Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1914-06-11
LETTER FROM FORMER SUPT. II. O.
WHEELER.


To the Editor of the Free Press
Having spent the winter in southern
California, have recently been taking ac-
count of some facts and impressions which
have come to me.
In the first place, we have had no win
ter, in the common acceptation of that
term, as we use it in Vermont. We have
had no snow. no ice. no coasting, no skat-
ing, and no tobosgan slides, but instead
we have had sunshine. and warmth; flow
ers and sea bathing. 1t is difficult to rec
oncie blooming flowers, lounging on the
warm sand of an ocean beach in bathing
costume, and plunginE through the surf,
with the idea of the presence of winter.
Under these conditions one is compelled
to readjust his notions of the seasons.
Here roses have bloomed, the bushes have
rested awhile and then have bloomed
again, gcraniums have been constantly
revealing new coors and varieties, and
Gala lilies by the hundreds have bordered
garden and roadside, while the brilliant
poinsettias and the golden peoples have
added their peculiar beauty to the scene.
While the blossoms l have mentioned
are objects of great beauty, to me, an or
ange grove loaded with ripe fruit excels
them all. No pictorial representation that
have seen does the subject justice. Nest
ling in the dark green foliage near the
surface and hiding in the inner recesses
of the trees vertabe golden apples APP
parently fairly glitter. And when this is the
case not only with a single tree, or a lit
tie clump of trees, and the picture cX-
tends over acres and acres and hundreds
of acres you can give your imagination
free rein and you will not be likely to run
into extravaganza in description.
San Dimas, which has been our temper
airy home during the past few months, is
a little village and country town in Los
Angeles county, about miles easterly
from Los Angeles and six miles westerly
from Pomona. "Old Badly" raises his
huge form but n few miles distant, and
for a few months has been covered with
snow, and sometimes has been so resplen-
dent in the sunlight say 1t reverently-
that 1t has suggested the mount Of trans
iGuration in its glorious appearance
The principal industry of San Dimas is
the cultivation of citrus fruit. Its fertile
soil, abundance of water and its almost
entire freedom from frost, with its SUI
pcrior transportation facilities make it a
rare spot for the culture of this fruit. or
anges prodominate. Oranges, oranges, in
every direction. so many in number and
so widely distributed that they flavor the
air and tint the sky, and their valu runs
up into the millions. But oranges are not
the only production of San Dimas. Lem
ons are raised in great quantity, and
grapefruit also while tangerines, loquots
persinmons and other fruits are success
fully cultivated.
The San Dimas Orange Growers asso-
citation has new and up-to-date packing
house, and handles from coo to 100 cars of
oranges annually. and sometimes has
from LOCO to 100 boxes of fruit in its
house waiting for packing. In the busy
season from six to l. carloads of fruit are
shipped each day. The Randolph Pack
ing House, also located at San Dimas
does an extensive business
The San Dlmas fruit is celebrated not
only for Its great quantity. but also :or
its superior quality, and orders for It come
from nearly every part OF our own coun-
try and also from abroad. This favorable
reputation s due in part to exceptional
ADVANTAGES in climate, soil and other ma
tural conditions. but also to the great
care exercised, in cultivation. preparation
are packing.
San Dlmas enjoys the distinction of hav-
ing the greatest lemon packing house in
the world owned and conducted by the
San Dimas Lemon association, and of hav-
ing the most extensive citrus nurseries in
the world, OF which Robert NJ league is
the proprietor,
AS might be inferred from what ] have
said of the quantity and quality Of the
San Dimas citrus fruit. land values are
high.
An extensive holder OF real estate and
an experienced dealer In land and fruit,
speaking recently Of friend. who owns
40 acres of citrus fruit, said: IF he should
be offered 100000 for the property, he
would refuse the offer" A prosperous
young rancher said "A short time ago that
If he should be offered $4,000 for his 40
acre ranch he should probably consider
the offer but he would not promise to ac-
cept It, Common figures for orange
groves are 5000 to 5000 per acre. A few
days ago a l0-acre ranch brought S25, 900,
and a few weeks ago a ranch of IL acres
sold for $4,000, and it was said that the
former owner reserved this years crop of
fruit While It may be doubted II the
present high prices can be permanently
maintained, yet the faith OF the people in
their country and industry Is indicated by
the continual planting of young trees and
starting of new groves, We must have
seen several hundred acres of fruit trees
which have been planted during the past
year, and still they plant.
Last year southern California received
= very severe blow in the form of two or
three days OF cold weather. which destroy