The herald., 1898-01-02

Riverside, and later at other poinks,
committees were sent to Chicago and
other Eastern cities to exhibit the fruit
and create a demand for the increasing
output of the groves. The history Of
these exhibits. first of note at New Or
leans, afterwards in New York. and
later at the Worlds Fair, marks the
progressive steps in the intelligent in
PRODUCTION of a fruit that has with mar
velous strides found it's way into all
markets of the United States.
In 1874 the government sent to River
side the Washington navel trees now
known as the Tibbet's trees. 1t was the
destiny of these trees to change the his
tory of the industry, and they were
the means Of establishing dynasty Of
orange culture built upon the.excellence
of a single variety and award to Califor-
MIA n national reputation for citrus
fruits.
During these early years of orange
growing as commercial proposition in
California we were confronted in the
markets with an increasing product of
excellent oranges from Florida, which,
by reason of geographical conditions
could be placed IN the various markets
at very much les cost than CALIFORNIA;.
This competition was increasingly
sharp up to the frightful disaster of two
years ago, which almost destroyed. the
Florida orchards. Notwithstanding these
conditions the industry has made steady
progress, and the increasing product has
in the main found profitable markets.
Shipments in 1880 were but trifie over
fifty carloads in excess of the supply
meeting local demands, and for years
San Francisco consumed almost the en-
tire navel orange product. Compare
ltively few, even Of our own people, ap-
preciate the extent and value of this
industry. Not only does it employ mil
| lions of dollars of capital, but enlists
| thousands of laborers, and extends its
commercial influence vastly into other
| lines.
The following from the pen Of that
Iwell-known authority, Mr.. w. C. Full
Ter of Cotton, will give some idea OF the
extent, present and prospective, of cit
rus fruit culture in California: "The
paintings of citrus trees in California
are variously estimated at from 5000, 900
to 100000 trees, Riverside alone having
over 1900 acres of oranges, OF which
an estimate of 10000 acres are planted
to the single variety of Washington ma
vel. The orchards of Redlands, Pomo-
ma, Ontario. Cotton, Rialto and the areas
of Duarte, Covina, Azusa and other
prosperous sections in Los Angeles,
Orange, Ventura San Diego and Tu-
are counties have largely increased
the navel orange paintings. Should the
Number of trees in California now in or
lr1t ard fpfv, l., q M
we can safely say that 1000 900 of these
trees are Washington navel buds from
one to twenty-one years of age. AS
these trees increase in fruitage this vast
number will soon produce an average
fruit production equaling that of
1867, which was about one and one
half packed boxes to each tree over
four years Of age. This low estimate Of
production will give us 10000 carloads of
800 boxes each as a total output, and
10000 carloads of the single variety of
Washington Navel. Should the produc-
ton equal one carload per acre, as some
orchardists assume, then the output will
reach the total number of 60, 900 carloads,
10000 of which will be Washington
navels.
las to the future of the orange indus
try, 1t Is only neces sary to call atten-
ton to the fact that should there be as
many as 100000 trees in California,
planted 100 trees to the acre, they would
cover an area of $4,000 acres, or 125
square miles, or a block 10 miles wide
and 12h miles long. Surely this area
seems too small to contain all the or
ange trees of California, even allowing
this high estimate in number will be at
tanned. In calculating the future posi-
bilities of the industry, we must con-
slider that the impulse to extend the or
ange orchards of California. while to
certain extent diminished, is by no
means expended; also that other COM
petitive areas will be planted, and prob
ably to varieties that will add to the
difficulties of marketing by being largely
Washington navel"
This vast increase in our citrus fruit
product is largely Of the navel variety.
as Mr.. Fuller shows, seedlings being
rather on the decrease, and the other
varieties not increasing in anything like
the ratio the navel is. Lemon tree
planting has increased enormously
within the last few years, and these or
chards are now beginning to bear freely,
and If the large areas planted to lemon
trees are to become profitable Southern
California must have substantially the
whole lemon market of the United
States.
The problem before us Is how to mar
ket the prospective product of our or
chards at profit to the grower. Florida
will again compete with us In the mar
kets, though it will probably be many
years before she reaches her former
product of 100000 boxes per annum.
AS the marketing Of the Navel orange
must be confined between the dates of
December list and June LIST, and that of
other varieties extended scarcely more
than month longer, it will be seen that
the average daily shipments must reach
a very large number of carloads. The
marketing of lemons, of course, will ex-
tend over the entire year, reaching it's
greatest activity in the summer and au-
tumn months.
1t must be borne in mind that the in
crease in the production of fruit in the
United States is not confined to citrus.
nor, indeed, to any or all classes of Cali
fornia fruit. The figures show that the
State of New York at the present time
produces more fruit than did the whole
United States thirty years ago. other
varieties of fruit particularly apples
and winter pears, must come into COM
petition with our oranges; and the small