exploiting oth er' markets and placing a good article on the market, have found sale for all their fruit at fairly remunerative prices. To attain this end, they have had to grow fruit, and to place it on the market in the most attractive style possible.

In the different counties of California there are 49,850 acres of apples, the largest area of this fruit planted in any\ ooio State being 11,585 acres in Santa Cruz. The total area of apricots planted is 34,938 acres, Santa Clara county leading with 7268 acres. With cherries, there is a total of 520 l acres, Santa Clara again leading in these also with 1535 acres. With -figs, there are 4054 acres planted, Fresno county leading with 769 acres. With olives, there are 15,348 acres, Butte county leading with 1373 acres. With-peaches, there are 60,021 acres, Placer county leading ■with 11,441 acres. With pears, there are 17,058 acres, Solano county leading with 2032 acres. With prunes, there ame 81,838 acres planted, Santa Clara county leading with an area of 40,124 acres. Of this total area of prunes, 72,940 acres are of the French variety. With oranges, there are 52,030 acres planted, San Bernardino county leading with 13,500 acres, Riverside following next with 11,535 acres. These two counties adjoin one another, anc&

nearly all the fruit is grown within a radius of 35 miles. With lemons, there are 13,439 acres planted, San l>iego county leading with 5500 acres. With almonds, there are 14,325 acres planted, Yolo county leading with 4120 acres. Wit.? walnuts, there are 10,646 acres planted, Orange county leading with 3505 acres. With grapes, there are planted 213,636 acres, Fresno county leading with 75,755 acres. Of the total in the State, 107,908 acres are planted to wine grapes, 84,211 to raisin grapes, and 21,517 acres to table grapes. In all, there is a grand total of 572,424 acres ■of nuts and fruits. - In making up theso figures, it is assumed that there aro 48 apple trees to the acre, 75 apricots, 100 cherries, 48 figs, 75 olives, 100 peaches, 100 pears, 100 prunes, 100 oranges, 100 lemons, 100 almonds, 48 walnuts.

By glancing over these figures it will ho seen that, as compared with California, w r e are still in our infancy. This State alone has about 50,000 acres planted to fruit trees and vines. Still, with the conservation of water to enable us to irrigate, and by planting fruit trees ai.*:d vines more extensively in districts where they will thrive well ■without irrigation, there is a great future ahead of this industry here; but wo must look to cur export trade to find a market for our surplus fruits. As yet we are not growing .sufficient fruit of any kind, except citrus, to sup>ply our own State. When once the supply is greater than the demand, we will have to look to foreign markets to relieve us of our surplus: and wc must push if we wish to secure this trade, and supply these foreign markets with fruit of the quality and put up in the size of package which finds favour with them. In other words, to build up our export trade we must supply the outside markets with the article which they require, whether it is the same or different to that which finds the most, ready sale on our own market.