Arizona republican., 1899-12-23


 that could not be verified.
 But the preliminary work has been done and the advertising of the citrus belt has passed on to another stage. Nothing succeeds like success" is a familiar expression and successes in orange culture are now in evidence and Arizona is ready to demonstrate by re- suits the soundness of the reasoning set forth in the earlier advertising matter sent abroad.
 The success achieved by the Arizona Improvement company in the raising of oranges on what is now known as the Ingleside property is well known and has been heralded east and west. Many no doubt take for granted that it is a single exceptional accom- plishment This is erroneous, for there are a number of orchards in the valley which can furnish equally as good a showing. The list, perhaps, is not long one, for the reason that sue cess is achieved only through experi- ences that sometimes end in failure. When orange culture was first inau- gurated there was not an experienced orange grower in the valley. The best soils were not located, the proper ap- plication of water to the soil was an unlearned lesson, and even the right varieties of trees to plant was a mat ter of guesswork. Of the few who had sufficient courage to make the eXperi- nent all met with partial failure for a time and some lacked either means or courage to repeat the effort. The nat ural result was that after the first planting horticulturiStS rested on their oars and awaited results. As soon as good results were shown by those who were persistent the planting of orange trees began again. With the knowledge now at hand relative to local culture as referred to above, there have been no | failures in the many young orchards now approaching the bearing period, and with reasonabule intelligence there need be none As an illustration of | the early failures, Col. Christy said yesterday that among the earliest ex- periments was one at his expense. He planted several acres to oranges and a year or two later when he found | out the real nature of the variety he was so carefully watching, he dug them all up and began over again. He now has orange trees that would be pride i to any country.
 But referring again to actual ac- complishments the reporter interrogated Col Christy regarding a twenty-acre i orchard that made history this year. The product of this orchard sold for S2 OO0 or $100 per acre. The only eX- pense for the years crop was about S25 for water, the wages of one man who cared for the orchard, and the price of a team, harness, cultivatQr, shovel and hoe, necessary adjunctS to any agricultural or horticultural enter prise. The cost of water, taxes and care on that piece did not exceed $50 an acre. A school boy can estimate the profits on such a showing.
 Iu considering orange culture many are deterred by the thought that it is necessary to wait some years for re- turns. Granting this to be true, when the returns are in, the profits are so much greater than the income from other enterprises that one can afford to wait. and the golden harvest is an an nual event in this region where Jack Frost never interferes to hold the or chardist in suspense.
 But the long wait for returns is all imaginary and is an obstacle easily Dy lliOoC "AAO NAN @AON afraid of work.
 One man can care for twenty five or thirty acres of oranges if properly equipped. He can buy forty acres of orange land, plant half of it to orchard, a few acres to deciduous fruits, a few acres each to alfalfa, wheat and barley, get few tchickens and few stands of bees and the side lines will support him while his trees are maturing.
 Speaking of bees, 100 stands in this valley in more than one instance have been known to furnish an income that would support family and not require attention aggregating more than one month in the year. A pauper naturally would be handicapped in attempting orange culture, as he would in any other business. But the man even of limited means, who has some knowledge of how plants grow. has good common sense and don't object to working a reasonable part of the time, can make a success of orange culture in this valley. Many are doing it. Many more are preparing to do so.
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