The herald., 1896-07-07
MARKETS OF THE WORLD
Local, Eastern and Foreign
Commercial Dealings
WALL STREET SPECULATION
Orange and Lemon Growing in Sonora,
Mexico
The Condition Of tho Treasury-Much I'm
proved During Last Ycar-Prospecfsf for
the Future Good

proved During Last Ycar-Prospecfs for
the Future Good
Frank w. Roberts, United States consul
at Nogales makes the following report on
Sonora oranges and lemons to the treas
ury department at Washington:
The following report as to the produc-
tion of oranges and lemons in this consular
district (the state of Sonora, Mexico) was
prepared in answer to interrogatories re-
Gently forwarded to me by gentleman en-
gagged extensively in the raising OF those
fruits in the state of California:
In the territory covered by this consular
district, there are but very few lemon or
chards and there have as yet been no lem
ons exported, to my knowledge. The av-
erage age Of the orannge orchards produc-
ing the oranges for export is about Is years.
The average crop of oranges is about 1000
per tree, their weight being in the neigh
borhood of $50 pounds.
l am informed that but very few new
orchards are now being planted.
The price which the growers usually re-
ceive for oranges or lemons is 81 in Mexi-
can money. worth so to IS per cent of United
States currency, per box weighing about
rs pounds. understand that the purchas-
er generally buys the fruit ON the trees
and picks. packs and ships the same him
self.
The orchards are plowed to destroy and
keep out weeds, and where water is plenti-
full they are irrigated eight or nine times
throughout the year. The cost is hard to
estimate. The trimming is done when the
trees are small, SO that each shall have a
trunk feet high from the ground before it
wards the top is thinned out little in
order to make room for air and sunshine.
:. Except where the orchard is a small one
1t Is, as a rule, cared for by hired labor
The small orchards are usually owned by
the families occupying them.
Ordinary laborers, known in this country
as poems are paid 80 cents (Mexican
slver) per day.
Boxes are purchased in the United States
and cost, laid down here, about 15 cents in
United States currency
The lemons produced in the state Of
Sonora are small, and are consequently
not suitable for export. I learn that eff
production of fruit of a fine quality. so
that they may be exported.
The The orange trees would probably be
were adhered to in fertilizing, Of which
only a very little is done now.
An American gentleman said to me:
Il think the average age of orange or
chards in Sonora is about Is years The
most of them that furnish fruit for export
are comparatively young I know of sew
erel that were old orchards when 1 first
came here 36 years ago; they are yielding
now. and must have been doing SO for the
last fifty or, sixty years.. their present
crops being abundant ones"
The total shipments of oranges fromMex-
leo to the United States last year were 400
cars. It is estimated that this year 600
cars will come from that source.
First invoices of these were reported on
the Chicago market a couple of weeks ago;
tW1rtnsngton C. F9na of the t of
subject Of the tariff law now in force and
''At the end of June nearly two years will
have passed since the law of 1894 went into
operation. p AS a measure of the recovery
suggestive. In 1894 the receipts were s12S
Ss1. 1858; in 1895 they We're s147.901.2 .21S and to
the 23d of June. 1896, they were $157, 366, 25e,
three millions being added before the end
of the month. This marks very far rate
of increase, and is by no means discourag-
TO the end Of May. 1895, the imports OF
dutiable merchandise were s337, ,s16694. and
an fne " ohsy The sss smoan
0f e9stoms saa q, paid upon the imports II 1Sd
the treasury is in a far stronger position
serve was less than sioo. 600 900. ana there
failure in the efforts of the gold syndicate
to perform its engagements, so far as
nnally 10 protect the treasury against
heavy Withdrawals of gold for export
1t was regarded as a financial experiment
of a new kind and as such open to doubt
In its ultimate results. Now the treasury
holds more than one hundred millions in
gold, and there is little prospect of any
immediate call for the metal in large
amounts for export. A year ago the treas
ury's cash balance, outside of gold, was
$S3 663, 900. 1t is now nearly double. or s161.-
730671. To count a deficit of S29. 900 600 or
$S0. 600, 900 as of moment in the fact of such
holding is absurd for there is enough to
meet four years of like deficit without
bringing the treasury into apprehension.
More than s156 900, 900 in gold has been
paid out in the last twelve months. and vet
the treasury holds more gold than it did
year ago. and under less fear of withdraw
al. Circumstances pointing to stability
OF conditions in government finances
would have multiplied in the last year had
II not been for the neglect of congress and
the tendency of presidential election"
As to next year Mr.. Ford says:
with no disturbance of the tariff we
may expect 72.000,0 900 from customs. Sl45..
100000 from internal revenue. and from
miscellaneous receipts $4,000. 900. This
gives total of 1895, 900 of ordinary re-
ceipts. On the lowest estimate of revenue
there will remain a small deficit and this
deficit will be wiped out by a very slight
Improvement of trade conditions. Conf
dence and stability are the two factors
yet to be obtained"