Where Fruit is Produced 
7 
water that they supply most of our needs for citrus fruits (Fig. 57). 
These are the southeastern and southwestern corners of the country. 
The Florida orange groves. The peninsula of Florida is nearly 
always free from frost, not only because it lies far south, but because 
most of the winds come from the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean 
or the Gulf of Mexico. Only the wind from a little west of north 
comes from the land, and this land breeze rarely blows vigorously in 
central and southern Florida. When it does come it may bring chill- 
ing wintry blasts from the interior of the continent. Then buds and 
blossoms are frozen, and even the trees themselves may be killed. 
Orange growers have learned to protect their orchards during the 
winter by placing pots of oil or charcoal where they can be lighted 
to warm the lower air should the wind blow from the north. 
Climatic conditions in the California citrus region. Southern Cali- 
fornia is doubly protected from frost by the mild Pacific on the west 
and high mountains on the east. But even there winds sometimes 
creep across the mountains on the east, bearing the winter chill of the 
continent’s interior, with the same results as in Florida. Thus 1913 
was a disastrous year for the orange growers in California. They, 
too, have learned to use the fire-pot to warm the threatened 
groves. 
Although oranges are the most important citrus fruits in Florida 
and California, Florida specializes also in grapefruit, and California 
in lemons. 
Special problems of the California growers. California must 
supply its groves with expensive irrigation water. whereas in Florida 
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Fic. 57. Citrus fruits can be grown in the United States only where conditions approaching the 
tropical can be found ; that is, (1) in Florida, (2) in a narrow belt along the Gulf coast, and (3) in 
southern California. In Porto Rico, Hawaii, and the Philippines, the right climatic conditions 
are found ; but only in Porto Rico has a citrus fruit industry been developed ; there grapefruit of 
excellent quality are grown for the New York market.