The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1886-12-15

FRUIT CULTURE.

There is no good reason why these
Islands should not be large exporters Of
Citrous fruit, olives, etc. The cOnfgura-
ton Of the group gives a wide range Of
climate and variety Of soil favorable for
fruit farming. Everyone knows that
Hawaiian oranges excel in favor and
lusciousness those raised on the Pacific
Coast or along the shores Of the Medi-
terranean, yet no systematic effort has
been made TO utilize even the orange
crops available on these Islands every
year, except for local consumption to a
moderate extent. Lemons and lines
grow equally well, and would undoubt-
edly pay any one who went into their
cultivation and export as business. Yet
despite this fact, there are seasons here
when lines are not procurable at any price
and indeed fair supply usually comes
from the Coast. This is not at all credita-
BILE either TO the business sense or enter
prise OF our landowners, big and little
There is money in fruit farming on the
Hawaiian Islands, and if those who are
now in a position TO promote this indus
try fail in that duty they may live to see
strangers coming in and securing the
profit which they despise In this con-
nection, the following practical remarks
in "Vick's Magazine" for November
last, on the orange cultivation in South
ern California, have considerable value
as pointers to any one who may contem-
plate the cultivation Of citrous fruit ON
these Islands:
In comparison to the extent Of Southern
California. the localities suited to the
growth Of the orange, lemon and lime are
very limited. I mean by this that the
places where the orange can be brought to
perfection, without codling wrapping, etc,
are few and limited in extent; even in the
far-famed Riverside there are many
groves in the lower ground where they get
an occasional freeze, and where, in their
young stage, the trees have TO be wrapped
and covered each winter, and in the val
legs nearer the coast, Los Angeles. for in
stance, they get 50 many fogs that the fruit
is more or less spotted with fungoid
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keeping qualities and sale. so that, really
speaking, there is only the mesa lands,
near the interior foothills, where the
orange, lemon and lime will flourish sum
mer and winter, where the fruit is brought
TO its highest perfection, and where, year
by year, the grove yields good income to
the grower. But given a good location,
planted to good budded fruit there is no
tree planted that will yield such an income
as the orange.
The planting is done from February to
June. Seeding plants cost from forty to
sixty cents each; budded trees from sew
enty-five cents 10 one dollar each They
are planted all the way from eighteen feet
apart to thirty feet, and the estimate of
last season 5 planting in the three counties,
viz: San Diego, San Bernardino and Los
Angeles, was 1000 acres, or nearly 100000
trees, and these are almost exclusively
Washington Navels.
The output Of last season was about l53.-
600 boxes, or somewhat over 80 600 600 or
anges, and Riverside alone Melted $500, 600
for their crop. An orange orchard. If it Is
well attended to and properly cared for.
will begin TO pay about the fifth year from
planting.
The lemon is harder to cultivate than
the orange, and the crop is more expensive
to handle. The owner of a lemon grove
must have a cool curing house, If he would
make anything out of his crop, because the
lemon should be picked before it is ripe,
and placed in bins in a cool room to cure
When picked the skin is thick and the
fruit not very juicy, but when properly
cured, it comes out with thin skin and
an abundance Of juice, and such fruit al
ways finds ready market at a good pay
ing price. but the California growers are
only Just beginning to find this out.