Los Angeles herald., 1891-03-31
TUESDAY. MARCH 81. 1891.
A GREAT AND GROWING INTERESr-THE
HERALD'S WISE ATTITUDE.

Last year was characterized by great
prosperity in the orange industry. 1t
assumed colossal proportions as COM
pared with any previous record. This
year promises to be one of still greater
prosperity. All the indications point to
the shipment of at least four thousand
carloads to the east. This presents a
grave contrast to the old days when San
Francisco took about five million Los
Angeles .and San Bernardino oranges
yearly. and that was practically the
limit of the outside demand.
Early in the season there was strong
movement, inspired by Porter Brothers
of Chicago, to corral the orange trade OF
Southern California. 1t took the shape
of an organization of orange growers,
and if the plan had been carried out the
firm named would have been the die
tators of the citrus market of this and
the adjoining counties. The HERALD
admitted that it would be good
thing to organize bona .fde
Orange Growers association for the
operations of succeeding years, but
pointed out the fact that it would be a
very unwise course to paralyze the pur-
chasing agencies that had carried US
through so successfully last year. These
were distributed all over the west, north
west, south and southwest. They had
shown themselves capable of handling
twenty-seven hundred carloads of last
years crop, and we thought that it
would be very bad policy to throw such
vafusblle-sgencies over. We also pointed
out the fact that the 1ttsssaely severe
weather in Europe had greatly damaged
the crop there, and that that
of Florida was, in addition, a short
one. We advised our growers to hold out
for stiff prices, and not to allow
themselves to be stampeded. A news
paper which is governed by honest i'm
pulses can frequently be Of great benefit
to the community in which it is pub
ished, and the present is a. striking
instance-irpofht. II The little scheme
organized by Porter Bros, and exposed
by the HERALD, had been permitted to
60 through, the orange market would
have been demoralized and the middle
men would have had everything their
own way. AS it is, buyers are abund-
ant and good prices rule. Crown seed
lings bring $3.50 box on the tree,
while Washington navels may be safely
put down at from $3.50 to So box.
The Importance Of these figures in an
infant industry cannot well be exagger-
ated. A few calculations will show the
present status of our orange interest,
and make the situation Ineligible to
the stranger within our gates. AS
against the twenty-seven hundred car
loads of last year we have reliable ad-
vices that we shall ship this year four
thousand carloads. At three hundred
boxes to the car, this means that we
shall send to the east and other
points 100000 boxes. At an aver
age of $2 box, we have grand
total of $2,4O0,OOO accruing mainly to
Los Angeles and San Bernardino coun-
ties from single fruit product. We
will add that many of the more mature
groves will net their owners from $1,000
to $500 an acre. We care not for the
smile of the incredulous. Many of them
will exceed that sum. OF course, we do
not present these figures as an average.
They prevail only where the conditions
are specially favorable, soil and climate
being exactly right, and care, skill and
fertilizers having been applied to the
groves.
The statement made in the HERALD,
some days ago, that Mr.. A. B. Chap
man, having sold some six thousand
boxes from his orange grove adjoining
the Santa Anita and Sunny Slope to
eastern parties, had afterwards sold the
remainder OF the crop for SAC, 900, proves
to be under rather than over the mark.
Three years ago Mr.. Chapman expressed
to the writer grave doubts as to whether
he could preserve his grove from the
ravages of the scalebug. The revival of
the orange interest in the San Gabriel
valley could not be shown in more
striking manner.
Here is grand opening for capital.
The progress of this splendid interest
has been great in the past and cannot
fail to be equally great in the future.
The Americans are rapidly becoming an
orange eating people. The country is
now rami6ed by railways in every direc-
ton. Twenty years ago there were ex-
tensive regions of the United States in
which an orange was rarely seen. Now
improved transportation facilities have
expanded and are daily expanding the
consumption. Mr.. Maginnis, gentle
man connected with the Santa Fe road,
who manages its orange shipments, and
whose opportunities tor observation are
great, estimates that the orange crop of
ten years hence will amount to twenty
five thousand carloads. With the same
kind of pessimist, who thought that the
limit was reached twenty years ago,
this will be dispiriting reflection.
But it is not. On the contrary, it is