Chinese Orchardists

Between the 1870s and 1880s, the role of the Chinese laborer changed when the farmer started to plant an extensive number of orchards due to less labor demand than grain or livestock. Instead of one or two farmhands working the orchards, crews of laborers were brought to cultivate and harvest the orchards. As early as 1857, the County’s orchard population was high. It included 35,000 apples, 25,000 peaches, 6,000 pears, 1,300 cherries, and 5,600 fruit trees for other varieties. By 1874, San Jose would see the development of a drying company, Alden Fruit and Vegetable Preserving Company. In addition to the drying shed development due to the rapid growth of orchards and crops, dozens of canneries were created throughout the 1870s in the Valley.

Connie Young Yu is a writer and historian, whose father John C. Young was born in Heinlenville Chinatown, describes the experiences of Chinese farm workers in the Valley: “Many farmworkers were called ‘prune pickers’ as prunes were a major crop in the Valley. The Chinese tended the orchards, harvested the crops, and packed them for sale. Chinese laborers were absolutely essential in developing the Valley of Heart's Delight.“

Photograph of one adult and three children picking prunes off the ground and putting them into metal buckets. Prunes were harvested by shaking the tree and gathering the fallen fruit. Children often earned extra money by participating in the prune harvest. Courtesy of San Jose Public Library California Room.

American orchardist would learn that Chinese laborers, who once worked and lived in farming villages, had a strong understanding of growing things from the ground. This understanding came after directing Chinese laborers in pruning and grafting. Many a California variety of plum or peach was developed with the help of the skilled hands of an anonymous Chinese farm worker.  However, there is a Chinese name that became known amongst the cherry development. A historical example of agricultural partnership is the story of Ah Bing, hired as a cook and assistant nurseryman, and Seth Lewelling, an Oregon horticulturist in 1875. During this time, Ah Bing helped Lewelling develop a large and sweet cherry, and to honor Bing’s assistance in the development, Lewelling named the new fruit the Bing Cherry. He would introduce it to California, where it became the most popular cherry.