CHAPTER XXXII 

 THE ORANGE 



The orange leads all fruits of California. Near the close of Chapter 

 VI will be found the numbers of trees and value of product, as reported 

 by the United States census of 1910, and the railway shipments beyond 

 State lines for a term of years, upon which the supremacy of the orange 

 rests. In view of this leadership it seems fitting to take a little wider 

 range in the discussion of the significance of the orange in the develop- 

 ment of California than has been indulged in the consideration of other 

 fruits, and this is justified by the fact that the orange is the chief ex- 

 ponent of the horticultural resources of the State and its attributes in 

 this direction are shared in varying degrees by the other fruits. The 

 greatness of orange growing in California becomes, then, in various 

 ways the token of our advancement in one of the highest of the agri- 

 cultural arts, and in the mastery of long-distance commercial distribu- 

 tion of fresh fruits. These achievements are also a demonstration of 

 the quality of our agricultural citizenship.* 



The estimate of total production in boxes, and of market value at 

 selling points, of California citrus fruits for a decade is as follows, the 

 citrus year being from November 1 to October 31 : 



Year. Oranges. Lemons. Returns. 



1903 8,094,720 826,500 $ 9,995,375.55 



1904 10,246,656 868,000 11,505,895.43 



1905 10,225,809 1,333,500 15,773,190.14 



1906 8,973,342 1,182,200 21,024,814.16 



1907 10,290,729 1,097,300 22,267,344.14 



1908 10,742,944 1,585.000 21,238,213.26 



1909 13,441,011 2,019,898 23,121,231.27 



1910 11,187,792 1,627,480 25,011,027.85 



1911 15,645,168 2,315,376 33,613,927.01 



1912 13,680,612 2,146,550 28,240,135.64 



1913 6,346,692 866,304 20,998,105.04 



The descending scale since the maximum product of 1911 is due 

 to frosts in 1912 and 1913, in which the decreased quantity was only 

 partly covered by higher prices prevailing in those years. The 1914 

 product is expected to occupy its proper place in a regularly ascending 

 series. 



THE ORANGE INDUSTRY OF THE WORLD 



From the beginning the orange has reigned as king in the inter- 

 national fruit trade of the world. The grape has always been and is 

 still, greater in the value of its contribution to commerce and in the 



*The Orange Industry "Encyclopedia Americana," Scientific American, New York, 1904. 

 "The Orange in Northern and Central California," California State Board of Trade, San 

 Francisco, 1903, etc., by the author. 



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