Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-12-08
THE CITRUS FAIR.
Its Importance as an Educator and as
Bearing Upon Immigration.


rs. +. Bulletin December It'll
On the 18th of the present month great
Citrus Fair is to be held in Sacramento. 1t
is held some days earlier than former one
at that place, because the oranges ere ripe
and are ready to be gathered, and of course
are in prime order for exhibition. 1t is
curious fact that oranges grown north of
the bay of San Francisco ripen from three
to four weeks earlier than in the southern
part OF the State. A citrus fair on the 18th
of December would be quite premature in
the country south of the bay of Monterey.
II anything can be gathered from the pre-
dictions of those well up in the business of
citrus growing, this will be one of the most
important fairs ever held in this State.
Napa, Sonoma, Solano, Sacramento, Butte,
San Joaquin and some of the mountain
counties will be represented at that time.
One of the most important results will
be the turning of attention to the great nat
ural resources of the northern part of the
State. Now it may be set down with the
utmost certainty that wherever in the State
a climate is found where the orange and
lemon come to perfection it is a good eli
mate for settlers. In fact, there are no bad
climates in California. But a climate mild
enough to bring the orange to perfection
was for long time supposed to exist only
in the southern part of the State. The
decreasing orange crops attracted atten-
ton. Invalids who had been to Florida and
were disappointed, turned their atten-
Angeles, San Diego and San Bernar-
dino That immigration continues. 1t
will be a good thing if it continues
for years to come. There is a great
deal of room in southern California. A
million of people more would hardly be
sufficient to turn the unoccupied land into
fruitful farms. Not great deal has been
done as yet in making the whole country
acquainted with the resources of the north
ern counties of the State When a citrus
fair was held last year of only such fruits
as were gathered in these great counties
nearly everybody was astonished. If such
fruits could be grown there, and that, too
without any special effort, was it not fair
inference that these counties ought to be
just as attractive to settlers as those further
south? The real difference appeared to be
that the, resources of one part of the State
had been thoroughly advertised while the
resources of the other part had not
If, then, the Citrus Fair to be held in
Sacramento next week is made the occa-
sion of more extensive publication of re-
sources, a great point will have been
gained. We would not have one immi-
grant less go to southern California, but
would have some thousands more 90 to the
great counties north of San Francisco.
Perhaps citrus-growing will not become
leading industry in these counties. That
may be only an incident. If it is profit
able business there will be no lack of vent
ures in that line. One thing is certain.
The great fruit region-that is, as to variety
will extend northward clear up to the
Oregon line. Citrus fruits will not do well
in all these counties. But for at least four
degrees north of this city they will come to
perfect maturity in all the warm valleys
So much was demonstrated year ago
Probably a clearer demonstration will be
made at the coming fair. The apple, plum,
peach, apricot, pear and grape are at home
in all these northern counties. Not only
are the first oranges brought to the market
in the early winter, but the first cherries in
the early spring come from district
nearly hundred miles north of this city.
Facts like these are worth more than all
theories. There is no need of specializing
on probabilities. When the fruit-grower
brings in his ripe cherries in April and his
ripe oranges in December, and not only
few samples, but carloads we have to do
with facts and not theories. There are
some other facts that ought to be better
known Northern California, besides hav-
ing one of the best climates in the world, |
is a picturesque country. Its mountains
hills, valleys, forests, lakes and living
streams are source of perpetual enjoy
ment to all those who care for scenery and
for the wealth of natural resources All
this can fairly be said without abating any
interest in southern California. The cur
rent of immigration to that part of the
State is now so strong that it will take care
of itself 1t has been wisely directed. The
great hotels built and projected, the over
land excursions VIII ch fill these hotels
with winter guests, are all powerful stimu-
lants to immigration. The railroads also
have done great things for that part of the
State.
What would be the result if the same |
cor certed effort were made to attract immi-
grants to northern California; 1t could |
hardly be less satisfactory. In the new
impetus given to local railroad building it |
is assumed that every important county |
north of San Francisco will be reached by |
railroad, and that every large valley will |
be reached in that way. There are the |
great counties of Lake, Mendocino and |
Humboldt soon to be opened up by rail- |
roads. 1t is safe for immigrants to antici-
pate these Improvements. They are sure
TO be made In the greater part of the |
great northern district the question of irrl-
CATION is of far less comparative importance
because there is moisture enough to grow
all cereal and fruit crops from the winter
rainfall One has only to look over the
rain tables of the last few years to see how
well established this proposition has be-
come These, then, are some of the re-
of this great district now inviting
population. Water in abundance, DIVERSE
fled and picturesque scenery, climate, nat
ural resources without stint, and large areas
of unoccupied land to be had at a moder-
ate cost. Surely, if the citrus-growers about
to be represented in the fair at Sacramento
make a fresh proclamation OF these facts
they will do good work for the State.