104 ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 



Frank A. Kimball, of National City, San Diego county, says 

 any one who has made the experiment knows that an orange, 

 lemon, lime or olive tree can be raised as easily as an apple, 

 pear or plum tree. The orchardists of Northern California and 

 Oregon are anxious to sell us the latter fruits in perfection and 

 endless variety, at a, low price, and are willing to pay us from 

 three to five times as much for our fruits ; for nature has barred 

 their production in that latitude. Then why not exchange the 

 productions of the sections, when such natural benefits as com- 

 merce always brings can be secured ? 



I have compared only the more prominent of the semi- 

 tropical with the corresponding northern fruits; but the same 

 arguments that apply to them will also apply to a long catalogue 

 of agricultural and horticultural productions. Can success be 

 expected if a man persist in cultivating a fruit tree that will net 

 him only one dollar per annum, when another tree could be 

 planted that would net ten or even twenty dollars? 



It is true that most of the northern fruits are raised without 

 difficulty in all the southern counties of the State, and in quality 

 equal to that of the best ; but the profits to be derived from them 

 bear no comparison to the results obtained from the catalogue 

 furnished by nature for this climate. 



I would say to the beginner, allow nothing to distract your 

 attention from the plain dictates of common sense. Do not 

 talk about overstocking the markets while we are importing 

 large quantities of semi-tropical productions. Plant the best 

 varieties of the kinds you intend to cultivate, bearing in mind 

 the fact that uniform quality, symmetrical form, pleasing color, 

 and, just now, fruits of large size, command the markets. 'Su- 

 perior excellence, however, regardless of size, will yet command 

 respect. 



Another prime factor, so far as California is concerned, and 

 one that enters most conspicuously into this subject of over- 

 production, is the impetus the great and overshadowing interest 

 of grape culture has recently received. This interest promises 

 most encouragingly to be permanent in its ample remuneration. 

 This has, to a great degree, attracted and diverted the attention 

 of pomologists in the direction of grape culture, to the almost 



