Los Angeles herald., 1890-12-16
WHAT LIES AROUND US.
A Glance at the Immediate Neighbor-
hood of Los Angeles-The Model Or
ange Grove of Judge Ross-The Result
of Intelligence and Outlay.

II. Denker, Esq. The company was rein
forced by the presence of Mr.. Leach,
Florida orange grower of long expert
ence, who has had charge of the Ingle-
wood grove belonging to Mr.. Dan Free
man, in which he is said to have worked
wonders.
The principal object OF the party was
to inspect the celebrated orange grove
of Judge Ross, which lies at the base
and on the sides of charming emf
nence above Glendale, around which
sweeps goodly stream, whose waters
are gathered in one of the ample water
sheds OF the Verdugo mountains. Glen
dale and Tropico were found to be in
capital state of development. Album
dant water, splendid mountain back
ground, an invigorating air and pleas
ant surroundings on all hands, make
life in these places far from disagreeable.
A TYPICAL ORANGE GROVE.
Swinging past the terminus OF the
Glendale motor railway, the place of
Judge Erskine M. Ross was quickly
reached. Outside of the scenic and
other attractions of this distinguished
genteman's country residence, the party
were anxious to inspect his groves, and
for a number of reasons. The first was
that it has been asserted repeatedly that,
while many of the orange orchards OF
the San Gabriel Valley, like those of
Rose, had been dying out, that OF Judge
Ross mad been steadily advancing to
most remunerative stage Of production
The second and most interesting reason
was because the perfection of the
Judges grove was ascribed to the fact
that, for several years past, he has had
the sagacity to use fertilizers, his prac-
tice in this respect being identical with
that of the more experienced orange
growers Of Riverside. An additional in
terest VAS added to the grove because 1t
was said that its owner had recently
refused $40 900 for the crop now on the
trees. 1t is due to Judge Ross to say
that that gentleman has given no coun-
tenance to this story, nor has the writer
in any shape or manner sought to peer
into the Judges private business
transactions, though he has no doubt
whatever but that if Judge Ross had
been present on the occasion of this
visit he would gladly have exchanged
opinions and experiences with Florida
orange grower.
A WEALTH OF oRANGES-RESULrS OF IN
TELLIGENr CULTIVATION.
The grove extends along bottom
which is flanked by the stream referred
to, and the trees climb up the hill on
the other side. From all appearances,
they are sixteen and seventeen years
old, and mainly seedlings. All told,
there are said to be forty acres in the
tract. Trees are allowed to grow down
towards the ground, which is said TO be
the most intelligent and profitable
method of cultivation. They show in
dications OF having been freely manured,
and their health and glossy brightness
are not less conspicuous than the almost
Incredible amount of fruit they bear.
and this, by the way, is OF goodly size
and fine fiber, extortng the commenda-
ton of Mr.. Leach. The weight OF the
fruit is so great that in many instances
the branches have to be propped up.
The writer recently very carefully in
spected the orange groves OF Riverside
on two several occasions, land he saw there
no groves that looked better than the
Ross orchard. Mr.. Leach pronounced
the fruit to be of a very super
ior order, and he did some
work of measuring the yield which
guaranteed exceptional results, and
which seemed to sustain the assertion
that $4,000 had been offered to Judge
Ross for the product Of the grove. Some
OF the trees were estimated by Mr..
Leach to reach sixteen boxes or up
wards, while others might go as low as
twelve. Fourteen boxes was therefore
fair mean. In Florida, Mr.. l.. said,
dealer would readily pay $l400 an acre
for the fruit of an orchard which looked
so promising. Putting the price verv
low, we yet reach an astonishing result,
as follows: With seventy trees to the
acre, and the Ross grove seems
to be that closely planted, and
at fourteen boxes to the tree,
we have $50 boxes to the acre. Mr..
Leach says that fruit of the standard of
that which we are making the subject
OF this calculation, would readily sell in
the east for $3.50 a box. Discounting
freight, boxing, etc., that would leave
at least So box for the fruit on the
trees, with a fair profit to the middle
man. But we will dismiss extreme fig
ures, and put these large, luscious and
slightly oranges at $l.35 box on the
ground, and we then have the some
what pleasant result to the grower OF
$l343 an acre. In other words, if Judge
Ross's orchard consists of forty acres, it
is not unreasonable to assume that he
will get some fifty-two or fifty-three
thousand dollars for his fruit.
In the whole of this exquisite expanse
of orange trees there is not so much as a
suggestion of the scale bug or anv other
parasite. Health and beauty 60 together
in plants as in animals. Glossy, bright
and inspiriting foliage surrounds the
juicy spheres which are destined to give
so much pleasure to people in iar-away
regions.
Standing on the noble eminence on
which Judge Ross's country house is
located, the eye takes in a superb ex-
panse of valley, including the lower end
of the San Fernando valley, which is
itself being rapidly planted out in trees
OF the. citrus and other varieties. Glen
dale and Tropico loom up in the near
foreground in post attractive form.
Take it for all in all, it would be hard to
imagine more fascinating landscape.
Mr.. Leach has no hesitation in saving
that the region around Glendale and
Tropico is highly adapted to the cultiva-
ton OF the orange in a most remunera-
tive shape. Judge Ross has led the way
by the employment of manures. For
some wears every paisanO who hoo oono