The herald., 1893-02-27
SOMETHING ABOUT TIE FUTURE OF
THE CITRUS FRUITS.

There was one point IN the exceed
ingly graceful and thoughtful speech
delivered by Mr.. w. II. Mills at the
chamber of commerce banquet at Re-
dondo Saturday night which was par
ticularly worthy of attention, and that
was where he spoke of the adaptability
of the different portions OF California
for the growth of fruits specially con-
forming to their peculiarities of soil
and climate. The speaker frankly ack-
howledged the superiority of the south
ern portion OF the state for the growth
OF the citrus fruits, and that is the
position that every sensible man, no
matter from what portion of the state
he may hail. ought to take. The pre-
posterous claims put forth by the friends
OF the "northern citrus belt" have
placed the northern and central couu-
ties in false position. While it may
be readily admitted that there are ex-
ceptionally favored but limited regions
in northern and central California that
can be made to grow good oranges and
lemons, as a commercial proposition
their growth would be neither remunera-
tive nor satisfactory.
When one comes to consider the mat
ter it is really remarkable how very
limited is that portion of the territory OF
the United States in which the orange
will flourish. Certain parts of Florida,
Louisiana and Southern California
round out the inventory OF citrus fruit
culture in commercial sense. The
orange is notably tender tree, although
In climates adapted to its cultivation it
is hardy and tenacious. It can stand
anything up to a certain temperature,
although when the point is passed at
which it's resistant powers are exceeded,
1t Huccumbs at once. As tree there
are places in which it can be made to
serve the uses OF ornament, while as a
bearer it is "not in it," In illustration
of this idea we will merely mention the
factthat there are not anything like as
many oranges grown in Louisiana today
as there ware thirty-6ve years ago, and
for very simple reason, viz, the man
who planted grove found that after he
had tended it for perhaps ten years
when perhaps it had reached the point
Of proft-along would come a cold
~ave--ssy eighteen or twenty degrees
above the zero point of Fahrenheit
and away would 60 not only his crop but
his trees as we'll. Such an experience
certainly did not pay and the attempt to
raise oranges on commercial basis was
abandoned. 1t was ridiculous to try to
grow oranges for revenue. although in a
lew favored places in Louisiana, they
are still grown and highly priced locally
This same difficulty-that of sudden
drop in the temperature, which plays
hob with the efforts OF years has fire.
7uently confronted the Florida orchard
let, although in an infinitely lesser de-
gree than in the case of his Louisiana
brother. The most conspicuous instance
IN point was in 1885, the year of the New
orleans exposition, when not only was
the Florida orange crop total failure,
out an immense proportion oil the trees
we're killed outright. At first it was sup
posed to have involved total destruc-
ZION, but fortunately for those who were
Interested in the business many of the
rees, which had been cut back, revived.
f course these experiences are not frs-