424 CALIFORNIA FRUITS: HOW TO GROW THEM 



since then declined. The value in 1907 was $354,495 but little 

 more than one-tenth of the imports of twenty-five years ago. 



The orange industry of the United States is unique in the high 

 social and financial standing of those who have engaged in it, and 

 in the striking features of its development. Both in Florida and 

 in California large scale production was first undertaken by north- 

 ern men who had gained wealth and had lost health in the pursuit 

 of it. They brought capital and commercial ability to the ventures 

 which they exploited. The professional classes of the north also 

 participated largely in the work, bringing scholarship, insight and 

 experience in organization. There were a few also who possessed 

 horticultural experience, but the other classes largely predom- 

 inated. The result has been the development of an industry char- 

 acteristically American in spirit and new in methods. It has bor- 

 rowed very little from the practices of old world orange growers. 

 Free from tradition and prejudice it proceeded rapidly upon the 

 results of original investigation and experiment, establishing a 

 system of culture and of commercial handling of the product which 

 are without precedent in the older orange regions of the world. 



THE ORANGE A STATE AFFAIR IN CALIFORNIA 



Thus far the discussion has been based upon the achievements 

 of Southern California and the effort made to assign them due 

 credit for greatness and uniqueness. The relation of Southern 

 California to other parts of the State in orange growing is not less 

 important and significant. 



Citrus fruit trees have been successfully grown in suitable situ- 

 ations in northern California for nearly half a century. There is a 

 famous orange tree at Bidwells Bar, in Butte county, which was 

 started from an Acapulco seed in Sacramento in 1855, and planted 

 out in Butte county in 1859, which has been generally made to 

 stand sponsor for the demonstration of citrus conditions north of 

 the Tehachipi mountains ( but it is not entitled to all the distinction 

 which has been heaped upon it. In the fifties there were other 

 orange and lemon trees growing in widely separated northern 

 localities in the valleys of the San Francisco Bay region, also near 

 the rivers and among the low foot-hills on both sides of the Sacra- 

 mento Valley. It was, even in early days, the proper thing to include 

 citrus trees among ornamental dooryard plantings and one reason 

 why *he demonstration at Bidwells Bar was so widely accepted as 

 complete, when it was brought forward as a guaranty for com- 

 mercial planting in the later eighties, \vas because similar instances 

 of successful old trees existed in many and widely separated places. 



This question naturally suggests itself: Why, if such early 

 demonstration was had, was large commercial planting of the 

 orange delayed at the north until after southern California became 



