The Florida agriculturist., 1889-03-13
The Great Orange Trust.
A BIG COMPANY TO BE FORMED THAT WILL
BUY THE FLORIDA ORANGE CROP FOR
THE NEXT FIVE YEARS.


ganizing an "orange trust" and the advantages
of such an organization to our orange growers
On this subject recent issue Of the New York
Mail and Express says that capitalists are about
to form combine to buy the whole of Flor
tdas orange crop for the next five years. The
scheme is one of the most adroit that has yet
been devised to aid struggling industry, and
incidentally to enrich the .inyestors who handle
the golden fruit. The matter is being kept as Sc
eret as possible, but the main facts leaked out to-
day. The details of the plan have not yet been
perfected, but are being considered by leading
fruit-reeeivers and others interested in handling
the luscious orange.
One hundred of the principal fruit merchants
and capitalists of the leading cities OF this country
are to be invited to connect themselves with the
pool by contributing $4,000 each. This will make
a total capital of 81, 100000. With this amount
the whole business of gathering, sorting packing,
shipping and selling the fruit is to be conducted
The orange crop the entire State OF Florida is to
be purchased on the trees by the southern agents
of the combine, and sold to the trade generally
by the members of the pool in the cities of New
York, Boston, Chicago, New Orleans, and possi-
bly, st. Louis, Baltimore and Philadelphia. AS
the crop amounts to 2, ,OOO 900 boxes annually,
and is increasing every year. the undertaking is
big one.
The scheme originated in this city. 1t differs
from the Sugar Trust and other combinations, in
that it admits the growers to share of the prof
it's. It's promoters claim that it is cooperative
TO certain extent After paying interest on the
capital and all the expenses Of the concern, the
balance is to be divided pro rata among the or
ange growers. The Rockefeers and other large
owners of orange plantations in Florida are sup
posed to be interested in the undertaking, and
the heavy receivers of the fruit are anxious to
perfect the scheme,
THE FLORIDA ORANGE.
It is a well-known fact that Florida produces
the finest quality OF oranges known in the world,
and that these oranges are SO far superior to
those OF any other section of this country or OF
any foreign country that they command much
higher price in market than any other orange.
Within the last year it has been demonstrated
that. aside from bringing high price TT home,
they can be exported and sold in London, Liver
pool and other European cities with profit. Their
flavor is SO much finer than that of the Spanish
and italian oranges that an advanced price can
always be obtained. The foreign consumption,
added to the rapidly growing demand for the
fruit in this country, assures an enormous future
for the Florida orange. Yet in spite of this, the
present method OF doing business is disastrous
one to both producers and handlers. The fruit is
gathered by the individual growers many OF
whom fail to sort the oranges properly, and the
packing is often done in careless manner. The
result is that the fruit. when it reaches the con-
signee. often requires repacking and resorting,
causing delay expense and loss from decay.
Then, again. the fruit is now shipped in smalllot
to many small towns and cities throughout the
country. instead of being concentrated at the
leading Cities and from them distributed to neigh
boring points. Thus, one hundred boxes OF or
ange are now shipped to a small town which has
a market for only fifty boxes. The result is the
waste OF halt the fruit and low price for the re-
mainder. The past season has been most dis
astrous one for these reasons The crop was
large one. and although the fruit was of fine quail
ity, the prices netted by the growers have been
very low In some cases the cost OF packing and
transportation has exceeded the price realized on
the fruit
THE NEW PLAN.
II the proposed scheme is carried through the
combination will be a strong one, as aside from
the capital put up the members will be the lead
ing fruit merchants in the different cities and their
business standing will add strength to the pool.
Their business Judgment will direct the manage
ment and operations of the trust The plan as
talked OF now is substantially follows: The grow
ers will be asked to sign contracts disposing OF
their crop on the trees at the uniform rate OF $l
per box for 1ve years. Practical pickers will be
EMPLOYED to gather the fruit and it will be taken
+o rocuino astahlish ments located at convenient