Los Angeles daily herald., 1890-03-12
THE CITRUS FAIR.
Mountains of Fruit Excel
lently Displayed.
| MOST SUCCESSFUL OPENING.
Address by Hon. j. DeBarth ShOrb.
Programme Of the
Exercises.

The citrus fair was thrown open to th
public yesterday evening at O'Clock
From that time until half-past al
almost steady stream ofhumanity poure
in at the doors. The aisles on the lowe
floor were soon well filed and all thu
seats in the main gallery. There wert
about 8 800 people admitted. When tbs
evening was half over all the room or
the lower floor and the main gallery was
taken and the upper gallery was filled
with crowd of people who leaned ovel
to look at the glittering displays ano
slowly moving throng below. On al
sides were heard exclamations of delight
and approval. 1t was evident that the
fair was success.
The declaration of Superintendent Gray
that all the exhibits should be in place
by the time the fair opened, was carried
out. 1t became necessary for number
of the exhibitors to work until late Mon
day night, and some of them did not fin
ish until after the judges began thei,
inspection of the exhibits. But when the
fair opened, at 6 O'Clock, every exhibit
was in place AMI the rubbish cleared out
of the way.
No extended notice of the exhibits will
be given at this time. The HERAAD will
issue q special citrus fair edition tomor-
row, which will contain full description
of all the displays.
At 80 G. M. Wells, the president oi
the citrus fair committee, who with those
who were to take part in the programme
of the evening, and various prominent
citizens, occupied a place on the plat
form, arose and said:
When we first engaged this hall, we
thought perhaps it might be too large,
is not too small. There are a great many
people here tonight, end @ they all wish to
hear the speech. To do SO it is neces-
sary that they should stand still and
keep quiet. now take pleasure in in
PRODUCING to you Hon. J. DeBarth Shorb,
who will deliver the address of the
evening.
Mr. Shorb spoke as follows:
DIR. CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLE.
MEN-A few years only have passed away
when our people were startled by the an
nouncemeDt that citrus fair was to be
held. I use the word startled, because
at that time only few of us knew that
this industry had SO far progressed, or
had reached the stage of development
when lair was justified to especially ex-
hibit its products.
Beyond the San Francisco and Oregon
markets but few of our oranges ever
reached. at least in commercial quanti-
ties, and we ourselves were ignorant of
our grand possibilities. Following i'm
mediately that fair the interest of our
producers was aroused; discussions fol-
lowed, results obtained and recorded,
trees were planted, new markets were
opened, and now several Thousand car
loads of oranges are shipped annually
from our groves, in place of a few thou
sand boxes then. Then, as now, was
selected to deliver the so-called opening
address; then, as now, felt the respon-
sibility of the occasion and endeavored
to avoid all misleading statements.
Guided by my own experience and led
by the lights of my understanding, en-
deavored to fairly present this industry
to our people and cast the horoscope of
it's future and it's importance to our sec
ton.
In an address delivered at Riverside
some years ago, taking as my subject the
one selected by the committee of ar
rangements: "The com parative value of
grape growing for wine and raisins, and
orange growing, taking the markets of
the future as basis of comparison"
then said what results have shown to
have been a wise prediction, viz: THAT
the orange, as local industry, is more
Important to us than the grape; the
former, while peculiarly our own of
Southern California. the latter belongs
to the State"
"While there are millions of acres
adapted to grape culture from Shasta to
San Diego, the area upon which the
citrus cultivation can be safely followed
is very limited indeed. / know gentle
men in the northern counties will think
my judgment in error, but the future
will, think, sustain this opinion, and
they may thank me for 80 candid an ex-
preston of it,"
In expressing this my deliberate judg-
ment there, based on study, observation
and experience, l was influenced by no
sectional prejudice, or fear of successful
competition, nor in quoting what | have
do desire to invoke any unkindly feel
ings now between the northern and
southern portions of the State. depre-
cate on the part of individuals or news
papers any language that would serve to
create sectional ill-feeling among the
people of California, or weaken the
strong ties of Statehood which at one
time characterized our people. For me,
California is long enough, broad enough
and grand enough, and sufficiently diver
sified in her great interests to suggest
the possibility of pleasing every one
seeking home among US, and If a sec.
| ton for while receives few more good
immigrants than would seem to be its
share, why, let the others be content and
"wait the turn of the tide" Their time
is sure to come. After saying this much
1 may be pardoned in quoting little
more from the same address. If 1 wal
correct then in the statements made
surely it is as important now to impress
them on my hearers or readers.
In the Southern Atlantic States the
isothermsl lines have undergone many
important changes. Orange groves ir
Louisiana, once fourishing and produc
tive, have entirely ceased to bear. The
trees live and that is all. In Florida
in and around Jacksonville, where once
| flourished the largest and best paying
groves, no young trees can be grown, MOI
is it safe or q certainty north OF line
seventy miles south of that point.
Nor is it at all probable that the grea
climatic changes should be confined te