Los Angeles herald., 1893-01-11
Northern Citrus Growers to
Compete with the South.
January II, 1898. the Date for the
Proposed Test.
They Refuse Ore Challenge, but Issue
Another How Mr.. Wells'
Proposition was Re-
oofved.

test made by President o. M. Wells a
the chamber Of commerce of this city.
The directors of the Mechanics insti-
tute met at the pavilion yesterday morn.
ing, says the Chronicle of Monday morn
ing, and discussed the request of @. M.
Wells, president of ihe Los Angeles
chamber of commerce, for rearrange-
ment Of the citrus fruit prizes at the
coming fair. The awards now offered
are for the designs in which the fruit is
shown. Mr.. Wells wanted prize given
for quality, with competition open to
the state, go that the southern growers
would have chance to try conclusions
with the northern orchardists upon the
merits of their products. The directors
were inclined to grant the request, pro-
vidipg the Northern Citrus association,
which has the orange and lemon exhibit
in charge, should acquiesce. Mr.. Wells'
project is to open the citrus department
during the last fortnight of the fair to
all California orchardists, giving prize
of $500 or $1,000 for quality and variety.
Mr.. Wells stated that Southern Cali
fornia would, under such conditions,
send several carloads OF oranges and
lemons from the choice citrus districts
of Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Orange
and San Disgo.
On motion of M. A. Dorm committee
of three, consisting of Directors Dalton,
Bush and Manson, was appointed to
confer with the officers of the Northern
Citrus association and report their
wishes at the next meeting. 1t was the
opinion of several members of the board
that the northern growers would well
come the chance to compare fruit'with
the trans-Tehachep orchardists.
Members of the Northern Citrus asso-
citation met at the Office of Superintend-
ent Graves in the afternoon and can
vassed the Southern California propo-
sition. Its terms were not satisfactory
to them. Ex-senator A., F. Jones of
Oroville said that the northern fruit has
been ripe and on the market for four
weeks and the best of it was saved for
the pavilion fair. Twenty or 80 days
from now this fruit will have begun to
rot, and to compare it then With oranges
fresh from Riverside, Tustin and Sweet
water orchards would be unjust
to it's reputation. Tie time would
be too late to get fresh fruit
from the northern counties, the crop
already having been disposed of.
"We would be willing to compete now
with anything Southern California
might choose to send" said Mr.. Jones,
'or we will agree to meet the enemy q
year hence; but the idea of waiting
until our fruit rots and the southern
fruit has become ripe is go absurd that
can only regard Mr.. Wells proposal as
bluff"
James K. O'Brien, the superintendent
OF the Northern Citrus Fair association.
expressed similar views. "We are will
ing to compete with the southern people
now," be said, "but they cannot expect
us to do it when our oranges have passed
their prime and theirs are just ready for
the market. Let them come in on even
terms and they will never find us back
ward in any test except that of quantity.
We do not grow 80 many oranges as they
do, but what we have will bear compari-
son in size, color, body and flavor"
Norman Rideout of Yuba said: "We
could compete with Southern California
on even terms If timely notice had been
given. If we hesitate now it is not be-
cause we are afraid, but because we are
not ready. A quality test at the right
time would be very welcome to US, as
the navels OF the Sacramento foothills
are equal to the best of Riverside, and
our seedlings have no rivals in America.
Edward Harkness, secretary of the
Oroville citrus committee, agreed with
the others. He said: II don't think it
advisable to have the competition now
on the terms proposed. We are willing
to meet the southerners in January
next on every proposition except guam
tity. Their orchards are 16 years Old
ours only 6. They want us to put a
state exhibit, such as ours will be q
month hence, against the freshest
product of their orchards. 1t won't 60"
Thomas 3. Hall, president of the
Northern California Citrus Fair associa-
tion, concurred. s'Inssmuch as our fruit
ripens earlier than that of Southern
California" he said, land does 80 by
about six weeks, most of our growers
have sold and shipped their best oranges
or else have sent them here. Four
weeks hence we shall have nothing very
fine on hand. We are opposed to
eleventh-hour competition, but if it is
desired to have test of merit in any
future year we will appoint committee
to meet the Southern California grow
ers and agree upon scale OF points,"
Later in the day the northern growers
concluded to challenge their southern
friends to quality test for January
18th, the terms of which are embraced
in the following letter:
San FRANCISCO, January s, 1893.
Mr.. G. M. Wells and others, Los Angeles, CAL:
GENTLEMEN: We we're waited upon
today by committee of the board of
trustees of the Mechanics institute,
who informed us that you, as represent
atives of that portion of the state of
California lying south of Tehachepi
pass, desired that the Mechanics insti-
tute offer premium to be competed for
during the last week of the twenty
seventh industrial exposition on citrus
fruits by the whole state.
This proposition was not satisfactory
to us for the reason that our fruits have
ripened and have been in market since
December /, 1892, and all of our choice
fruits have been marketed or are now
picked and ready for exhibition in the
Mechanics pavilion in this city in a
contest among ourselves, and from
which you are by law debsrred.
The premiums on this fruit will be
awarded January II, 1898.
We heartily appreciate your desire for
competitive test of oranges. and as an