The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-12-15
Oranges at Auction Not the Proper
Way 10 Dispose Of the Crop.

Merritt Fruit company New OK, Il
out in forcible article condemning this
mode of selling Florida oranges. His
communication is in reply 10 Mr.. u.
Greenleaf. who advocates that mode
for selling our annual fruit crops. Mr..
Merritt says.
MANY OF Mr.. Grteuleat's assertions
seem so absurd that ] deem some reply
almost a necessity. The days of eX-
IRENE prices have passed by. The time
is not now and never will be hen Flor
ida oranges can be sold in any consider
able quantity during the months of No
vember, December, January at even 50,
IS and s. per box, and IL Is all nonsense
for Mr.. Greenleaf TO talk or expect
these prices. A few years ago, with
few thousand boxes received monthly,
these high prices could be obtained. but
it i only the wealthy that can afford TO
pay or that will pay 80 TO 20 cents per
dozen for oranges. Mr.. Greenleaf truly
saws that California and Mediterranean
oranges sold last spring and summer at
- TO s. per box, but this was after the
great bulk Of West India and Mediter
ranean oranges had been marketed, and
after the Florida and Louisiana crops
had been destroyed by freezing. It, all
mOonshine 10 talk about making oranges
bring during November, December and
January, when markets are flooded from
all the orange districts of the world, the
high prices they are sure to bring during
the spring and summer months when
the supply Is so very largely reduced.
4 moments consideration of this matter
will convince any one of the folly of
Mr.. GTeenleat's assertions, At the pres
cnt time oranges are pouring IN here
from Havana. Jamaica, Dominica, the
Bahamas and Spain, in immense quantI-
ties, and large shipments from Sicily
are on the way. Consumers cannot be
made to pay -. $6 and s. per box for
Florida oranges when they can bay
barrel of handsome. fine favored ia
maica, Havana or bahama oranges for
50 or So, the barrel holding two and one
half boxes. or when they can buy
handsome case of Valencia oranges ti2o
oranges in a case for $3.50 to $3.50.
Florida oranges will bring high prices
in the spring and summer and so will any
and all other kinds, because supply then
Is light. What Florida wants Is not eN-
IRENE high prices for her oranges, but
such a happy medium ~ shall put them
in reach of the t"ilIng millions Of our
people and az the same tine IN active
competition with the foreign oranges
coming here. Then they Will at once
demonstI ate their superiority and con
vince foreign shippers that here under
the stars and stripes we can produce all
the oranges the people OF tins country
want TO eat. Foreign oranges cannot he
kept away 10y holding Floridas at -, 81
and s. per box in our markets. They
can he kept away and Floridas obtain
complete control 10y putting them ~
price which shall put them within the
reach of all, and yet pay the grower
handsomely. Florida oranges can be
sold in large quantities IN all our North
rrn markets during the fall and winter
months at s. 80 to $. 30 per box, and
during the spring months at 81 to 50.
With reasonable transportation expenses
these prices, take th"m on the average,
should pay growers handsomely.
Auction is not the panaCea that Is to
bring relief to Florida orange growers
Admitting that action Is the proper way
10 sell fruit, (which | 10 not admit Mr.
Greenleaf and those laboring with him
have undertaken a hcrcuiean task. Its
one thing to market the foreign products
coming here consigned TO the few and
coming only TO our seabnaTd cities, and
quite another thing 10 manage seven
thousand growers, many of them hav-
ing business connections and under obs
legations 10 fruit houses iii the various
cities OF the North.
was tried here last year with disas trous
results. vt auction yesterday prime.
handsome Florida oranges. l16 and 2cO
size. sold at 8. 30 and -. &C.; other sizes
from 81 90 TO - - per box, fully -
cents TO ; per box below prices AT
which commission fruit houses are sell
ing oranges OF like quality. Last
weeks auction sale in Hoston was moth
ing but slaughter. SO II was all last sea
son: so il viii he this.
Mr.. Greenleaf and those working
with him cannot force or persuade the
great bulk OF orange growers To have
their fruit sold at auction. 1t il unwise
ana against the interests of shippers To
attempt il. The unnecessary Cumpeti~
ton which IL causes between commission
men and aCtiuneers result in heavy losses
to shippers.
Let the Florida Fruit Exchange, il il
wants 10 benefit shippers, use its IEtiu
ence in concentrating shipments IN the
hands Of few reliable fruit houses III all
our Northern Cjties-in the hands of
houses that viii confer together and
work together. ana sdvi-e with jh" In
change, holding and forcing sales of
fruit as ~ nv he deemed eNpcdicut,
houses that will make Florida fruits
specially and that Will work IN season
and out of season to advance the inter
est Of Florida shippers, and th"v will
then have solved the problem How 20
get Florida shippers the most money for
their oranges.