196 ORANGE CULTURE IN CALIFORNIA. 



and approved varieties of orange. Under a good, generous 

 cultivation, the buds made two large growths before winter and 

 had fine bushy tops. The winter was frosty and many of the 

 orange buds were killed, while the lemon buds were not ma- 

 terially damaged. Scattering blossoms were found here and 

 there in the following spring, and the trees grew so it was almost 

 impossible to get through the rows to do the fall cultivating. 

 The buds were two years old the next spring, and the orange 

 root five. The trees were completely loaded with blossoms and 

 young fruit. They were removed and set in orchard form, and 

 now, as we learn from the owner of the orchard, they are pro- 

 ducing a profitable crop. The bud was three years old last 

 spring and the root six. We believe this is a fair illustration of 

 what can be done with the Eureka lemon, provided the culture 

 be confined to our inland valleys. The bearing capacity of the 

 trees will increase from this time forward until from six hundred 

 to one thousand will be an average yield. The tree is somewhat 

 dwarfish, is not thorny, a hardy, vigorous, healthy grower, and 

 an early and generous bearer. So much for the tree, and now 

 for the fruit. 



"You go to our markets and call for the best lemon, and you 

 will invariably receive the Eureka a small oblong lemon, rich 

 in juice, rind sweet or slightly bitter for which you will prob- 

 ably pay double the price of any other variety. 



"Now these are facts, and not long-spun theories, and our 

 only excuse for stating them is that our people may be aroused 

 to a just appreciation of a proper and profitable lemon culture. 

 But we must not forget that this industry is not intended for all 

 sections. The inland valleys are the proper homes for all 

 branches of citrus culture, while to the coast valleys we give the 

 palm for deciduous fruits. 



"It is a fact needing no argument that there is no danger of 

 ever being able to overstock our markets with a first-class 

 lemon, because the area in Southern California best suited to 

 this growth is limited." 



