Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1911-05-08
Millions Of Fruit Trees.

OF this land $4,000 acres is covered with
more than two million fruit trees, chiefly
oranges. lemons and grape fruit, which
produced 2,306.625 boxes for shipment last
year. valued at $4.05O,323.
The area In vineyards was 1890 acres.
which produced 91.S60 worth Of grapes
last year.
There were 1se,se7 acres in farm prod
ucts. such as grain. hay and alfalfa.
The vegetables and other garden truck
shipped last year were valued at $796. 800;
dried fruits, $1O6. 100: cement, clay, stone
and other building materials brought
sse7.ooo all Of which combined gave the
about $1O.O0O.OOO. without including beef
and mutton. butter and eggs, milk and
honey, fruit and vegetables. hay and
grain and similar products of the soil
consumed at home.
The real estate valuation alone gives
an average Of about $1,000 to every man.
woman and child In the county. and q
revenue Of about $500 per capita from
products shipped to other markets.
Farm Lands Are High.
That is about as near AS any .one can
come to estimating the wealth of River
side. because We do not know about per-
sonal property. and cannot make more
than a general calculation as to invest
rhents. Improved farm land under irri-
cation is worth any where from $3.50 to
$1,000 an acre. according to location. and
it may be said that It would be very
difficult to buy at that rate. The best
judges tell me that 800 families in this
county own from five to twenty acres Of
oranges each. WHICH bring them an aver
age income Of $50 an acre. Many exceed.
this; some fall below It, because no fool
can grow oranges any more than he can
do anything else which requires Skill
ness. Orange growing Is the neatest kind
Of farming In the world. under present
conditions. but people have got to mix
brains with their irrigating water in
order to succeed.
New land In the hills around Riverside
costs an the way from, S2J to. $76 an.acre.
and in the valleys near the towns from
SIS to $500 an acre. Dry land beyond the
reach OF irrigation for graSing costs from
$40 to 92S an acre: land that Is suitable
$3.50 an acre: land that is suitable for
poultry raising costs from $25 to $3.50 an
acre, and alfalfa lands under irrigation
cannot be bought for less than $50 an
acre. A friend of mine recently sold forty
acres OF irrigated land in the neighborhood
Of Riverside. suitable for oranges. for
$500 an acre. and 1t will cost the man
who bought It at least $3.50 an acre to
bring 1t to- bearing, so that 81, 500 will
represent the investment in round num-
bers. or q total Of 10000 by the time the
trees are old enough to bear fruit. II
that orchard IL properly cared for at
cost of $50 or SO an acre 1t will bring
him a perpetual income Of not less than
$4,000 year. and 1t may yield twice as
much. During the twenty years from
1890 to 1910 the value Of the orange crop
In the county Of Riverside Increased near
ly 200 per cent. and the value Of the land
nearly 500 per cent.
Something Fine in Farming.
But I should say that you can get all
kinds OF estimates and all kinds, Of re-
ports from different men whose expe-
rience has brought them sorrow or satis-
faction. as the case may be. Neverthe-
less. with care and industry and with an
ordinary amount Of intelligence an orange
grove Is undoubtedly the neatest and
sweetest and most satisfactory kind of
farming that mankind has ever expe-
rieneed.
And there are many sother means of
prosperity; there are other sources of
wealth. Lots Of people win tell YOU that
they would rather grow alfalfa than
oranges: that there Is more money In 1t
and less labor, and It Is not dependent
upon freight rates for proft.
Riverside WIS settled In 1870 through
the enoIfs Of Judge J. w. North Of