Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1886-01-13

ever raised an orange or lemon that viii
not thrive better and produce more luxuri.
antly in Butte county than in its native
country. The average temperature o.
Butte county, both day and night, is lower
than that of any of the coast counties
That IS the secret surrounding the fact that
our fruit ripens several weeks sooner than
does the oranges of Los Angeles and River
side. We have warm nights as well as
days. In southern California their DAYS
are as warm as ours, but their nights much
cooler. We have no damp fogs, no heavy
dews; hence the superior quality and
flavor OF our fruit. The speaker stated the
number OF bearing trees in Butte county
and the number of young trees lately
put out. He said he was often asked
If the many varieties of Seeding fruit did
not deteriorate. To all such inquiries he
positively answered no. They are larger
producers. their fruit thinner skinned, and
OF better flavor than any grown south Of
San Francisco. The Bidwell Bar tree pro.
duces good seed, and trees raised from the
seed of one crop are just the same one sea-
son with another, all good producers OF
similar quality; retaining their best quail.
ties. The oranges raised in Butte county
will sell for good and remunerative
| prices at all times and anywhere
We have a demand for all of il
at our very doors. There is DC
danger of over production. The great
northwest wants all we can raise at good
and remunerative prices. Transportation
is our greatest trouble, and as that is con-
stantly being facilitated and corrected, such
thing as an oyer-production in the line
of citrus fruits in northern California is
one of the impossibilities. This is not the
time, neither is it the place, to discuss
other horticulture or agriculture pursuits
or the development of any other of oul
many greatand important business interests
For that we have our annual State agricult-
ural fairs and stock exhibits We are here
10 talk about our citrus products. compare
notes, add to our stock of knowledge upon
that subject, and show the world that we
of northern California have an industry
worth the consideration of all, apparently
in its infancy, but with all the character
lstlcs indicative of a giant an industry
that will increase and improve in character
henceforward.
Grated trees that come from the south
ern portions of the State, if not protected,
will not stand our climate. We have tried
them, but all experiments have more or
less failed. The fruit we have in Butte now,
specimens of which are on exhibition has
become acciilnated. They stand the cold
OF our winter; the frost has no effect upon
them; live out in the open air. 1t don't
pay To import trees from southern Califor-
mia, but our seeding varieties thrive we'll
We can form our trees on Seeding stocks,
and thus secure any variety we desire. A
few mornings since, at 0roville, the mer-
curry stood ut 26o. The young orange
shoots shook the mantle of frost from
their beautiful leaves, and when the
sun arose, were not injured in the least
The lines, more tender than the oranges.
were not injured by the cold weather In
Butte we have twenty-five or thirty yarie-
ties of oranges. They, as our exhibits
show, are as to size ana quality, ..equal to
the best, and grow in the open air without
the least protection, apparently as hardy
as any of the trees cultivated. 1t requires
labor no more skilled than is necessary to
the successful cultivation of our common
orchard fruits. The olive does not prop
erly belong to the citrus family,
but is precursor of the or
ange. Wherever the olive succeeds there
also the orange will grow. The entire Sac
ramentO valley and its adjoining foothills
will grow the olive in its greatest perfection
We have on exhibition oranges from Biggs
Station grown in black adobe land. 1t is
pretty fruit, nicely favored, but does not
do so well as in the light, loamy soil of the
foothills. The foothill soil is warm, sandy,
and has natural ::subsoil drainage Give
it water and you will get in return fine
wood and fruit. The top soil is rich,
strong loan, and the subsoil is gravel
powders and sand.
The seeding or native oranges produce
at ages varying from seven to twelve
although many bear at five. The first
orange trees in his section were set out for
ornament, shade, and to add pleasure to
home surroundings. They did not expect
in those days, while planting trees TO
beautify their dooryards, that in succeeding
years citrus fruits would be leading ex-
port to the Eastern States; that what was
then being placed out solely with the idea
of pleasing the eye would at future day
become so great a source of profit. = He
that plants tree is public benefactor" is a
true saying in their case, as the pres
ent successful exhibition bears testimony.
Here we are in a belt which will
produce oranges, lines and lemons that we
can compare with the most favored land
on earth without any fear of the result of
comparison. We invite you to come han
die them, eat them, pass them around to
your friends. This citrus exhibit will have
good effect. We want you to call and see for
yourselves, for seeing is believing" An
ocular demonstration of a fact is worth
more than all the newspaper articles ever
written or the most labored efforts at ora
tory. The newspaper articles will do for
our benighted brethren who live i'll the less
favored climes east of the Rocky Mountains,
but we want our own people to see for
themselves, and pass judgment upon orr
productions. Take and eat, come and look
see what we raise, behold what we can
produce. When the man from Minnesota
sees that in California we raise TO the
greatest perfection everything that is pro-
duced in his State, and realizes also that
we are living in country where the olive
and orange grows to perfection he will
realize something of the possibilities of
Butte county. In that county there
are thousands of acres of land
capable of such culture in the
highest degree that is obtainable at
prices ranging from so to $50 per acre. In
that county alone. rich i'll everything re-
quisite to its prosperity, is such an area,
in size % by 10 miles. Invite all your
friends to Butte county, and there they
will find big-hearted, hospitable people
who are as much to be admired FOR their
many good qualities as are their peerless
oranges now on exhibition. Butte was
one of the original counties of the State
and at one time was as large as the State
of Maine. We have thrown off several
counties, but still have big county
left. Come up and see US
in our happy foothill homes, bask in the
sun in our orange groves, partake of our
delicious fruits, gaze upon our beautiful
scenery, breathe our pure and invigorating
air, and We will give you our step ladder
aud allow you to pluck and eat oranges
from the topmost boughs of our favorite
trees. Come up to 0roville and we will
show you around.
\. D. Rideout. representing Yuba coun-
ty, was the next speaker. He said:
Mr. President, Ladies and Gentlemen
have been selected to speak for the counties
of Yuba, Suffer and Colusa, so far as relates
to the question of citrus fruit-growing.
While | am to present the possibili-
ties of that particular section, do not feel
called upon TO exalt its merits, at the ex-
perse of the rest of northern California.
We, in those counties, recognize and con-
cede the advantages for citrus it-growing
of all our neighboring counties, and we
hereby extend to all of them our heartiest
congratulations upon their exhibits here at
this fair.
Yuba, Suffer and Colusa counties are stu
ated on the thirty-ninth parallel of north
latitude and in the heart of the Sscra-
mento valley. We have in these counties
warm, sloping foothills, and level, rich
valley lands Our mean annual temper