The daily morning journal and courier., 1904-05-09
ABOUT ORANGE GROWING.
AS IT APPEARS TO 4 NEW HA-
 TENER IN CALIFORNIA.
Features of the Industry That May Prove Interesting and Instructive.

Redlands, Cal, April 20.-People liv-
 ing at a distance from the immediate or near vicinity of an orange growing dis
 trict little realize or appreciate the great amount of labor and expense con- nected with the production of this gold
 en and delicious fruit. Although this industry ought not to be considered as restricted to a certain geographical
 area, it is Southern California, however,
 that enjoys the reputation of being the center of the citrus industry. To draw closer boundaries, 1t may be said that Riverside and Redlands comprise one or the largest orange growing districts in the world Land which was regarded as worthless rapidly advanced in value as the business grew and the more fa-
 vored location became known. Cities and towns sprang up with surprising rapidity, many beautifully located and containing handsome homes. As the question of obtaining water was of first and vast importance. extensive irrlga-
 ton systems were established. It may
 be said that orange culture is of some what modern origin, and has only as- stunned such immense commercial recog- milton since 1880. One of the first and
 largest orange orchards was planted in 1894 at the San Gabriel Mission in Los Angeles county by one Father" Thom- as Sanches. The first orchard planted
 with view to profit was the property of William Wolfskill, of Los Angeles, and consisted of two acres set out in the year 1S41. Southern California was out of reach of railroad transportation, and fruit for the market in early days had to be hauled to Los Angeles in wagons and from there transferred to rail and steamer. The most important varieties grown in this section of the state are the Washington Navels, Seedlings, Med iterranean Sweets, Malta Bloods, Ruby Bloods, Paper Rind, St. Michael and Valencia Late The Washington Navel, or King of Oranges" as it is widely known, has lead nearly all growers to produce this variety, and with plantings exceeded by no other It is largely due to the growers of Riverside that the or ange industry has become so important, and this same town holds the proud dis tinction of being the location where the Washington Navel was first successful lily grown. The name "Washington Ma vel" was applied to the variety in Call fornia to distinguish it from the Aus tralian Navel" and because 1t was re- celved from Washington, having been imported from Brazil by the Depart ment of Agriculture. It was for time called Bahia" after the town in Bra gil from which it was ogtained; also l Riverside Navel" denoting the locality where the first trees were planted, and which are the parents of all trees of this variety in the state. The history of l the introduction of this King of Citrus Fruits" into California is as follows:
 During the civil war woman who had been sojourning in Brazil told Mir. Saunders, of Washington, D. C., to whom the world is indebted for the ir- Itroduction of the Washington Navel, that she knew of an orange at Bahia, Brazil, that excelled any other variety she had ever tasted or heard of. He sent there and had twelve trees propa- gated by budding and sent to him in 1870. They all grew, and some of them are yet bearing fruit in the orange house at Washington. None of the original trees were sent out to the pub I lie, but all were there used as stock from which to propagate by budding. Many young trees were budded from them and sent to Florida and Califor- mia. Early in 1873 Mrs. Tibbets was in Washington, just previous to going to her new home at Riverside, Cal, Mir,
 Saunders offered to give her some trees of this new and untried orange, and she most gladly accepted two trees. These
 were planted, and when they bore fruit it was found to be equal to the most ex-
 travagarlt reports of it's quality and size, and the trees were very prolific 1T that section. The trees sent to Florids produced equally good fruit, but they did not bear we'll" The navel is very sensitive to climate and treatment. The
 climate of Florida destroys it profitable
 bearing in that state. It's area of best
 fruitage is therefore confined to Cali
 fornia, as the only area in the United
 States where the conditions exist for its
 development It must also be re
 marked that there are many locations in this state that are unfavorable to its
 best growth From reports of the Uni. ted States consuls in the orange-grow'
 ing countries of the entire world 1t IS clear that in no other country on the
 face of the globe is the culture of ths
 orange so successful as in the Colder Estate. where the climatic condition ant lsoil are as well adapted to it's perfec- ltion of character. The term budding, a:
 used above, may be an unfamiliar tern
 to many readers, and may need some little explanation. This may clear up question that no doubt arises in many
 minds; namely, that of obtaining othel
 trees when one desires to raise nave
 oranges. The term seeding" is ap'
 piled to any type of orange tree reared Iindiscriminately from seed. These tree
 are grown in nursery, being raised il
 seed beds until one year old, when the,
 are set out in nursery form, and whei
 about two years old are budded ant ready to be planted in orchard form
 The operation of budding takes place il
 the case of young trees about three t five inches from the ground, and in olt
 trees on the branches few inches iron
 the trunk. The best time to bud citru
 trees is in March or April, as soon a
 the trees begin to put forth and the sal flows freely. The bark is cut horizon
 tally about three-quarters of an incl } with a sharp budding knife, and then ; ; second incision is made perpendicula to the first from its center. A bud i l.. +ta.a