The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1889-10-06
TO BE SOLD AT HOME.
THE NEW MOVEMENT AMONG
FLORIDA ORANGE GROWERS.

A Fight on All sides Against the Con-
signment Systen-Savannah Dealers
In Favor of a Eome Msrket-Over
one-Half of the Orange Growers OF
Florida Members OF the Farmers
Ariance-The Plan OF the New Move
ment.
Fruit dealers in this city are in favor OF
a hsme market for the Florida orange crop,
if the movement can be made 70 succeed.
Ex-senator A s. Mann, who has been in the
city for the last two days with Secretary
Sturdivant, of the Florida Orange Growers
and Dealers Protective Association, and
who is at the head of the home market
movement, says that there can be
no doubt about its success. The
Orange and Vegetable Auction Company,
Of which he is president and manager,
expects to handle the bulk of the crop The
company's headquarters are In Jacksonville
and the fruit will be sold there. Over one
half of the growers in Florida, ex-senator
Mann says, are members of the farmers
alliance, and by November nine-tenths Of
them will be in the movement. The alli-
ance is pledged against the consignment
system, so that the indications point TO the
marketing of by far the greater part Of the
crop at home.
The home market movement, ex-senator
Mann says, will in one way alone save the
growers % per cent. Of the crop, which last
season was not only a dead loss, but
left the growers out of pocket. That
is the incurred fruit which rotted in ship
ment and did not pay freight charges.
By selling the fruit at home, dealers in
Savannah, Augusta, Macon, Atlanta, and
other nearby markets will be able to handle
this fruit at a price slig htly below that OF
first quality, and place It IN their ma kets
at very little risk and with good profit
The home-market movement will ne0essi
tate the sending of buyers to Florida and
will practically do away with the consign-
ment system, which has nearly bankrupUsd
many growers.
The Orange Growers and Dealers Protect
i've Association, with its two secretaries in
Jacksonville, one representing the growers
and the other the buyers, aud both in close
communication, ex-senator Mann says, will
keep the growers flu " posted on every move
ment of the market. The association is
clearly identified with the farmers alliance,
which practically controls the crop. The
growers secretary is also secretary of the
alliance. Both of the organizations are
opposed to the consignment system and are
operating through the Orange and Vege-
table Auction Company. The movement
has already frightened the leaders in
the north who are net in it, ex-senator
Mann says, and already many of the large
growers have sold their crops to them. Not
less than 400, 600 boxes of the new crop have
already been bought outside of the associa-
ton In one or two instances the crop has
been sold on the trees, and will be clipped
and packed by the buyers.
The fruit dealers ia this city are more
familiar with the workings Of the Florida
Fruit Exchange, which is itself making
fight against the consignment system, than
they are with ex-senator Mann's company.
The fruit exchange operates through
its agents in the northern markets to whom
the fruit is shipped and by T. EN- placed in the
auction rooms, while the Orange and Vsge-
table Auction Company proposes to sell at
home. The company operates through
headquarters in Jacksonville, and on plan
similar to that Of the cotton exchange. Both
movements, however, are opposed TO the
consignment plan. The reply which a
dealer in this city received q short time ago
from leading grower in answer to an in
quiry on what conditions and how the crop
will be disposed of this season is an indica-
ton of how the growers feel. The reply
reads: "If you want fruit you can buy all
you wish, but Florida is pledged against
the consignment plan"
Ex-senator Mann has given a great deal
Of thought and study to the marketing of
the orange crop, and he is convinced that
home market, bringing buyers to Florida
and selling the fruit there. will be- product
i've of the best results both to growers and
consumers