The herald., 1898-03-28
UNSCATHfD VINfLAND
WHERE FROST COMES NOT TO
BLIGHT AND DESTROY
NOTWITHSTANDING THAT MAP
Residents Of. the District Tell What
They Know Of the Facts in the
Case-0ranges and Berries

A number of fruit growers of vineland,
feeling aggrieved over the inclusion OF
their section in the frosted belt, as shown
by the map recently published by the
Times Of this city, requested this paper to
make an Investigation OF the case. A Her.
aid reporter was sent to Vineland to ascer-
tain the facts and In course of his investi-
cations he interviewed a number of promi-
nent fruit growers of the district.
John Beal. for the past nine years resi-
dent of Vineland said:
1--WE do have frost here once in a while,
but not enough to cause US any alarm.
think my citrus fruits have never been
damaged by frost. This last winter, which,
in my opinion, has been the coldest ever
experienced in this district. did not cause
a dollat's worth Of damage to my oranges.
The Earl company bought my whole crop
just after the January frost that caused
severe damage to trees In other districts.
had representative Of the Earl COM
pany come out to see the fruit on my trees
before I would pick it. He said:
"'That fruit is all right; we'll take all
the oranges like those you can send u.s.
II picked the oranges and they took my
WASAS SASP ohN ASNSb uioSOuHtCu ~ Ouc
cent.
'The frosts this year which were report
ed In this district not only did not injure
my citrus fruits, but did not even injure
my peaches, which were in blossom In jan
uary. Here are peaches as big as your
thumb. 1t don't look as If we had much
frost In Vineland, does It?
Look at those almonds, half grown
they must have been in blossom during the
last frosts; they are not hurt. 1 have new
er lost anything by frost in Vineland and
do not know Of anyone who has,"
]. 8. Wright, for many years a school
teacher, who has been resident of Vine
landafor four years, seemed to treat the
matter of frost in the Vineland district as
a joke. When asked what amount of dam
age he had suffered by reason Of frosts, he
laughingly replied:
1.-The frosts that were reported as occur
ring here last winter did not injure my
oranges or lemons in the least. 1 had beans
in my garden during the last frosts and
they were not touched. There may be
frosts here in the Vineland district that
injure fruit and kill trees, but in the four
years that l have lived here have never
had any of my citrus fruits injured, and l
have four varieties of oranges, as well as
lemons.
my pea ches, apricots and almonds have
suffered no injury from frost. Practically.
this Vineland district is as near frostiess
as any other place in California, and am
not the least afraid of losing any of my
citrus fruits by FROST
An inspection of d. Lang's ranch failed
to reveal amy signs of even the slightest
damage by frost. The fruit there gener-
ally was In splendid condition. The lemon
trees We're. in reality, burdened with fine.
juicy fruit. gs
Il. NJ Rhodes was working in his lemon
grove when The Herald man asked him
what losses he had suffered from frost.
Mr.. Rhodes replied:
Il never lost an orange or lemon on nv
place through frost All my fruit is as
sound as a dollar. have six acres here IL,
oranges and lemons, and would like any,
body to show me frosted orange or lemon,
or to point out to me q citrus fruit tree
that is to any extent injured by frost.
"Vineland comes nearer being frostless
belt than frost belt. We are between two
cold belts-one on the east and one on the
west-but In the ten years have lived here
have never seen or heard of an orange or
lemon trees being killed or of the fruits
being seriously damaged by frost. I con-
slider this last winter was the coldest we
have had here for years.
+ 1T doesn't look as IL these lemons were
frosted" continued Mr.. Rhodes. as he cut
into lemon after lemon and squeezed out
the juice Peaches. apricots and other de-
ciduous fruits on this place have not been
damaged In the least by frost No." contin-
ued Mr.. Rhpdes, "the frost we have here in
Vineland doesn't amount to anything. This
Is one of the best districts in California for
oranges and lemons"
Mr.. Carson, foreman for Major Rone.
brake, president Of the Los Angeles Ma.
tional bank, was interviewed on the frost
question by the Herald man. Major Bone
brake has forty acres in lemons in the CEN
ter OF the Vineland district. Mr.. Carson
said:
None Of the majors trees in vineland
were injured, by the frost The trees are
four years old and had considerable fruit
on them. In January. when the frost was
reported. we picked the fruit, fearing that
most Of 1t was frozen, but on examination
it, was found that very small percentase
of the lemons were touched by the frost.
the majority of the fruit being perfectly
sound.
"As far as this forty acres In vineland d
Is concerned, there is very little damage
from frost to be feared. only wish the
majors other land was as safe"
Geo. Brown, who has charge Of A. w.
Dicklnson's orchard. was irr.gating his
lemon trees when The Herald man drove
up. but stopped his work long enough to
say that he didn't know what frozen or
ange or lemon looked like.
There may have been some frost last
winter but 1t hasn't hurt my trees" said
Mr.. Brown. II have been here eleven
years and have never seen any damaging
frost here. I believe this is one of the best
citrus sections In Southern California.
Damaging frosts are practically unknown
in this vicinity. Many buyers Of fruit have
tried to show me frosted fruit on my place
but, after many trials, they have had to
confess that there was nothing touched bv
frost on this place."
Mr.. H. c. Benton, secretary of the Vine
land Irrigation district, while showing his
sixteen acres, mostly set In oranges and
lemons, said II will give any man SO who
can find frost-bitten orange or lemon
among the six or eight hundred bosees Of
fruit now hanging on the trees. There ia
not a tree on this place that shows thu
slightest trace Of frost. In the ten years
have owned this place have never lost
tree from frost or cold weather. NY