The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1898-01-06
WEALTH IN ORANGES
MAI. VENEER, CALIFORNIA PION-
EER IN THE BUSINESS, TELLS
ALL ABOUT 1T.
BEGAN BACK IN THE SIXTIES.
SAYS THE BUSINESS HAS GIVEN IN
POPULARITY TO PRUNE
RAISING.
FROsTs LESS EFFECT ON THEM.
The Veteran Now Returning to Vtr-
EfnIa, His BOyhOod Home
Other Hotel News.
FRosTs LESS EFFECT ON THEM

world. AT The time of the venture. the
idea OF raising oranges for the Eastern
market was laughed at, as the exorbi-
tant freight rates made 1t Impossible to
to do SO with profit. There were very
few orange trees in California at the
time. in fact there was little fruit rails
Ing Of any kind. Maj. Venner interest
ed a number of his friends in Virginia
who joined him in California few
years later. They planted a small
orchard Of less than fifty acres and
sold their entire product for $25, 900 at
the close Of the season In 1855. The
success Of the Virginians encouraged
others to try their luck with oranges.
and nearly all of the settlers in the
then sparsely settled county, raised
oranges in greater or less quantities,
with great success
Maj. Venner recently sold his interest
In the orange groves In San Bernardino
county and removed to San Francisco,
where he is spending his prime away
from the 'frosts which occasionally
get into the orange crop, and almost
totally destroy them. When seen by a
reporter for the G 10 b yesterday, he
said:
Orange raising has gradually given
away in popularity to prune raising, as
have nearly all Of the California fruits,
Prune raising is now engaged in to
greater extent than any other fruit.
The POPULARITY Of the prune seems to be
caused by the little care required in
cultivation, and the fact that the fruit
grower is almost certain Of his crop,
as the frost, unless quite severe, does
T cti1
IN touch with orange raising in Call
fornia, and think that this year will
see the biggest orange crop ever har-
vested in California. There are now in
the neighborhood Of 100000 orange
trees in California, and 100000 lemon
trees. From the reports which 1 have
received from friends in the business l
should think that there would be about
lo'Voo cars Of oranges shipped out of
the state Of California this spring and
winter The growers will receive for
their orange product in the vicinity of
$G,000,O0O, and for their lemons about
$1,Z00,0OO. From these figures an idea
can De mad OF the fruit crop Of Cali
rornta- l think that the prune crop will
double that Of the orange and lemon
crop, and there are the California nuts.
which are marketed all over the world
besides, peaches, apricots, melons, and
a half dozen other fruits which are Gull
tvated to greater or less extent
The scene which meets the eye upon
going out into the prune country after
the harvest is thousands of acres Of
drying floors. upon which the prunes
are spread out to dry in the sun. I
nave no Idea how many pounds Of
prunes are raised in California in a
single year, but it is certain that there
IS nearly twice as much money invest
ed in prunes as any other fruit
Is getting to be one of the leading in
dustFies Of the state. In 1896 there was
a shortage in the wine vintage but this
year there is, If anything, a slieht over
production. People have an erroneous
idea Of the price of California wine.
They see 1t quoted at IS and 20 cents
per gallon, and think that wine out in
California must be very cheap. The
wine thus quoted is the raw material,
and does not include the cost of COOP
erage. Good wines in bottles cost from
81 to 81.
One of the young industries Of the
state is the manufacture of beet sugar.
AT present there are a number of large
factories, representing capital of So
100000, and the industry has become
firmly established in California. A few
years ago the manufacture Of sugar by
this process was thought theoretic. but
the practicability Of the plan has been
demonstrated by the output of 81 900
tons last year. 1t is expected that the
product will amount to, this year, in
round numbers, $4,000 tons Of sugar. or
per cent Of the amount Of sugar re-
qu1red to supply the United States
every year. Last year the farmer re-
cetved $3,0000 600 for his beets, which has
encouraged the cultivation of beets in
large quantities, and now that there is
a market for beets there will be rapid
tn, he
this product in the manufacture Of
sugar.
Among the callers at the Great Northern
general offices yesterday Capt. Herman
of Devils Lake, who owns and operates a
feet of steamboats, across DEVILS lake be-
tween that place and Fort Totten, the In
dian reservation. Capt Herman, who is one
is an old Mississippi river captain. and en-
Joys the acquaintance of many of the early
settlers in this state.
E. l.. Warren, an Indian Interpreter ar
rived in the city yesterday having made
trip over the Leech lake reservation in COM
pany with Supt Rosa, having charge of the
government cutting of dead and fallen timber
his assistant, Mr.. Mcclure, and Chief Esti-
mator Seeley.
Bishop Earl Cranston and wife, of Portland
Or, are at the Merchants hotel, en- route to
their home from Baltimore, where the bishop
HdS peeH ehSdSeu III CHurcn Work Tor the
past five months. The bishop leaves in June
for Asia. where he remains for two years in
charge of the missionary work in both China
and other Oriental countries.
Mr.. and Mrs. j. Winslow and Mr.. and Mrs
H. A. Milton, Of Fargo, are at the Metropoli-
tan.
E. e. tombstone of Des Moines, To-, regis
tered at the Metropolitan yesterday
j. d. Jones, of Long Prairie, came down
yesterday and registered at the Windsor.
c. c. Craner, of Garrettsville, O.. is reg
istered at the Ryan.
]. M. Evans, of Johnston, N Y, is at the
Ryan.
Louis Berker, of Sioux City, was at the
Merchants yesterday.
E. H. Wilson, Of Bismarck, registered at
the Merchants yesterday. .
]. r. Milliken, of Sioux City, was among
the guests at the Merchants yesterday
w. ]. Vance, of Chicago, is at the Mer-
chants.
Daniel S. Lamont, vice president of the
Northern Pacific railway, is at the Ryan.
]. W. Goodyear was at the Ryan yesterday
]. seiger, Of New York, is registered at the
| Ryan.
Frank o'Mera, of st. James, was at the
Windsor yesterday.
A. D. Davidson, of Duluth, is at the Wind
sor.
w. s. Parsons came down from Fergus
Falls yesterday and stopped at the Windsor
o. ]. Boardman of WATERFOWL was among
the arrivals at the Merchants yesterday.
Thursday, January 9Th, Is the last
day discount will be allowed on pay
ments Of low service water rents.