Humboldt County CA Archives History - Books .....Agriculture 1890 ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/ca/cafiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@gmail.com December 6, 2005, 8:29 pm Book Title: History And Business Directory Of Humboldt County FRUIT GROWING The raising of fruits is fast coming to the fore as one of the leading pursuits of the county; while, in some sections semi-tropical fruits could be cultivated with success and profit, yet the rewards which have attended the planting of those of the temperate zone have been such that no effort has been made to experiment. Apples, peaches, pears and plums have been planted in great numbers and returned large profits. These fruits grow to perfection here, and it is especially the case with apples, which are of a very fine quality and flavor. Many complain and say that the apples produced in California are not equal to those grown in some of the Eastern States, but the varieties grown in Humboldt county are fully equal to any. Grapes are also rapidly coming into favor as a profitable fruit. We judge that the soil on the sloping hills would be favorably adapted to the production of wine varieties. For some reason or other many maintain the idea that grapes can not be successfully grown in Humboldt county, but this illusion was dispelled by the display of that luscious fruit at the Agricultural Fair held in Rohnerville and the California State Fair of 1890. In fact no county in the State could possibly make a better showing in this direction. Small fruits are most successfully grown and are cultivated to a limited extent. They have been proved to be most profitable. The sections lying ten miles inland from the coast produce the finest fruit that goes into market. The Klamath and Trinity river sections, and the upper Eel river in particular, have the character of being among the finest fruit sections in the world. The climate, quality of soil, and lay of the land on Trinity and Klamith rivers are thought, by experts, to make that section unexcelled as a grape and wine producing country, though that interest is at present wholly undeveloped. IS FRUIT GROWING PROFITABLE? Those who are wondering whether the fruit business will pay may find it worth while to study the figures here given. The bugaboo of overproduction should not frighten any one out, when it is considered that prices may drop one-half and still leave a big profit on fruit culture. There are many prune orchards already in bearing in Humboldt county, but the average farmer or land owner does not realize the possibilities that such an orchard would open up to him. The old complaint, "No market!" has no foundation. It is simply a question whether the man will plant and care for his orchard and wait for the trees to bear. The matter of marketing will take care of itself, for prunes are in demand at good prices the world over, and there will be no lack of means for placing them within reach of the consumer. What is there in it? is the question which most readers will ask. It is truthfully claimed that a fortune can be made in ten years from a fruit ranch of eighty acres or even forty acres, by any one blessed with that amount of good land. We will demonstrate how any enterprising man with a very limited capital can also make himself and family very comfortable and even rich with ten acres of bottom land if planted in French prunes or Petite prunes d'Orgen, which is the same thing. The trees must be grafted or budded on plum stock and be one or two years old—we prefer one-year-old trees. They must be planted twenty feet apart, so it will take 100 trees per acre. Good trees ought to be had for 20 cents apiece, or by the thousand for 15 cents. The holes must be dug from two to three feet square, according to the quality of the soil. The fourth season after planting and even the third, if your trees have been well taken care of, you will obtain about ten pounds of prunes to each tree, enough to initiate yourself into the drying business. The fifth year you will get about 60 pounds to each tree; the sixth year, 120 pounds or more to the tree. After that your trees are in full bearing, producing according to location and care, 150 to 300 pounds to the tree. Now let us consider the cost and the profits. COST. 10 acres of land at $150 per acre $1,500 1,000 trees at 20 cents each 200 Plowing the land 25 Digging the holes 50 Planting the trees 25 Cultivating 25 Second, third and fourth years $50 each, plowing and cultivating 150 Taxes for four years 75 Four years' interest, compounded, 10 per cent 850 _______ Total $2900 PROFITS. The fifth year you will have 1000 trees, bearing at least 60 pounds each, or 30 tons, equal to 10 tons of dried prunes, worth 10 cents per pound, or $200 per ton 2000 If you deduct 10 per cent, for labor you will have a balance of $1800 net, paying for the whole investment and $390 profit left. The sixth year you will have 60 tons of green fruit, or 20 tons of dried prunes, worth 4000 On the seventh year your trees will be in full bearing operation and will bear each from 150 to 200 or 300 pounds to the tree, and we believe on the safe side when we say that each tree will bring you $5 net each year, or 5000 It does not take much preemption to see that thus, on an outlay of not a dollar more than $2900, a person can have an easy income of $5000 annually in ten years' time. We do not know of any better or easier way of insuring a larger income than this. We have made these figures with care and prudence on the basis of financial results from the profits of successful producers. ACTUAL RESULTS. Figures have been obtained from the books of the Paige & Morton Fruit Farm in Tulare, where everything is kept account of as systematically as in a mercantile business. In this orchard there are in bearing, the trees being four to five years old, 25 acres of apricots, 116 acres of peaches, nearly 19 acres of pears and 7 1/2 acres of prunes. The fruit from these trees was weighed in the green as it came from the orchard, and aggregated 3,047,754 pounds. Sixty carloads were sold green to California canneries or shipped to New York, Chicago, Minneapolis or Boston. Ninety car-loads of green fruit were dried, making fifteen cars of dried fruit, averaging 20,000 pounds to the car. The apricots paid this year per acre, net $211.70; the nectarines, $266; peaches, $350; prunes, $600; pears, $27. The total receipts from the orchard, exclusive of vineyard, were nearly $90,000. Next season the area of bearing trees will be considerably increased. Besides the orchard there are 230 acres of bearing grapes, which will also be largely added to by next season. From this vineyard the season's output will be nearly 1,500,000 pounds, or 428,570 pounds of raisins, which find a good market in-Boston, Chicago and New York. The receipts from the vineyard will reach $25,000 to $35,000. A modest estimate places the net profit at $175 per acre. CEREALS. Humboldt is eminently suited to the growth and successful cultivation of cereals. In the immediate vicinity of the coast, wheat does not succeed as well as in the interior, where the atmosphere is drier, and the same may be said in regard to barley. But oats find a natural home in the coast section and produce from 35 to 90 bushels of oats to the acre, barley 30 to 85 bushels, and wheat 30 to 60 bushels. These figures are not the result of guess work or hap-hazard statements, but are based on the affidavits of farmers who undertook to weigh the product of their fields. There is not a section of the State, even in the famed grain-growing districts, where a better showing can be made as to quantity and quality, than in this county. The annual yield of cereals is as follows: Wheat Bushels 350,000 Oats 600,000 Barley 250,000 Corn 100,000 Much of the land which is now used solely as pasturage would, if brought under cultivation, produce the largest crops of grain and hay. This land can now be purchased at from $8 to $15 per acre in quantities to suit. FORESTRY OF HUMBOLDT COUNTY. We have already devoted much space to the redwood of Humboldt county, and will, therefore attempt to describe the other trees, which are the wealth of its forests. THE DOUGLAS SPRUCE Is found growing amongst the redwoods, and is second only in point of value to that latter timber. It is known to commerce as "Oregon pine," and also in different localities along the coast as "red fir," "yellow fir" and "spruce." Two distinct varieties exist as regards color and general peculiarities of the wood, the yellow variety being most commonly met with in Humboldt county. Without being by any means a hard wood, its firmness of texture and elasticity renders it peculiarly valuable for many purposes of construction. It is the ship lumber of the Pacific Coast. In the construction of vessels it is invaluable, and compares most favorably with the best woods in the Eastern States for that purpose excepting oak. While not invulnerable to the ravages of the teredo, it to a degree resists its attacks. In finishing work and flooring it is sawed to present a vertical grain and is used for these purposes on this coast, to the exclusion of other and softer woods. In a paper published in the Century Magazine entitled "The Coniferous Forests or the Sierra Nevada," by Mr. John Muir, the writer states: "This tree is the king of the spruces, as the sugar pine is the king of pines, often obtaining a height of nearly two hundred feet, and diameter of six or seven." MENZIES SPRUCE, Or, as it is generally known as "spruce," often grows to a height of 150 feet and a diameter of six at the base. It is found within a radius influenced by the ocean and seeks a rich soil. The wood is soft and mellow, satiny and fine in texture, but it makes knotty lumber and rapidly decays, hence it is not held in esteem by the lumberman, and is passed by in contempt. It is a beautiful ornamental tree. THE GRAND SILVER FIR. Or, as it is known locally, white fir, on the Eel and Van Duzen rivers, skirts the redwood and is common on Mad river, where it forms bodies by itself. It is a most valuable wood in the manufacture of woodenware, butter boxes, and the like, though it is prone to rot easily when it comes in contact with the earth. When entirely submerged under water it lasts well, and is used to a considerable extent where it is easily obtained, in the construction of dams and booms. THE TAN BARK OAK, Or Spanish oak, is found in great quantities in the southern portion of Humboldt county. The bark often grows to a thickness of two inches, and an acre covered with these trees will often yield from six to nine tons of bark, which finds a ready market at the great tanneries of San Francisco and Santa Cruz. THE TAMARACK PINE, Or as it is locally and occasionally called "bull pine." as also "squaw pine," is found growing in sandy places, and being of a stunted growth it is seldom over 25 or 30 feet in height. THE HEMLOCK SPRUCE, A variety indigenous to the coast, is found growing amid the redwood forests of Humboldt county. As it rots quickly and is knotty, it is passed by unnoticed in lumbering. THE PACIFIC YEW Is one of the valuables trees found in Humboldt county. The wood is straight grained and when green is easily worked, but becomes very hard when seasoned The trees seldom grow to be over 30 feet in height, and a foot in thickness is about the greatest diameter. It is most valuable for turning purposes, and was used by the Indians for their bows. THE MADRONE Is one of the valuable cabinet woods found in the county. When well seasoned it assumes a high polish, and is of medium hardness, for furnishing and cabinet work. It is also a very durable wood. THE LAUREL Is found on the choice and rich lands of the county. It furnishes a choice wood for the cabinet-maker, and for furnishing work it especially recommends itself. With the exception of the Douglas spruce, no attempt has been made to work up the fine woods of which the few above-mentioned form the leading growths. But there is no doubt a sufficient reward awaiting those who would invest capital in these woods for the requirements of the cabinet and furniture maker, and it is our belief that the day is not far distant when those who have the capital to use for the purpose, will perceive the wealth possessed by Humboldt county in its forest trees, and will take advantage of the great opportunities awaiting those who seek their development. AGRICULTURE IN HUMBOLDT COUNTY. Humboldt county has no superior as an agricultural county, and but few equals in this direction. The soil and climate are especially adapted to vegetable growth, and this is so to a marked degree with potatoes, in which product Humboldt has been supreme, and its position in this direction has been unassailable from the early days to the present time. The exceptionally fine quality and flavor of Humboldt potatoes placed them at once in high esteem and secured that widespread popularity which they hold to-day. As high as 21 1/2 tons of the tubers have been grown on an acre, which required over 300 sacks to pack them. The soil of the potato-growing sections of the county is most peculiarly adapted to their cultivation, being in some localities 20 feet in depth, and is light and friable—a rich black mould of vegetable mould. The profits from potatoes are in some years enormous. From $250 to $400 per acre has at times been netted, and to-day the planter who does not obtain $100 considers it a poor season. The annual yield of the county is from 30,000,000 to 35,000,000 pounds annually. Beets, carrots and other root crops grow rapidly, are of large size and fine in quality. Peas obtain their greatest perfection in this county, both in quality and yield, and their cultivation brings no small profit to the farmer, and in fact vegetables of all kinds are readily grown and profitably raised in this county. Additional Comments: Extracted from: History and Business Directory of HUMBOLDT COUNTY DESCRIPTIVE OF THE NATURAL RESOURCES DELIGHTFUL CLIMATE PICTURESQUE SCENERY BEAUTIFUL HOMES THE ONLY COUNTY IN THE STATE CONTAINING NO CHINAMEN LILLIE E. HAMM, PUBLISHER (COPYRIGHTED) EUREKA, CALA. DAILY HUMBOLDT STANDARD NOVEMBER, 1890. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/ca/humboldt/history/1890/historya/agricult160ms.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.poppet.org/cafiles/ File size: 15.1 Kb