Los Angeles daily herald., 1885-12-29

he HERALD.
The worid,s Oranges.
Elsewhere we reproduce an article
from the Westiiche Post Of st. Louis
which is devoted TO the American
hog and Southern fruits. This very
able German-American paper points
out the fine opening which exists for
American citrus fruits, both in the
United States and Europe. II the
editorial writer who develops such
intelligent views had attended the
New Orleans Exposition he would
have been able to speak with more
minutiq Of detail in the premises. He
devotes the greater portion OF his ar
ticle TO Florida and only towards its
close does he realize that California
which of course means Southern Cal
ifornia exclusively-is an important
feature in the proposition which aims
to supply the United States with an
abundance OF oranges and lemons.
II he had been at the New Orleans
Exposition he would have known
that the sweepstakes" prize for su-
perior oranges was given to
S Southern California over Florida,
Mexico, Cuba and Europe. In
other words, the oranges OF this
section won the first eminence in
contest with the whole world. 1t is
not the Florida orange as against that
Of "sunny Italy" that will challenge
the good will OF the United States
and ultimately OF the non-orange-
growing European nations. but the
orange of Southern California; or, to
be more explicit, the orange OF the
Southern California counties Of Los
Angeles, San Bernardino and San
Diego.
Two years ago the HERALD, which
five years ago had advised those who
owned land to turn their attention to
the wine and raisin grape, ear
nestly recommended those OF its
readers who were interested in
horticulture, and who had II suit
able soil and exposure, to plant
the best varieties OF the orange and
lemon. In view OF the expanded
markets, through multiplied trans
portation facilities, which we saw
ahead for the growers OF citrus fruits,
we felt confident that there was good
deal of money in these staples. The
outlook now is specially encouraging.
Our orchardists are TO day the bene-
ficiaries OF lively competition for
freights between the Southern Pacific
and Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe
system OF railways, each OF which
ramifies to all the leading cities OF the
East. Our shippers have been in the
past, owing to the enlightened policy
of the Southern Pacific Railway Com
pany, enj j)ying u shipping rate
to Chicago and st. Louis which
amounts to but 81 cents on the box OF
oranges, or little more than third
of cent an orange. This was not
only living rate, but one which
meant an immense expansion OF the
business. Considering the competi-
ton which exists between the two
transcontinental railway systems we
should not be surprised TO see this
already low rate reduced fully one
half. Then will be the millennium Of
the man who has committed the out
come of his personal fortunes TO the
growth OF the citrus fruits.
II ought to be great consolation to
this individual that the region in
which the citrus fruits can he grown
in the United States is so very limited
1t is in truth embraced in restricted
section of the States Of Florida and
California. The Louisiana orange
grower has practically retired from
the field. The frosts OF the Pelican
State have already killed five
sixths of the orange trees in that
commonwealth. Every now and then,
even in Florida, whole plantations
trees, buds and fruits-have been re-
morselessly annihilated by Jack
Frost. On the other hand, there has
not been an instance in the history OF
orange growing in Southern Califor-
mia in which any citrus plant, outside
of nursery, has been damaged by
the low temperature.
The truth is that where in Los An
geles county there is an abundance of
water, light, loamy soil and the
proper exposure, the finest oranges
in the world can be raised. The
same is true as to limited portions of
San Bernardino and San Diego coun-
ties. The idea OF overstocking the
market with fine grade OF oranges
and lemons is highly absurd. As the
Westiiehe Post correctly observes, we
have not only the markets Of the
United States but OF the whole world
TO avail ourselves Of As to the Cali
fornia oranges more especially il may
be said that, when properly packed,
the longer the distance they have to
traverse, with limit bounded by
Paris and London, SO far as actual ex-
periments have gone, the better they
are on arrival at the point OF ship
ment. Our st. Louis contemporary
speaks of the satisfactory experiments
made with the Florida orange in the
London market. Precisely the same
crucial ordeal has been sustained by
the Los Angeles orange in London,
with results even more assuring thar
attended the Floridian shipments.
No industry Of q horticultural char
acter ever had 4 brighter outlook than
that which awaits the efforts OF oul
Southern California orchardists to
supply the world with good citrus
fruits.
FoR YEARS Southern California Ina,
been disprized. This section hai
scarcely yet got over the stigma in
volyed in the generic designation q
the Cow counties apothegu
which was an otishoot Of the Wit c
the San Francisco capitalists. On