as our population increases yearly 1,500,000 people, it will be seen
that our markets must extend as well, even after we have driven all
foreign Fruits out of our home markets. As regards the adaptability of
the land of British Colony for various Fruits, I can say that they are
especially adapted to the prune (French plums) and peaches for drying
and canning, olives for olive oil and pickling; also for oranges. You
can see how the orange thrives in the city of Merced and surroundings,
or in localities exactly like those of British Colony lands, and there
can be no doubt that oranges and lemons will prove very profitable in
British Colony. Olives will especially do well there. The British Colony
lands I consider as exceptionally rich and fertile, and there are few,
if any, equal to them in this State or anywhere else."

PRICE OF FRUIT TREES.

The prices in California of young Fruit trees for planting, for the
season 1890-91, are given as follows:--

dols.

Prunes (like French plums) 25 to 30 per 100

Plums and other prunes 15 "

Apricots 20 "

Peaches, from 15 to 17.50 "

Olives (layers) 20 "

Olives, grafted 40 to 60 "

Pears 18 "

Oranges, best kinds 70 to 100 "

Shade trees 50 "

Grape-vines (raisins) 12 "

Persimmons 15 "

Walnuts, from 15 to 35 "

WHEN FRUIT TREES PAY.

The Fruit trees enumerated above would begin to bear the second year,
but only the fourth year would they bear any considerable amount; the
fifth and sixth years they would come into good bearing, and should then
yield a profit of, say, from 100 to 350 dollars per acre. At seven years
the orchard should be in full bearing, and never yield less than 150,
and, possibly, 450 dollars per acre. Instances have been known when
prunes, peaches, and pears have produced from 750 to 1,500 dollars per
acre clear profit.

POSITION OF A SETTLER.

The position of a settler, then, is that for the first three years he
cannot depend upon his crop of Fruit to maintain him, but must either
have sufficient capital to support him during that time, or else earn
his