The herald., 1895-01-03
A GAIN OF MILLIONS.


Frost in Florida las Done Much for South
ern California,
The San Bernardino correspondent of the San
Francisco Examiner takes the following rosy
view of the orange situation:
SAN BERNARDINo, Dec. 31.-The orange grow.
ers of California are just now having n practi-
cal demonstration OF the pcoverb, 'lts an iii
wind ttat blows nobody good" Not one of
them, however, in all the districts in this broad
valley have been mean enough TO express any
pleasure at the news of the destruction OF the
Florida orange crop, but at the same time they
recognize that every box OF oranges ruined by
the recent cold snap in the Everglade state
means an increase IN the value of the Califor-
mia oranges and they are a. once placing them
selves in position TO command the orange
market for the year.
The first move made was by the Redlauds
Orange Growers association, which announced
yesterday that it will receive no orders at the
quotations which have been ruling. and other
associations in Southern California will prob
ably soon follow the example set by this asso-
citation. Oranges have been selling through
the associations " hich handle practically a |
the crop, at 81 per box. They are only coming
in, none as yet having been shipped, with the
exception OF few carload lots which went to
coast points. No more oranges viii be sold NJ
that price at present, ana even the smn ad-
vance OF so cents per box, which was yesterday
register ed. means gain of $l,000,000 IN the
amount to be received for the crop.
AN ESTIMATE OF THE CROP.
The crop is now estimated by the most con-
sentative growers at 1000 carl Dads in Southern
California. There are 800 boxes in Il car OIL u
total of 2,l00. 900 boxes. Other statistics say
the crop viii certainly not fail below 10000
carloads, or 5000 600 boxes, and IL takes but
little figuring oshow that an enormous am cunt
OF money may be added to the value of the
crop should the price of the fruit be doubled,
which is by no means remote possibility.
But the increase in the value OF the local pro-
DUCTS by 10 means the only benefit which
California growers will reap. 1t means the
opening of an earlier market, as well as of an
en- irey new field to tie supplied from the west
A. B. Ruggles, the secretary of the Redlands
Orange Growers association, Was seen today
and detailed some of the probabilities which
will be opened up for the California fruit, If
half the reports from Florida are true.
GROWERS WILL ADVANCE PRICES.
at is simply business proposition for us TO
take advantage of the situation" said he. IF
the Florida crop has practically been destroyed,
or II there has been the destruction of as many
as 100000 boxes, it places us in absolute
control of the market, for the United States will
have to look to us for supply. The Florida
product is earlier than ours by month and
more, and IL has ways kept us practically out
Few oranges have been shipped to the east in
the past seaso before the bulk of the southern
oranges had been sold. But the conditions will
be so lar reversed that the demand Will be upon
us almost before we are ready for it.
California oranges viii be much sought after
IN the east within two weeks But PERHAPS the
most far-reac ching benefit that we will receive
will be the introduction OF our fruit in districts
where 1t Is as etunknown. There are sections
OF the country where prejudice against us has
existed because they knew nothing about wnat
we could grow. They have always bought the
oranges from the south, but now they will be
compelled to buy our frnit; and we are satisfied
that, once introduced, market for 1t will be
established that vii take portion of our crop
pvery year. Just how much OF an increase in
prices will be registered at once is difficult to
say. Our association Will accept NO more Or