CALIFORNIA AGRICULTURAL EXTENSION SERVICE [Cire 18 and the recent plantings have scarcely been sufficient to replace the acreage that will normally be taken out. It does not appear, therefore, that there will be any further increase in the bearing acreage of Freestones in California during the next few years. On the other hand, there were very heavy plantings of peaches in the South and in certain Middle Western states between 1921 and 1924. Many of these plantings have not yet reached the full bearing age. The story of peaches is similar to the story of many of the other fruits in a greater or less degree. Grapes.—Raisin and table grape prices have been unprofitably low for several years. These low prices were a result of an enormous increase in production. The increase in production, in turn, was zaused chiefly by the relatively high prices of all classes of grapes between 1919 and 1921. This three-year period was undoubtedly the most prosperous three-year period in the history of the grape industry. The high tide of prosperity greatly stimulated plantings. Within the brief period of three years about 220,000 acres of vineyards were planted in this state. and in one vear alone nearly 100.000 acres. TABLE 4 BEARING ACREAGE OF CERTAIN FRUITS, CALIFORNIA {Thousands of acres, i.e., 000 omitted) 1927 Foreesst 1929 RY 45 165 Crop PATS eerie TEER conmmssimessinsors Prunes ........ Per cent change + 32.8 +- 28.9 Lr 07 1930 Table grapes ............ Juice grapes.............. Raisin grapes ........... 145 167 a5) 45 77 240 + 6.0 -— 29 Data from California Cooperative Crop Reporting Service. In addition to the increased production of raisins in California there was a rapid expansion in production elsewhere in the world, particularly in Australia. The world output of raisins is now about 25 per cent greater than average production before the war. The normal raisin erops in foreign countries in the next few years are not likely to be any smaller than the average of recent years, and they may be even larger. It appears, therefore, that California raisins in foreign markets are likely to meet competition from other raisin exporting countries, at least as keen as in the past. While there will probably be some decline in the bearing acreage of raisin grapes in California by 1929 (see table 4), it is not likely to be sufficient to