The herald., 1895-05-02
LOCAL FIELD OF COMMERCE
Meeting of Fruit Growers on
Wednesday Next
AN EXPERT ON LEMONS
He Looks for a Large Advance in
the Prices
DUN on the Local Situation-Jobbing Trade
Good-Moncy Plentiful and Prospects
for the Year Good

The regular weekly meeting of the exec
utive board OF the Southern California
Fruit Exchanges was held yesterday aft
ernoon, at which routine business only
was transacted.
Orders are coming in freely for Seeding
oranges, and the inquiry for navels is
strong, owing to the small stock now
available.
A meeting of considerable int terost to
fruit growers will be held on Wednesday.
May 8. at the chamber OF commerce, at
which Horace W. Day of the firm OF
Sgobel & Day of New York will be heard.
Mr.. Day is considered one OF the best
posted men in the country on fruits. lie
will meet the deciduous fruit growers at
80 p. m. on that day, and the lemon
growers at $50 p. m. Present indications
point to a genraal distribution of Cali
fornia fruits and everyone interested
should attend.
An interesting letter from St. AIMS
bay. Jamaica. dated April 8, has been re-
ceived. giving fully the resources of the
island. The orange season commences in
August, but this early fruit will not stand
shipment after Decem Der. Most OF the
vember and will ship as late as April.
The methods of picking and packing are
crude. Cars are loaded in bulk and
hauled Iom seven to twenty five miles to
shipping points, when the oranges are
thrown into barrels and generally very
roughly handled. There are no orange
groves in the sense that we know them;
the orange trees are of natural growth and
stand singly or in groups. scattered over
hill and dale. Shippers enjoy steamer
service every two weeks.
Another carload of Messinas sold in
New York yesterday. the quality being
poor and the price averaging $l.9O.
II. l.. Goodsell, the New York fruit
auctioneer, has this to say touching
lemons: "The production OF lemons in
America is so limited at present, both as
regards quantity and season, that all of
Californa's and Florida's products do not
supply 10 per cert of the country's needs
after August and September. when our
domestic lemon crops mature. But for
Sicily we should be without any lemons
whatever. except for few that Spain
sends during the rest of the year. Ac-
curate figures show that from Septem Der
to April 30. the last five years. the i'm
portations from Sicily have been abou.
200. 900 boxes annually, each box contain
ing 800 lemons. This is equal to 60, 000,-
600 lemons.
Owing to severe storms in Sicily last
winter and more recently the available
quantity has been greatly reduced and
where during the preceding months of
April since 1890. there were afoat to ar
rive within the succeeding thirty days
tom 243, 900 to 324, 900 boxes, there are in
sight now only $1,000 boxes. shortage
of a serious character, because future
shipments will continue to decrease. The
market is about 81 per cent higher than
it was this time a year ago while a
further advance IS likely to occur of fully
Nm ri hmm = t1,n+
lemons which now sell at New York at
$3 per box will probably bring Sc. and
possibly $S to So
r. w. Burnham, manager of the city
of Dun's commercial agency, has the
following on the home situations:
Business during the month Just closed
has been on the up grade throughout
most Of the eastern trade centers, and
while the increase has not been unaccom-
panied by discouraging conditions, the
fact remains that the industries are
slowly gaining.
California as a whole has reason for
congratulation. Reports from San Fran
CISCO are to the effect that large tom
mage is now under charter for foreign
shipments of wheat and there is now
good prospect of large surplus of wheat
contemplated building of the Valley rail
road is enthusiastically received and
hopeful condition prevails.
In our own district we find the most
hopeful conditions. Retail trade in nearly
all lines was unusually heavy during the
first half of the month. Some lines con-
tributed heavily through Fiesta week.
while Others fell off and the last week of
the month has been quiet, so the month
shows good average in all lines and in
mems goods largely ahead of correspond
ing month last year.
Jobbing trade is good, and the volume
of trade is ahead of last year, particularly
in farming implements.
Building and its allied industries are
rapidly increasing. Building permits for
April numb bered 1856 as against 291 in
April 1894
The orange market is improving with
prospect of favorable prices for the bal
lance OF the crop. largely due to reduced
freight rates to the Atlantic seaboard.
Money is plentiful in our banks. Our
oil development is increasing every day,
with an improving market and every
thing points to a good years business.
For all that collections are still slow and
do not keep pace with the continued i'm
proving conditions. A too liberal credit
system is largely responsi BILE for this. If
our merchants would insist on weekly
payments from the smaller dealers they
would not only hsnetit themselves, but
the merchant and the trade would soon
be on more satisfactory lines.
There have been in our district thir-
teen failures during April with liabilities
OF about $15, 600, against fourteen in
March with liabilities of $685. and as
sets Of $31, 900.
LOCAL PRODUCE