St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-05-07
JURUPA RANCHO.
Where Water is King aud Sunshine and
Orange Groves are Conspicuous.

Correspondence OF the CALEpONNA"'I
EDITOR CALIFORNIAN: i nave been
asked to write something Of the city OF
Riverside, Cal, where we spent about
three weeks, am glad to make the
attempt, if thereby your readers may
gain better idea of that thriving town.
My preconceived notion Of The place was
Of single long street, the much adYer-
tised Magnolia avenue, with attractive
lawns set in groves of orange trees, much
as New England homes are surrounded
by NAPLES, elms, and evergretns,
This is no more correct than to CON
slider Fairbanks village or Summerville
the whole of St. Johnsbury, or the trans
fer from the North Union to South Union
stations as seeing Boston. Magnolia
avenue is seen by nearly all .ourists, and
is wei worth visiting, but 1t does not
give the traveller a true inception Of
Riverside. 1t lies to one side OF the city,
its entrance being three miles from the
business center, and stretches away for
six miles, bower of eucalyptus, peppers
and palms. Many beautiful hOmls there
are, but they are almost entirely con.
cealed by orange groves. The name is
missioner, as in the entire length of the
street we counted only eight magnolia
trees. There may have been more, but
we did not see them. On this avenue are
being erected the fine buildings of the
Sherman Institute, an In ian school for
which the government rectu'ly approri-
ated $4,000.
Thirty years ago the present site of
Riverside was a portion o. Jurupa Rancho,
a Spanish grant of the year 1888. 1t
seems a pity that the old melodious
name was not retained, but whatever
else may be said the change seems to in
dictate realization on the part Of the
pioneers that they were there in the stern
business of mailing homes for the mselyes
and families, and not for the pOetcal or
sentlm, ntal. They well knew that the
name Riverside" would appeal more
strongly in the East to the prospective
colonst, than the misunderstood Spanish
one.
In response to acircular issued in 1870 |
by Judge ]. W. North OF Tennessee, a
party, including Jd]ge E. G. Brown Of
Iowa, visited the r@ion. All but Judge
Brown seem to havebecome DISCOURAGED
and | think it was(due to his decision
there to abide that Rive side was
founded. In a histdy Of the town a
copy OF the circular ientlote is spoken
of as "havng escap4 the ravages of
time" The circular wis published about
the time the P & B. railroad was
opened, the struggles ! which are still
fresh in the minds of Ihe people ofSt.
Johnsbury. When we fnd that it was
fifteen years later, or th year 1886, be
fore Riverside had any railroad at all,
both dates seem very mo@rnt to tender
foot.
In visiting Southern California one
realizes that water is indeed king. 1t is
not so much a question of how much
land one possesses, but rather of how
much water he can control. Ca ilornians
are therefore, said to "irriga e, cultivate
and eXaggeiate." Judge Blown and his
associates realized at once that their
only hope was in systematic irrigation,
and steps were at once taken to this
end. Today Riverside is the best watertd
section south OF the rain belt. 1t has
fifty miles of main canals with five hun
bred miles of lateral bitches and pipe
lines, through which water is distributed
over more than 10000 acres of highly
land. And the eud is not yet.
Much of the water is from artesian wells,
and as more land is reclaimed additional
wells are bored and thus an ample sup
ply of water maintained. Riverside is
the center of the greatest orange pro-
ducing section in the world, and leads
not only in quantity, but in quality.
During the season OF 1901 shipments of
citrus fruits amounted to. 100000 |
boxes, with an estimated value to the
growers of 81 100000 This season the
crop has been smaller, but prices better,
with profits to the growers even more
satisfactory. A gent cman told me that
orange growing would be profitable,
at guaranteed price year after year OF
fifty cents per box on the trees. A fair
average yield IS three boxes per tree at |
eighty trees per acre. | am inclined to .
think the statement more theoretical |
than practical, but as growers realize
one dollar and upwards per box, it is a
good paying business, 1t, however, re.
CURES knowledge and experience, the |
same as any Other industry, and the |
novice very likely would not see the
color Of his money again.
The original California orange was the
Seeding, a small variety having seeds.
Some years ago four trees were brought |
from Brazil, two Of which went to the
Smithsonian at Washington, and the
other two to Riverside. From the latter
was commenced the budding (grafting) |
OF navel oranges, which has extended |
throughout southern California. Florida
navels were also budGcd from the same
source. The trees are still standing upon
ranch, but are to be moved to a more
apprOprate plac. and carefully preserved. |