The herald., 1895-08-20
LOCAL FIELD OF COMMERCE
The End of the Orange Bust.
ness for 1895
A SATISFACTORY SEASON
Fairly Good Returns and an Extended
Market Secured
More Fruit for the London Harket-0ood Re.
suits Expected to Follow Careful
A SATISFACTORY SEASON
More Fruit for the London narket-0ood Re.
suits Expected to Follow Careful
Packing Of Fine Fruit

duuS DTlgntnoSSttO tne Iruluerer ulsplays
and the California boy as he strolls along
the street still munches the luscious pulp
and drops the peel as an effective snare
for the feet Of the unwary pedestrian.
To the small boy there is no orange
season, for the fruit is perennial. But to
the small boys father, whose business
in life is the raising Of oranges, the seas
on is over. The navel and the Mediter-
ranean sweet, even the late Bloods and
st. Mlchaels are out of the market. and
the occasional carloads now forwarded to
the east are, for the most part, made up
of unnamed seedlings, no two alike in
size or color or shape Or flavor. The or
ange growers season is finished, and he
is now busy figuring out the result of his
years work.
1t has not been such a season as prom
ised the most favorable returns to the pro-
ducers OF luxuries, in which class the or
ange grower must as yet be included.
Great stagnation in the industrial and
mercantile world resulting from the
financial panic of two years ago, added to
the diminution of money in circulation
and loss OF wages resulting from the
great railroad strike OF year ago. brought
about condition Of things which made
but black outlook for the citrus fruit
grower at the opening of the season. The
benefit accruing to him from the frosts
which destroyed the Florida orange trees
was more imaginary than real, for
promptly on receipt of the news the
European dealers loaded the market with
Messina fruit to an amount almost as
Iov a,I v,,I,a =
ever prices tho purchaser might be will
ing to pay.
Notwithstanding all this, the season of
1895 may fairly be considered the best
the California grower has known, both
tre promise given for the future. As to
results obtained, while q somewhat griev-
ously large quantity of seedlings was
not marketed. the amount OF money OBJ
tained-by the grower has not fallen short
OF the sum realized in other years. and
has, perhaps. exceeded the returns OF any
other year. And this result has been OBJ
tained, not by any increase in prices. but
bv the better distribution OF fruit and
the disposal of practically all the fiuit
shipped, instead of, as heretofore, the
loss Of one car in four because OF indis-
criminate shipments which glutted one
locality and left bare the market at other
places. Under the conservative manage
ment of the fruit exchanges the market
has been more intelligently handled, and
the result has been an actual reduction
of the prices paid by the consumer and
an increase in the amount received by
| the producer.
| But the results of the seasons dealings
which are most satisfactory to the orange
grower a:e the new market invaded and
!, the foundation laid for disposal of citrus
| fruits in the future.
T,xx,l hn Pato
aiigning the Mississippi river have taken
practically all OF the California citrus
fruit which found a market. The citi
zens of the densely populated states lying
farther east knew of the California ma
vel orange only by the reports OF the tou-
tasted navel fully ripe. This year.
owing both to the push of the. ex-
changes and the increased energy of the
old time dealers, the California naval has
been carried to the shores OF the Atlantic
and its progress has been a series OF vic
tories over the fruit which was supposed
to be its competitor. From Michigan and
Ohio, from Pennsylvania. New York and
Massach usstts comes the report that no
orange was ever raised that quite equals
the California navel, and the verdict is
backed up by demand which absorbed
fully ripe. and which continued after the
crop was disposed Of; the Seeding, when
carefully selected, was received with al
most equal favor and the fact that the
crop was not all sold must be charged in
great measure TO a little greediness early
in the season, and little stupidity
later, at this end OF the route.
For the coming season. and for many
seasons to come, the promises are brill
liant. The trees now bearing and the
trees to come into peaifng will not over.
supply the market made ready by the
work of the season just past; and the Cal
ifornia grower OF citrus fruits may look
forward with reasonable certainty to reap
ing the reward of lis patient labors dur
ing past years.