The Parker post., 1913-04-05
STATE CITRUS
CONDITIONS
ARIZONA is MOST FAVORED
PLACE FOR CITRUS CULTURE
HAS ADVANTAGES OVER oTHEH
SECTIONS.
(By Frank c.. Russell in Arizona
Magazine.)

sCICTuS culture LIS U0SClll0Q TO De-
come one of the most profitable and
attractive of Southern Arizona s
many agricultural pursuits. Many
people are inclined to be a bit skep-
tical in the face of this winters
freeze, but the tendency is to great
ly over estimate the severity of the
case
Florida suffered a freeze in 1895
which killed her trees to the roots
!, and caused loss of Is million dol
lars-wipCd out every tree in the
state Yet her growers went pluck
lily TO work anG re-planted until now
her citrus groves represent an invest
ment of $100000,000 and her annual
crop return averages about $16,O00,-
0N0 while new paintings will Within
Il very few years increase this year
ly income to probably $5O,000.00O.
California has suffered many kill
ing frosts before this year-yet her
citrus paintings are valued at almost
$500, 900, 900, and the normal annual
return for the sale of fruit is between
{ $40 900, 900 and $4,000, 900 And thou
sands of acres Of new paintings are
being added to this every year.
! The industry is far too profitable
o be discouraged by a single dis
aster, no matter how severe. When
you hear of orange groves selling for
$1,000 or $2000-or even as high as
S3000-per acre; you are not hearing
fictitious values. The groves which
sell at. these figures are bought by
hard headed business men-because
they actually return good interest
on tile investment at that price.
Arizonas > an a:7vantage il the
orange market of the world lies in
the fact that her naval oranges rip
en- and can be sold earlier than the
naval oranges from any other Sec
tion of the United States Florida
does not produce good naval orange
and the California oranges do not
ripen so as to- be fit to eat before
January. Our oranges ripen and
color to perfection in November, and
enter the Thanksgiving and Christ
mas markets in the east without COM
petition. The result can be only
one ,hing-top notch prices and an
absolutely safe and steady market.
Other Advantages.
The fact that our fruit ripens for
this early market is only one of our
many advantages. California and
Florida growers must live in fear Of
freezing weather throughout the win
ter months. Our fruit is off the trees
before there is even danger Of frost.
All We need worry about is saving
/ our trees from INJURY, and this is a
much simpler matter than saving the
fruit itself The fruit will be dam
aged at a temperature of 25 or 26
degrees-but the tree itself, if in
good condition and dormant, Will
stand 19 or 20 degrees without SER
ious injury. Temperatures even as
low as Is degrees this winter we
find nave not seriously damaged our
Of the branches were killed-and the
probabilities are that we will have
almost normal crop of fruit next
season
Another advantage is our remark
able freedom from scale and insect
pests. California spends hundreds
of thousands of dollars every year in
fnmigating and spraying to keep
down scale pests. The most search
ing Investigations of experts in the
Arizona groves have failed to dis
close single scale or pest which
nas gained a foothold. With our
riga quarantine laws to keep out.
these pests there is no reason why
we should ever be bothered with
them. All Florida stock and most
against There will be continuous eff
forts on the part of unscrupulous per-
SOILS to break down and evade these
laws but it is absolutely vital to our
future prosperity that we who have
the best interests of the industry at
heart stand firmly back of the hor-
ticultural commission at all times.
Another advantage is our cheap
water supply-an advantage which
only those who know the cost of
water in California can fully appre-
ciate. There are sections in South
ern California where the orange grows
ers pay Is TIMES as much for their
irrigating water as we pay-and their