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Practically all citrus growers in Cuba and Porto Rico 



know by experience that we are willing to furnish them 

 whatever information we can relating to the subject of 

 citrus growing. We should like to impress upon planters 

 in other Islands in the West Indies that we stand ready 

 at all times to do the same for them. Those who do not 

 find the information they need in this pamphlet can feel 

 free to write us. We 'Charge nothing for the information 

 we give. 



COMMERCIAL IMPORTANCE 



Citrus fruits are not natives of America, but they were 

 undoubtedly brought over soon after Columbus' first 

 voyage, and all the different kinds, including oranges, 

 grapefruit, lemons and limes, are now found growing 

 wild in all of the islands in the Wes/t Indies. It is known 

 that oranges were shipped from some of the Islands to 

 the United States even during the time of sailing ships 

 and although the trade was unimportant from a com- 

 mercial standpoint, the West Indies was then th^ chief 

 source of supply for the United Stales, 



According to Lelong, the first commercial grove in 

 California was two acres planted near Los Angeles in 

 1841, but on account of undeveloped shipping facilities 

 the Eastern States were not supplied from there until 

 about 1880. From Florida some of the wild fruit was 

 shipped commercially, as from the West Indies, b'lt 

 very little cultivated fruit was shipped before 1880. 

 From this it is readily apparent that no great amount 

 of oranges were consumed in North America previous 

 to 1880, but according to statistics, in 1900, just 20 years 

 , over 10,000,000 'boxes were shipped out of Cali- 



