antly and of the finest quality; for many years poor methods of
preparation prejudiced the market against the Californian product, but
this has ceased to be the case. The modern orange industry practically
began with the introduction into Southern California in 1873 of two
seedless orange trees from Brazil; from their stock have been developed
by budding millions of trees bearing a seedless fruit known as the
"Washington navel," which now holds first rank in American markets;
other varieties, mainly seedlings, are of great but secondary
importance. Shipments continue the year round. There has been more than
one horticultural excitement in California, but especially in orange
culture, which was for a time almost as epidemic a fever as gold seeking
once was. By reason of the co-operative effort demanded for the large
problems of irrigation, packing and marketing, the citrus industry has
done much for the permanent development of the state, and its
extraordinary growth made it, towards the close of the 19th century, the
most striking and most potent single influence in the growth of
agriculture. State legislation has advanced the fruit interest in all
possible ways. Between 1872 and 1903 exports of canned fruits increased
from 91 to 94,205 short tons; between 1880 and 1903 the increase of
dried fruit exports was from 295 to 149,531 tons; of fresh deciduous
fruits, from 2590 to 101,199; of raisins, from 400 to 39,963; of citrus
fruits, from 458 to 299,623; of wines and brandies between 1891 and
1903, from 47,651 to 97,332 tons. Of the shipments in 1903 some 44%
were from Southern California,--i.e. from the seven southernmost
counties.

Grape culture has a great future in California. Vines were first
introduced by the Franciscans in 1771 from Spain, and until after 1860
"Mission" grapes were practically the only stock in California.
Afterwards many hundreds of European varieties were introduced with
great success. "The state has such a variety of soil, slope, elevation,
temperature and climatic conditions as to reproduce, somewhere within
its borders, any wine now manufactured" (United States Census, 1900);
but experience has not as yet divided the state into districts of
specialized produce, nor determined just how far indigenous American
vines may profitably be used, either as base or graftings, with European
varieties. Grapes are grown very largely over the state. Raisins do well
as far north as Yolo county, but do best i