Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-01-03
ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA,

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The orange is said to be a native of tropical
India, and according to ancient records was.
some time during the eleventh century, intro
duced into Arabia and Persia, and from thence
to Spain, from whence it spread into different
parts of the world where the climate was
sufficiently favorable to warrant its cultiva-
ton. The orange groves of Florida are not
indigenous to the country, but were I'M
doubtedly brought there in the early settle
ments from Spain and cultivated for a time
and then abandoned with the changes which
time and revolution wrought in that section.
The orange was also brought from Spain to
the southern coast of the Pacific, and the
first orange groves of Southern California
were planted by the founders of the old mis-.
sions, who were also from Spain. The Oldest
orange grove in Los Angeles county is at the
Mission San Gabriel, and is now over ninety
years old, but is still in healthy condi-
ton and bearing heavy crops each year.
The orange is long-lived tree, and when
cared for retains its fruitfulness to wonder
luA dSCs LuClC 10 u SlCC III viz OAoh6SiJ "a
the Versailles now over $50 years old. 1t
has an interesting history. 1t grew from
some seed Of bitter orange planted at the
commencement OF the fifteenth century by
Eleanor of CASTLE, wife of CHARLES III,
King of Navarro They were planted-as
many of the seed from which have sprung a
number of the trees growing in different sec
tions of this State-in pot, and were grown
and kept in the same vessel until 1884. In
1893, when more than 200 years old, they
were removed from Pampeluna to Versailles,
and the survivor of these trees is now in a
healthy and vigorous condition, not exhibit
ing any signs OF decay. There may not be
at this time an orange tree growing in this
State that will live as long or achieve
SO interesting history and so lasting
a name as the Grand Connetabable,
as this old Versailles orange tree is called,
but there are many that to those who planted
the seed and nursed the trees till they began
to bear the golden fruit have history that
will be preserved in family traditions for
generations to come, and those who planted
and reared them will be remembered as bene-
factors by the people who perhaps centuries
hence may pluck and eat of the golden apples
that will then weigh down their branches.
The apple, the peach, and the pear, though
of great value to man on account of their food
properties, and so general cultivation and use,
have never been regarded with so much inter
L. ,ufr which
it has found genial climate and soil. The
orange tree, on account of its beauty, its sym
metrical form and deep evergreen foliage, is
and has ever been universal favorite in all
countries where care and nursing can bring it
to anything like perfection, and in those
countries in which it grows naturally in
groves and forests it still has a stronger hold
upon the affections of man than any other
fruit or ornamental tree. But it is not OF the
beauty of the tree, or of the fruit, we pro-
pose to speak in this article; we rather in
tend to call the attention of the people of our
State to the value of orange culture as a mat
ter of profit, as product of commercial Jim
portance to California First, then, we will
consider
WHERE THE ORANGE CAN BE CULTIVATED
With profit in California. The fact that the
original European settlers on this coast had
never planted the orange TO any extent in
any but the extreme southern portion of the
State, now embraced in the counties of San
Diego, Los Angeles and San Bernardino,
would indicate that they held to the opinion
that this was thu. only locality where would
prove successful The fact that the Ameri-
cans for a term of twenty years
or more after the State was settled
by them did not plant orange orchards
in any other portions is an indication that
they also entertained the same opinions as to
the circumscribed area in which orange sult-
ure could be successfully prosecuted. This
opinion, so long held and acted on, has, like
many other erroneous opinions of the capa-
bilities of our State, been dispelled more by
chance than design. A few persons in nearly
every section of the State, after the fact had
been demonstrated that our climate was gen.
orally favorable to fruit culture, had the curl
osity while eating oranges to plant the seeds,
not thinking to do anything more than grow
the trees as a novelty or as a garden orna-
ment. Among those so planted and that
first came into bearing, was a single tree
grown on Bidwell's Bar, in Butte county,
almost at the foot of mountains COW
cred with perpetual snow. The traveller
may pluck and eat fruit from this
-, tlo
of the same day may retire to his bed sur
rounded by snow banks, and with the Their
mometer TO- to 20o below the freezing point
The fruit from this tree is of more than me-
dunn size, of good deep orange color, the
skin is thin and the flesh fne.grained, sweet
and of a most excellent flavor Indeed, it is
one of the best oranges ever raised in the
State, and, though Seeding, the scions from
the tree are much sought for for propagation
Marysville, Sacramento and many other
cities and towns from San Diego to Red
Bluff, have large numbers of orange trees
now in bearing, and at this time of year the
golden fruit shines out from the dark green
foliage in thousands of front-yards all over
trees are now of natural fruit or seedlings.
the fruit, as general thing, bears favor
able comparison with the best imported
oranges, and, in many respects, is superior to
the same. Of course the trees grow and
bear better in protected localities than in the
open plains, where the prevailing winds
either from the north or south have an unin.
terrupted sweep at them. A good border of
evergresns, of pine or spruce and any good
sized building, furnishes sufficient protection
to insure success to the orange after three or
four years old. Outside of the cities, where
the buildings and shrnbbery favor the Dram. e
both in summer and winter, the
FOOTHILLS
Of the Sierra Nevada and Coast Range noun
tains have been found more favorable for
orange culture than any other sections of the
State. Like the grape, the orange seems
perfectly at home on the eastern slope of the
Coast Range and the western slope of the
Sierra Nevada. from Tehama county on the
north to the extreme south end of the State.
Contrary to general expectation, the orange
ripens from two weeks to one and half
months earlier in nearly every locality north