New-York tribune., 1885-07-26
A FLORIDA ORANGE EXCHANGE

TRICKS IN TIKI PRUIr TRADG-coMBINING AGAINST
COMMISSION MEN.
The orange trade in New-fork is controlled
nv commission merchants Tho consumption OF tho
fruit has been Increasing steadily for years and the
sur py ba. hardly kept pacs with the demand stu.
prices remain about the same aud the grower makes
little money Until recently he has been content to let
thin keep along ia the old growing occasionally
.t bis short from his nhe sp. nut charging 10
all up 10 hard ta-s on general principles Recent
Investigation has shown him that there IA certain
I'm his bisness which hitherto he hal oycrlooked,
and the finding OF 1t has wakoned him 10 now energy
hat factor Is peculiar way In which some co nmi--
sion merch ,nis do business, ~ eAP,'ou ~ cer~hh
growers from Florida
ne o. thesc latter In this city. gves his cxper-
,ence with the trade when my trees began 10 bear
be SAYS iookol around for market and decided to
send my crop TO New-York wrote to midilemen here
and received rrouars reply setting forth the aivan
o by the aud tho Olhor for dsposng OF
be fruit srlecting one ads hun a large consignment
of "a fine oranges you would care 10 sec They were
IN perfect condition, carefully graded ana assorted ana
should have reached New-York In excellent order.
There we're 100 boxes la the lot They ought 10 nave
brought mo in 800. When a settlement was made /
recelyed SIIS with this statement: 20 boxes Al. at
49, SO - boxes second grade at 81 80, SJ6; 30 boxes
damaged at 81. $50; 10 boxes soft at 10 cents,
sI2 and 10 boxes rotten, no return. was somewhat
astonshed hut coudnt 10 or say anything didn't sec
fruit when u NJ hau !" Soo"P' '"o
abatement ~ correct.
+. Well 1 let things along for several years.
shipping nne fruit aud getting nothing FOR IT, No
matter how sound the oranges were when they 1911
Florida there were seldom more than 20 per cent
accpnnted first grade have quit the commission
merchant and with what result This season neted
a. 40 q box my crop while my neighb0rs were
making only 81 80 In the old way My Oranges now
always arjve sound aud bring good prices. am here
now 10 arrange tie private depot OF my own ana havo
been looking up and down town for location | am
doing IL on the sly know that am watched py these
dealers know tnat they ready TO ruin me by com
potion shall keep quiet. What In easier than To
condemn "a few OF snnnd oranges got them for
song and sell them for good prices Eli fine piece
Of business" -
Is there no way to avoid such methods"t
.Only onc. Every man must sell his own fruit"
But small growers can't afford " do that here !"
.Thsy're getting ready To do II any way. How
Why we have orpanizrd for that purpose: Grow r.
large and small have come toIether In Florida ana
formed association t0 be called tho Orange Excanye
Its gsDera headquarters will be ut Jacksonville. aud IL
viii have salred agents In every city OF respectable
sixe 10 whom all the fruit will be consigned The
grower will send hs crop TO the exchange where Will
Ia assorted aud graded and shipped to the beat
market There will DO no danger Of u glui any where.
If supplied shipments will DO stopped In
that direction and sent to Chicago oI philadelphia We
vet coinpets but will he by the next season IL IL
proves failure. and II am whipped At my own litts
game by tho commission men. shall quit the orange
business shall 90 hou,c. cut down my trees. graft
lemon scl0ns on 10 the Stocks and 10 nothing ior io1r
years."
by that tho lemon shoots will begin to bear and
shalt got the fruit tO market"
How do the Florida lemons rank r.
"1hcyre tho hest la tbs wora. True. that discovery
has Just been made. but there mover were better
oranges WHOM got W for the latter get $40 foc
cmon Their chief value Il In the rind which Is used
for making cxtraets. On, there are moro ways than
one OF catching nsh."
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