Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-02-04
OUR CITRUS FRUITS.
FAIR AND IMPARTIAL VIEWS OF
MR.. L. III. HOLT.
Comparison Between Citrus Fruits
and Our Lands with Those OF
Southern California.


h. NJ Holt, editor of the Press and Horti-
catlturit, and whose presence and fine ex-
hibil of Riverside fruit we enjoyed during
the recent citrus fair in Sacramento, has
published the following concerning the
fair, and the adaptaEility of our central
and northern sections for citrus fruit-grow-
ing. 1t will be seen that his views are
very candid and impartial, and in broad
distinction with the narrow and Jealous
attitude assumed, to their great dscredit.
by some of the Los Angeles and other
southern journals. Following is Mr.. Holt's
article in full as it appeared in the Press
No event in central California, for many
years past, has done so much 10 stir up the
people as has the recent exhibit of citrus
fruits from the northern counties of the
State at Sacramento. The Northern I'm
migration Association some months ago
conceived the idea that it would pay to
make an exhibit of citrus fruits, with a
view to advertising the salubrious climate
OF the Pacific coast and especially northern
California, but they had no idea ofexhibit-
ing fruits for quality. When the fair was
opened at Sacramento. on the 1Ith of
January, the display was SO much finer
and larger than they supposed it would be,
that many of the people Immediately, in
their enthusiasm, thought they could beat
the world for quality.
As an industry. the raising of the orange
in northern California has hardly com
menced. There is not probably, a five
acre orchard in that part of the State. If
there is, it is not in bearing. Some fruits
were exhibited from orchards of 200 and
250 trees each-in two instances only. we
believe but the great bulk OF the fruit is
from trees planted for ornamental pur
poses IN door yards, where the grass grows
close to the trees and where cultivation is
impossible
Most of the fruit on exhibition was seed
ling, few budded varieties being met
with only occasionally. The Australian
Navel was exhibited by several the Med
iteTanean Sweet was occasionally found:
the ST. Michael was grown by two or three.
and few other varieties were exhibited.
but most of these were ornamental more
than otherwise.
The exhibit of lemons was good, but, so
far as we could ascertain they We're all
seedlings. Many claimed for this fruit
superior quality for they were the regular
Sicily lemon-that is, the seeds were taken
from q Sicily lemon and planted. and This
is the fruit from the trees thus produced
1t is hard work to contradict this fallacv.
and sometimes impossible.
There were oranges from fourteen coun-
ties in northern California-Butte, Yuba,
Sacramento and Placer counties furnishing
the bulk. Then there was fruit from
Yolo. Shasta, Tehama, Sonoma. Amador
Calaveras, Napa, Colusa. Sutter and Ne
vada.
Some of the fruit was very fine, and
would be creditable in any citrus fruit ex-
hibition, while much of it was inferior. as
it necessarily would be- collected as this
fruit was No one here in southern Cali
fornia expects to get ql,alitV in fruit grown
on trees raised in dooryards. where proper
cultivation is impossible.
That section of northern California living
in the foothills on the east side of the Sac
ramento and San Joaquin valleys will raise
as clear fruit as can be raised in the most
favored sections of southern California, be-
cause the distance from the ocean places it
within the inland or interior fruit belt Of
the State, away from the coast fogs. The
main question in that section to be consid-
cred is the degree of heat, the average
temperature of the year and the lowest
temperature of winter. Are these condi-
tons favorable to growing a first-class
fruit?
When the announcement was first pub-
lished that citrus fair was to be held in
Sacramento the editor Of this paper wrote
to DR.. Latham asking for permission TO
make a display of Riverside fruits at that
fair The Executive Committee gave per
mission TO make the exhibit but declined
to allow any competition for premiums.
table about ten feet long and four feet wide,
ON one side of the hall, was assigned TO
Riverside, and thereon collection of bud
ded fruit-mostly Washington Nayels-
was displayed. This exhibit attracted uni
versal attention, and it enabled the grow
ers of northern California to compare notes
with fruit grown where 1t is an acknowl-
edged success, and in this way much useful
knowledge was gained. During the fair
over four boxes of Riverside oranges
chiefly Washington Nayels-were cut up
ard given to over 5000 visitors, who Were
thus enabled to make comparison with
oranges grown IN other places. The COM
panson was universally complimentary to
hlVerslde
Al lhe conclusion OF the falr the pre-
i!itths were aWuIeu Dy committee con-
Sistng OF NJ; NJ; Estee, OF Napa; W. ii.
MlliS anu j; b. Stet~oh, OF San Francisco,
ana /. l.; thompson OF sacramento. In
making the county awards they gave the
Ilrst premium 10 lutte county second, to
FIacef; tnlrd, 10 1uoa.
IN making the awards Tor personal ex-
hlbits, the hrst premium was awarded to
MIS- haTr, oil Marysyllle, = uba county,