The herald., 1895-05-04
CaIifOrnianS Interested in the
Florida Situation
WHAT WAS THE DAMAGE !?
A Very Short Crop in View for the
Next Season
Thirteen Thousand Boxes of Messinas Were
Sold In New York Yesterday-Poor
Quality and Prices

The full and true effect of a damaging
frost to the orange tree cannot be estimat-
ed until some weeks-usually from six to
eight, and even ten, varying with clrcum-
stances-have elapsed from the unwel-
come visitation.
The state of Florida in the season OF
1S93-94 shipped more than 5000. 600 boxes
of citrus fruits. This is II Ut only an i'm
mense factor in the consuming market
but also large factor in establishing
prices. California growers then cannot
but be interested in learning the full dam
age to orange trees and the future crops
of Florida. Sufficient time has elapsed
since the last frost to allow of a correct
estimate of the loss inflicted. Immedi-
ately after the frost of 1886 many groves
we're offered for sale at extremely low
figures in the belief that the trees or most
of them were killed. Those same groves
in few weeks put out leaves and sprouts
and in two years were as good as ever.
What is the true damage to the Florida
orange industry as result OF the two
freezes of the season of 1894-95?
Charles W. White of Citra Fla. q man
who owns and controls a larger acreage Of
oranges than any other esident OF that
state. intelligent. and close observer: has
recently given his opinion upon the situa-
tion in the Jacksonville Florida Citizen.
1t is so comprehensive so evidently sin
cere and so interesting in detail, that
his words are here given without abridg-
ment. Mr.. White is quoted as saying;
''Fhere is no doubt that the freezes of
the past winter did an immense amount
of damag to the orange trees of Florida
/ believe that the most of the orange trees
of the state have been killed down to a
point below the buds and bearing wood,
and it will be necessary to rebud the trees
or to begin again and raise new stock.
1t will probably be eight years before the
crop of the season of 1893-94, which was
more than 5000. 900 boxes. will again he
euualed. | control for others 800 acres of
orange groves, and the damage to this
property from the loss of trees and from
oranges frozen that had not been mar
keted. will be $500. 900. | also own about
900 acres and the los from the same
causes will not be far from $500. 900, max
ing more than million dollars damage
TO the property in which | have an inter-
est.
The groves about Micanopy, Waldo.
Ocala and down as far as Lake Weir are
hurt worse than those about Orange lake.
being on higher ground and consequently
more exposed to the cold winds of both
freezes. In those sections the trees were
killed two and three feet below the buds,
while at Citra there is in many places a
growth several feet above the buds. South
OF the Lake Weir section the general con-
dition of the trees is about the same as
that around Citra. 1t is noticeable fact
that on the north and northwest sides of
many groves the trees seem to be killed,
and on the opposite sides OF the same
groves there is q fair growth coming on.
1t is also noticeable that the sour stock
suffered much more than the sweet. which
is somewhat against the notions that
growers used to entertain on this subject.
l do not believe that there are hundred
grape frdit trees left in the state which
will bear this year. The new growth that
is appearing in most portions of the state
is not bud bearing wood.
"Iast season Marion county shipped
one-tifth of the crop of the state. and
do not believe that she will ship twenty
boxes during the coming season. | esti-
mate the orange crop of the state for the
season OF 1886 at 10000 boxes. Some
authorities place it as high as 100000
boxes. and probably the product will lie
somewher' between the two figures. The
larger portion of this crop will come from
south Of line drawn across the state
from Tampa to Rock Ledge. where the
damage to the groves has been less.
~ think that it is the intention of
most OF the growers to make another
start. The groves that will be abandoned
will he mostly those OF non-residents.
Very few of the resident growers will say
that they are going to stop now. but they
intend to go on and are preparing to put
in new buds, and where it is necessary
to stump the trees and let new budding
wood grow out Just now the state is in
bad way. but she will come out all right
in the end
A cargo of 13. 600 boxes of Messina stock
sold in New York City yesterday, the
quality of which was poor and bringing
Soc. A limited quantity of fancy fruit
brought $3.50.
The San Francisco market, which for
the past two weeks has been good. is now
very weak, owing to the receipt there of
500 cases of strawberries on WEDNESDAY
los