Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-06-09
OUR FUTURE.
THE OUTLOOK FOR CENTRAL AND
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA.
mercial Center = SArroundiuy
Couuties-In 1900, What?


Address of P. +. Plat, at the opening of the
Permanent Exhibition, Sacramento, June
2, 1883.
The completion of this building and the
Inauguration Of this permanent exhibition
marks another step IN the progress of this
section of California. Wher we reflect for
a moment on wEat Southern California
was ten years ago, and WHIT, by energy and
proper advertising effort, she has made Of
herseE to-days when wesee the wonderful
development now progressing on the vast
plains of Tulare and Fresno, and remem-
Der that few years ago much of the land
now found 20 be so productive and valua-
BILE was then considered desert land and
worthless, we are forced to realize what,
it would seem, ought to have forced itself
on our minds twenty years ago, namely,
that we in this section have everything to
attract and hold the immigrating multi
tudes of the East, and that it was time that
we were taking some emphatic method of
attracting attention to the fact.
Three years ago the first citrus fair ever
held in Northern California was conceived
and successfully carried out in Sacramento.
1t succeeded far beyond the expectations of
its promoters, the result being tc develop
the fact that citrus fruit-growing all over
the country was much more extensive than
had been generally supposed it was found
that from Shasta to Stanislaus the very
finest oranges and lemons were produced.
This was revelation to our people, and it
is not strange that it stimulated many
fruit-growers to plant orange trees. The
following year the secoud citrus fair was
held in Sacramento, on very much larger
scale than the first This effort succeeded
more generally than the first in calling the
attention of our own people to the adapta-
bility Of our soil and climate to the growth
of this class Of fruits. 1t was my good
fortune, in company with Mayor Gregory,
to be sent to Chicago, in charge, with
other gentlemen, of the remnant of our
second citrus display, and our success in
attracting the attention of the people OF
the central section of the United States
was certainly very gratifying. But we
must confess that it was very difficult to
make them understand that these fruits,
which compared so favorably with the
product then on the market from Florida
for it must be remembered the display
was made in january, were grown as far
north as Redding, Red Bluff, Sacramento
and Stockton. Everybody seemed to sup
pose, when informed that Il citrus display
was being made from California, that ii
was from the southern part of the State,
and their wonder was increased ten-fold
when We showed them on the map the lat
itude in which our oranges were raised.
AS | understand it, this permanent ex-
hibition which is being inaugurated to.
day, is intended to impress upon the minds
of the travelling public just what we can dc
all over this country. We want by means
of this object lesson, as another has said,
to show that there an almost amending
spring abounds. No snow to cover the
ground or frost to destroy vegetation, 10
cyclones or billiards., or heat-producing
sunstrokes, but three hundred DAYS in the
year of bright and beautiful weather for
constant work and continual growth of
vegetation. Here we can dwell under our
own vine and fig tree, and enjoy life and
prosper. Here the orange, lemon, lime.
olive and fig grow side by side with the
apple, pear, peach, apricot, nectarine, plum,
prune, etc, in the greatest perfection, while
the walnut, almond and other t-bearing
trees, with the grape and all classes Of
vines, produce enormously and of the most
delicious quality. Here all vegetables ar
rive at the greatest perfection, and the
crops of grain, etc, of the field surpass in
quantity and quality that of any other
lands"
1t would seem to be very appropriate
that Sacramento should be chosen as the
location for this enterprise, for as we'll
known writer has said, Sacramento is the
center almost of the State. 1t is ironed
by railroads and Tapped by rivers; it is the
pivot of traffic and the magnet of travel.
Freight from the four centers has to pass
through this Capital city of the golden
State, and the vast bulk of overland travel
skirts by our doors. Through our extern
sive system of railroads and river com
munication, this city taps almost all of
Northern and Central California"
That Sacramento has become the great
fruit-shipping center of the State for the
Eastern markets is we'll known. In 1886
the railroad company's books show that
San Francisco shipped East little over
100000 pounds of green fruit; Los An
geles, less than 250,00O pounds; Sacra-
mento, 19,500,000 pounds, while of the
total tonnage of all kinds of product
shipped out of the State in that year, Sac
mento shipped about one-quarter. During
1887 the proportion was even more favor
able to Sacramento; but of course it must
be remembered that in the shipments from
this point are included the products which
naturally center here and which are pro-
duced in the adjoining counties
1t may not be out of place here to call
some passing attention to the various
methods and agencies being adopted to
carry out of the country the vegetables
and fruit grown here 1t may be gen.
orally admitted, and our exhibition will
prove that everything in the line of fruits
and vegetables needed for mans comfort
and support can be here successfully
cultivated, but, unless suitable means
are found to dispose of the product,
no permanent good would result Among
the shipping agencies may be mentioned,
first, the California Fruit Union, which
derives its entire support and membership
among the horticulturists and fruit
shippers of this section of the State. After
an existence of three years it has mem
bersh;pof over eight hundred, including
fruit-growers from twenty-seven counties.
Last season there were shipped through
the agency of the Fruit Union seven hun
dred and sixty eight full carloads of green
fruit to Eastern markets In 1887 the
Union chartered and shipped twenty
seven special trains, averaging eleven cars
to the train. By its efforts new markets
have been opened up, ninety seven car
loads being shipped TO New York, Boston
and Philadelphia, so that the fruits of the
Sacramento valley and the foothills of the
Sierras are rs well known on the Atlantic
coast rs they were five years ago in the
Territories west of the Missouri river.
Nearly million dollars worth of fruit was
embraced in the shipments of the Union
last year. Besides the Union, independent
shippers placed in the Eastern market last
year probably rs many more carloads of
fruit, and in addition about fifteen hum
dred carloads of vegetables were shipped
from this section of the State. but vet it
may be said that the fruit shipping indus
try is still in its infancy. 1t is bound
to grow TO gigantic proportions rs new
railroads center here, and fresh conapeti-
ton is added in the carrying trade, better
facilities are offered, quicker time and
lower rates, and the business will be found
to have practically ne limit
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