USA > California > Riverside County > History of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Volume I > Part 63
USA > California > San Bernardino County > History of San Bernardino and Riverside counties, Volume I > Part 63
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At first every orange grower handled his own fruit from the tree to putting it on board the cars at Colton, the nearest point on the railroad. In and around Los Angeles and at San Gabriel before the advent of the rail- way the steamer to San Francisco was the only way to reach market. With the exception of Southern California, the San Francisco market was supplied with oranges from Tahiti, but only at intervals and not of a very good quality.
When we consider that in 1921, 20,000,000 boxes of oranges were packed we begin to see that orange packing assumes great importance and is a source of income to many families. It is mostly women and girls who do the actual wrapping with paper and placing in the boxes. This is about the only process that the orange undergoes that is done by hand without any machinery. All else is done by machinery.
Usually the oranges are taken from the wagons by hand and stacked in piles about six high when they are shifted to where they are massed until ready for packing. If convenient at the time of unloading the wagons the teamster puts the boxes on a traveling table where the boxes are forwarded and emptied automatically into the water bath and the empty boxes returned to the teamster to be reloaded upon the wagon to be refilled at the orchard. When not convenient the man with the hand truck runs his truck to the pile of fruit on the packing house floor. runs the truck up to the pile where it clasps a pile six high and by a movement of his foot locks the pile to the truck when he wheels it to a platform, leaving it there where it is automatically emptied and the empty box taken to another place and automatically piled. The oranges being dumped into the water, the frozen or light ones are immediately separated and go on their own way. The others are brushed. washed and cleaned and immediately taken through a series of fans that dry them and bring them past the sorters on moving tables to the graders composed of a series of rollers where all the sizes are put in their appro- priate bins, where they are taken by the packers, wrapped and packed firmly in the boxes. As soon as the boxes are filled they are again put on moving tables where they are carried to the cover nailers when they are put in the cars ready for shipment. The boxes are put in the cars so firmly by pressing that it is impossible for them to move while in transit, arriving at their destination in as good condition as when put in the car.
The boxes are also made by automatic nailing machines, the most improved of which nail a box at one operation throwing it out automati- cally and piling them on trucks. In addition to box nailing another
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machine takes the ends, pastes them and puts the labels on. Thus much of the labor of handling boxes is done away with and the orange goes through all of these operations without a single bruise.
If an orange gets at all bruised it soon begins to decay. The women who pack the fruit wear gloves to prevent injury. The pickers in the orchards also wear gloves to prevent injury. Thus the fruit in all of its stages is handled in a cleanly manner and when it goes to the con- sumer's table it is attractive to the eye as it is agreeable to the palate.
All of the machinery employed in and about the packing houses is the invention of Geo. D. Parker or of his partner Fred Stebler, mainly the former and they not only manufacture, but also guarantee satisfac- tory operation.
THE SCALE PEST. In no department of improvement in the efforts of the early settlers was there greater excitement or fears for the future manifested than in the suppression of scale insects and other pests which threatened great loss or the entire extinction of certain departments of the fruit industry. In the very start orange trees brought from Los Angeles were badly infested by the black scale which interfered with the healthy growth of the tree and marred the beauty of the fruit. At first this scale could not live in our dry climate and it disappeared in a short time after planting and as soon as our firuit began to come on the markets its clean appearance gave it a decided advantage over fruit grown near the coast. After the lapse of several years when climatic changes came in by reason of increased planting, irrigation and greater density of foliage and foggy mornings the black scale began to get a foot- hold and spraying and other remedial measures were introduced to miti- gate the evils arising from the introduction of scale. The more recent introduction of washing all fruit before packing removes the blackened appearance of the fruit and gives it an attractive appearance on the market.
The San Jose scale was one of the earliest scales we had to contend with on deciduous fruits. This scale not only affects the trees, but it gets on the fruit in the course of its growth spoiling its appearance and preventing its sale as laws were passed forbidding the sale of fruit with scale on it which applies to all fruits, deciduous as well as citrus fruit.
So much did the San Jose scale increase and interfere with fruit sales that most of the apple trees were dug up and burned in order to get rid of this pest.
The writer was one of those who dug up most of his apple trees to get rid of the scale which also infests other fruit trees and plants, but not in the writer's experience to such an extent as the apple tree. This was in the seventies and very early in the history of fruit culture in Southern California. Perhaps one of the reasons for digging up trees to get rid of the scale was the very promising outlook for growing orange trees with the added reason that you could make so much growing citrus fruits than in deciduous fruit that you could well afford to forego their growth and buy all the deciduous fruit needed. The fallacy of this argu- ment has long been shown.
About this time the introduction of predaceous insects for the destruc- tion of scale was being advocated and there was introduced a small lady-bird with a reputation for destroying the San Jose scale. Whatever may be the cause about this time the San Jose scale entirely or almost entirely disappeared and has never been much of a detriment since in the writer's experience. The writer began planting deciduous fruits again and with such an entire freedom from the San Jose scale that he
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has never seen a single scale since and at the time of sale of his orchard in May, 1921, he had probably the largest bearing apple orchard in the City of Riverside. Imagine the surprise of the writer when a short time ago on making inquiry about the San Jose scale and its enemies, to be informed by the Horticultural Commissioner for Riverside County that there was no parasite that would exterminate the San Jose scale and that there was no other remedy that was effective and furthermore the San Jose scale in some parts of the state was a serious menace to the apple industry. This is the latest and reference will now be made to scale pests on citrus fruits.
The following from the California Cultivator of February 17, 1917, will be of interest to all citrus fruit growers when we are informed that three years of infestation by the white scale would entirely destroy a citrus tree. It will also show that the persistent efforts of the govern- ment to help the fruit growers is productive of good results. (Written for California Cultivator by James Boyd.)
Today but little is heard of the white scale, Icerya purchasi, but thirty years ago it occupied a great deal of time at all meetings of horticulturists. The story of the white scale and its practical extermination is one well worth being repeated and perpetuated. The white scale was the most dreaded and destructive scale that the orange grower ever had to contend with.
It was first introduced into California about 1868 by Geo. Gordon of Menlo Park and appeared in several places North and South about the same time. It first began to be noticed in the early seventies. It seemed to be proof against all ordinary insecticides, and while it had full sway increased enormously fast. The only safety for the orchardist lay at that time in the comparatively isolated and scattered groves. This was before the days of fumigation and when experiments were being made with it. Fumigation. it was reported, killed the trees. The various kinds of washes seemed to have no effect on it. It would also stand a greater degree of heat than any other scale. Heat and steam were tried with the result that the trees was injured and the scale unhurt. The kerosene emulsion and the various rosin washes were harmless to the scale. Infested trees would not bear after the third year after being infested and would then speedily die.
This was the state of affairs until a State Fruit Growers' Convention was held in Riverside in connection with a citrus fair in April, 1887. At that meeting Prof. C. V. Riley, United States entomologist from the Smithsonian Institute, Washington, D. C., in speaking on the subject of insect pests, had the following to say in regard to the white scale. Aus- tralia, he said, was the home of the white scale. Nothing was known of it prior to the '70s. It appeared almost simultaneously in Australia, Africa, and America. "The white scale," he said, "has greater powers of locomotion and accommodates itself to a greater variety of plants and survives longer without food, which makes it one of the most difficult species to contend with. No bird of California is known to feed on it, and of true parasites, none have hitherto been reported. Albert Koebele reported making many experiments to exterminate it without results. Caustic soda would not kill the eggs when it killed the bark and burned the leaves. Professor Coquilett also experimented without any result.
"It has doubtless occurred to many of you that it would be desirable to introduce from Australia such parasites as serve to keep this scale in check in its native land. This State, even this county, could well afford to appropriate a couple of thousand dollars for no other purpose than the sending of an expert to Australia to devote some months to the study
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of those parasites there and to their introduction here. The result for good in the end would be a million fold. I would not hesitate as United States entomologist to send some one there with the consent of the com- missioners of agriculture were the means at my command, but unfor- tunately the mere suggestion that I wanted $1,500 or $2,000 for such a purpose would be more apt to cause laughter or ridicule on the part of the average committee of Congress than sorrow or earnest consideration, and the action of the last Congress has rendered any such work impos- sible, limiting investigation to the United States. The white scale is the most difficult to master. One thing is sure, it is pure folly to think of giving up the battle. Permit me to congratulate you as a board on the good work already done, and to prophesy that in future years when the fair and unrivaled fruits of the Coast shall have been multiplied beyond the most sanguine vision of any of you and have found their way in one form or another to consumers in all parts of the world, the people of California will gratefully remember the work you have instigated and the battles you have fought."
In speaking of Professor Riley and his work the Press and Horticul- turist remarked: "One of the gratifying results of Professor Riley's visit is the assurance that the United States Government is now to assume local and continual control over our insect pests."
At an international exposition at Melbourne, Australia, Albert Koebele was sent out to attend and look for a remedy for the white scale. The result was that he sent three kinds of parasites, one of them, the vedalia cardinalis, that was very voracious, praying on the white scale both in its larval and adult states. These were sent and distributed by Professor Coquilett wherever most needed.
The Press and Horticulturist of Riverside, under date of February 8, 1890, reports : "Since the perfect destruction of the white scale in Los Angeles County the orange trees in the older orchards are making a very fine growth and prospects are good for a very large crop in that county after this season."
Other pests on the citrus trees are being controlled by fumigation and gas. The red and yellow scale have long been known and were intro- duced into Riverside in early days by bringing oranges for eating and throwing the peel outside the house in place of burning. The best remedy for the destruction of these scales for the first few years was spraying with some form of kerosene in an emulsion with water, but owing to the difficulty of wetting every portion of the bark and leaves of the tree there would always be enough scale left to start anew.
Experts in connection with the State University in their search for more complete remedies suggested that gassing under a tent thrown over the tree would reach every portion of the tree and leaves and completely destroy all forms of insect life. A gas formed by the decomposition of cyanide of potassium with sulphuric acid is now the most approved and successful way, but it has to be applied in a skillful way or it may injure or even destroy the tree itself. In order to do this most effectively and to ward off the injurious effects of the gas on the tree it has to be done in the night time when dark.
The fruit grower has his troubles and a casual observer would never think when viewing the delicious fruits on the fruit stands of large cities that it is only through surmounting great difficulties that our fruits are produced in perfection.
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FROST PROTECTION. The orange seems to be at its best in point of quality where climatic conditions begin to point to failure in the industry.
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In Southern California soil and local conditions make either success or failure a matter that cannot be at all times a certainty without actual trial. Some of these local causes of failure can be overcome by precau- tionary means after perhaps years of experiment. The individual may experiment for most of his life and not arrive at anything very definite, but when a whole community tries in various ways, results may be arrived at much sooner. One of the most unfavorable conditions encoun- tered it might be said all over California at times is frost. In Southern California it is winter frosts we have to contend with, and that for only a few nights in the year. Spring frosts are rare. It is pretty hard for the orange grower to have a fine crop of first-class fruit and have it all ruined by one night's frost of a few hours' duration.
The Riverside Horticultural Club, one of the most useful organiza- tions of the past-"the past" may well be said of it, for it has been a thing of the past for years and did much useful work while it had an existence. Nothing in the domain of orange culture or even of house- hold economy was missed in its monthly meetings, at members' houses mostly, where discussions were participated in by its members. Here again came in the local paper, for a perusal of the files of the papers of twenty years and more ago will reveal a wealth of subjects and a list of names of those who read papers of importance on the varied topics that came up from time to time that would be a revelation to those who have come after, profiting by the experiences of those who have passed on and been forgotten except by an occasional old-timer. Not the least valuable of these meetings were the social features of all of them when mutual friendships could be promoted during the short hours devoted to the meetings. This was before the telephone was in such general use that the inquiry "How's the baby?" could be indulged in between the intervals in preparing the family breakfast. Shall I repeat without danger of undue criticism, "These were the happy times- the golden days"?
All these efforts to overcome well nigh insurmountable obstacles when every man gave his time without thought of compensation except the good he might do in solving a new and difficult question.
In studying up protection from frost many were the opinions expressed and experiments made in a small way. The Horticultural Club took it up as one of the pressing and important questions and members of the club spent whole nights in the frosty atmosphere taking temperatures and ascertaining just how much could be accomplished by the puny efforts of man in combating or mitigating the mighty forces of nature. We had all heard of smoke screens and such like devices that had been successfully tried in a small way elsewhere, but how to warm up the atmosphere over miles and miles of orchard was the great question. The idea that by great bonfires of brush, wood or straw the atmosphere could be warmed up in this way was never held for an instant. It was settled very early in the experiments that a great fire made a chimney through the lower strata of air and passed into the upper atmosphere. Experience in lighting a stove showed that in a cold morning and in a still atmosphere until there was created considerable draft and heat the smoke would hardly leave the chimney or stove pipe. and so in the orchard in place of creating a big fire, a multitude of small fires would (in place of going up into the upper air) creep along the ground under and among the trees, raising the temperature only a very few degrees, but enough to mitigate the few degrees of cold that produced the damage. Many tried to produce a smoke screen that would hang over the grove like a blanket, keeping everything warm. This answered the purpose,
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but places like Pomona enacted municipal regulations that forbade such smoke clouds as a nuisance in the houses, blackening everything it came in contact with, and now all devices there have to consume their own smoke. The frost protection devices all use some form of sheet iron burner with crude oil as a fuel. They are all effective in raising the temperature a few degrees and against any ordinary frost. The unprece- dented frost of 1913, however, could not be overcome in the coldest places and much of the fruit of that season was lost and not only the greater loss, but the lesser expense of picking the fruit off the trees had to be met.
To the inexperienced in the ordinary orchard there are some observa- tions that if kept in mind may save a good deal of anxiety.
First-There is never a killing frost if there are any clouds in the sky. Second-There is never a destructive frost when there is any wind blowing.
Third-There is never a very bad frost with a low barometer nor after heavy rains when the ground is wet.
The time to look for a bad frost is after a dry, cold norther and the wind goes down at night with a clear sky. It never freezes in the daytime in Southern California as it does in some places when they experience a cold spell. After a rain, when the ground is wet, things may look bad with a quantity of white frost on the grass and wet boards, but usually the frost is not destructive. When it comes a real hard frost you will not need to ask, "Has the fruit been damaged?" You will know without asking. In many cases only part of the fruit on the trees will be touched, but the difficulty of separation is now solved by the treatment with water in which gravity plays an important part. When an orange is frozen the juice cells are burst and the juice gradually leaves the fruit until in bad cases the pulp of the fruit is all dry, then an expert can tell by handling whether it has been frozen. There is no means of telling by looks, for a fine looking orange. if frozen, if picked from the center of the tree, may not show any external signs of frost, but on the outside exposed parts of the tree there are usually telltale dark spots that convince the expert.
In this connection it will be quite in place to tell of the method of separating frozen fruit from that which is not frozen. Frank Chase, of the family of E. A. Chase & Sons, large growers of oranges and founders of the National Orange Company, packing and shipping their own fruit, was the discoverer. Much fruit in the past has been shipped that was more or less damaged by frost which had a great effect in demoralizing prices to the detriment of those who had sound fruit, and many packers, out of sympathy with those who could hardly afford to lose their fruit, would pack and ship such fruit, which had an unfavorable effect on consumers, for no one likes to buy a fine looking orange only to find it is without any juice or with only a small quantity. No one sup- posed that there was any way of separating frozen fruit from sound, but Frank Chase found a way both simple and inexpensive, and under the system of washing every orange before it is packed the damaged fruit can be separated without any expense. The principle of separation consists in dropping in water, when the sound fruit goes one way and the damaged another. Frozen oranges are lighter and specific gravity does the separation.
Although Mr. Chase could have by taking out a patent on his discovery made a fortune by a small royalty, so small that it would hardly have been felt by the grower, he refrained from doing so and gave his discovery freely to the public and thus added his name to the list of
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those who gave their time and talents freely and to the benefit of Riverside. And so, after all, the "almighty dollar" does not rule supreme everywhere, for there are some who have other rules of life than what they may gain by accumulation of that which they cannot take with them when they pass the "silent river." Long may they live and their number increase.
In justice to George D. Parker of the Parker Iron Works it must be said that he had a process of separating frozen fruit from sound by passing through a bath of alcohol of a certain degree of strength. The water method of separation, however, on account of its cheapness and simplicity, supercedes all other methods. Frost protection is also bene- ficial in other ways to the orchard, for orchards protected come out in the spring in better condition than those not protected. It is quite a task when frost threatens to go over a large orchard and light all the fires necessary for protection, but it is a cheap insurance against loss. There are some growers who are in favored locations who say that it is about as cheap for them to take the risk of frost as to go to all the trouble of providing oil containers, filling them, lighting and extinguish- ing them.
There are many years in which frost protection is not needed, the same as it is everywhere, and many groves are pretty near immune, but the use of protection devices makes profitable cultivation of the orange a success over a greater area. Unlike most other places, a slight eleva- tion or some purely local condition makes quite a difference in temperature.
CHAPTER XXII
PUBLIC PARKS
There are some heroes in civil life as well as on the battle field Captain Dexter is one of those. A veteran of the Civil war, so modest and unassuming that but little is known of his life previous to coming to Riverside or even in Riverside. There was a tract of land, mainly bottom land, adjacent to Riverside that had been bought for a stone quarry, about thirty acres in all, most of it in the bottom lands of the Santa Ana River and Spring Brook. It had a most forbidding aspect. Overgrown with weeds and brush, with an occasional cottonwood or willow tree, a mass of sand full of humps and hollows, with Spring Brook running through it, grown up to tules and other aquatic plants, it did not look by any means an ideal place for a public park or beauti- ful lake.
CAPT. C. M. DEXTER was born in Columbus, Ohio, in 1842. His mother was a gifted woman, intellectually, and was noted as a public lecturer and belonged to one of the most prominent of the pre-war families. Early in the Civil war he volunteered on the Union side, serving with distinction. At the close of the war he was honorably discharged with the rank of captain. After the war business affairs took him over a great part of the South. Florida was included in these rambles, partly for his health. He also took a course of study at a medical college and was entitled to put after his name M. D., but did not practice medicine. He possessed a fine taste and sense of letters, was an omniverous reader and liberal in his religious ideas.
Although entitled to a pension as a war veteran, he never drew a pension, saying he did not need it, and after his death among his effects was some warrants on the government in that line that he never drew and which were discarded as useless. His widow now gets a pension from the government.
Mrs. Dexter was for many years a partial invalid and cripple, due to an injury to the hip, and the care and devotion bestowed on her was a great strain on him in his declining years. Mr. and Mrs. Dexter came to Riverside in 1890 and he passed away on November 12, 1918. He passed away unexpectedly and suddenly from heart disease, and the day before his death the peace armistice with Germany being made known, interested him very much and was one of the last things to occupy his attention. The Riverside Press paid this tribute to him in announcing his death :
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