Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-01-27
LAND VALUES.
Plain Statements By George H.
GRATIS I'm Redlands sssCitrograPh."

i
crafts I'm Redlands sssCitrograph."
have nine acres Of Muscat grapeyines.
The total cost for the pruning ana caring
for the vines, gathering the grapes,
curing and marketing the raisinS was
$3.50 for the year. Tothis amount shouiu
be- added the annual depreciation OF tne
trays and boxes, which Will amouht 70
say 10 per cent. OF their original cose, VI
Total Of 1909 AZ / sold this year $l,750
vorth Of raisins. Have still on hand $50 |
worth. I lost about 5000 by reason OF
sscond crop getting wet. But from nine
scrss I have realized $1,S25 less 5000.
Profit. Sl.215.58, or $lS5 per acre.
Previous to this year the vine-
vard has paid all it cost for the
isnd. planting, cultivating, and 81, 200
for trays and boxes. The vineyard was
& wears old in 1888, this being the sixth
season of growth. The land, with vine-
vard on it, is of course worth 81 $50 per
acre.
also have twenty acres in young
orange orchard. In order to pay the ex-
pense of caring for this during the early
years Of its growth, planted nursery
Of orange trees on the land. This nursery
Il now yery valuable. The whole was
planted in the spring of 1886, and
could now readily sell tho nursery trees,
without including the land, for 81, 900 per
acre. The nursery will be sold of, leav-
inc the trees in orchard form. When
fonr wears old. the orchard will sell or be
worth 81 900 per acre.
and eight acres in peaches, four and five
wears old. From the fifteen acres sold
this wear 81 ,051 worth of fruit. This is
the first year the trees have borne pay
ing crop. Previous to this the orchard
has borne enough to pay all expenses OF
planting and caring for it, but not sutfi-
Gent to pay for the original cost OF the
land. The profit this year from the fif-
teen acres was $780, Next year this
amount will he increased one-half, as
the trees will then be in fuller bearing.
But this year get net profit per acre
of 1885,. This I am aware is not as
good q showing as many of my neigh
bors have made; still, such land in
such q crop is undoubtedly worth
5000 per acre. At the same time it Is
evident that the lands of this valley may
be utilized much more eadvantageously by
the culture of citrus fruits than by peaches
and apricots. The thing to plant is the
orange. We have 14S Seeding orange
trees on the old Grafton home place, not
quite one and half acres, from which
We have sold an average OF
$50 boxes of oranges each year for the
last eight years, yielding us
net profit of $1.20 per box. This
is actual net value, over and above cost
of caring for and marketing the fruit, so
that we have received annually for a
period of eight years $3.50 net profit per
acre from the orchard. Such land is un-
doubtedly worth $1,000 per acre. Why
not? It pays ten per cent per annum
on that valuation, net income, over
and above taxes, cost OF production,
water rates and everything. These
figures are not guessed or averaged, but
are the result of careful account of all
expenses and receipts. This orchard
was planted in 1871. In 1880 it began to
nav the above profit. Previous to 1880
It had Welded enough to cover expenses
of cultivation and planting trees. Had
we planted Washington Naveis instead
of seedlings, our profits would have com.
menced three years sooner and would
have been nearly double the amount.
There is no danger that such oranges
~ are grown around the city of Red
lands, will ever be cheap in the market
as the land where they can be grown is
too limited and the demand too great.
To sum up then, we may say that pei
acre, apricots and peaches five years
old, will yield 10 per cent. on valua-
ton of 5000. Muscat grapes, same age,
$3.50. Orange trees, seedlings nine
years old, $500. The best variety oi
budded oranges, seven years old, fully
as much as that, though l have nc
actual figures to substantiate this.
If q man pays $500 per acre for the
best of our orange lands he may calcu'
late that it will cost him $400 per acre tc
plant and care for it seven years, he
hiring all the work done. At the end ol
that time his land will be worth $2,6O(
uAr acre.