Los Angeles daily herald., 1889-10-04

least supply the Coast trade, and not
compel them to send to Sicily, e, 900
miles away,) for what they need.
The average price of lemons in Chicago
and New York markets the fall season
was $4 so to S. per box, and it is so
nearly every year. At these prices an
acre of trees would net the grower any
where from 81 900 to $1,000, according
to the age and size Of the tree.
A lemon tree differs from an orange
tree in that it does not require as rich
soil and needs little if any irrigation to
produce good fruit. If forced and ferti-
lized as an orange tree is, it makes wood
instead of fruit.
Passing Stacks mammoth retail
grocery store the other day 1 noticed
q great display of olives on the front
table. l stepped in and bought quart
bottle, very fine, for IS cents.
Why do you give olives such promin-
once, 1 asked? He said, because
they deserve it. The demand for
them is increasing very fast.
Americans are just beginning to
appreciate them. Being quite expensive
and requiring cultivated taste, makes
them fashionable"
1t is ssproper" now at all progressive
whist parties to pass olives, little fancy
etched napkins being used to hold them
on instead of China. asked if he had
ever seen any ripe olives picked, such as
they put up in California. No, he never
heard of them before. I told him he
had better send to Seymour & Johnson,
of Los Angeles, for sample, as thought
they we're as much richer and finer flaw
ored than green olives as butter is better
than lard.
1t looks to me a. though everything
was pointing our way in the matter of
fruit. All we want in Southern Califor-
MIA is to raise the stuff and pack it prop
erly; then we will soon drive out foreign
fruit and create q demand for every
orange, lemon and olive We can possibly
raise.
Speaking of oranges, Watson, the
active partner of Porter Bros. the other day
said the demand for navels is growing so
rapidly that he didn't believe California
could raise enough to supply it.
Let somebody stop and figure the
profit on an acre of olives at Soc quart
Cor even gallon) in the Chicago mar
ket.
Besides the raising and proper packing
of our fruit, l am satisfied, after slight
investigation that 30 far as oranges are
concerned there ought to be concerted
action on the part of growers in order to
get the best results. I believe the
auction room would be the proper place
to consign and distribute it all if it were
possible to get all the growers to Join
hands. If it were all handled at one
place then all the dealers throughout the
country would have to be there in person
or represented by brokers-the same as
they are now in Brown & SECONDS
in New York, where every box of foreign
fruit, green or dried, is sold at auction.
Porter Bros. and the Earl Fruit Com.
pany are making heroic efforts here to
build up the auction business. They,
however, have to bid the stuff in them
selves in order to make it bring fair
prices, as with 80 few buyers-mostly
all locsl-the opportunity to combine
and not bid is most too good. The
peddlers-there is an army OF them in
Chicsgo-hang around to see who gets
the bargains, and but for the protection
extended by the houses mentioned,
it would undoubtedly all be
bargains. 1 believe the auction
business would succeed here but
for the miscellaneous consignments of
the small growers in California. Send
ing fruits to vegetable and chicken
dealers to sell on commission is all
wrong. In the first place, stale vegsta-
bles and chicken coops are not fit associ-
ates for California fruit. They don't
help the looks of box of navel oranges
or improve its flavor, and house that
has not trade enough to handle one
thing exclusively here in Chicago q
mean in Wholesale way) you may de-
pend is not very strong, financially or
morally. Ship fruit to exclusive fruit
houses and vegetables to vegetable deal
ers. They cannot play one against the
other then-viz., throw in few oranges
to make turnip sale, or vice versa.
How easy for an irresponsible house to
send the culls to the auction room to
be given away and then send bill of sale
to the grower for his whole shipment on
that basis?
1 am afraid the growers in California
made mistake in allowing the Orange
Growers Union TO die. Gas.
Chicago, September oath.