Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1904-01-09
RECORD ORANGE CROP
Yields of Both California and Florida
Are Fine.

Dealers and exporters say that the
orange crop just now coming upon tiie
markets will be the largest ever produced
in the United States. The California cfor
cordins to the latest bulletin from The
Agricultural Department. the prospects
are for Il crop larger 10y several hundred
thousand boxes than any since the Grcai
blizzard which ruined the Florida oranG"
groves in February. 1895.
Ia California and Florida. says the bull
ltin. practically the entire orange crop
# the United States is produced. The
culture OF oranges it says. was Intro
duo ID into Florida by the SpaniardS about
In" middle OF the sixteenth century, but
y"'irS that the fruit has been produced
there in important commercial quanti-
lies. Statistics of annual production
which bear the sanction of either official
or ScmiOfiicial authority date back only to
/ he season Of l&e-a0 In that year tn
'nitcd States census put the production
of oranges in Florida at 3.1i6,.io boxes.
Two years ago the state COMMISSION
r Of agriculture. in the second OF Il series
If hi"nnal estimates upon TINS crop. esti-
mated the 1S9l-lSs2 crop ut 3's5,56i boxes:
ana the third biennial estimate for 1885,
le"D showed Il further increase to i,l6o. S4H
EoNcS. In the following year occurred the
:;rcit frcrZ". and its disaStrouc effect upon
the Orange industry of the state was re
ilcctcu in ;hc fourth biennial report of the
commissioner which placed tn" crop OF
!
boxes. II was estimated that about $ou.-
G~'Hn worth of trees and fruit that been
destroyed. ana il was believed by many
hat TIE industry had been ruined bcyond
repair.
statistics of subsequent years. how
ever. soon showed Il gradual RECEIVERS
! from the disaster. and the last report o;
III. commissioner tor the season of I9ol-
| lM,.p gav,. the product Ter that Year al
-. 80 boxes Graves planted or r1pIanted
| .'ftrr the fr"'zr are now rapidly coming
| into full :rHti"n and conservative com
| In"rci;,l estimates on tn" crop now coming
| upon the markets place il at about 100.
$50 boxes. or = recovery Of something like
| unc-thrd III in" ground lost in 1S9l
"Orlugc culture WAS first introduced IN
| IL California; about one hundred years ago
| hv tn. Mi4:nl Fathers. hut. as was the
| ,.iSc in Fior:;H, the industry has hc,n TAX
| ~ mp on Il COMMERCIAL seal" only within
| ,umparatiX,iy recent years. Several laiS"
| groves were, PLANTED in the san Gabriel
| Valley between $50 and lSl5. But it has
not until tht winter oi i"iN-iN.? that oc-
Cured the event which WtS destined to
live 4 distinctive character Ia Il lare"
urorortioa of in. california crop and the
graf imptiH$ to oran2" cultivation in the
state. IN inst year there came into bear
| ing near Riverside Nv" trees Of SecdIesS
| The crop is said To have consisted of
| only sixteen oranges. but 1t attracted
widespread attention in that was
t"on obtained by the United States De-
| raItment of Agriculture from bahia,
| Brazil, ana, moreover, WAS the first crop
| of sccdlcsi oranges ever produced III
| North America Within few years
| thereafter thousands OF orange trees of
| old varieties Were budded from the new
| stock and in due time, through the eX-
| t.nsivc cultivation of the new variety
now known as the Washington navel
! G. tliforni: oranges. though still consisting
| OF MANY varieties. became distinctvcly
known in :. popular sense as 4 sccdless
| N Ia SnInmpnt OF about ..JD
ear loads; of oranges to the Eastern mar
kets first won for California general rec
ognition as an orango-producinS state.
| AT the taking of the census in lSS9-W.
! when the orange crop OF Florida was
| found To amount to 81 i"..H boxes, that
| of California vas put ut l.2lo,oi' hoxeS,
| and about the same ratio of production
| WAS maintained between the rapidly IN
cy,aeiDg crops of the two STAGES until the
| freeze in Florida in 1885. The practical
| diSapnearanc. If Florida as % competitor
F., from the orange markets fo1 Il few years
| ;hcrcaftcr, along with other causes. gavt
| Il great impetus to the orancfindustry i'll
| "a .ifcrnia Shipments of changes from
| mat STATE which in the year Vol the dis
| aStcr in Florida had amountfd TO about
| ). 40 tap boxes. doubled within the next
| three eyarS.
| by I!a.,-0l they had incrca ed Including
| Icuorsp to UPWARDS of S,%h. 90 boxes; and
| in the current season. if present promises
arc fulfilled. there will he shipper from
| the orange groves of California To East
orn markets between lo."o.w0 ana 1882
| 0,N boxes or Including about 3"@ cars
| Of lrmonSl from 1000 to f'.tsb carloads OF
| 30 boxes TO the car.