The herald., 1895-11-19
TO THE EDITOR
fThe Herald under tn 10 heading prints com.
mu nj atoms. but does not assume response
bility for me sentiments expressed
Northern Citrus Belt


Editor Herald: I left Sacramento on
the afternoon Of SATURDAY, November 9th,
for a hasty glance at the Northern Citrus
Belt, thinking from what had read of
the country that the principal part OF the
trip would have to be made on snow
srues. | was somewhat surprised to pass
quite large orange groves planted along
side the railroad before reaching Marys-
VILE. At Marysville there are quite q
number of orange trees growing IN door
yards and scattered about the city. 1
asked resident there if any effort had
been made III grow oranges for market,
and he said no. they we're being grown
experimentally. AS some of the trees
must be fully 20 years old, there must be Q
very large d,uUt in the minds Of residents
OF the n. c. B. regarding the adaptable.
ity of Marysville for oranges. From
Marysville to Oroville the trip is made as
a sort of lenance, and oerta My entities
those MAXIM it to very tender consider
alton at the hands Of the Almighty. I
arrive in OrovIlle considerably after
dark. as it Is the polio. of the railroad
people not to allow any one to see the
Noft..era Citrus Belt at its expense.
On Satur' al, the 10Th. through the
kluuneSS OF non. A. u. bartlett, super
in,endent Of the ODD Fellows homo III
Tnermai.to (wno. by the way, formerly
lived IN Riverside). l was shown the
country around Oroville and the Theyma I
llt' tract, ,nd it WAS revelation tome
in many esl,tcls. In the hrst place It is
trIe citrus belt; there is no disputing
that. And from what l saw it 10 quite
I4rge in area. and much of the land is
very good indeed. Some of tie orchards
are very fine. Tho first one We visited
was Mr. Rodgers, who lives near the
DAD Fellows home. Quite a number of
his oranges are turning rive; some were
very Jar ealing. Our next stop was at
trees on the rhermalito tract. s years old
and very handsome for their age, and
full of fruit He told me he got So a box
for his oranges last year.
After q general drive over the tract we
called at the county intirmary, which is
one at that. Next to the elegant grove
of the Oroville Citrus association. Of
which D. MURRAY. formerly OF Riv' rside,
is m mayer. Here is another grove .hat
il csren for on the Riverside plan. and
the trees show it by their superior ap-
pearance and loads of fruit.
in tho ter opn l drove to Palermo
an around that colony. 1t was simply
a repetitiol OF the forenoon's experience,
only more OF it. for there was great
many more orange trees III Palermo than
in Oroville and Tb-rnalito. At Palermo
/ stopped with Mr.. Ony.tt at the Palermo
hotel and am ind bted to him for much
information regarding that colony.
From all enquiries made l think there
are about 1900 acres set out to citrus
fruits in Butte county, but in all that
orange belt it is possible to count the
mber of we'll cared for ranches on ones
fingers and thumb s. The well crltivsts d,
W. II irrigated, we'll prune and intelli-
gently cared for orange groves are so
mutn the exception that our people need
not be alarmed over competition from the
n. c. b., for uLtil something naprens to
raise the hoodoo and over, ONE the i'll
ertia, staenstion aud indiff renee OF its
people. snowdIlits will not be needed
to Keep them out uf the markets. of the
world.
In conclusion l would saw, the north
ern citrus belt 10 not chime.a, but a
solid reality. 1t is quite large in extent.
it, posi- ilities are great, but is proba-
bIiitiss are meagre. for the cons piracy
which controls the deciduous fruit
growers Of that part OF the state will as
certainly CO troll the orange growers,
and once on their toDoegan escape is I'M
possible. FELIX u. HAVENS.
Riverside. Nov. Is, 1895.