The Palatka daily news. (Palatka, Fla.) 1884-1888, 1886-02-13
MORE ORANGE STATISTICS.
Col. D. W. Crosby, of the Ed,

tuiS COuuty, Is Ouc VI luOSc uOTtueTu
men who brought their capital to
Florida some years ago, and he has
since devoted great care and all his
business tact to the development
of his property. Knowing that the
opinion of such a man would have
weight in answer to the fallacious
ideas as to our condition now being
scattered broadcast by the New
York press, we wrote that gentle
man, who has been absent from Flor
ida since last spring., for his views
on the subject. AS he was not in
this state during the winter he has
nothing to say as to the recent loss,
but the following will be of great
interest, as like the opinions of Hon.
5. U. Hammond published yes:er-
day, he is widely at variance with
Mr. st. John.
No. 1O1 WAvERLY PLACE,
New York City, Feb. 0, 1856. {
Editor Palatka Daily News.
l have read with some interest
a letter published in THE News
signed by Mr.. St. John. 1 have
no desire to criticise his letter; any
one who knows the situation in
Florida will be able to form a cor.
rect opinion of this wonderful pro-
duction. A few points l will no.
tice, however.
The first statement involves the
question: Will Florida oranges
keep any length of time: Isay yes, il
properly handled and shipped. My
fruit, shipped from Drayton Island,
the middle of December to Boston,
is still held in perfect condition, and
| have on the table before me some
oranges that were picked and
shipped after the freeze in perfect
condition. l ordered shipment to
New York, and Mr.. Frey sent me
ten boxes taken from our grove on
Drayton Island. Out of the ten
boxes two were selected here that
showed no signs of freezing. These
were distributed, one box to the
trade, and one box was taken TO
Gen. J. B. Gordon's office, So Lib
erty street, and was distributed to
the press and in other directions
where they would do the most good
to the interests of Florida. have
a part of this fruit still sound and
very sweet. Messrs. Brown Broth
ers, of Boston, who are handling
more fruit than any other house in
New England, inform me that
Florida fruit well put up will bear
shipment to any foreign port.
Is the orange business Of Florida
overdone? l think not. My reas-
ons are-Florida has never pro-
duced over one and a quarter mill
ion boxes, at an average of one
hundred and fifty to the box, which
makes a grand total of oranges in
the last ten years, about seven mill
ion five hundred thousand boxes,
or lS7 100000 oranges. This being
large estimate for the production
Of Florida oranges in ten years, to-
tai. Now last year, I am informed,
there were imported into New York
city from foreign ports, more than
100000 oranges and lemons
Boston 100000; Philadelphia
5O,00O,OO0; New Orleans 10000
900, making grand total of or
anges and lemons landed at three
Of our principal ports of entry of
ls5, 100000. Now the foreign fruit
ssfor one year imported equals the en-
: tire production of Florida foi the
past ten years. Second. Add the
crop of 1855, say, 100000 oranges,
to the ls5,oOO,00o imported into
four cities, and $4,000, 900 estimated
as landing at other ports, gives us
= grand to.ai oil oranges consumed
IN the United States, a52, 200, 900.
These divided among population
of say 56,OOO,O 900, will give to each
inhabitant Just four and half or