Daily Los Angeles herald., 1879-06-03
Oranges and a Market.

A correspondent of the Riverside
(San Bernardino) Press sends to
that paper the following communi-
cation:
The New York Observer of May
8 has an article OH "Orange Culture
in Florida" in the course of which
some facts and figures are put forth
that should contain crumbs of COM
fort for the weak-kneed of our
brethren, those who are nervous
on the score of over.production.
This article was in the form of q
letter from an old resident of the
State, now living at San Mateo, on
the st. Johns river. I Gull few
of the items, though did not want
of space forbid, the entire let
ter were we'll worth reproducing:
SIN the history Of the past fifteen years
there has been much of trial and disap-
pointment, but, now that the causes for
failure have been clearly ascertained, the
outlook for the future is very bright. Wild
land adapted to the orange costs $40 to $50
per acre-then it has to be cleared. Seed
ling trees cost from ten cents to 81 each.
according to size. The entire cost of
bringing an acre into bearing (placed at q
very low estimate) is $500. An orange
grove requires as much cultivation and
more than crop Of corn and as much fer
tillzlng every year as any crop grown. A
grove in bearing is grand good thing. At
various points along the st. Johns are es-
tahlished packing-houses, whose business
it is to collect the fruit from the orchard
lists, box it and ship it to northern mar
kets. These packing firms generally buy
the fruit on the tree and pick for them
selves. AtSan Mateo they have paid for
the fruit on the tree $15 PER thousand. A
good grove produces $4,000 oranges per
acre-profts $3.50. The Florida orchardists
anticipate decline in prices, in the course
of years, but never lack of market. The
culture OF oranges in Florida has already
increased the value of real estate by many
millions and it bids fair to be the leading
and most profitable industry in the
State"
Now, for our own benefit, let us
draw some inferences from the fore
going. With all labor hired, it
costs us less than $500 an acre to
buy land aud bring our orchards
into bearing. AS most of us do our
own ranch work, we reduce
tilC "a pcHSc mutclldiIy DoiOW tucso
figures. They who have visited
Florida and are in position to Judge
affirm that our orshards receive
much stricter care, etc., also that
our trees are freerer from disease.
Our good groves will produce over
SO, 900 oranges per acre. Some Sec
tions of California are beginning
tosfnd to their cost that the whole
State is not suitable for orange
growing. Is there any spot better
adapted than Riverside? The SUI
perior keeping qualities and the
fact that our oranges will stand
shipment better than the Florida
fruitare we'll known facts. Through
the nearing completion of the
southern route vast market Is
opening to us-the great Mississippi
basin, teeming with Inhabitants, q
fair field and small competition.
Why will not packing houses be
established in Riverside? and why
should not the firms pay us SIS or
even $25 per thousand for the
oranges as they hang on the trees?
Does not orange culture in Califor-
mia, as in Florida, promise to be a
leading industry? and does not the
crop bid fair to become the most re-
munerative in the State?