The herald., 1894-11-15
THE ORANGE SEASON.

The ripening of the orange crop OF
ready in some localities a stre',k OF light
yellow is to be seen among the trees,
and within a month a few samples OF
the new fruit will be in the market.
The indications are that the coming
crop will be the largest ever harvested; !;
it may run to 1900 carloads. If no frost
occurs, and no serious winds, the crop
will run to that figure or more. II,
however, there should be repetition of
last years misfortune. there will be no
increase over last years production.
With regard to the matter OF frost,
orange growers of Southern California
have about come to the conclusion that
some section OF the country is likely to
be visited, in a greater or less degrees,
every year hereaiter-that absolute i'm
munity is no longer to be expected.
This does not mean that the climate
has changed, but rather that in the en-
larging of the territory devoted to this
fruit, many sections have been planted
that are ill suited to the product, and
that some among these are pretty sure
to be smitten one year with another.
Where ten years ago there we're
only few thousand citrus trees
clustered in sheltered hooks in
three or four districts, there are
now over three million trees scattered
over seven counties, high on the foot
hills and low down in the valleys, and
every variety of climate that Southern
California presents. 1t must not be ex.
pected that all OF these will escape every
year. Frosted oranges are problem
that has come to stay, and must be met
and conquered by the growers-to what.
ever extent it can be conquered-as all
other difficulties of the business must
be met and overcome, in order to make
1t genuine success.
However, supposing that the frost this
year should not be serious-which is
probable according to the law of chances,
for it wao serious last year-there is
prospect Of large crop. a somewhat
larger crop than has ever been harvested
and sold with any degree of profit. Ad.
vices from Florida point to fair.uized
crop there, and it is matter OF fact
that the acreage has largely in
creased in Florida IN the last 10 years,
and many thousands mole trees are
coming into bearing each season. Dur-
ing the past three years the citrus
product of this country has undergone
an incresse. perhaps disproportionate to
the increase in the production of other
fruits. The same thing may continue
for seversl years longer. although the
planting in both Florida and California
has been somewhat checked by the poor
condition of the market during the paat
two years.
We do not regard this increase in the
product as misfortune to the individual
grower, although it comes to him now
in the shape OF a problem that must,
like the one mentioned above, be met
and overcome. Granted 8 market for
the fruit. the larger the product the
better for the grower, individually or
collectively. As the business assumes
larger proportions it can secure greater
concessions from the railroads, both gs
to rates and es to time Of carriage. An
illustration CT this has already shown
itself in the shortening OF the TINA from
two or three weeks, which the older
growers remember was the rule a few
years ago, to the five or six days of the
present. The larger the business, more.
over, the more economically il can be
transacted, and the greater probability
Of sure profit to all engaged in it,
There are sundry other problems that
face the orange grower, questions OF
water supply, of scale and other pests,
of false branding of fruit, and other
matters of dispute and difficulty, such
rs every line of business must meet
but the two great problems arc those
which we have set forth, viz what to
do with the inevitable frosted fruit and
how best to widen the market to meet
the increased supply OF the product.
We are inclined to believe that the
germ OF the solution OF both OF these
difficulties has been found in the forms-
tion of associations OF the orange grow.
ers themselves to handle their own fruit.
The formation of these unicns grew