The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-03-30
FLoRIDA's ORANGE CROP.
Il Will Go over 100000 Bozes-Ef
fects Of the Hreezs.

fects Of the Ereezs.
NJ. II. Conaliy, Florida freight agent CT
the Nashville. Chattanooga and st. Louis
railway. was in the city yesterday. Mr..
Conally, from his relations with tne grow
ers, is one OF the test posted men in Florida
on orange crop statistics. The present crop
he says will approximate 100000 boxes
This is about the same as last years crop
There are about $4,000 boxes yet to be
shipped, and 20 per cent Of these are from
the Indian river groves.
It is estimated that three-ifths of the
present crop Sd fer has been shipped to
eastern marke 9 and tWo-ffths to the west
ern markets. Over 609,000 boxes have been
shipped TO New Yurz alone aud between
100000 and 600 b xes to Philadelphia.
New York and Philadelphia are the princi-
pal oraug markets in the north. Baltimore
and Bos on take a large percentage Of
the northern shipments outside Of these
markets Canada consumed more oranges
this year, and shipments were made even as
far north as Winnipeg.
At least four-fifths Of the northern ship
ments, 1t is estimated. raised through Sa-
vannah. As three-ifths of the entire crop
went north and east, and four-ffths Of these
shipments were via Savannah, some idea of
the immensely Of the orange business and
had. OF the western shipments, Mr. Con-
ally estimates that 50 per cent. went by
the Louisville and NASHVILLE and the Nash
vile, Chattanooga and St. Louis lines.
Two million boxes Of oranges mean
s4,000.000 to Florida. 1t costs to pick,
pack and put on board cars for ship
ment, including the box. So cents a box for
every box of oranges shipped With the
additional cost of marke, il &, f-eights. COM
missions rha and IL,
those who held their fruit and shipped
late. Mr.. Conally says, received good
returns. The SPECTATORS who bought early
in the season, anticipating short crop, and
paid from 81 25 to 81 60 per box on the
tree. made little money. The first eslimates
OF the crop, early in the season, were |, 500
O00 boxes, but instead of a falling short, tho
crop exceeded the estimate by more than
500, 000 boxes.
The most conservative estimates made by
the largest growers in the state for next
years crop put it at one-half the present
crop. The heavy freeze not only Injured
the fruit. but killed the young
trees in many sections and badly injured
many cid trees. Citra is the heaviest
orange shipping point in Florida. The
crop in that section. it IS estimated bv large
growers, will not he more than one-third as
large as the present crop. The freeze was a
disastrous one to growers and with short
crop in view the fruit is already being
bought up on the trees.
Manager A. NJ. Ives of the Florida Fruit
Exchange says that the business of the ex-
change shows an increase of over 40 per
cent over last year. Over 100000 boxes of
the present crop have been handled by the
exchange. In spite of the heavy damage
they have suffered from the freeze, the
growers are already making preparations
to reset their groves with new trees.
The vegetable crop Of Florida, Mr.. Con-
ally says, is almost total failure. At the
beginning of the season the railroads figured
on 1000 carloads of vegetables. They will
be satisfied now if they get 500 carloads,
and they do not expect that num-
Der. The farmers, most Of them,
have replanted, but the season is so far ad-
vanced that it will not pay to ship
to northern markets. In spite of the
heavy damage fruit and vegetable growers
have suffered, Mr. Conally says. they are
not at all discouraged. The orange crop
has brought good returns and merchants
are doing prosperous business.