The Miller press. [volume] (Miller, S.D.) 190?-current, 1910-11-24
LAND OF FLOWERS
AND TOURISTS
Letters From Hand County People
In California

To MILLER PRESS think ! pro-
missed to write to you when | got
to this land Of fruit and flowers
we'll | must keep my promise for
conscience sake" | arrived here on
the Bird inst. and you may we'll ina
CINE we were tired after three days
and nights on tram from near Kan
sas City, AS we came down from
the Great Divide, the beauty spots
increased on all sides but it was true
nevertheless, as | heard it once said
of Egypt, that you could stand
with one foot on a garden and the
other on the desert. water made the
difference. Over here Sana Ana it
is in a great the same.
Some ranches las they are called.
though only 2 or 3 acres) are as
beautiful. as they make them, |
think it must be very much like par
adise. Could smell the orange grow
es as we rode in the train, not a
weed to be seen, water running
down on each side of the trees. The
deep gree 4 of the older leaves, and
the lighter color of the new. The
oranges sometimes grown half size
others larger. some resembles the
laural. quite large and glossy. |
noticed that the branches were ripe
to the ground. Lemons were of a
lighter color not quite as bushv. |
am told they pick lemons every
month in the year.
Another of the beautiful things
is the Spanish walnuts, something's 3
acres or 20 acres as the case may be
we would almost think it was a
New York, or Michigan apple Or
chard. Thirty five to fifty feet be-
tween the trees and branches
touching am told that there IS
nothing that paws better than a
prosperous walnut orchard. There
is one gentleman IN this city who
has one within the city limits. They
want the land for building purposes.
but he holds on to the land. Says
he is satisfied that he is making d
per cent on a valuation of 81 ,0O0
per acre, for his land that would be
$3.50 per acre. after all expenses
were paid. 1t seems astonishing to
see such groves right in the midst
of the city. They are truly beauti-
full, and they are financially splendid
as well.
The apricot crop is an important
industry in this county tOrange).
Every man, women and child that
can be spared from the home and
many coming from other counties
are kept busy for about three weeks
in the cot camps. The men handle
the trays and boxes, the women and
girls from 10 to 70 wears pit the
cots and lay them in order on trays.
the boys pick up the fruit in the
boxes. The pits are sold for $50 a
ton, the meat being used in the
manufacturing Of prussic acid then
the shells are sold for 81 per ton for
fuel.
Nv ~son-in-law. has six lots in the
city. He has plums on the greater
part. He said after he had sold,
used, and given away all he could,
he had no doubt then was half a ton
went to waste.
The olive yards are quite nu1ler-
Gus here, but not as much SO as in
north part of the state. But when
they have them they consider them
selves as doing a very prosperous
business. There are not many
prunes here, peaches galore, and
some figs.
was particularly interested In
the fig. as they are seemingly with
out a bud. push out the fruit first
not from twigs of last year. but new
from the trunk and the main
branches. say 8 or 4 inches. There
is one tree near where we live and
noticed it particularly. The fruit
looks almost like a very small
cucumber at first right at the end
III the twig. not a blossom in sight.
not q leaf. The gentleman who
owes the tree said, 1.-The leaves will
come By and by" Does it not seem
strange. With apples. it is leaves,
then blossoms, then fruit. With
49, -