The Lamar register., 1900-08-22
GROWING ORANGES.
HOW cALIFoRNlANs
DO TT.
In Order to Make Big Profits the Raiser
Must BE Industrious and EnterprisIng
Five Hundred Dollars Acre an
Average Crop.

Many people going from the East to
California have an exaggerated idea of
the profits of orange raising. They also
underestimate the amount of work
necessary TO success.
While general farming in the
eastern portions OF the country calls
for harder work, the successful orange
grower must give constant care and
attention to his crop and much tillage
of the soil is necessary. The profits
will not be extraordinary without ex-
traordinary effort on the part of the
owner.
Orchards now command lower
price per acre than they did eight or
ten years ago when the industry was
younger and the price of fruit was
higher. Very good orchard lands with
ordinary improvements upon them can
now be bought for 5000 to $500 per
acre. Most of the orchards consist of
ten acres. though an industrious man
can care for thirty acres il he employs
help during the picking season.
Except during the rainy season it is
necessary to thoroughly irrigate the
trees once a month. The cost of water
in some districts is quite heavy, run
ming up as high as 5000 a year for ten
acres. The ground between the rows
of trees must be furrowed for irrigat-
ing. and afterward narrowed level
again. This, with other harrowings, is
done upon the growing belief that fire.
quent breaking up of the top soil tends
to conserve the moisture in the ground
Most orchardists enrich the soil every
year with manure or other fertilizers.
Trees are set from twenty to twenty
five feet apart, and about 100 to the
acre. The average tree will bear four
or five boxes of oranges per year,
which sell for S1.25 per box The cash
value of the ordinary crop averages
from $500 to 5000 per acre.
Oranges begin to ripen in December
and the last are ripe in March, but
they can be left on the tree until May
or June without serious deterioration
This gives opportunity for placing the
crop on the market during the larger
part OF the year. Both oranges and
lemons have to be picked with care to
prevent bruising. Lemons are the more
perishable, as the slightest bruise leads
to speedy decay. Heavy winds do
great damage to these fruits, but are
Of infrequent occurrence. Lemons, un-
like oranges, are constantly maturing,
and picking goes on the year round.
While oranges are allowed to ripen be-
fore picking, lemons are always picked
while green. The pickers are partic-
ular to take them from the tree when
they are of the right size, ring being
used to determine IL they are of the
right diameter. Lemons that are larger
than the standard command a lower
price, because certain number is re-
quired in n box to bring given re-
turn as they are sold by the dozen.
Lemon raising Is about as profitable
as orange raising, some men prefer
ring one, some the other fruit
The figures given above exceed the
profits received by many fruit raisers.
but on the other hand some men do
much better. A man at North Ontario,
which is tha center of one district, re-
ceive0 $500 from a crop of lemons off
ten az res TIVE years ago. Last year
the cop was small and prices low.
This year he eJpetcs to get $4,000
for ais crop. He gives his orchard the
clos est attention, and this year ex-
peno,d $1,000 fol fertilizers.
The l~uits of tn, district are handled
In co-op.S"tive way, being turned
over by the raiser to the company at
North Ontario, which does the packing
and shipping. The fruit is washed and
carefully sorted according to size, and
then wrapped in papers as 1t is placed
in the boxes. An expert packer will
wrap and pack forty lemons in min