New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1896-08-16
THE LEMON IN CALIFORNIA
AN IMPORTANT AND PROFITABLE PROD
UC.
DIFFICULTIES OVERCOME ny THE GROWERS
AND THEIR PRESENT PROsPERITY-sOME
FEATURES OF THE INDUSTRY.


FEATURES OF THE INDUSTRY
Pomona Cal. Aug 5.-Taken as class there
problbly no agriculurists In tho United states
who have felt quite so prosperous the last TWO
years as the lemon growers Of Southern California.
After a decade Of discouragements and long sea-
sons OF horticultural experimenting and an ex-
pendit,ire OF several millions n dollars the yield
OF the lemon groves throughout this region mas
been very large during the last twenty months,
ard there has been good demand for the fruit at
excellent prices. The State Horticultural Commits
sion reports that profits OF $3.50 from lemon
| groves not uncommon in 1895. and that some
had yields which have sold at the tate Of even $3.50
an acre.
There are good to believe that California
lemons have made a permanent market for them
selves For years there little or no call for the
product In the Eastern States. The number or
wholesale fruit dealers who want the sale o.
the product the demand the lemons had even In
England last summer, and the many new refris
orator cars the transcontinenta railroads have
built purposely for the transportation Of lemons 10
the Eastern States are facts that cheer the man
who has spent n number Of long years OF hard work
and thousands OF dollars in growing them. Tho
disastrous freeze in Florida and the severe frosis
in the citrus fruit regions along the Mediterranean
in January, 1895 caused extraordinary dearth OF
lemons In the big Eastern fruit markets a year
ago. and turned attention to the California crop
From that time the growers have found their yied
IN active demand. and many Of them have pros
pered beyond all expectation The growth OF the
lemon industry is one Of the marvels In Southern
California. In 1885 there were less than fifty acres
OF groves in this region; in 1890 there were 1900
acres and IN 1892 there 5000 acres 1t is like
y that the area planted to lemon trees VIII be
further increased TO 5000 1000 acres in two or
three years more. Rough estimates put the capital
invested In California in growing and curing LEM
ons. with all the appurtenances. at S.@"o Tne
fact that the average annual importations OF THIS
fruit. in the United States IN the last five years
have been 2712.i50 boxes valued at S2i5.m ana
that California grows only about one-tenth OF
this amount has giver the horticulturists OF this
semi-tropic land reason to believe that they may
In time drive the Mediterranean lemons from the
markets. as they have driven out the foreign
prunes and raislns.
A NEW INDUSTRY.
While lemons have been grown in Southern Cal
ifornia for a hundred years tho cultivation Of
the fruit as commercial industry dates only from
1882 The Franciscan monks who came from Roman !
Catholic universities in Spain in the latter part Of
the eighteenth century to civze and Christianize
the savages OF the Pacific coast brought the first
seeds here But because the monks knew nothing ,
OF the science OF horticulture now practiced In
growing citrus fruits. and paid attention to the
adaptation of the trees 10 their proper soils. lemon
growing about the adobe missions never a sue |
cess. The grew and bore some fruit. but II |
was hard and knurly-not to be compared with that |
from the Sicilian groves When Yankee immisrd-
ton began to pour into the valleys Of the San /
Gabriel Santa Barbara, Pomona and Santa Ana I'm |
the early eighties and later when transcontinentai
railroads brough: Southern California into quick |
communication with the great Eastern States. the |
possibilities In lemon growing for the Eastern mar
kets were soon seen. especially when there was
such call for Southern California oranges. The
Spanish rancheros who had lived by cattle-raisins
and wool growing In this region unable to
give any advice upon the subject OF lemon culture.
for they had patience with any one who spent
his time with such little thing as that when II
was easier and more dignfeG to own herds Of cat
tie. SO the Yankee newcomers had TO learn by ex
perience how carry it in a strange land and
under climatic conditions.
The first lemon grove planted on a large scale
and with the intention OF producing fruit to COM
pete In the Eastern markets with that from the
Mediterranean countries was in Riverside which
s. by-thc-way the larges. orange producing local
ty In the United States The zeal for lemon grow
ing spread TO Pomona Valley. to Santa Barbara.
Ventura Ontario and Pasadena. In a few gears
several hundred Of trees were planted in !
Southern California. But what dear teacher the
experience of lemon culture he's been A long cat
alogue OF experiments. dscouragements and fail
ures might be compiled from the first half-dozen
years OF developing lemon growing into pros
porous industry A great deal OF knowledge still
remains to be obtained by the growers about the
proximit remoteness of certain varieties of lemon
from the shore. but the most important and
costly lessons have probably been learned
PROBLEMS FOR GROWERS.
But while il found several years ago that
shapey thin-skinnsd and juicy lemon could be
produced the tree. 1t It difficult task
the fruit so that IL would not only and
show blemishes. but would retain its pungency
and oiliness of peel well its full acid juciness
from the picking season in winter until the follow
ing summer when IT is wanted by the consumers.
That has been the difficult problem in the
whole industry. large volume might be written
a bout the vast number of theories the proper
method for accomplishing this. and Of the constant
round Of experimenting that has been going in
every grove and In every horticultural community
economically. that they will keep longest and
best. In Santa Barbara County the wealthy
alone family Sf soma RsG' IN srea
buildings, with tiled roofs and cellars. for the pur
so to keep fresh and Juicy for seven or eight
months.
tho case with all other fruits grown I'm this coun-
try For tina, reason grower saves money in his
can easily gather and take care of all the fruit
grown In a grove OF ten or fifteen acres The times
when most lemons picked are early ia January.
cultivated trees have fruit ready for pickins
during ten months Of the YEAR For that reason reason
the lemon is an uncommonly steady and prolific
bearer.
Lemons picked when the fruit begins to show
the leas, tinge OF yellow. rhe grower and
sstant go carefully over each Of the trees in the
grove. and gather all the lemons that have reached
that stage OF development The fiuit Is cut from
the branches and laid In padded baskets bags.
so as TO avoid any bruises or bemishes The best
growers careful to gather only fruit of one
size: for instance all that will Just pass through
two-and- a-auarter- inch ring From the grove the
lemons are taken to the curing house. II the
grower is ma OF means, and grows lemons at all
extensively. he may have his curing and pack
ing establishment. but generally I'm Southern Cal
lfornia a half dozen growers build cooper
a alive houses Of this kind convenient to all OF their
HOW THE FRUIT Is CURED.
All lemon-curing structures have either double
walls filled between with sawdust-like icehouses-