Cañon City record., 1900-09-13
GROWING ORANGES
HOW cALIFoRMIANs Do lT.
Il Order 70 MAhs Big ProAts ~ ueAssr
Asst Bs Ind.strAs.s as1 Bntegls1eans
Five Hundred Dollars n 49, IN
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 successfui orange
grower must give constant care and
attention to his crop and much tillnge
Of the soil is necessary. The pronts
will not be extraordinary without ex-
traordinary effort on the part Of the
owner.
Orchards now command a lower
price per acre than they did eight or
ten wears 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 $50 per
acre. Most OF the orchards consist Of
ten acres. though an industrious man
can cnre 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 n month. The cost OF water
In some districts is quite heavy, run
ming up as high as 5000 year for ten
acres. The ground between the rows
ing, and nfterward narrowed level
agnin. 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 ferttlfzers.
Trees are set from twenty to twenty
FIVE feet apart, and about 100 to the
acre. The average tree viii 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 $500 per acre.
Oranges begin to ripen In December
and the last are ripe in March, but
tliey 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
parishable. as the slightest bruise leads
TO speedy decay. Heavy winds do
great damage to these fruits. but are
N infrequent occurrence Lefnons, IN
IKE oranges. are constantly maturing.
and picking goes on the year round
While oranges are allowed to rpen be
fore picking. lemons are always picked
while green The pickers are partie-
ular to take them from the tree when
dley are OF the right size. ring being
used to determine II they are OF the
right diameter. Lemons that are larger
than the standard command . lower
pytce, because a certain number 10 re-
Qufred In n bux TO bring a given. re-
Sarn as they are sold by the donea.
Lemon raising Is about as prontnble
ss orange raising. some men prefer
ring one. some the other fruit
The figures given above exceed the
profits received by many fruit rnisers,
but on the other hand some men do
much better. A man at North Ontario,
which In the center OF one district. re-
ceived $500 from a crop Of lemons OF
trn acres two years ago. Last year
6he crop was small and prices low.
This year he expetcs to get $1,000
Tor his crop. He gives his orchard the
0oeest attention and this year ex-
pended $1,000 for fertilizers
The fruits Of the district are handled
In a cooperative way, being turned
oyer 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 a min
uN.