Stories: Apples, Peaches, Pears, Plums … and Cherries!
by Dot Brovarney
Shortly after Lynn Meadows joined me in starting the Butler Cherry Ranch Project, she gave me a copy of a four-page document entitled Rancho La Cima, Mountain Grown Fruit, Ukiah, California. The document appears to be transcribed from a historic real estate promotion written in 1918.
The most intriguing aspect of the document is the claim that George and Ella’s ranch was planted and thriving with cherries as early as 1888! (The Butler family didn’t purchase the property until the 1930s.) By 1918, the 19th century plantings were considered “old cherry trees” and the circular boasts of a new cherry called La Cima, Claiming it a new variety from Oregon stock unique to the Ukiah ranch, the promotion describes La Cima like this:
"They are very late, coming on after most of the cherries are gone … grow in clusters almost like grapes; they are dark purple brown in color, very tough skin, small pit and have a spicy flavor."
The advertisement declares La Cima cherries to be “wonderful shippers” that could bring the new owner of the ranch as much as $30,000 net profit on produce from 1200 trees.
Rancho La Cima had 2000 apple trees planted in about 1912, including Gravenstein, Newtons, and Spitzenburg. Pears -- Bartletts and Winter Miller -- had been planted just a few years before 1918. A small family orchard existed, consisting of peaches - lemon and orange clings, early and late Crawfords, Salaways and early Alexandre. Other fruit at the ranch at that time included figs, prunes, plums, and quince.
Much credit for the success of the orchards on the property is attributed to the climate, soils, and hydrology of the land. Since the climate is warm with cool nights, the writers claim that the fruit comes on earlier but holds longer than fruit in the valley. The soil is described as a heavy black loam, red and yellow clay with some small gravel that holds water well. The promoters cite fifteen springs on the 520 acres.
Other amenities on the property were a four bedroom house constructed in 1917 ("the best built house in the county" with "every modern convenience"); ninety angora goats; two good work horses and a horse barn; two cows and a cow barn; a milk house; two mules; chickens and a chicken house; a smoke house; a wagon shed with one covered buckboard and three different types of wagons; a shop including forge, anvil, drill press, taps and dies; and, last but not least, a fruit house.
While we all should remain skeptical of "facts" presented in an advertisement, I think we all can agree with the promoters that Butler Ranch has a view that "is one of the finest in the state" and that the fruit "grow to a very large size, having a very fine high flavor with plenty of juice …"
