The Florida agriculturist. [volume] (DeLand, Fla.) 1878-1911, 1893-04-12
THE SITUATION IN CALIFORNIA.

generally or UDe OPINION CnaU Uney HuVe
more OF what they designate as "hard
luck" than any other class Of people.
They appear to think that the transpOr-
tation companies, the weather clerk,
the commission men, and in fact every
thing else conspires against them to
make life a burden and reduce profits.
There is no denying that our average
growers have their share OF hardships,
and sometimes it seems more than their
share, but if the knowledge that other
orange raisers in other sections are pes
tered in the same manner they can i'm
bibe a deal of consolation from the
orange situation in California.
The Los Angeles Herald tells @ rather
sad story. 1t says that the total crop
OF Southern California, variOusly estima-
ted at from six to seven thousand car
loads, not more than one third at the
outside has yet been shipped, leaving
from four thousand to four thousand five
hundred to go forward. 1t is easy to see,
says the Herald, that the shipment OF
this large amount of frult-almOst equal
to the crop of 1S90-91-wilI necessitate
a great rush for cars and purchasers,
which must inevitably depreciate prices.
Eastern buyers, who keep we'll informed
from day to day, are already counting
on this. The growers who have followed
the course advised by The Times, reliev-
ing their burdened trees Of portion of
the crop and following the market up Or
down, will have cause to congratulate
themselves at the end of the season. I'm
der the influence OF the continued wet
weather, many of the oranges are becom'
ing quite puffy, and will be more so from
day to day. Under the most favorable
conditions, there will be large number
Of carloads of this seasons crop left on
the hands of growers, to write Off to pro-
fit and loss.
AS to the prices being realized by the
shippers OF California fruit, the Herald
makes the following startling statement:
On the 14th there was an auction sale
ofCaliforna oranges in New York, shipped
by O. Los Angeles commission house,
when Washington navels sold at $1.62H
to 81. 87H Riverside seedlings at $3.50
and Rivera seedlings at $1.37H to
$3.50. Finding the sales going at SO
low a price, large portion OF the ship
ment was withdrawn. At about the same
time, shipment of two carloads of seed
lings, made from Riverside by c. e. Pack
ard. was sold at auction by H. b. Hart
rant, of Philadelphia, at $1.2O to 50. Is.
The highest New York price would leave
the grower profit OF about 80 cents
box, while the lowest would bring him
out 1 cents box in debt.
AS the Herald very truly says these are
not very encouraging returns, and to the
FlOridian who has heard so much OF the
famous Washington navels as grown in
California, it is like thunder clap in a
cloudless sky. Think of only 35 cents q
box for Washington navels, and IL cents
worse than nothing on ordinary fruit!
This is very much worse than anything
FIO'idians have ever dreamed OF.
Tie Herald attempts to explain the
wherefore of the case as follows: 1t says:
The Atlantic coast market for CalifOr-
mia oranges is as yet, comparatively un.
developed and must be worked up. Cali
fornia labOrs under q great disadvantage
on that coast, in regard to freight. The
freight from Jacksonville to New York by
steamer is only % cents q box, while