The San Francisco call., 1910-12-07


in oranges in bearing and 10000 acres
planted in the fruit, which will come
into bearing within the next few years.
Last year the shipment was 1000 900
boxes. This yearNit will be more. and
with each succeeding year it viii in
crease.
LEMON CULTURE PAYS
Lemon cove is the place set apart for
lemons. The lemon tree is more profit
able at the present time than the
orange but is less hardy tree and
must be grown in a section practically
immune from frost Oranges can stand
q fall Of the temperature to about 20
degrees if the cold snap does not last
more than q few hours; but lemons
must be protected.
In Lemon cove. veritab1e cove" of
the great valley, frost is almost IN
known and the lemon tree flourishes
and makes its planter rich. The orange
can be grown further out in the open.
Sot II is on the open side of the foot
hills and down on the edge of the
plain that men are playing the orange
game" as they say here
Water is necessary to orange culture
and the Tulare farmers have nicely met
the irrigation problem. While in the
vicinity Of Exeter and Lemon cove there
forks OF the Kaweap river, south
toward Strathmore and Lindsay there
is not such availa BILE water. There the
farmer brings his water down from
the mountains by wire"-that is, wells
are bored on the places. a pumping
plant operated by electric dynamo is
set UP and Juice" is secured from the
power company that supplies the cities
of the section with their electricity
1t is cheaper to string wires than to
build a f1ume, and some ''coves" In the
foothills would be absolutely inacces-
sible to a gravity water system. The
electric transmission wires solve the
problem. The rates charged by the
power company bring the cost of irri-
cation TO about S25 an acre per annum-
After the orange trees are four years
old they can pay their own way, though n
in their immaturity an orange orchard
is an expensive investment. When the
orchard is eight years old it is dark
green mint with real golden fruit
dangling among the foliage
The life Of an orange orchard is in
definite They say that orange trees
live as long as olives. and olives are
known to live more than a hundred
years. Anyway. an orange orchard
will outlive the man who planted It,
and probably viii outlive his children,
If not his grandchildren. So IL a fam
iIv has an orange orchard in bearing
it is pretty well fixed for while.
If a man can afford to wait till his
trees are bearing the orange growing
game is a worthy one to play. The
orange has transformed Tulare county.
Before it developed. the farmer lived
preca riously by whet and stock, hav-
ing to make enough in the good year
to tide him over the succeeding dry
years Now after the orange orchard
is once going, and there is water in
the wells which are unquestionably re-
liable. the farmer is sure of his re-
turns.
VISALIA PROSPERS
visaIia. being the county seat of
Tulare county, and in the center of a
rich district of variety of products,
has struck a fine stride of prosperity,
which is manifested in its new buildS
ings. its school bonds, its bituminized
streets. both in the business section
and the residential parts of the city.
and in the general appearance of the
community.
The golden glow of the orange is
well reflected on Visalia- Visalia is
the handle of the fan-shaped district
that stretches toward the eastern
foothills It is believed that the Tulare
county
ALA hereafter In previous years It
has been held in other sections of the
county, but Visalia, the county seat, is
good neutral territory. 1t is the most
accessible place in the county as well
as the largest, and can entertain Wis
itors with comfort
The packing house business is an
important feature of the orange indus
try. When the orange first came TO
be marketable here most of the pack
ing was done by the big packing house
corporations of the state. The method
was not always satisfactory to the
grower and more recently there has
been development of the cooperative
packing house. in which farmers of a
section contribute their fruit. This
system is working very successfully.
MARKET SPREADING
The Tulare growers are spreading
their market to good advantage. The
Merryman ranch, the largest in the
district. is now shipping the last of a
consignment Of 80 carloads to New
Zealand and Australia Many oranges
have been shipped to Europe. The
Panama Pacific commissioners in
Washington are entertaining their
guests with Tulare county oranges.
Tomorrow the fair will be dedica ted
to babies. More than so babies be-
. ~ o n