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Show Apple Raising in Southern California Southern California Is looked upon ns tho homo of citrus fruit, and It used to bo declared that apples could not bo grown commercially In this district. Hut California Is a land of many climates and many conditions, :. and, In splto of predictions, tho applo 5i crop of tho southern end of tho state Tf is becoming an Important factor In ' thq market. Tho conditions of grow I lng, however, aro unique. Apples can I only bo brought to perfection of Jutcl- I ncss and flavor when grown n an K elevation of 3000 feet or nbovo, and such elevation with the right kind of soil nnd with water sufficient for ir rlgatlon is not' too common. Yet, nccordlng to tho 1014 Bulletin of tho State Horticultural Commission there are about 6000 acres in southern south-ern California of bearing applo trees nnd 15,000 acres not yet In bearing. Tho Los Angeles County Horticultural Horticultur-al Inspector's lost report gives tho number of bearing applo trees in this county as 95,000, nonbearlng 41,000. San Bernardino county is reported as having 10,000 acres of applo trees not yet In bearing, with 1000 acres most-' most-' ly In tho Yucaipa, Oak Glen and Beaumont Beau-mont districts In bearing. Riverside county lg credited with about 500 acreB of bearing applo trees, and 2,-400 2,-400 acres plnnted out. San Diego county has 1100 acres In bearing. Ono of tho host apple growing sections sec-tions Is found around Julian In San Diego county. Here aro extensive mesas 4000 feet and more above sea level. Tho snowfall Is Bometlmes very heavy hero in winter, and the frost is frequent enough to glvo tho right color and snap to npples, as was discovered by somo of tho earlier settlers. Now applo raising hns be-como be-como genernl and no finer npples -aro produced anywhero. Tho most extenslvo bearing orchards orch-ards in Southern California aro located locat-ed In tho Oak Glen and Upper Yuca- ipa valleys, In the San Bernardino Mountains. Hero tho elevation vain va-in rlcs from three to four thousand feet. H Oak Glen is a sheltered valley al-m al-m mnst underneath Mount San Bernar- 5l dlno, a peak 10,000 feet In height. X The crop of this section this year is estimated at 100 cars about oneholf m the usual production, on account of & nn early frost. Yucaipa Valley now M-M bas about 4C0O acres planted to ap-WT ap-WT pie trees, "GOO oT which aro In bcar--B ing. It is estimated that tho yield this year will bo about 100 carloads jM CS0 boxes to tho car. II Tho picking nnd packing of tho If fruit is carried on with all tho scl- l entitle caro lavished upon tho orango If crop. Each app'o Is picked by hand U and carefully laid In n leaf lined H bucket. From tho bucket the fruit is lifted singly into boxes, which aro hauled to tho packing house "ero M it is again lifted. by hand onto canvas tables, where it is sorted and grad- cd. It necessary it la washed bo- fore receiving a polishing from tho canton flannel gloves of tho handlers. Then It is dropped into tho canvas chutes of Its grndo and passed alow; to tho packer, who wraps each apple in Btamped paper and lays it in Hers In tho boxes. When a box Is "''led It Is passed on to rccolvo tho lid, and is finally stacked up on tho side, so as to avoid bruising. Four grades are commonly used. Tho fruit perfect in color, form and condition Is marked Extrr Fancy; that of good form but of light color Is Fancy; whero n slight blemish Is found which does not affect keepftg quality, tho fruit is labeled Choice. I All tho rest Is known as Standard and Is sold to local merchants for a cent to a cent and a half a pound, or' i made into cider. Tho hauling of this fruit down the mountains from Oak Glen to a station sta-tion fifteen miles nwny n problem that required careful study and much experimenting to solvo. Wagons having hav-ing extra springs nro used. Tho stacking of the boxes is a science In Itself, as heavy loads aro handled. Tho driver must understand how to ease his load when ho strikes a reck how to work It safely around 3harp turns and to nvold tho rocks and pitch holes which are always found on heavy grades. The descent from Oak Glen to tho station Is about IH0 feet, which means somo very steep grades. Yet so carefully aro tho apples ap-ples packed and so skillful havo tho drivers becomo that tho fruit Is delivered de-livered In almost perfect conditio.). Most of the apples raised in 'bis section nro shipped to Los Angeles and placed in cold storage, or find a nearby market In the surrounding country and In Arizona Hose L. Kl-lerbe, Kl-lerbe, In Los Angeles Dally Times. |