The Record of the Past the Promise of the Future. 



CITRUS CULTURE in California, like so many other 

 lines of fruit growing, took its inception with the advent 

 of the early Missions something like a century ago. In its 

 beginnings it was sparodic in character, the few trees of oranges 

 and lemons (more especially limes in the earlier period ) that 

 dotted the landscape over widely separated points, usually 

 found an abiding place within the shadow of the Mission Churches 

 or their immediate environs. For the most part they were 

 planted to supply local wants, no attention whatever being given 

 to their culture as an article of commerce. In sort and variety 

 they were also limited, consisting chiefly of the seedling orange 

 and the Mexican lime. This dearth in kinds and sorts was uni- 

 versal it was as pronounced in the sheltered portions of Northern 

 California, in the great thermal belt of the San Joaquin and Sacra- 



when the railroads were completed and made it feasible to ship 

 direct to the Eastern markets. 



Citrus culture, as a great force in California's horticultural 

 development, takes its date from about 1870. One year previous 

 to that time, Riverside had already taken the initial steps toward 

 becoming a great orange growing section a distinction which 

 has been augmented with the years, until it is recognized the cen- 

 ter of the industry in the United States. At about the same time 

 many other places were exploiting orange planting. Growing 

 settlements with citrus culture as a basic industry were springing 

 up all over Southern California, but chiefly in the San Gabriel 

 valley. For the most part, these early plantings, when coming 

 into bearing, paid handsome returns. In not a few cases as high 

 as $2,000 was realized from a single acre, and from $500 to $1,500 



A HISTORIC WASHINGTON NAVEL ORANGE GROVE, 29 YEARS FROM THE BUD. 



This grove was planted to seedling stock in orchard form, and the following year budded to Washington Navels. In the early 

 days of citrus culture, this method was at times resorted to, because buds of the Navel were scarce as well as expensive, and 

 planters sought to gain time by this practice. The buds were taken from the celebrated Tibbet's or parent trees. This orchard 

 has been in constant bearing, and is still a valuable possession. At the time the ohotograph was taken, the" grove had attained 

 the age of 26 years and bids fair to yield the golden globes for another quarter of a century. 



mento Valleys, as in Southern California. In so far as progress 

 and development was concerned, there was none from the time 

 of the advent of the early Missions and the period of American 

 occupation. Even after that period the advance was slow and 

 purely local in character, representing small plantings of trees 

 in gardens and limited orchards calculated to meet a local demand 

 for fresh fruit. Some efforts were, however, a feature of the late 

 sixties and early seventies, when oranges began to find their way 

 by ocean vessels to San Francisco and other northern points, 

 chiefly from Los Angeles County. These early shipments were 

 usually sent out in bulk, sometimes in barrels, sometimes in sacks, 

 and at other times in boxes. In the northern markets these 

 brought good prices, which greatly advanced the interest in 

 citrus culture and stimulated planting not a little. The first 

 great impetus to citrus growing, however,, took its inception 



was not unusual. Naturally an industry yielding returns like 

 this attracted men and money from all sections, with the result 

 that land values increased rapidly and the new acreage, being 

 constantly planted, resulted in a development, the like of which 

 has probably no parallel in the annals of horticulture. A few 

 figures in the rough will tell forcibly the giant strides made in 

 1890-'91, when Los Angeles County shipped 2,212 cars and 

 San Bernardino County (then including what is now Riverside 

 County) 1708 cars; 1898-' 99 when the total cars shipped from 

 Southern California aggregated 15,000, valued at about 

 $12,000,000. Since that period, the advance has been healthy, 

 though not quite so pronounced. At the present writing, the 

 total shipments from south of the Tehachapi range of mountains 

 will average between 25,000 and 30,000 carloads, valued at 

 about $19,000,000. 



