USA > California > San Bernardino County > Ingersoll's century annals of San Bernadino County, 1769-1904 : prefaced with a brief history of the state of California : supplemented with an encyclopedia of local biography and portraits of many of its representative people > Part 24
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The Hon. E. W. Holmes, in the Los Angeles Express, gives a somewhat different version of the history of the original Washington Navel trees of Riverside :
"It is a question if the ascendency of California in the markets would have been so pronounced had not the peculiar fitness of our soil and climate for the production of the world's best orange-known in America as the Washington navel-been so conclusively demonstrated by the Riverside growers.
"Settled upon a grain ranch without water rights were Mr. and Mrs. L. C. Tibbets, who came from Washington. Near them were irrigated lands occupied by Josiah Cover and Samuel McCoy and Thomas W. Cover. These last named had planted small orchards and were engaged in growing nursery trees. They were studying the problem of new and more desirable varieties, and found in an encyclopedia the description of an orange grown at Bahia in Brazil, which was described as seedless and said to be the finest known. Chatting with Mrs. Tibbets one evening they told her about this and ex- pressed a wish that they might get the department of agriculture at Washi- ington to import a tree of this variety. Mrs. Tibbets said she was acquainted with Mr. Saunders at Washington and proposed to write him inquiring re-
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garding the possibility of obtaining a tree of the variety desired. His reply was to the effect that the department had already imported one of the trees, from which buds had been taken and young trees had grown. Several of these had gone to Florida, and others would be sent to California. The Florida experiment was a failure. The variety did not do well there. Those sent to Mrs. Tibbets were upon their arrival planted and cared for by Cover & McCoy, and it was due to this care that they lived and became the pro- genitors of the millions of navel trees now bearing in Southern California. Tom Cover obtained buds, and I believe sold the first trees which went to other districts, for the trees had fruited and he had concluded they would prove superior to anything we had.
"When the first specimens ripened a dozen of the pioneer growers gathered at G. W. Garcelon's residence to hold the first "Citrus Fair," and the writer was one of the company to taste the first specimen cut of the now famous Washington navel. All the varieties were good and proved to the anxious growers that their faith and work was to result in success ; but the navel was unmistakably superior to any and its beauty of form and color, its firmness and flavor justified the decision to plant it extensively. The . result proved that the 'Citrus Belt' of California was larger than was sup- posed, and that Riverside was strictly in it."
The history of the original Riverside Washington Navel oranges would not be complete without this :
"Riverside Enterprise: One of the most gracious acts on the part of President Roosevelt on his recent visit to Riverside, and one that more than all others will endear him to the memory of the people of this valley, was the planting of the original navel orange tree in the Glenwood grounds on the morning of his departure. The tree, a gift to the Riverside Historical Society, had been placed in position, and at half past seven in the morning, President Roosevelt accompanied officers and members of the society and invited guests to the spot where stood the tree that had assisted so gener- ously in giving to Riverside and Southern California its immense wealth in orange groves. John G. North, president of the Historical Society, ad- dressing President Roosevelt, told of the good this tree had done, and asked that their distinguished guest plant it in its new home in order that the society might cherish and care for it, and that their thoughts might ever be linked with the president who planted it for them in that favored spot. President Roosevelt took the shovel, remarking, 'I am glad to see that this tree shows no signs of race suicide,' he shoveled several shovelfuls of earth on the roots, handing the shovel to Mr. North, who has placed it in the archives of the society, where it will remain as one of its most valued trea- sures, and as a memento of the use it was put to in the hands of President Roosevelt."
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SOME MORE NAVEL ORANGE HISTORY.
The Redlands Citrograph quotes from the New York Fruitman's Guide : "A writer to a New York daily, Thomas D. James, of Nassau, New York, claims that an article printed in that paper "is a trifle off in crediting California with the first production of navel oranges in the United States.
"'In 1870,' says Mr. James in his letter to the editor, 'I planted an orange grove near Palatka, Florida, and in the early '70's had a number of trees budded with Bahia or navel oranges. The buds were taken from bearing trees in the vicinity, which trees must have been planted before the agri- cultural department had taken any steps in the matter.'
"Instigated by this letter of Mr. James, W. A. Taylor, assistant pom- ologist of the United States Department of Agriculture, has within the last few days brought to a conclusion an investigation, the purpose of which was to trace the history of the seedless orange in this country. Mr. Taylor reports his conclusions in a paper entitled 'The Bahia or Washington Navel Orange in the United States.' He says in his paper :
"'According to the late James Hogg of New York, a wealthy Brazilian planter, a Scotchman by birth, determined to manumit his slaves and re- move with them to the United States. This he did about 1838, settling on an island in Middle or Southern Florida. He then returned to Brazil and secured a collection of Brazilian plants for introduction, which he consigned to the late Thomas Hogg, who then conducted a nursery at the corner of Broadway and Twenty-third street, New York city. Among these plants were several Navel orange trees. The collection was held in the greenhouse in New York for nearly a year, until the plants had recovered from the effects of the sea voyage, and was then forwarded to the owner in Florida. During the Seminole war the entire collection was destroyed by the United States troops, the owner being charged with giving aid and comfort to the enemy. The owner then removed to Hayti.
"'While it is not known positively that these trees were of the same variety as that subsequently introduced by the department, it seems probable that this was the case. None of the trees survived long enough to come into fruit, however, and no trace of them now exists. The facts regarding this early introduction of the navel orange do not appear to have been gen- erally known until 1888, when the above statement was published by Mr. Hogg.
"'During the year 1868, William Saunders, then horticulturist, land- scape gardener and superintendent of garden and grounds of the United States Department of Agriculture, learned through a correspondent then in
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Bahia, Brazil, that the oranges were of a superior character to any known in the United States. The department accordingly ordered a small shipment of trees. The first lot were found dead upon arrival. By sending minute directions as to budding, packing and shipping, twelve small trees in fairly good condition were finally received by the department in 1870. These were planted in one of the greenhouses and propagated' from by budding on small orange stocks. The young trees thus propagated were distributed to orange growers in Florida and California under the name "Bahia" for testing.
"In 1873 two of these young trees propagated from those originally imported from Brazil were sent to L. C. Tibbetts, Riverside, California. When these came into bearing the superiority of their fruit to that of the other varieties then grown in California was quickly recognized, and trees on Mr. Tibbetts' place were largely propagated from by California nursery- men. One of these renamed the variety "Riverside Navel," and claimed to have imported the trees from Brazil himself. Later, at a conference of orange growers held in Los Angeles, the name "Washington Navel" was adopted for the variety in recognition of the fact that its introduction by the department of agriculture, and it is very generally grown at present under that name.
" 'The American Pomological Society still adheres to the name "Bahia," under which Mr. Saunders introduced it, and recognizes the name "River- side Navel" and "Washington Navel" as synonyms. It is now the most extensively grown variety in California.
"'In Florida this variety yields fruit of fine quality, but when budded on orange stocks has not proved sufficiently productive in most sections to be profitable for planting in a commercial way. There are strong indica- tions that when budded on stocks of the "rough lemon" its productiveness is sufficiently improved to warrant commercial planting, and experimental efforts along this line are now being made in that state.
" 'The exact place of origin of this orange is unknown, but the navel type is known to have existed for centuries. Thus a very good illustration of such an orange appears in a "Natural History of Trees and Fruits" pub- lished at Frankfort-on-the-Main in 1662. It seems altogether probable that varieties bearing the navel mark have originated in widely separated regions, either as seedlings or as bud variations which have been perpetuated by man by means of budding and grafting.
"'In this connection.it is of interest to note that several navel varieties have been introduced in this country at different times. Some of these are known under the name "Australian Navel," "Parsons' Navel," and "Sanford Navel," but none have been found equal to the Bahia in seedlessness and productiveness or high quality.'"
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THE FIRST SAN BERNARDINO ORANGE TREES.
In 1857, Anson Van Leuven brought six orange trees from San Gabriel to San Bernardino and set out three of them on his place. These were the first bearing trees in this county.
In 1889, the Redlands Orange Grove and Water Association collected some data regarding the oldest orchards in the county.
Anson Van Leuven stated with regard to his orchard :
"I have four acres of thirty year old seedlings. Nursery stock was three years old. (This would make this grove set out in 1862.) The stock was brought from Los Angeles. At the seventh year from planting, the yield was one and one-half boxes per tree, eight years from planting, two boxes per tree."
L. R. Van Leuven said: "In 1865, I planted 50 three-year-old seedlings and in 1873 planted 100 seedlings, the same age. The sixth year from planting the yield was one-fourth box per tree."
Lewis F. Cram: "At the time I located on my place in the East San Bernardino Valley orange culture was hardly thought of. No attempts had then been made to start in the business with any hope of making it a success, and we early settlers had not at that time, the slightest inkling of the great changes that were to take place in this valley as soon as it was known that oranges could be grown here with profit. At the time I set out my grove, 1869, I had an opportunity of purchasing 500 young trees, or enough to plant five acres of land, but I decided to take only enough to set out I 3-4 acres, thinking as an experiment it would be as well to start with a few trees. This orchard is now over twenty years old and it is believed that there is not a finer grove in California, either in productiveness, or in size and appearance of trees. The trees have never failed to bear since coming into bearing, but have increased from year to year until in 1887, I realized $1,757 from the I 3-4 acres."
The San Bernardino Guardian reports in 1874, that Mr. Lewis Cram "is engaged in setting out 1,500 orange trees."
The Crafts orchard at Crafton was set out about 1870. In 1874, Col Tolles planted the seeds of his Lugonia orchard, using the seed of rotten Tahiti oranges brought from San Francisco.
W. R. Fox and Rev. Jas. Cameron put out the first orchards at Colton about 1875, planting nursery stock, and E. J. Waite set the first orchard in Redlands in the spring of 1882.
At Riverside, W. P. Russell put out an orchard of six acres in 1872 while the old "Hewitson" grove was set in 1871. After 1872 the planting was brisk in Riverside and by 1880 over 15,000 orange trees were bearing in the county.
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THE MARKETING OF ORANGES.
The first orange growers had a bonanza. The first bearing trees on the Anson Van Leuven place at Old San Bernardino were a great curiosity. People drove miles to visit them and pluck oranges with their own hands and paid as high as seventy-five cents per dozen, it is said, for the privilege. I. N. Hoag, in a report to the State Agricultural Board, made in 1879, says: "A gentleman in old San Bernardino has an orange grove of 83 trees to the acre and the average sales have been 2,000 oranges to the tree, sold at three cents a piece-$60.00 per tree, or $4,980.00 per acre."
In the Riverside Press and Horticulturist an old resident wrote as follows in 1882:
"Nearly ten years since the few of us who then resided in Riverside, journeyed often over the bad roads of the canyon to Old San Bernardino to see Captain Pishon and Mr. Anson Van Leuven, and get an impetus from seeing 1,000 to 3,000 oranges on thirteen year old trees, worth upon the tree from fifty to sixty cents per dozen, and which price we cheerfully paid, for had we not young trees that would in a few years bring us in from $40.00 to $80.00 each? Our purchased fruit we would keep to look at and see the gold and silver in the dim distance." The same writer states that in 1882, it cost from $1.15 to $1.40 per box to pack and ship oranges to San Francisco. "My oranges have sold in San Francisco this year at from $2.00 to $4.00 per box : at about the same time in Denver, the same class of fruit-seedling oranges --- sold for $7.83 per box containing 165 oranges to a box. A gentleman who shipped to Denver with me received for his Riverside Navels about $8.22 per box of 137. It costs about $4.20 to pay freight and commission on a box of lemons to Denver and $3.50 on a box of oranges."
Thomas A. Garey writes in the Semi-Tropic Californian: "I find by a careful examination of prices in San Francisco for the years 1877-78 that the price for Los Angeles oranges averages $22.50 per thousand."
As early as 1879, 15 cars of oranges were sent from Los Angeles to Salt Lake, but the freight rates were practically prohibitive at this time. Decem- ber 10, 1881, the Riverside Press and Horticulturist reports: "Messrs. Cover and McCoy have sold their Riverside, or Washington Navel oranges-the entire crop-to Mr. F. B. Everest for $40.00 per thousand on the tree. Mr. Everest will ship these oranges to the principal cities of the east and place them on the market and see how they sell."
At first fruit was shipped packed loosely in boxes or barrels and was sent by wagon to Arizona and New Mexico and by steamer to San Francisco and coast points. By 1880, a uniform box had been adopted and some atten- tion was being paid to sorting and packing.
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In December, 1881, the Southern Pacific, owing to the increase in orange production and the approach of another transcontinental line, dropped the rate on carload lots of oranges from $650 per car to Chicago to $350, at the same time making a rate of $300 from Los Angeles to Kansas City, $335 to St. Louis and $10.00 per ton on carload lots between Los Angeles and San Fran- cisco,-300 boxes to a car.
The Riverside Press of April 24, 1882, chronicles: "G. W. Garcelon and A. J. Twogood are getting ready to ship a carload of oranges and lemons to Denver. This will take all their surplus fruit." So far as the records show this was the first carload shipment made out of San Bernardino county.
ASSOCIATIONS.
At a meeting of some fifty orange growers called in Riverside in Decem- ber, 1884, a discussion was held as to the advisability of selling fruit on com- mission and it was unanimously agreed that "this is the best method that can be adopted." A committee of nine were appointed to correspond with com- mission houses and "submit a plan for action."
This seems to have been the first step toward the organization of growers or the recognition of orange selling as an industry in San Bernardino county. The Orange Growers' Protective Union of Los Angeles was organized proba- bly in 1885. This included Los Angeles and Riverside. J. de Barth Shorb was the president in 1886 and two representatives, one of whom was James Bettner of Riverside, were sent east to look after the interests of the Union. It seems to have had the same troubles as the present Union for the shipments for 1885-86 are reported as "891 cars for the Orange Growers Protective Union and 791 cars for others."
In the winter of 1885-86 the California Fruit Growers Union was organ- ized in San Francisco.
PACKING HOUSES.
At first the fruit was mostly marketed by the growers themselves, the larger orchardists shipping for the smaller ones; but gradually the business developed, firms making a business of handling fruit were established, eastern commission houses sent their representatives to various points and many packing houses were built.
In December, 1882, the Riverside Fruit Co. announced that it was ready to handle oranges on commission,-boxes and packing on lowest terms,- superior facilities for shipping in carload lots." B. D. Burt was president of this company. The E. C. Packard Co. also announced itself as ready for busi- ness in December, 1882, "having erected a fruit packing house on Eighth street. west of Main." Griffin and Skelley and Germain Co. built packing houses and were ready for business in 1884.
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"At a meeting of the principal fruit packers of Southern California, held at Riverside on December 28th, 1887, the following rules were adopted and the packers whose names are attached pledged themselves to abide by the same for the present season. The subject of prices was not touched upon :
1. In buying oranges or lemons delivered at our several packing houses, we shall in all and every case insist on such fruit being stem cut, stems to be cut close to the fruit. All oranges pulled from the trees without being clipped, to be classed as culls and weighed back to the grower or soid for his account.
2. The weight of a box of loose Navel, or paper-rind St. Michael oranges to be seventy pounds net merchantable fruit. The weight of all other varieties of oranges to be sixty-five pounds net merchantable fruit. The weight of a box of loose green or cured lemons to be seventy pounds of net merchantable fruit.
3. The merchantable size in Navels to be 176 size to the standard box, and all larger sizes. The merchantable size in the paper-rind St. Michaels to be 250 size and all larger sizes. The merchantable size of all other varieties to be 128 to 226 inclusive. The merchantable sizes of Navels or the Paper-rind St. Michaels to be classed with the seedling oranges of the same sizes and bought at the same price as seedlings of such sizes. The unmerchantable sizes of all other varieties of oranges except Navels or Paper-rind St. Michaels, to be paid for at the rate of one-third less than the price paid for the merchantable sizes of such varieties.
The merchantable sizes in green lemons to be 200 to 250 to the standard box, and of cured lemons. 250 to 300 to the box. all other sizes to be classed as unmerchantable and weighed back to the grower or sold for his account.
4. All windfalls, thorned, or limb-scratched, bruised, frosted, pulled. buttoned and otherwise injured oranges to be classed in all cases as culls and weighed back to the grower, or sold for his account.
Germain Fruit Co .. Griffin & Skelley. Earl Fruit Co .. A. J. & D. C. Twogood.
C. J. Shepard. Thacker Bros. & Mann.
W. R. Strong & Co .. Riverside Fruit Co ..
Boyd & Devine. Geo. W. Meade & Co."
As will be seen, the standard sizes differed considerably from those at present in use. At that time the oranges ran much larger than now.
"Standard Car of Oranges for 1900 .- The regulations governing the
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variety of size in the 'standard car of oranges' were adopted by the Fruit Growers and Shippers' Association of Southern California, as follows :
"Navel Oranges .- A standard car of Navel oranges to consist of sizes 96's to 200's inclusive ; not over 15 per cent 96's and 112's. Any excess of 15 per cent 96's and 112's to be considered off-sizes and invoiced at a reduction of 50 cents per box. Sizes 64's, 80's and 250's, Navel, to be considered off- sizes and invoiced at a reduction of 50 cents per box from the price for regular sizes. Sizes 216's, in Navels, to be considered off-sizes and invoiced at a reduction of 25 cents per box.
Seedlings, Mediterranean Sweets, etc .- The standard car of other varieties (except Valencias and Paper-rind St. Michaels) to consist of sizes 126's to 250's inclusive : not to exceed 15 per cent 126's and not over 15 per cent 250's. Any excess of 15 per cent 126's and 15 per cent 250's to be considered off-sizes and invoiced at a reduction of 25 cents per box. Sizes of Seedling oranges larger and smaller than 126's to 250's, inclusive, to be considered off-sizes and invoiced at a reduction of 25 cents per box.
"It is understood that each car of oranges may contain a reasonable quan- tity of off-sizes, at the reductions named above."
The number of boxes in a car has also undergone a marked change. From 1886-87 to 1893-94. 300 boxes of oranges was counted as a car ; from 1894-95 to 1897-98, 334 boxes constituted a carload ; during the season of 1898-99, 360 boxes were counted to the car and now the standard car contains 362 boxes.
TRADE MARKS AND LABELS.
About 1889 the adoption of trademarks and labels began to be discussed. The Riverside Press in March, 1889, published the following :
"The new trade mark labels printed by the Riverside Board of Trade have been received and are being used by some of our packers. This label is 25 x 6 inches and is printed in colors, showing a handsome view of Magnolia avenue and a full bearing orange tree on either side and a fine Navel orange in the center, with the words 'Riverside Oranges, California,' on a ribbon. Above this, 'Trade Mark, Registered February, 1889,' and below it, 'Oranges packed under this Trade Mark were grown in Riverside.' On the right and left are fac-similes of the gold and silver medals won at the New Orleans Exposition in 1884. The label also bore the following notice: 'The Board of Trade of the city of Riverside have, after due consideration, deemed it advisable to provide a trade-mark for the use of all growers and packers of Riverside fruits. Any dealer who purchases a box with this label intact may know it to be Riverside fruit. D. L. Wilbur, President.'"
At this time all fruit grown in San Bernardino county was shipped under the Riverside name and by Riverside packers. Riverside fruit then brought higher prices than that raised in Los Angeles and other counties, the black
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scale and other pests having greatly injured the fruit and indeed almost destroyed the industry in the coast counties.
"In 1890, San Bernardino county, which was not affected by scale at all, shipped 1,705 carloads of oranges while Los Angeles shipped only 781. The introduction of the Vedalia followed which in less than a year freed the trees of the cottony cushion scale, and in 1891, the returns were 2,213 car-loads for Los Angeles county and 1,708 for San Bernardino." (LeLong.)
The first shipments of Redlands fruit under the name of "Redlands" were made in the season of 1889-90 by the Haight Fruit Co., under their "Rose" brand. Ontario also began shipping fruit under her own name and brands about the same time.
The first record of systematic grading of oranges is furnished by Prof. Chas. R. Paine, of Crafton, who in 1884-5 made a grader for himself to grade fruit according to a description furnished him by a Florida friend. The Jones grader, manufactured in Philadelphia was used in Riverside in 1886 and in 1887, J. W. Keeney patented a grader which proved successful.
TRANSPORTATION.
As the production of oranges increased, the transportation of the orange crop to the east became an important item in the railroad business. The Southern Pacific and Santa Fe vied with each other in furnishing facilities. The ventilated fruit car was adopted in 1887 and orange trains were run as specials. In March 1888, a car of oranges was started from Riverside on the 13th and reached New York city on the 25th, the shortest time on record at that date. In 1899, the refrigerator car service was instituted and now a regular sysem of inspection and "icing" adds to the efficiency-and the cost- of the service.
THE PRESENT SITUATION.
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