ORANGES AND LEMONS — MEXICO. 407 



I ain told that the first plants or cuttiugs of oranges cultivated in So- 

 nora were broiight by the Jesuit fathers ninety years ago from Italy, and 

 planted at the missions of San Jos6 de Guaymas and Hermosillo. But 

 little attention was paid to their cultivation excepting for home con- 

 sumption, as there was no market for them on the coast (as they are 

 grown from Guaymas to Panama), and no quick transportation existed 

 to take them to a market north. After the Sonora Eailway was fin- 

 ished it furnished the means of getting them to a market in the United 

 States, and in 1883 a small shipment was made with good results, and 

 since then orchards have been planted and oranges now figure as an 

 article of export to the United States by rail. In 1888, 14,000 boxes 

 of 1200 oranges each were shipped. The fruit is sold on the trees at from 

 $'j to $8 per 1,000, being purchased by fruit dealers through their agents, 

 who pick, pack, and ship the fruit. 



The Sonora orange commences to ripen iu November, and by the end 

 of December the fruit is nearly all harvested. 



Orange trees are grown along the sea-coast, and in the interior of the 

 country up to 3,000 feet altitude. Bottom lands have been used for this 

 purpose heretofore, but I am told some orchards have been recently 

 planted near Hermosillo (inland 100 miles from Guaymas,) on rolling 

 lands and hillsides. 



The trees are irrigated throughout the year, particularly in the dry 

 season, which commences iu October and ends in July. 



The trees are raised from the seed of the sour orange and are set 

 out or planted 30, 40, and 60 feet apart; the second year are grafttd 

 or budded with the sweet orange. They commence to give a small 

 quantity of fruit the third year after grafting, and are iu full bearing 

 condition iu the eighth year, yielding, if well grown, from 1,000 to 1,500 

 oranges per tree. 



No insect pests have appeared as yet to destroy the tree or fruit. 



Lemons, fi;;s, and olives are cultivated to a limited extent. Thesse 

 fruits from the few trees cultivated are. used for home consumption 

 alone, none being exported. 



A. WiLLARD, 



Consul. 

 United States Consulate, 



Guaymas, Mexico, November 13, 1889. 



LOWER CALIFORNIA. 



UBPOliT BY CONSUL TIOSCA, OF LA PAZ. 



Varieties. — The Oastillian orange (Naranja de Castilla) is 4he best 



variety known here for profit, supposed to have been introduced by the 



early Spaniards; of recent years seed and young trees brought by fruit 



growers from the States of Sinaloa and Sonora have been planted iu 



15CA 2 



