The Florida agriculturist., 1885-02-11

cal fruit connection, and therefore no
opportunity to place such produce before
consumers when they receive'it; having
/, only an office for business and no stor-
age capacity of any kind, and must sell
their consignments at the dock upon ar
rival, for what they will bring under the
hammer, thus often breaking the mar
ket in the most disastrous manner.
Whereas, if they had been regular deal
ers in our kind of produce, would have
been provided, as all such are, with am
pie storage room, where fruit is placed,
and all suspicious boxes overhauled, and
the good fruit placed with regular Gus
toners as the market will permit. 1t is
notorious fact in the trade, that it is
overrun with harpies who live and fat
ten on the gullible shippers. One in
stance will suffice to illustrate our point.
When oranges were selling in Baltimore
for So and 81 per box through the legiti-
mate dealers, one of these potato dealers
received large consignment of Florida
fruit, from different shippers, and having
no place of course to put it, sold under
the hammer, and broke the market to
50 and 81. 80 per box. If they had been
sent to regular dealers, properly stored,
and re-packed, the market would have
been maintained.
Then again in shipping, commission
merchants get no bills of lading from
consignors, and receive from a number
at once, the freight bills are sent in, in a
lump, and the consignee cannot tell to
whom or how to charge the freight, and
are thus forced to do somebody an in
| jury. And then again the growing and
crying evil of the shipments of green
| fruit in the early season, is doing much
! to ruin the reputation of our fruit And
! then we need to take measure against
the commercial fertilizer tiend. And
! there should be properly organized ef-
fort to obtain at the proper time and at
i the best possible prices and best materl-
4 ais for boxing fruit, and making such
arrangements with transportation COM
panies as only large organized efforts
could effect Then again, the improve
ment of our fruit the best manner of fer
tilization; the best method of handling !;
the most effective agents for destroying
insects and preventing them; and last
but not least of all, proper organization
for county fairs, both agricultural and
1 horticultural, that our State Fairs may
not be shame and reproach, and that
in such events as are in progress at New
Orleans, Florida may not exhibit bar
ren space.
For all this, organization is necessary.
! No hasty, ill considered movement. My
idea would be something like this: A
general county organization, with good
executive committee, with branch or
ganizations in every precinct. Now
don't understand me for moment to
suppose that these same precinct organi-
cations will be bowling enthusiasts, not
by any means. But if three or four good
men and growers in precinct could be
induced to organize, and the whole thing
got upon its feet, one single successful
years shipment by the organization
would fill its ranks full. Men will follow
where their pockets lead. Each man is
of course the shipper of his own produc-
tions. But what among many other
things the organization would do for him
would be to point out perfectly reliable
men in the different cities to ship to-
and does not the merest child know;that
| if for instance a New York fruit dealer
knew that his connection with such an
organization would insure him all the
fruit he could possibly handle during the
season, that he would give his whole at
tention to it. 1t is a well-known fact
that the prosperity of fruit, farm, cattle
and poultry interests of the North and
! West rests upon these county and sub
county organizations. Now, sir, If you
and the county press will take this mat
ter up and agitate it, we can undoubtedly
carry it through successfully.
Thanking you for your kindness, |
remain truly yours,
G. p. HEALY.
THlandsio, Jolusia Co., Jan. @G, 1885.