The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1885-11-19
A Florida Orange Exchange.

cOnlrOlI6U Oy commission merchants.
The consumption of the fruit has been
increasing steadily for years and the
supply has hardly kept pace with the
demand. Still, prices remain about
the same and the grower makes little
money. Until recently he has been
content to let things keep along in the
old rut, growing occasionally at his
short income from his fine crop, but
charging it all up to hard times on gen.
eral principles. Recent investigation
has shown him that there is a certain
factor in his business which hitherto he
has overlooked, and the finding of it
has wakened him to new energy. This
factor is the peculiar way in which
some commission merchants do bust
ness, as exposed by certain growers
from Florida
One of these latter, now in this CITY,
gives his experience with the trade.
when my trees began to BEAR" he
says, Il looked around for market,
and decided to send my crop to New
York. | wrote to middlemen here and
received circulars in reply setting forth
the advantages possessed by the one
and the other for disposing OF the fruit.
Selecting one, l made him large con-
signment of as fine oranges as you
would care to see. They were in per-
feet condition. carefully graded and
assorted, and should have reached
New York in excellent order. There
were one hundred boxes in tho lot.
They ought to have brought me in
5000. When settlement was made
l received S118, with this statement:
Twenty boxes AL, at 90, $40; "a boxes,
second grade, at 81. so, $50; 80 boxes
damaged, at 81, $50; 16 boxes soft
at Is cents, S12, and 10 boxes rotten
no return. L was somewhat aStonish-
ed, but couldn't do or say anything.
l didn't see the fruit when it was re-
ceived, so | had to accept the state
ment as correct.
''Well, let things run along for sew
eral years, shipping fine fruit and get
sound the oranges were when they left
Florida they were seldom more than
% per cent. accounted for as first grade.
| have quit the commission merchant
and with what result? This season l
netted 80. 40 a box on my crop. while
my neighbors were making 81. 60 in the
old way. My oranges now always ar
rive sound, and bring good prices.
am here now to arrange little private
depot of my own, and have been look
ing up and down town for a location.
l am doing it on the sly. l know that
l am watched by these dealers. l know
that they are ready to ruin me by COM
petition, SO l shall keep quiet. What
is easier than to condemn a few boxes
of sound oranges, get them for song,
and sell them for good pricesP En-? A
fine piece of business.
as there no way to avoid such meth
ods?'
"Only one. Every man must sell his
own fruit"
"But small growers can't afford to
do that here"
They're getting ready to do it, any
way. How? Why. we have organized
for that purpose. Growers, large and
small, have come together in Florida
and formed an association to be called
the orange exchange. Its general
headquarters will be at Jacksonville.
and it will have salaried agents in ev-
cry city of respectable size, to whom
all the fruit will be consigned. The
grower will send his crop to the ex-
change, where it will be carefully as
sorted and graded, and shipped to the
best market. There will be no danger
of a glut anywhere. If New York is
supplied shipments will be stopped in
that direction and sent to Chicago or
Philadelphia We think the plan will
work we'll The organization is not
yet complete, but will be by the next
season. If it proves a failure, and if |
am whipped at my own little game by
the commission men, l shall quit the
orange business. shall go home. cut
down my trees, graft lemon cions on
to the stock, and do nothing for four
years.
Then what?'
"By that time the lemon shoots will
begin to bear, and l shall get the fruit
to market"
How do the Florida lemons rankp"
They re the best in the world. True,
that discovery has just been made. but
there never were better lemons grown.
And they're more profitable than or
anges. When l get 81 for the latter
get $40 for lemons. Their chief value
is in the rind, which is used for making
extracts. Oh, there are more ways
than one of catching fish. "-Neao York
Tribune.