The Telegraph-courier. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1888-1946, 1898-01-27
LEO WRITES AGAIN.
SOME INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT
ORANGE CULTURE.
A TRIP TO THE MOUNTAINS.
He Tells Of the Novel Scientific Theories
Advanced by Garrulous Driver
Facts That are Old Yet Ever
New,

HTSC JnOugnC IL mlgHb S0em SupeFuuOuS
to say anything of the country or of
orange growing, but a second thought
reminds me that the percentage of
those who had crossed the mountains
is very small, and to those who have
never had this privilege, the subject
may possess some interest.
The orange growing section of Cali.
fornia is in the southern part of the
state, and no location is more noted
than the vicinity of .Redlands and
Riverside. Gathering the crops COM
mences late in the fall and continues
through the winter and even in March
and April few oranges may be seen on
the trees. 1t is claimed that they be-
come sweeter by becoming more mature
They are all picked by hand, the
pickers mounting step ladder with a
bag suspended from his neck, and
| clippers in hand, clip each one separ-
ately-for the orange has tough stem
land deposits it in his bag. Great
care is taken to handle them without
bruising. From the grove they are
taken to the packing house, where they
are assorted into uniform sizes before
being packed into boxes, an assorter
being used for that purpose. The
| fruit is made to roll down narrow in
clined plain, the edges being protected
to prevent it's rolling off. The plain is
| provided with slots of various widths
and as the oranges roll down, the
smallest drop through the first narrow
slot, while the larger ones roll over,
only to drop into another wider slot,
and so on till all are assorted with their
appropriate sizes. All bruised or i'm
perfect ones are thrown out as refuse,
and none but the soundest arc packed.
Next comes the packing. Squares
of tissue paper are provided, cut to the
proper size, and each orange is wrapped
and placed in boxes in regular order,
each box containing only aniform Sizes.
An expert packer will wrap and pack
| so boxes day or more.
Wagon loads may often be seen at
the packing houses which are rejected,
but which, to the ordinary looker-on
seem as perfect as any, and for imme
date domestic use are, perhaps better
than those packed.
Orange trees are set in regular order
| like trees in an apple orchard, but
usually at a less distance apart, as they
do not grow to the size of apple trees.
The ground is well cultivated and
seldom is any crop planted between the
trees, to detract from the soil. Fertil-
iZers are also used to stimulate their
growth, and in many localities they are
irrigated during the dry season. If.
treated with the same neglect as apple
orchards are in the older states the
grower would lose his labor, and if.
farmers would treat their orchards with
more consideration in pruning and cuV-
tivating the result would be highly
rumerating. The idea that an apple
tree once planted, needs no further
care, but may be expected to produce
annually and bountiful is absurd.
California is decidedly a fruit grow
ing State. Besides oranges may be
named lemons, grape fruit, lines, figs,
olives, peaches, apricots, sprunes,
plums, grapes, loquats, guavas, APP
pies, pears, pomegrantes, almonds,
English walnuts and many other vari-
cites of fruit.
In looking out of the streets of this
city of 10000 population. the sight is
bounded on the north, east and south
by mountains five to fifteen miles dis
tant. To those who we're born and
reared in prairie state and have
never seen mountain, or even hill
of large dimensions, the sight of noun
tain ranges towering 1000 to 5000 feet
high is grand and sublime, and to see
them covered with snow like gigantic
snow banks, the sight is not easily
forgotten.
The Arrow Head Water Co. has
built a reservoir among the mountains
and is now engaged in constructing a
tunnel 5000 feet in length to conduct
the water to the valleys for irrigating
and other purposes. Although little is |
to be seen except a dark hole in the
side of the mountain, a drive to this
point furnishes custom to livery men,
A drive over the beautiful road seemed
to be in order on one pleasant day when
&c two of u.s." with fine rig and driver
made the excursion. The scenery
through the orange groves was nothing
unusual for this country, but our driver
was noted for one. cock eye. pumpkin
colored hair, one crooked knee and
timber tongue. Finding he had two
/" tenderfoots" for passengers, he
launched out ard enlightened US al