The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1884-03-19
The Winter in California.

lines, nave ]usl eesh piuSAou
the trees in the citrus orchards OF
California. Two or three weeks
hence the markets will be crowded
with citrus fruits of home produc-
ton. Just when the grapes are dis
appearing, oranges, lemons and lines
make their appearance IN the mar
kets. We take no account OF the
occasional cargoes which come from
Tahati, and which will appear In
force a little later in the season.
Here and there in the suburban
towns and villages about the bay,
one may see a solitary orange tree
loaded with fruit. In some places
half dozen orange and lemon trees
NAV be seen. These rather tend to
show the character OF the climate.
They indicate that the citrus family
could not thrive where the mercury
went down TO twenty degrees below
zero. There are bat three citrus or
chards near the city, a small one
near Niles, about thirty miles from
the CITY, and one on DR.. Strentzel' S
place near MARTINEZ, about the same
distance from the city. The latter,
We believe, suffered considerably
from the cold weather two or three
winters ago, since which it has not
made much of a figure in the matter
of production. There is small ci-
tru. orchard at Narrow Lands, about
four miles FROM the City Hall OF
Oakland. The lemons in this or
chard were maturing in December,
and were OF excellent flavor. Citrus
growing does not make much Of a
figure north of Monterey Bay. Here
and there We find a few trees, as IN
Sonoma county, Solano and Butte
counties. These may be cited to
show the character of the winters.
But in Southern California the or
auge comes To perfection. The three
great counties of San Diego, Los An
geles and San Beraardino, an area
larger than the whole Of the New
England States, may be considered
the natural home of the citrus fami-
ly. On this area enough oranges
lemons and lines can be produced
10 supply at least one-half of the
demand in the United States. The
limit of production cannot be stated
because orange culture, like grape
culture, is in It's infancy here. Thi:
fruit cannot be transpianted with
safety where the mercury dlops dowE
TO zero.
Just now we are reading about :
different kind of winter in the West
ern and Atlantic States. Ia one
place in Illinois the mercury fell to
/ 43 degrees below zero, and the rec
ord varies from 10 to 30 degrees he
low over a large area of country cas-
of the Mississippi river. The win
ter on that side Of the country is evi
/ IDENTIFY to be a severe one. Winter
on the Pacific side.is of monde
script character. People are no
concerned about the cold. The plow,
are running on moist land, trees anC
vines are being planted, or arr
punched and transported for plant
ing. What concerns the people
most Just now is the lack of rain
There have been no old fashioned
rain-storms this winter. There have
been drizzles,' most days, gentle
rains, damp weather, cloudy days
and rain enough to wet the grounC
down to a depth of three or fou
inches, and more in some places, ac
cording to the nature of the soil
This is our record of the winter VI
to the 25th of January. But th'
dry weather has not abridged or
chard and vine planting to any grea
extent Up to this time not enough
rain has fallen for these operations
A few orders for trees and vines ma,
have been cOuntermanded. Tn
plows are not running as briskly a:
usual. Now the orchardist and win,
planter want moisture enough TO g
down with the subsoil plow from
fourteen to sixtesn inches. Bu
when his ground is only wet dow
four or five inches he is compelle,
to wait for the later rains.
At Midwinter We are confrOnte,
with a strong probability of a DIR,
season. The grass started earl
enough, but it is now very shor
and the hills are nOtas green as usu
al Now, dry season does not in
volve any such calamity as in fol
mer times. Orchards AID vineyard
which are well advanced do not su
fer materially in such a season
Many of the coast counties have n
best agricultural reports in such ses
. sons. The reclaimed lands alon
the rivers and bays figure prominent
ly in such years. Besides, nothin
, is certain about the winter seaso
in California until it is past and TIL
complete record can be made ~
Against all the theories and prob;
billties, the last half of winter ma
witness rain storms which will de
E uge the whole country. Just nov
/ however, the farmer looks on til
horizon and notes that it rains gil
3 gerly that the wind does not sta
long in the right place, that the raj
{ comes from the south, the wrong d
4 rection for any great amount, tha
70 the old fashioned southeast gales al
wanting when the shipping dance
: and chafed in the harbor and Ii
, ferry-boats in crossing the ba
t would sicken hundreds of passer
gers.
: In fact, there are so many indie:
tions of a dry season that peop'e al
r beginning to accept the probable n
/, suit, and are preparing to make th
I best of it. There will be surplr
= Of grain and fruits. The create
? number of farmers will proceed as
r there would be no lack OF moistur
1 One large farmer said the 9th,
day
" 1t is not my business to mall
the rain. 1t is my business to so
and trust to Providence for ii
rains
! We need fifteen inches more
e rain for a fair agricultural seasol
8 More than that amount has falle