The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1894-03-05
LOST ON THE LEMONS
Disaster to the Big Importers
From Sicily.
California Crowding the Foreign
Fruits, But Florida Has the
Advantage in Rates.

NEW YORK. March 4-The lemon im-
porting season of 1S93-94 has heen thus far
the most disastrous ever known to the
trade, although it opened fayorably on the
first two or three cargoes from
Sicily. In October the importers
real zed from 81 to 81 each. and
the season continued prosperous until
the end of December, but with the open
ing of January the demand suddenly
slackened, most surprisingly. and with
in only two weeks lemons were sold
at such ruin ously low prices that import
ers lost not only the profit they had made
in the early part of the season. but also
tens of thousands of dollars additional.
Prices on February s. 1893, ranged from
So to So 30 per box for fair to fancy
lemons, while on the same date
this year only from 75 cents to 81 so
could be obtained for lemons of the same
grade. At the auction sale last Friday
prices ranged from 90 cents TO 81 IS per
box, showing a somewhat improved mar
ket. but there appears 20 be no chance,
under the existing conditions, for importers
so Offset their losses during the remainder
of the season.
There are several luses to which the
serious loss, both of money and trade, is
attributed. Among them are the heavy
importations. the hard times and the fact
that California now supplies the Western
markets and almost as far East as
Chicago.
There are now about 175,0O0 boxes of
lemons on the way from Sicily to this
country. Most of these will be received
in this city. and the remainder in Boston.
Philadelphia. Baltimore and New Or
leans.
Trade in Scilian oranges is reported TO
be in an improved condision. has been
improved on account of the drawbacks
which have been experienced in the
Florida trade. Florida is recognized
as strong competitor with the Sicilian
trade. but this season the Florida oranges
have not arrived In good condition, and
the demand for Sicilian oranges has conse-
quently been largely increased.
California is not so strong competitor
with the Florida trade as is Sicily. The
freight from San Francisco by rail
is S7h cents box, while from
Florida by steamer it is only
so cents box, which gives the Florida
growers an advantage of 37B cents box.
Since the great increase in the growth of
oranges in Florida and California trade in
oranges has dwindled into comparative
insignifieance.
A plan for establishing large fruit ex
change is under discussion among fruit
jobbers. 1t is proposed that The building
shall be rented or erected for the pur-
pose somewhere between Barclay and
Harrison and Greenwich streets, of suffi-
cient size to permit the seating of several
hundred jobbers, and the display of sew
eral thousand packages of fruit upon a.
floor set apart for that purpose. It is pro-
posed that there shall be large auction
salesro0m in which goods can be DUR
chased or sold only by members, jobbers
of ell fruits, whether rawberries and
small domestic fruits, or green or dried
fruits, are to be brought together In one
consolidated organization.
1t is believed that fully 300 merchants.
residents md non-residents. would Join the
organizations. each taking stock. A meet
ing to discuss the subject will be held in
the rooms of the New York Frnit Ex.
change next Saturday.