Los Angeles daily herald., 1886-03-14
ORANGE SHIPMENTS.
Rising Seven Hundred Car
Loads for the Season.
NEARLY AS MANY MORE TO GO.
Three Trains of About seventy-Five
Cars in Twelve Hours-First
Train from San Gabriel,

The orange business Of Southern Cali
fornia for this season is one of large vol
ume. Last season there were shipped
from here about l,l00 carloads, the
largest at that time for any season in
the history of this section. Early in
the season it was pretty generally held
that the shipments of the current year
would fall somewhat short of that sum.
Large growers like Mr.. e. ]. Baldwin
and Mr.. L. j. Rose reported the crop on
their trees light This was considered
quite natural as Seeding trees bear some
what irregularly, as rule producing
alternately light and heavy crop. Last
year was a large crop year, and it was
nowise surprising that large orchards
should show small fruitage the current
season.
The s. P. Company will send from
here to-day train load Of over twenty
cars from this city, Santa Ana, Pasa-
den and Orange. The same road takes
from San Gabriel station to-day also a
solid train of IS cars, the first ever made
up at that station. OF this more anon.
The G. s. R'y sent out last night
from San Bernardino solid orange train
of over twenty cars, about one-half Of
which went from this city. This aggre-
gates nearly three -fourths OF hundred
cars sent out in less than twelve hours.
II is only few years since that would
have been the total sum Of shipments
for season. Until last year seventy
five cars would have been big months
work for Southern California. Last
year perhaps no one week witnessed
the shipment OF so many oranges from
this section Counting the seventy odd
cars of last night and to-day the move
ment Of the golden fruit from Southern
California this season will amount to
rising seven hundred carloads to date.
1t would probably reach seven hundred
and twenty-five. As picking advances
the conviction is forced upon the grow
ers and dealers that the crop has been
underestimated more or less. Good
guessers used TO count 1000 cars as the
probable supply of the crop this year.
1t is now manifest that there are more
than three hundred cars OF the fruit left
on the trees. Ii is certain that five
hundred cars still to go is not much
above the mark.
As to prices, the season is proving
much more satisfactory than any for
two or three previous ones The grow
ers are realizing from 81 to $3.50 per
box on the tree. This is partly due to
the liberal spirit developed by the trans
portation companies, who are carrying
oranges for $500 per car of ten tons to
''1he River" in lieu Of $500. the ruling
rate year ago. II is but few years
since the price was 5000. A saving of
500 per car is OF itself snug amount TO
90 into the pockets of the ranchers of
the south end Of the State. On 1900
cars it would amount to Sl20.0 Add
to this the saving of "locaP' rates on top
Of the through rates, on all shipments
from any station excepting Los Angeles,
and 5000, 900 will not cover this addition
to the profits Of the orange orchards.
But the Protective Union is doing
even more than this for the people Of
this end of the State. 1t is regulating
the shipments and thereby controlling
the markets. By the good Offices OF
this Association The several cities OF the
East have been kept supplied with
there has been no glut Of any markets.
II all the growers were in the Union
much more good might be accomplished
and their profits increased.
Judged by the view Obtained from the
present standpoint, orange growing
would seem to be good business, pay
ing large profit on the cost of the or
chards, or on the prices at which such
property is generally held. The low
est nqssible income derivable from an
acre OF good Ufans- s.s~-s &c mature
growth aud well cultivated, would 6e
not less than 500 net. That is interest
on $1,000, as things go, taxes, stability
and continuance Of the Investment all
considered. For an acre of fne budded
fruit netting the grower s3.5 per box,
the income will in exceptional cases rise
as high as $500 per acre. There are
many citrus orchards ia this and ada
cent counties which this year will pay
all the way from $3.50 to $500 per acre,
net profit.
THE SAN GABRIEL TRAIN.
Mentioned above as going out from there
to-day, via this city and the northera
route, consists of eighteen ears. II is
handled by Mr.. s. X. Sewall, and will
be, as is stated, the first solid train ever
sent from that queenly valley direct. OF
Il three cars 60 to Chicago and Louis
vile, st. Paul, New York, Omaha.
Sioux City. Davenport, Attumwa,
Lincoln, and seven others whose desti..
nation will be fixed later.
Each car bears placards on the side in
large letters setting forth the contents Of
the car. where it was shipped and the
destination. Furthermore, the train is
trimmed from end to end with flags,
wreaths, palms, flowers, shrubs aud
branches of oranges and leaves in full
maturity. The train will be photo
graphed this morning at San Gabriel.
An attempt will be made to make the
best time on record with this
train. As she flies across the
continent she will make a flaming ad-
vertisement Of the country, surprising
any medium perhaps-the columns of
the HERALD alone excepted. 1t is cer-
tain these three trains OF golden fruit
OF three quarters of hundred cars. 81
600 boxes. holding nearly $500. 900 of
the fruit, wheeling in long lines round
themountains andrunning ngstraightacros
the great plains, two by the north
ern and one by the middle route, can
not fail to create genuine sensation
wherever their fight is observed The
value of the three trains is all OF $780,