Los Angeles herald., 1891-06-28
Typical Facts About South
ern California Farms.
One Way to Pick and Pack
Oranges.
A Florida View of Sour VS.. Sweet
Stock.
Beet Sugar-Proft OF Prune Culture.
Interesting Notes on Various
Subjects.

leaulnR cltruS lrulO BfoWoi5 VI oho VAL
ley. A partial description Of
his way of curing and preparing his
crop appeared in yesterdays Blade, but
believing more detailed account would
be Of interest to the lemon growers, it is
herewith submitted: In the first place
the lemons are picked when they begin
to turn rich green color, and are OF the
proper size. Each picker is provided
with pair of nippers or shears, which
are to be used in clipping the fruit from
the tree, instead of pulling it from the
tree, after the old style. A Ia inch
ring is also furnished the picker, which
is used in determining the size of the
fruit that is ready to be picked.
All fruit that will not fill the
ring is considered too small or in
sufficiently matured to be gathered, and
is left on the tree until the next pick
ing. The next step is to take the
fruit to store house, where an even
temperature can be maintained at about
sixty degrees. Here the fruit is packed
in single layers, in trays which are
stacked one upon another, and left to
cure. which may take from three to four
months, or they may be packed and
shipped sooner if the owner prefers.
The light should be excluded from the
curing house in order to secure the best
results. After the fruit has been suffi-
GENTLY cured it is taken from the trays,
wiped off with cloth or brush, assorted
into a first and second grade. and is
then ready for the packers. A very
pretty effect is produced by the use of
colored tissue paper in wrapping the
fruit. This is done by using, say, white
paper for the first and third rows of
fruit and alternating with red.
An idea of the profits that can be de-
rived from lemon orchard by proper
care may be gained by taking an esti-
mate from Ii. K Shows six-acre grove
of eight-year-old trees. Up to the pres
ent time he has picked about 1900 boxes,
which is about two-thirds of the present
years crop. AT the above estimate an
acre would yield 800 boxes OF merchant
able fruit, which will bring, this season,
an average of $3.50 per box, $3.50 per
acre, or $4,000 for the six acres of lem
ons. Where else in the world can this
be equaled ?-[Santa Ana Blade.
SOUR STOCK VS.. SWEET STOCK.
The department of agriculture at
Washington has just put forth pamph
let issued by H. E. Van Deman, chief of
division of pomology, on the relative
merits of various stocks for the orange,
with notes on NAL di Coma and the mu-
tual influence of stocks and scions,
which is of great interest to Southern
California.
This work shows public sentiment OF
orange growers in Florida on the ques-
ton of sweet vs. sour stock for the
orange. =
Here we find by review of all the in
formation furnished in the table that
sixty-three per cent. of the orange grow
ers of Florida are in favor of the sour
stock, that seventeen per cent. are in
favor of the rough lemon stock, that
thirteen per cent. express no opinion,
and that one per cent. favor the Pomelo
and the Bitter Sweet.
On the hummock lands of Florida 80
per cent. of the orange growers appear
to prefer the sour stock, and one extern
sive grower asserts that the gum disease
-''mal di Goma"-is unknown on the
sour stock trees of Florida.
In consulting this same question nm
u6I bl6 uEdQ VI OdiliOlnldy WO nnQ nO
table giving the per centage of those
stock, but we find letters and express
sions from H. J. Quinan of Messina, E.
S. Thatcher of Nordhoff, d. G. Twogood
of Riverside, G. E. Harwood OF Ontario,
and j. Z. Cutter OF Riverside, all in fa-
vor of the sour stock, and no letters from
the great mass of orange growers who
favor the sweet stock.-[Orange Belt.
DEMAND FOR BEET SUGAR.
The remarkable increase in the pro-
duction of beet-sugar is one of the most
industrial developments of
recent years. Under the stimulus of
bounty in the principal continental
countries of Europe, the amount of sugar
produced from beets has nearly doubled
in the last ten years. In 1880 the beet
sugar production OF the world was l ,774,-
600 tons, or 100000 tons less than that
of cane-sugar. In 1885 the amount of
beet-sugar had increased to 2,546, 900
tons, while that of cane-sugar reached
only 2,210,000 tons. Last year amounts
were respectively 100000 tons of beet
and but 900, 900 tons of cane-sugar. To
secure this production of an important
article OF food at home and thereby en-
courage home industry the bounties paid
in 1887 by some of the leading European
were as follows France, $17,-
600 900; Germany, $4,000, 900; Austro-
Hungary, $5,000,0O0; Belgium, $4,000
900 ; and Holland So, ,000, 900. -[Uleveland
Leader.
BEST VARIETIES OF STRAWBERRIES.
The strawberries that seem to be safe
to plant everywhere throughout this
coast are Langworth's Prolifc-old me-
dunn size. very good; Sharpless--very
large, poor in quality, productive, but
fairly good for home use if allowed to be-
come fully ripe; Monarch Of the West
fine south and in Arizona; Wilson's |
Albany is still priced by many, and is
exceedingly rich and fine if allowed to
ripen on the vine Cinderella is fine
near the coast ON strong soils. Varie-
ties seemingly worthy of further trial:
Downing, Haviland, Bubach's No. 5,
Warfeld's No. 2, Parker Earle, Eureka |
and Princess. These have all been |
found to Withstand heat and drouth
well. -[Petaluma Courier.
PRUNE CULTURE PROFITS.
Prune culture is destined to become
one of the most profitable branches of
horticulture. 1t is claimed that an
eighty acre orchard OF French prunes
(of the petit prune d'Agen variety.) |
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