anaheim-gazette 1918-08-29

OIL FIELD NOTES By ELLWOOD J. MUNGER Here are a few of the problems the oil operator is compelled to face today. A great deal has been spoken and written on the position the petroleum industry has assumed with respect to the winning of the war. Without a doubt petroleum and its products are of the greatest necessity for the maintenance of the engines of war as they battle on to destroy Kaiserism, and yet the great industry that produces this extremely valuable product is facing some of the gravest problems in its history. Operators are anxiously awaiting the outcome of the leasing bill and the possibility of getting a chance to develop the thousands of acres that are tied up in this legislation. A demand is being made that the price of oil be kept down to as low a figure as will secure the greatest production and discourage as far as possible wild-catting and pioneering. Drilling operations all over the state have been curtailed to a large extent on account of the shortage and uncertainty of obtaining drilling well equipment and supplies, the greatly increased cost of these, the uncertainty of tax regulations making almost impossible to figure on the successful completion of wells. The oil operators are being asked to devote attention to the richer oil areas so that the supply can be obtained at the least expenditure of labor and materials. If this policy is to be followed no new fields will be discovered or opened up during the course of the war. wells that were making from 4 to 15 barrels a day to 100 barrels a day is the results the Central Oil Company has attained in the redrilling of a large number of its old wells. During the past three years this company has done considerable redrilling work and has deepened ten wells. In all cases but one the production of the wells redrilled was increased from 6 to 25 times. The work required only one extra string of casing, and the amount o f new holes made varied from 500 to 800 feet. In a number of wells the quality of the oil was also improved. Some wells the oil was raised two degrees in gravity, in others four degrees. The great success of the Central Oil Company in the work of redrilling would lead one to believe that such work should be done in all the old fields of the state. Let the operators devote a little attention to the old wells, it may pay big. Who took all the gas out of the Copa De Oro Oil Company's wild cat well in the little Brea Canyon? This is the big mystery attending the drilling of this well. Two weeks ago the well discontinued drilling at 3,980, and was cemented at 3,809 feet. At the time it was cemented the well was showing quite strong in gas. After allowing it to stand cemented for the requisite time it was bailed out and tested. To the great astonishment of the owners the gas pressure was gone, and the ballings showed only a few oil colorings. The oil showing or colors were so faint that the management are beginning to feel a little doubtful as to the final outcome of the well. In the drilling of the well blue shale was encountered at 3,705, shell at 3,785, and a fairly good grade of oil sand at 3,800. This oil sand continued unbroken for 180 feet. The long stratum of oil sand led the owners to believe that an oil well was in sight. However it is not June drop in the Colorado is today suffering from dyspepsia, a very clear malnutrition, writes Rita Sunday paper. Culture have become more ample and complex; but probably in the older orchard decided downward tenderness arrived at the point "drop" has become a mare with many a grower. June drop in the Colorado is however, in a question of tree cones climatic conditions, largely under threat of the grower. There is no orange orchards to receive good cultivation. With but few groves are planted up soil of good depth and older trees are the saplest but a few years back good crops, and as are no older than still continuing to yield... ment and supplies, the greatly increased cost of these, the uncertainty of tax regulations making almost impossible to figure on the successful completion of wells. The oil operators are being asked to devote attention to the richer oil areas so that the supply can be obtained at the least expenditure of labor and materials. If this policy is to be followed no new fields will be discovered or opened up during the course of the war. State direction and intervention is now a matter of deep concern to the operators. The day when he could go ahead and drill a well successfully with the use of only one string of casing is a memory only. Three and four strings must be used now. A few months ago the labor problem loomed up on the horizon and has been looming up higher and higher ever since. The new schedule of rates proposed by the oil well workers if carried into effect will work a hardship upon small concerns not having as yet developed a production. The production in most all of the fields of the state are gradually going down, and in many cases the owners are at a loss to know how to bring their properties up to better figures. The way of the oil man, though greased, is hard. Splendid progress characterizes the work of the Amalgamated Oil Company at Durfee this week. A depth of 2,770 feet has been reached. A blue shale formation is the encouraging feature. Shell should follow and after that the oil sand, if the Durfee property is to be productive territory. At Huntington, the Amalgamated continue the pumping test. After being on the beam four months this well is making 400 barrels daily of clear water with no signs of oil at all. The depth of the well is 3,662 and it is the opinion of some that if it was carried to 4,000 feet different results might be obtained, and the dream of an oil well just outside the city of Los Angeles realized. The Amalgamated Oil Company now has only one well drilling in the Brea field, Anaheim Union No. 42. At a depth of 2,938 a string of 8½ has been cemented. It is understood that this company along with several others will start drilling on property in the east side of the Brea field in case the Union Oil Company's Chapman well and the Standard Oil Company's Kramer well prove good. The Brea Canyon Oil Company is working over a fishing job that the gas pressure was gone, and the ballings showed only a few oil colorings. The oil showing or colors were so faint that the management are beginning to feel a little doubtful as to the final outcome of the well. In the drilling of the well blue shale was encountered at 3,705, shell at 3,785, and a fairly good grade of oil sand at 3,800. This oil sand continued unbroken for 180 feet. The long stratum of oil sand led the owners to believe that an oil well was in sight. However it is not the intention of the Copa De Oro Company, after working two years and spending $100,000, to quit. Further tests will be made on the well and probably a continuation of the drilling for at least 200 feet further. What became of the gas that has been such an encouraging feature of the well since it was struck at 3,700 feet is indeed a very peculiar proposition. Geologists will no doubt find this well an interesting study. Te well is located about three miles from the producing area of the Brea field and should it happen to show oil in commercial quantity at lower depths a great area will be added to the field. The General Petroleum Oil Company has taken a leading part in the development work of the Montebello field. This company is operating on five leases and running 5 strings of tools. On the Alvitre property No. 1 is drilling in the blue shale at 2,100 feet. No. 2 is standing cemented at 1,695. On the Cruz lease No. 1 is making hole in the shale at 2,025. Ralph No. 1 is drilling in the hard sand at 2,788. Stone No. 1 is drilling at 1,800 feet in the shale. On the Garveey lease a recent addition to the G. P.'s holdings well No. 1 is rigging up for drilling. The General Petroleum has done no development work in Southern California for a number of years, but with the opening of the Montabello field this company got into the game strong. The Liberty Petroleum Oil Company whose operations at Newport is of great interest to a number of Brea business and oil men is making preparations to resume drilling early in the week. The cement will be drilled out at 1,870 feet, FALL OPENING OF ORANGE COUNTY BUSINESS COLLEGE SANTA ANA, CAL. Bookkeeping, Shorthand, Typewriting, and Stenotypy courses. Positions for all graduates. Enrollments now active. Write for free catalogue. Address J. W. McCormac, President. of climatic conditions, largely under threat from the grower. There isonia orange orchards to receive good cultivation. With but few groves are planted up soil of good depth and older trees are the sait but a few years back good crops, and as are no older than not still continuing to yield. We have for a number basing our fertilizing of soil analyses which our arid, granite-derived show remarkable poticularly in the virginity with low humus, nitric phoric acid content, tendency has been too on the addition of potash. This eliminates from the fertilization orchards has become parent during the pass and in itself forms a greatly-increased June in evidence everywhere;the orange orchard is to lack of available ponds and therefore intending with war conditions. Fruit trees are eaten feeders. Fifty per cent ash and over 90 per cent content consists of crops alone, citrus fruit walnuts, annually re-formia soils over seven potash, four million gen and one million phoric acid; and this the great amounts reduction of fruit wood orange tree removes three times a smuch phoric acid and one-than nitrogen. While demonstrate the prespiles of potash in pure formia soils they fail or not sufficient quality right form (available ed by the tree roots assure healthy fruiting crops). The or rooted tree; its main dom more than thin inches below the ground. Few, in fact will be found as deep as older orchards drawing upon theited soil area for t The Amalgamated Oil Company now has only one well drilling in the Brea field, Anaheim Union No. 42. At a depth of 2,938 a string of 8¼ has been cemented. It is understood that this company along with several others will start drilling on property in the east side of the Brea field in case the Union Oil Company's Chapman well and the Standard Oil Company's Kramer well prove good. The Brea Canyon Oil Company is quite concerned over a fishing job that has developed in its No. 29, a deep well. At 4,110 feet a string of tools were lost and fishing has been rushed with all possible speed for the past two weeks and no success as yet. The fishing will be continued. On account of the great depth of the well the job is attended with considerable difficulty. At No. 28 the work of sidetracking a few joints of casing is going along very good. The Columbia Oil Company, drilling on its Orange lease property has made some good records during the past week. No. 8 is now drilling at 4,200 feet, and the showing encountered speaks well for the outlook of the hole. A sand that looks good enough to make a producing well is now being drilled through. No. 7 drilling in a very hard sand has made 2,625 feet. In the Olinda field the Columbia is making rather slow progress on two wells drilling. The slow progress is accounted for by the extremely hard formation found in No. 28 at 2,850, and Nd. 30 at 2,225 feet respectively. No. 31, a new well, is being rigged up for drilling. The Columbia Oil Company has its Doby No. 1 rigged up ready for drilling and will start in a few days. The drilling of this well will attract considerable attention as success here means an extension o'f the field to the southward and will start more work. The increasing of the production of FALL OPENING OF ORANGE COUNTY BUSINESS COLLEGE SANTA ANA, CAL. Bookkeeping, Shorthand, Typewriting, and Stenotypy courses. Positions for all graduates. Enrollments now active. Write for free catalogue. Address J. W. McCormac, President. NOTICE Before the Honorable Board of Trustees of the City of Anaheim, County of Orange, State of California. In re matter of the application for permit to operate automobile stages of Pickwick Stages, Inc., a corporation. To Whom It May Concern: Notice is hereby given that the Pickwick Stages, Inc., a corporation, has this day filed with the above named legislative body of the City of Anaheim, County of Orange, State of California, an application for authority to operate automobile stages for the transportation of persons and baggage for compensation, on public highways in the City of Anaheim, County of Orange, State of California, by the following thoroughfares: Passing through the said City of Anaheim on the streets and roads regularly traversed by and known as the Los Angeles-San Diego coast route highway. That said legislative body has this day fixed a time and place for a hearing on said application, to wit: on Thursday, the 26th day of September, 1918, at the hour of 8 o'clock P.M., in the chamber of the Board of Trustees of said city, in room 1, Masonic Temple building, at the northeast corner of East Center street in said City of Anaheim, County of Orange, State of California, when and where all parties interested may be heard. Reference is hereby made to the application on file for further particulars. Dated this 22nd day of August, 1918. PICKWICK STAGES, INC. A Corporation, By W. G. MERSHON, Secretary. (SEAL) JUNE DROP DUE TO LACK OF POTASH TREE CONDITIONS RATHER THAN CLIMATIC CONDITIONS RESPONSIBLE FOR LOSS CITRUS, WALNUTS AND GRAPES DRAW LARGE QUANTITIES OF POTASH FROM SOIL The average California orange orchard is today suffering from a bad case of dyspepsia, a very clear condition of malnutrition, writes R. Brinsmead in a Sunday paper. Cultural operations have become more and more costly and complex; but production (particularly in the older orchards) shows a decided downward tendency. We have arrived at the point where "June drop" has become a veritable nightmare with many a grower. June drop in the California orange orchard is, however, in greater degree a question of tree condition than it is of climatic conditions, and consequently is largely under the direct control of the grower. There are few California orange orchards today that do not receive good cultivation and ample irrigation. With but few exceptions the groves are planted upon well-drained soil of good depth and texture. The older trees are the same ones which but a few years back were producing good crops, and as a matter of fact are no older than others which are still continuing to yield in abundance. You Want That’s why we offer SANDUSKY TRACT for all general purposes and farm You Need a Tractor if you cultivate a farm or grove—you admit that and so does every rancher. You want the best all-purpose Tractor—one that will stand every test of practicability as well as durability—you don't have to be told that. Neither do you have to be told that the SANDUSKY is just the Tractor you need and want, you have discovered that for yourself. of climatic conditions, and consequently is largely under the direct control of the grower. There are few California orange orchards today that do not receive good cultivation and ample irrigation. With but few exceptions the groves are planted upon well-drained soil of good depth and texture. The older trees are the same ones which but a few years back were producing good crops, and as a matter of fact are no older than others which are still continuing to yield in abundance. We have for a number of years been basing our fertilizing upon the results of soil analyses which, in the case of our arid, granite-derived citrus soils, show remarkable potash content (particularly in the virgin soils,) coupled with low humus, nitrogen and phosphoric acid content, and the natural tendency has been to focus efforts upon the addition of the lacking constituents, to the partial or total elimination of potash. This elimination of potash from the fertilization of our orange orchards has become increasingly apparent during the past couple of years and in itself forms a vital factor in the greatly-increased June drop so much in evidence everywhere. June drop in the orange orchard is very largely due to lack of available potash in the soil and therefore intimately connected with war conditions. Fruit trees are essentially potash feeders. Fifty per cent of their wood ash and over 90 per cent of the alkali content consists of potash. Three crops alone, citrus fruits, grapes and walnuts, annually remove from California soils over seven million pounds of potash, four million pounds of nitrogen and one million pounds of phosphoric acid; and this quite apart from the great amounts required for the production of fruit wood and foliage. The orange tree removes from the soil three times a smuch potash as phosphoric acid and one-tenth more potash than nitrogen. While soil analyses demonstrate the presence of ample supplies of potash in practically all California soils, they fail to show whether or not sufficient quantities are in the right form (available) for use as needed by the tree roots year after year to assure healthy fruit wood and abundant crops. The orange is a shallow-rooted tree; its main feeders are seldom more than thirty to thirty-six inches below the surface of the ground. Few, in fact, in most orchards will be found as deep as three feet. In the older orchards the trees have been drawing upon the same strictly-limited soil area for their food supplies slightly-modified fertilizer, containing more potash and phosphoric acid and less nitrogen to stimulate fruit production as much as possible. Probably no element of plant food used in the fertilization of orange groves should be more carefully considered, with respect to both form and quantity, than nitrogen. It is the most costly and at the same time the most dangerous element to use, as excessive applications are liable to result in extensive dropping and splitting of common are no longer sold, or are offered under some modified name, and carry little or no potash. Accordingly we find many incomplete fertilizers being sold;" (b) during the same fiscal year the California Fruit Growers' Exchange, through its Fruit Growers' Supply Company, which sold solely to citrus growers between nine and ten thousand tons (over 25 per cent of the total fertilizer sales for the entire state) (valued at nearly $400,000) did not handle a single pound of potash. or not sufficient quantities are in the right form (available) for use as needed by the tree-roots year after year to assure healthy fruit wood and abundant crops. The orange is a shallow-rooted tree; its main feeders are solom more than thirty to thirty-six inches below the surface of the ground. Few, in fact, in most orchards will be found as deep as three feet. In the older orchards the trees have been drawing upon the same strictly-limited soil area for their food supplies for perhaps twenty or thirty years; all crops have been harvested and stripped off the place; prunings have been burned outside the orchard, and the ashes seldom returned to the soil. In the old days of wheat-growing upon great ranches California soils were thought to be inexhaustible; but continuous mono-cropping finally drove home the fact that no soil can be so farmed without final depletion of at least some of its essential plant foods; and today we find increasing quantities of fertilizer being added to these self-same soils. We are sometimes prone, in our continued search for the latest discovery to overlook the experience of the past, and in this connection it may not prove amiss to quote the following from an article on fertilizing in the 1894 year book of the United States Department of Agriculture: "With oranges, as with many other agricultural plants, one may fertilize in such a manner that growth is stimulated at the expense of fruit production. A strong nitrogenous fertilizer usually results in much growth and little fruit. While trees are young it is probably well to favor the growth of wood principally, but at an age of seven or eight years from the bud, the tree, if grown properly, will have attained sufficient size to begin to produce a fair quantity of fruit. It should then be given a slightly-modified fertilizer, containing more potash and phosphoric acid and less nitrogen to stimulate fruit production as much as possible. Probably no element of plant food used in the fertilization of orange groves groves should be more carefully considered, with respect to both form and quantity, than nitrogen. It is the most costly and at the same time the most dangerous element to use, as excessive applications are liable to result in extensive dropping and splitting of fruit. Potassium compounds are important on account of their influence upon the development of woody parts of stems and the fleshy portions of fruit. The development of the woody parts of plants and the fleshy portions of fruits seems to be largely dependent on the influence of potassium compounds. Apparently an insufficient amount of potash is shown by an excessive growth of weak, immature wood, which does not harden as winter approaches and is liable to be injured by frost." The average California orange orchard is today receiving ample organic nitrogen, but little or no potash fertilizer, tending to the production of weak, immature fruit wood, the undoubted prime source of the heavy June drops recently so much in evidence. Bulletin 287, "Commercial Fertilizers," issued by the State Agricultural Experiment Station, September, 1917, shows that (a) "no sulfate of potash was analyzed by the California State Fertilizer Control for the year ending June 30, 1917," but that, on the other hand, "stocks of German potash salts in this country are now practically exhausted, in consequence of which very little potash is now being offered in fertilizers. Thus it happens that many brands of complete fertilizers once In brief, coincidentally with the practical elimination of potash from our citrus fertilizers we are confronted with a serious crop shortage, a condition which has also, in greater or less degree, confronted other great fruit industries of the state. I requires but a cursory investigation in any of the older producing districts to convince even the casual observer that thousands of acres of citrus trees, from one end of the state to the other, are far from "earning their salt," although they occupy the best of land, are using enormous quantities of invaluable irrigation water and are requiring large numbers of skilled agricultural laborers. And this is taking place at a time when each and every one of these items should be employed to the best possible advantage in the production of essential soil products; at a time when the present safety and future existence of civilization itself is dependent upon our making the utmost use of every resource at our command. Every citrus orchard must produce a full average crop or it becomes a drag upon the nation. There is every bit as much reason for correcting or weeding out the "drone" citrus orchard as for culling or curing the unprofitable bee, hen, sheep, hog or cow. ant The Best y we offer you the INDUSKY ACTOR ses and farm and orchard work Showing Sandusky in the Orchard The Sandusky Works in sand and soft ground the same as on solid footing. The Sandusky Will pull a double disc and Spike-tooth harrow in tandem up a 40 per cent grade. The Sandusky BURNS KEROSENE, the cheapest fuel that will operate a gas motor. The Sandusky Is backed by life long guarantees and the only guaranteed FREE Tractor service plan in existence. Rules&ServiceStation O. J. ECKLEY, Proprietor ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA Subscribe Anaheim Gazette, Per Year, $1.50 EAL BEACH ON THE OCEAN FRONT. Subscribe Anaheim Gazette, Per Year, $1.50 SEAL BEACH ON THE OCEAN FRONT. Two Big Days Sunday, Sept. 1 LABOR DAY, SEPT. 2 Why not come to SEAL BEACH for the week-end and stay over? It will be a bright spot in your calendar. 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