The herald., 1898-01-18
POSSIBILITIES OF
HORTICULTURE
IN the SOUTH
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.

sent matter of curious interest apart
from their commercial value. Most
fruit growing populations are poor, ana
IL 1t were to be accepted as an axiomauc
truth that fruit culture was a synonym
for poverty. one would be confronted
by the paradox that Southern California
while depending upon it's fruit products
for the main source Of its revenue, Is
growing richer year by year.
That the fruit growing peoples OF the
old world are as rule poor Is never
theless approximately correct. The
farmers Of France are great fruit grow
ers, but they are probably the most
thrifty in the world, have a home mar
ket at their own doors. and, generally
speaking. produce other Things besic
fruit for sale. On the other hand the
fruit growers of the South and South
eastern Europe do not present a high
standard of life in any way comparable
with that presented by the more active,
combative and sturdy Anglo-Saxon
stock that has transformed the face of
Mother Earth in Southern California.
Several reasons might be adduced to
explain the prosperity of the horticult-
urist here as compared with his con-
liCiG dCiOSS thC WdtCts
Southern California has an advantage
in the depth and richness of her virgin
soil, and the people have until quite re-
Gently had ready access to the land.
While in some cases, and ultimately in
all, the expense of fertilization must be
incurred, the richness of the soil will
by that time have firmly established the
business beyond all peradventure or
possibility OF setback. The competitors
of Europe till soils impaired by long
continued cultivation. but for that very
reason. perhaps, they pay more atten-
tion to the small details of work and
wrest from the earth its treasures at the
expense of infinite painstaking labor.
While Southern California can chal-
lenge the world with its fruit products
the margin of profit is not large enough
to permit anyone to adopt the life of a
horticulturist in a dilletanti way, and
cover variety of blunders which may
be readily avoided by thoughtful care.
AS matter of fact the raising of fruit
save small fruits for the home market
Is a rather precarious business, because
trees may be set out one season for a
market years ahead, and no one can
foretell that market. Nor can competi-
tion be accurately foretold. A great
and constantly increasing market in the
United States is assured, but each year
new orchards and groves are coming
into bearing and it is impossible to prog
nosticate what competition will con-
front the grower from foreign sources.
THE FIRST ORANGE TREES
The first oranges produced in Califor-
10 f,-Ar txrlz IL - Il
sion San Gabriel in 1904. These trees
were grown from seeds brought by the
Franciscan fathers from Lower Califor-
MIA, or some other part of Mexico and
which were derived from trees growing
in that region from seeds brought CEN
turies before from Spain and other
European countries.
That the old padres made no mistake
in planting the first oranges is shown by
the fact that the bulk Of the Immense
orange crop of Southern California is
produced within radius of fifty miles
from San Gabriel. In this, as in all other
things, the same knowledge of soil and
climate, and the same sound sense was
displayed as characterized their every
movement. The trees planted at San
Gabriel were the parents of innumerable
other trees for which they furnished
seed or cions. For almost four decades
the settlers disdained such pursuits as
that of horticulture, their herds of cat
tie, sheep and horses monopolizing at
tention.
AS time passed small settlements
sprang into existence, whose occupants
sought for means to beautify their
This ha Of 7
geles, and the search led to San Gabriel,
and some Of the old trees were dug up
and removed to the city. Shortly after
ward William Wolfskill and B. D. will
son began to experiment in the culture
of the orange for commercial purposes.
These experiments were quite success
full, but the market was so limited that
no one was encouraged to follow the ex-
ample that had been set.
After the American occuaption the
situation changed. Fruit of any kind
was scarce and the demand great Fab
ulous prices were obtained for their pro-
ducts by the owners of the few produc-
ing orchads, groves and vineyards. The
miners were prepared to go to any, ex-
pense to obtain fresh fruit or vegetables,
and a very profitable market for both at
once sprang up. The owners of the two
pioneer orange groves reaped a rich
financial harvest, and Wolfskill enlarged
his grove to an extent that made him a
rich man. During the early sixties an
aggregate of several hundred acres were
set out to oranges, nearly all being in the
vicinity Of Los Angeles. That marked
the first fruit planting craze that swept
over the state.
At much later date, however, was it
when the fame of Southern California
was bruited throughout the east and in
the countries of Europe as the section
par-excellence for the growth of citrus
fruits. During the boom" period of 1887
the thousands of home-seekers that
poured into the southern counties pur-
chased lands, and In setting out orchards
and groves helped to make the southland
what 1t Is today. In Riverside county
there are over 10000 acres set out to
citrus fruits, and the following acreage
in Los Angeles county set out to fruit
may be taken as a sample of how the
fruit industry is developing throughout
Southern California;:
Trees Planted in
Los Angeles Co.
Bearing. Non-Bearing.
Oranges ................ .320,620 495, $50
Lemons ................. 52,185 234 $50
Almonds ................ 1850 165, 700
Walnuts ............... 60.400 105.355
Olives ................... a, 500 250.575
Peaches .................125,SS0 85, $50
Prunes (French) ........ 79,825 235. $50