The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1896-12-20
LEMONS THE THING NOW.
$4,000 TREES TO me SET OUT
NEXT YEAR Nv CALIFORNIA.

Costly Lessons In Lemon Culture That
Have Been Learned In Csiirornin-Bx-
pence and Method OF Laying Out =
Lemon Grove and Its Management
Pomona, Cal, Dec. l2-The planting Of lemon
groves In southern California during tho next
few months bids fair TO be the largest over known
in tho United States In any season. The
nurserymen 10 Los Angeles, San Diego. Pomona,
aud Riverside say they have never had 30 many
orders for February and March delivery OF
lemon trees for orchard planting az at present.
A conservative estimate puts the number Oh
lemon trees TO be set out this season at $4,000
on 1900 acres. This will bring the total num-
Der OF lemon trees planted in southern Cali
fornia up to 1900. 900. and the number Of acres
OF lemon orchards to $4,000. With fair suc-
cess and good care these trees will be produo-
tive of from 1850, 900 to 100000 boxes OF
fruit seven or eight years hence.
The largest lemon grove in the world 10 70 DO
planted near Cotton, In San Bernardino county,
between Jan. 1 and next May. 1t will comprise
5000 trees OH 100 acres. A force OF workneh
are now preparing the soil for the planting anu
the trees, which have been propoaated Win ek-
treme care so a. to mako sure that the variety
shall be true to name, are ready In the nurseries
Vice President Stevenson and h. w. h"inR'
United States Minister to the Netherlands, are
largely 1nteTctIeu ia hin
lemFn industry.
Notwithstanding tho general depression In all
kinds of farm and horticultural products In the
last two years, the lemon growers OF Southern
California have made money. They have oeon
aided in this by the disaster that came from the
freeze in Florida in January. 1898. ana Also oy
the fact that the Sicily and Spanish lemon crops
have been Injured twice by frost, while the
California groves have borne abundantiy anu
the packers and buyers have at last learned
how to ship their lemons in good condition 10
the Eastern markets.
Twice in the past two years the lemon grow
ara In Southern California have got u n oox ir
their fruit, and during the summer OF 1870
there were a few weeks when even 81 q box was
mid for the best lemons. There Is very large
proGt I'm q grove OF bearing lemons at such
prices. but tho fact that lemons may he in great
demand one month, at the most exoroitant
prices, and the next month away down SO low IN
value that they are not worth the picking, mas
deferred many a successful orange grower In
California from embracing In lemon growing.
A few growers have made $3.50 an acre annu-
ally from their full-bearing lemon groves In
1896 and 1896. and there are many who nave
cleared more than 5000 an acre, after paying all
expenses. in the same years. Two growers In
San Diego county. where the soil and climate
have been found very congenial for lemons, have
made even $500 an acre in the past year.
Lemons have been grown In southern Cali
fornia for ia years. but the cultivation OF the
fruit oil u scientific and commercial basis dates
~, ga when tho first carload of the fruit
was marketed In Chicago. and when there were
about one hundred and twenty acres OF lemon
groves in the whole State of California. The
first trees were planted in this region by the
E..,.,..., r,,s.,on Fa,her,. who came from
e.-,. ii 81. Mediterranean islands To Alta
CDI..-.,s an,,nn III. tvsntv.fv va wars succeed-
sS-,eao - o,v,li,. and Christiantze tho Indian
...., ~. p.c,ec Coa., Tho monks grew
,suon. or,v for nersonal use In the missions
- ....h,ish.d from Sam DIeuo To San Fran
-. Th.,r ,rrit va. tough. and no ATTEMPT was
-.a., h.,t.r q wben Yankee immigration
49,, % norr into tho semi.tropio valleys OF
pa..o,o santo Ana San Gabriel and Santa Bar
80. L. ,ha .ar,v s,ebtie. and later. whom trans
.on,,n.nta, railroads brought southern Califor-
~. int onick communication with tho great
r....rn Sta,e. IN, nossibilities there were in
80 o,o,vino for the Eastern markets were
- .sn.c,ouv as there had begun to be a call
81, .o,th.rn california ornnees. The Spanish
.o,ch.ro. who had lived by cattle raising and
-, nrou,ro IN this region. were unable to
-,...n "A v,c. unon tho spbteot of lemon Gull
ture Tor thew had no patience with any one
tare' U thsy "a a - 49, 49,.
oranges and lemons when 1t was easier and
80 at.niead IN own berds NJ cattle So the
more o'Rh'heu too"n
Yankee newcomers nan TO ieatn oy experience
all there is about growing lemons In q strange
- "a rnaor . Climatic conditions
ihHa ahu nv !" "NIoN, 49,
Robert Gresham. a orother OF the late Secre-
tarv of State. Walter Q. Gresham, planted tho
g. ho,,on v,ovo in California with the in,en.
nrst ien'"' n.N--
tion of marketing the fruit In the Eastern
STATES. He grew little orange trees and then
,r.f,.d lemon buds on the orange stock. That
Rr@iteu enh' ouo
was in Riverside IN 1867. uresnhm proouceo
Tho first California lemons that had q fair sale
a,a.,,a ~, ,rrI, fam SICILY and Snoin His
AiohLe'ue VI " S"N ' "
success was infectious.
The zeal for lemon growing spread TO Pomona
w, % C,,,o porhara yontrr. Ontario
'aie'' " u" ~ $500
and Pasadena. In a Few years several hundred
Of acres OF lemon trees were planted In South
=, ,,.t,or,;, nv, wbot N doar te,cber tha
Urn N"'''o'n"' " "N -
experience OF lemon culture has peeh! A long
oai alopue of experiments. Announcements. and
1.I,r,a. ,ri,h, n. con,riIad of tho srst bol,
Ahliures h'sn' NC eotnp'eu =" H'. ""'t
dozen years OF developing lemon growing into a
prosrerous industry. The best quality of soil
-,.a, .aoo h.d ,o lao ,,rro5 hv .xnsrnoo
toF iethoh "a y 'e e"."eu
alone, for there are nine distinct KINDS or soil In