The herald., 1894-12-30
A FATAL FREEZE IN FLORIDA,
The Orange Crop Practically
Wiped Out.
The Mercury Down Ola Degrees at
r. Jacksonville.
Gossip About the southern California
Orange Crop-yernon Grange
Growers
Los ArGELEs. DEC. 30.

Los AFGELEs, &C. 80.
The agent OF the Southern California ruit
exchangei at jack iopville, Fla, wired to tho
manager OF the exchange in this city yesterday
that Friday nj hi was the coldest ever known
in F.oride. the me;cury, having gone down 10
IA degrees at Jacksonville a1d vicinity, eez.
irg the orangerto id. This dispatch was cor
roborated by private advices from half doz N
eastern points, all telling about the t'rriblee
frtez, in Florida Further confirmation OF the
report was msda by the Associated Pres',which
wired from Washington that the mercury was
five degrees lower in Florida than ever before
known in that state
As about o1e-haf the oran,e crop OF the
peninsula is still unmarketed, tn, result of the
frost must have prove | disastrous. 1t means
the loss OF Thousands of dollars to the Floida
orange growers 1t is estimated that at least
100000 boxes remain on the trees. If the
degree OF cod was in any way as great rs re-
ported in the dspathes, few can have escaped
being so badly frost bitten as to be unmarketa
be. If this is the case, it will have buoyant
effect on the market for Southern California or
anges. While such local orange growers as had
heard the news yesterday showed no signs OF
ex1ltlng over their unfortunate brethren in
Florida, it was plain that they counted on prof.
iting handsomely by the ForidanI misfortune,
provided they have good luck with their own
crop.
Thus far the Southern California orange crop
is in the very best condition. 1t has not suf-
fered in the least yet from wind or frost. 1t
is seldom that December is raised without some
damage being done by one or both OF these ele-
ments, especially the former. The foothill
country genera IL experiences severe norther
between the 10th and 18th OF December, which
blows much of the fruit off the trees and thorns
and bruises the remainder This year the crit
ical period was passed over without the dread
visitation, aud the orange growers are accord
ingly exultant As for frost, there has not yet
been enough to cause even the slightest appre.
hension. However, wind and frost may yet
work havoc before the season is over, but it is
hardly possibIe that the results could be SO dis
astrous as reported from Florida. M
Aside from the benefit that will accrue to the
local orange growers, ii it be true that the Flor
ida crop is ruined, quite healthy tone will be
impaired to the real estate market, at least as
concerns orange lands. In fact some orange
grove owners have already raised the price
they have been holding their possessions at,
Such severe frost will check emigration to
Florida, which has been quite heavy in recent
years. cope seeking homes in sunny cline.
where they can engage in the culture OF the or
ange. the OF i've and the vine will discover that
Southern California is the el dorado they kavs
been longing for.
white it is probable that there will be good
market this year for the entire crop OF So 1thern
California oranges, more care should be exor-
cised than ever before that no frosted or blem
isbed fruit goes east Thers never was a better
opportunity to establish sterling reputation
for California fruit.
The Southern California F.uit exchanges
have every thing in adiness forth handling
OF the CROP They claim tha their orga nization
is sTe;fect and that they will market at least
four diths of the yield, only the ons-ffth re-
naming going to the middleman. The results
OF last years operations were 10 satisfactory
that many growers who refused to join in the
scheme. came in, this year without urging.
Agents of the exchanges are at present esti
matingth number of carloads that will prob
ably be shipped from the various centers and
in short time will be able to give appIoxi-
mate figures. It estimated that fron 200 to
800 carloads will be shipped from the immedi-
ate vicinity of Los Angeles. ,l 80 '1
General Freight Agent Hynes of the Oslifor.
MIA Southern road, estimates the Riverside
crop at 2300 carloads. Some estimates are as
low as 1000 carloads.
Editor Mark Plaisted of the Riverside Enter
prise says the seeding crop is light this year,
but the buddei crop is.up to the average, and
enough new orchards OF budded fruit have
come into bearing to make the value of the en-.
tire crop as great as last year at the prices then
realized. About every third year the seedlings
crop is light, and this is the off year. A'.'~
Althouse Bros. of this city have bought this
years yield OF Henry Bu,ler's famous orange
grove at Redlands. This fruit Ia said to- be
among the choicest produced in Southern Cali.
fornia. 1t will be packed for shipment to the
eaat and to EurOpe