The Olneyville tribune. (Providence, R.I.) 1893-189?, 1894-05-26
PROFIT IN ORANGES.


Inc Atsl oIdilEts III SOulucEu tdll-
fornia were planted by the old mis-
sion fathers, who undoubtedly
brought the seed from Spain, where
il was originally carried from Arabia
by wandering tribes. The orange is
a remarkable tree. 1t fourishes in
what is apparently the poorest soil,
is always green, ripe fruit will hang
on it's limbs for year, and il is al
ways in fruit or blossom. The tree
will bear when $50 or 200 years old,
while at Versailles there is a tree
known TO be over 400 years old, and
older still is tree at Nice that is
fifty feet high and still bears 5000
oranges year. It's exact age is un-
known but it is a product of an
tiquity.
The orange craze, as it has been
called, is most alluring. The pros
pect, as viewed by the novice, is of
sitting down and waiting for the
agent to come round yearly and buy
the crop, yet constant work and at
tention are necessary. The orange
grove requires to be irrigated,
ploughed and weeded throughout the
year, but the chief trouble lies in it's
various parasites. Five years ago a
number Of the groves Of Southern
California were almost ruined by the
white scale. Orange men were in
despair, and orchards worth thou
sands Of dollars were literally given
up to the destroyer and looked as il
fecked with snow. The Government
sent a Commissioner to Australia,
who discovered lady bug that proved
an enemy to the white scale, and to-
day the trees are again in fine condi-
ton. The white scale is unknown
here now, despite continual inyesti-
cations and searches for it by the
many local horticultural inspectors
and associations.
Only once in thirteen years has the
frost seriously damaged the Southern
California orange crop. On Christ
mas eve in 1891 the mercury went
down to y deg. above zero in nearly
every part of this region, and re-
manned there for several hours.
When dawn came the growers knew
they had lost over half million of
dollars in damaged fruit. The oranges
on the inner and protected branches
of the trees escaped with little or no
injury. In that season Pomona Val
ley marketed Si5, 900 worth Of
oranges, whereas the amount would
have been over $250,000 without the
cold snap.
Some Of the statements Of profits
made by some Of the old orchardists
seem so absurdly large that, if they
they did not come from reliable and
prominent citizens, one would hardly
believe them. There is, however,
positive proof that some Of the ten
and twelve year-old orange groves in
Pomona Valley have, since they came
into full bearing, when six years old,
borne several crops Of fruit that
netted the grower S. tree, or $500
an acre. A few orchards here have
netted their owners over $3.50 an acre
in some years, but the majority of
bearing orange orchards in Southern
California yield crops worth between
1925 and $500 an acre in an average
year. One or two growers who have
learned the art of growing the best
fruit, and have packed it carefully
themselves, have in several seasons
got over 5000 per acre clear for in
vestment and labor.
The largest profit that can be relied
upon yet reported in the Pomona
Valley this season for oranges is that
from the seventy-acre Rhorer or
chard, which has borne a crop that
was sold on the trees last week to a
Chicago buyer for So, 900 The trees
are nine years old, and have had
unusual care. The property has
cost to date between $S5, 600 and
500, 900.
These profits have created most
wonderful demand for orange land
and trees. Thousands Of acres that
were formerly grain fields or unpro-
ductive of any crops, have been
planted to groves since the great real
estate boom bubble of 1887 burst.
Two years ago the Pomona Progress
estimated that nearly 81, 900, 600 was
Invested in one season in land, trees
and labor for orange groves, the
amount invested in trees alone being
about 800, 600. This season orange
planting, and the purchase and pre-
paration of land for the same will
probably run up toward 81, 500 900.
Riverside expects to add to its acreage
by about /, 200 acres, Pomona by 900
acres, Pasadena by 600 acres, San
Gabriel by 500 acres, Redlands by
600 acres and other localities about
500 acres.
What especially pleases the grower
is the fact in the last ten years the
consumption of oranges has increased
500 per cent. in this country and is
on the increase. Not only this but
rival and new roads have opened up
n market for California fruit which it
has not had in former years. New
York Sun.
The "MiIiionaires' Club"