Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-10-26
FLORIDA,s ORANGE CRoP.
The Fruit Finer than Last Year-PrOs-
poets OF the Exchange.

poets OF the Exchange.
JACKSONVILLE, Oct. 24.-"Good day,
Colonel" was the NEWS correspondents
greeting to Col. D. Il. Elliott, assistant
edition OF the Florida Dispatch, and also
travelling agent Of what is knOwn as the
''Florida Dispatch Line" of the Savan-
nah, Florida and Western railway.
"Would you mind giving the Savannah
NEWS some points concerning the cCndi-
ton and prospects of the crop, and not
only the orange crop, but also the winter
and spring vegetable cropsr'
81 have just returned from the leading
orange and vegetable growing sections of
the state, and | visited them with view
to carefully make an estimate Of the yield
OF the orange crop and the prospects OF
the winter vegetable season, although it's
a little early for the latter.
''Of the oranges, l will say that in size
and general appearance they are better
than last season. The yield will be very
near 100000 boxes. Last season the crop
approximated 1000, 000 boxes. The boxes
will average 165 to 10 oranges-that is,
standard boxes. Last season the standard
box held $50, the season previous only
about l6O The crop is, OF course, scat
tered throughout the peninsula, but not
SO Jar south as some people think. For
instance, l think that there will be
gathered at least $1,000 boxes within five
miles of the st. Johns river between here
aud Palatka."
But LITTLE RUST.
elbow about rust? | hear it has liter
ally covered the Louisiana orange CROP"
Here in Florida there Is less of it than
ever known before. The fruit is larger,
hrIphtQr and GmOOthar think than |
have ever seen it. The rust, which
eve ywhere is the work of an insect, is no.
ticeably absent this season. 1t is great
injury 10 the sale of the fruit, and growers
here have great cause to rejoice at this good
fortune alone"
"Wbat DO you think about the price
this season 2"
That's pretty hard question.
think, however, that the grower will get
from 81 10 to ~ per box"
THE EXCHANGE.
"What do the growers generally
throughout the orange belt say of the eX-
change; are they going TO patrOnize it?'
There is great difference OF opinion on
the subject. A great many-in fact,
nearly all-say they are going O. pat
rOnlze the exchange to some extent, but
many OF them will hesitate TO ship their
enJIre crop TO 1t. Numbers of them have
established connections with good, rela-
bic commission houses, and it Will be next
to impossible to wean them from these
mediums"
"What do you think OF the probable
success OF the eXch angep
~ am a friend OF the exchange and
would like TO see IL succeed. ! think it's
good thing, but doubt il IL can ever be
made the broad. wide success that ITS
promoters seem 70 think"
"Why"
"Wel, it is good In theory, but how will
II pan out in practice? II will have to be
admitted that the Florida oranges world
wide reputation has been won by the mar
keting OF those ripe, luscious specimens Of
the fruit that mature between Jan.
! and March j., or whereabouts. The eN-
change does not want to handle any but
the best oranges. IL cannot afford to han
die any other kind. Wen, then, IL Will
have 10 wait until between these dates 10
get them. In the meantime many oranges
viii ripen, or apparently ripeu, and the
grower viii want 10 sell and realize.
What will he dof Send them forward 70
his former commission merchant with in
structiOns 90 TO the best he can. But say
they do not do this, but walt until the fun
season aud send 10 the exchangeY What
/ tlenf Why we see here within
short space Of sixty days an overflow
I avs h'iA aAhNtNN NNHlhnAts I ne oranges
are pushed through 70 the EXCHANGES
/ commission men In he several large cit
les. These markets then are bound to be-.
come glutted. The prices fall in cOnse.
/ quence, and the exchange u cursed from
/ Dan 10 Beersheba. These are only one or
/ two OF the mpracticabilities. The idea
/ that the exchange can make or control a
/ market ~ mistake, Nor can the eX.
\ change ever be a satisfactory medium for
I the sale and supply, until there Is more
| attentlo paid the growers To the order
Z ~ ripenlng. They have learned TO nav
/ close aud Judicious attention 10 the vari-
| ETY., and tue consequence Is much finer
| oranges; but they must distribute the
Z order Of ripening over a wider area of
/ time. IT has been demonstrated that the
/ fruit can be 50 trained and proDagated
I thatit will ripen, and ripen 10 perfection.
/ TOO, all along from Dec. 1 10 April 1.
| When this Is done then an exchange
} might come nearer handling tbem.7