Daily Los Angeles herald., 1883-06-20
wise ana Otherwise,

A morning contemporary has ex-
hausted the grape and wine question,
and now comes up to the orange ques-
tion with profundity of knowledge
that is perfectly appalling. In recent
issue on this topic that journal says:
at is notable fact that the quadrup-
ling Of the orange production of Florida
within the last eight or nine years has
had no perceptible effect on lowering the
price of tie fruit. Has not the excel
lence of the fruit placed upon the mar
ket something to do with this remarkable
fact, and would it not be wise for the
orange growers of Southern California
to heed the suggestiveness Of this, and
place upon the Eastern markets only the
best fruits?
Such knowledge is so high as to be
dreadful. The Florida oranges, owing
to the great heat Of the summer, are
ripened very early, and are on the At
lantic markets in December and January,
two months before the Los Angeles
grange attains perfection. The Florida
fruit has no competition at that time of
the year. The California fruit is not
rire at that time. 1t is sour
and not full grown; and owing to the
coldness Of the weather, if shipped at
all, mast be carried in felt-lined cars
and cared for at great care and expense.
The increase in the product of Florida
is accounted for by the tremendous in
crease in the population of the eastern
half Of the Union, and the prevalence
of prosperity that enables the people to
purchase oranges and other delicacies in
abundance. 1t is not the excellence of
the Florida orange that makes it salable,
but the fact that it comes into the At
lantic markets when it has no competi-
ton that makes it bring good price.
The writer has been familiar with the
florida orange for thirty years, and can
speak from experience in regard to its
qualities. The fruit is large and fair,
but possesses only the element Of sweet
ness to commend It to popular regard.
1t is very porishable and lacking in fla
yor to remarkable degree. 1t is not
uncommon for cargo Of Florida oranges
to lose twenty-five per cent by decay,
in a trip from St. Augustine to New
York, all in the space Of q week; while
the orange Of California would decay
less in two months time than its Florida
competitor did ina week. The flavor
and aroma Of the California orange is so
far superior to the Florida fruit, that a
comparison would be odious to the
Everglade State. The California or
anges that have been shipped by careful
men to the eastern markets have brought
satisfactory prices.
Once in . while party may ship a
few inferior oranges, that could not be
given away here, and they have been
sold at low price. and yet probably for
all they were worth. But such little
spot on the face Of commerce is hardly
worth mentioning. The orange ship
msnts OF May and June have been enor.
nous and have brought handsome re.
turns, and shipments still continue on q
free scale to the great mediterranean
cities Of the continent. Mr.. J. De Barth
Shorb, who has just completed the
shipment of his large crop of oranges,
Informs US that he has sent only fair and
handsome fruit and has received uni
formly good prices. Part of his fruit
was wrapped in papers and the result
was most gratifying and satisfactory. In
his opinion it is good policy to wrap
oranges in paper to preserve their favor
and the freshness and aroma of the golden
peel, with its million vesicles of pleasant
odor. Some plan must be devised to
utilize the small oranges that grow on
decaying trees and on trees in adobe
soil. and the windfails of winter. The
pulp can be made into wine and the
rind into the dried orange peel of COM
merce.
Let not our orange growers for one
moment believe that the Florida orange
is equal to theirs, for it is not. Our
cousins on the other side OF the noun
tains want handsome fruit, in good
order, and plenty of it, and that is wha,
we can furnish them in abundance. Poor
fruit had better be buried than shipped to
people who do not want it. By careful
attention to ap orchard but little of
small fruit need be raised. Oranges that
range from $50 to 225 per box are of
very popular size for the Eastern mar
ket, and that is about the prevailing size
Of the California orange. The oranges
Of California are larger than those of
Spain or Italy, and a good average size
can always be furnished for about ten
months in the year. No country can
excel US in this beautiful fruit, and if we
keep our wits about us and sell only that
which is most desirable, great and per-
manent success is assured for our golden
fruit.