112 ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 



San Francisco Bulletin issued a circular letter in February, 

 1879, and sent copies to prominent horticulturists throughout 

 the State. Responses came from sixty-nine persons, represent- 

 ing thirty counties, ranging from Shasta in the north, to San 

 Diego in the south. No better plan could have been adopted 

 for ascertaining the degree of cold experienced in various parts 

 of the State. These letters are, in my opinion, of inestimable 

 value ; I shall therefore reproduce them here. 



Editorial remarks of the Bulletin at the time of publishing 

 the correspondence : 



"If the palm merits the title of 'princess' of the vegetable 

 kingdom, the orange deserves to be called the prince of fruit 

 trees. If considered with reference to its dark, glossy, ever- 

 green foliage, the luscious flavor of its golden fruit, or the ravish- 

 ing perfume of its delicate snowy blossoms, it must be granted 

 the highest rank among all the trees that minister to the wants 

 of man. Those regions in which this 'golden apple of the Hes- 

 perides' flourishes are favored by nature far beyond all other 

 portions of the earth. 



"California is one of those chosen spots, and its fortunate in- 

 habitants may now rest in the assurance that this noble genus 

 of trees can be successfully cultivated almost from one extremity 

 of the State to the other. This winter, which all agree has thus 

 far been one of the severest on record, has afforded the oppor- 

 tunity to determine, probably for all future time, the claims of 

 many localities in the central and northern parts of the State to 

 be included in the orange-growing belt. In order to take ad- 

 vantage of this opportunity a circular letter of inquiry was sent 

 from this office to one or more cultivators of orange trees in each 

 county. Nearly all have kindly responded, and we are now able 

 to lay the aggregate result before our readers." 



CIRCULAR LETTER. 



First What were the lowest readings of the thermometer in 

 your neighborhood during the recent cold term, giving, if pos- 

 sible, the lowest temperature among the orange and lemon trees ? 



Second State the damage, if any, that your orange and lemon 

 trees, or those in your vicinity, have suffered from the recent 

 frosts, noting in what manner they are affected. 



