Fruit Exhibition.

The Horticultural Society, at its last meeting, instructed the Board of Directors to proceed to make arrangements for a Spring Fair for the display of Semi-Tropical fruits. The intentions of this exhibition are to afford an opportunity to make a critcal examination and comparison of the various varieties of the citrus family of fruits, and not only compare varieties, but also compare fruits of the same variety from different localities. The State has progressed just far enough in this business to make a comparison that will be of great value to fruit growers. It is claimed by fruit growers in Central California that oranges raised in the Coast Range, also in the Sierra Nevada foot-hills are superior in quality to the Los Angeles orange. Perhaps such is the case, but who knows? The Sacramento Record-Union, in its issue of December 17, in referring to samples of oranges sent from the root-hills, says: "These oranges include various varieties of the thick and thin skinned, all deliciously fragrant, and equal in flavor to those in any portion of the State—rather more pleasant to the taste, in fact, than most of those grown this season in some of the southern counties." How does the editor of the Record- Union know that such is the case? We have no ripe oranges in Southern California as yet, and will not have for weeks. It is claimed that oranges in the upper country ripen earlier than they do in Southern California. Perhaps this is so, but there is fully as much money in late oranges as in early ones, and if Central California furnishes the early oranges, and Southern California the late oranges, it is much better than to have the fruit of both localities ripen at the same time.

It is quite common for up-country papers to make wild statements like the above. At the Fair next Spring let fruit from Central California be placed on exhibition, that this and other questions may be tested. The time for the Fruit Fair has not been set as yet, but probably sometime in March will be chosen.