Los Angeles daily herald., 1888-01-01
THE NORTHERN BELT.
r. w. Butler in Behalf OF Placer
County board 81 Trade.


r. w. Butler In Behalf OF Placer
County hoard 81 Trade.
The leading industry of California
will soon be the growing Of fruits for
the markets of the world. All re-
cently-enhanced values of lands in
this State have been based upon this
supposition. Property is oftentimes
sold for more than its intrinsic value,
but it usually ultimately finds its level.
I'm making investments in land, the
price paid should be based upon the
net income derived from products at
present, and in prospective, or for a
tune, fully understood by the in ves-
tor.
Orange orchards in Southern Cali
fornia are often sold for from $l00a
to $4,000 per acre. owners justly claim
ing that they yearly pay fair rate
of interest on the investments, and
are likely to SO for an indefinite num-
ber of years, as the orange tree is ex-
ceeding hardy, increasing in its pro.
ductions with age, and with proper
care will outlive many generations OF
men.
Wherever the cottony cushion scale
(Iceron Purchasi) has obtained a foot
hold in an orchard it becomes most
formidable, for to the orange grower,
and one that cannot be exterminated
by any process known to the present
orchardist. 1t can only be held
in check at great expense, as ii
soon infests all surrounding trees and
vegetation. Fortunately, however, it
spreads slowly at first, and if orchards
are often examined and any one found
on single tree, it can readily be to-
tally destroyed by the use of hydroci-
anic acid gas. before it spreads to
other trees. This was the opinion
expressed by experimentors at the
late Fruit Growers convention held
at Santa Rosa. Placer county, as well
as some other of the northern coun-
ties in which oranges can be grown in
the highest ex. ellence, is entirely
free from any insect pests that infect
either the orange or olive and in Pla-
GER equity there seems to be as much
certainty in the growing of these
fruits for profit as there is in any Of
the leading industries of the country.
10 say that any orchard of either or
anges, deciduous fruits or small
fruits planted judiciously in the loca-
tions to which they are adapted, that
does not give net profit to the
owner sufficient in amount to paw the
interest on from $1,000 to $1,000 for
for acres, is to say that it has not
been properly managed. The season
of 1887 has been revelation to
the Placer county fruit grower.
The consumer in the East is
making a sharp discrimination
between first and second quality fruit,
as the freight is the same on each,
and that is greater than the first cost
OF the fruit. The fruit is picked in
the early morning, at once taken to
the packing house, then wrapped and
boxed in the cool shade, at night
placed upon the passing train. Within
a few hours it reaches the frigid
regions Of the high Sierras, where it
becomes thoroughly cooled and will
keep in perfect condition several days
longer than any fruit coming from
other sections OF the State, when it is
held in transit twenty-four hours or
more in the hot valley before it
passes through Placer county. This
the buyer has discovered and orders
have this season been received at all
the shipping towns of the county for
double the fruit that could be sup
piled, and at prices greatly in excess
of all other parts OF the State. AS
there il not likely to be another rail
road directly leaving the State from
any other part of Centeal California,
this great advantage will be perma
nently maintained.
The fruit growing will be engaged
in extensively in every county in the
State, and that il will be made profit
able is fully assured; but that for
tunes will be made in this industry in
Placer county is equally certain.
PLACER COUNTY.
Placer county, which extends from
few miles Of the Sacramento river to
the summit Of the Sierra Madre
mountains, is about 100 miles long by
from 10 To 80 miles wide, II is
within twelve Msias OF Sacra.
lnento, the capital. and 100
miles Of San Francisco, the metropolis
of the State, and contains an area Of
SS7, ,O40 acres, all OF which is arabic
except in the most mountainous
regions. Rising gradually from the
plains Of the sacramento Valley in
the western part Of the county,
through series OF rolling foothills Of
increasing attitudes until the summit
is reached, it affords a variety of
climate and picturesqueness OF scenery
unsurpassed by any other equally
large section Of the State. At the
base Of the foothills are hundreds Of
acres Of level land now mostly in
grain fieIds, but cassahle Of producing
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