The record-union., 1897-11-17

siderable friction between the producers
!, and commission merchants, but he
thought that, If they could work to-
gether properly they could give the
fruit to consumers at a cheap rate and
open a far better market than now.
Why could not the fruit be delivered as
milk is, a stated quantity daily at a
certain price per month, collected
monthly? He thought the householder
would be better served and the enter
prisdng commission man who first tries
it will amass money. This would work
to the elimination of the army of re-
tail fruit dealers who live off the pro-
ducer and consumer, and would work
a hardship for a time but things
would soon adjust themselves to the
new conditions
MR. HOLMES ESSAY
f. w. Holmes of Riverside followed
with an essay on The Time for Proper
Conservatism"
He said that, had it not been for the
disaster to the Florida orange growers,
there would have been no need of con-
se1vatisrn. So long as Floridas out
put shall remain below million boxes,
and a judicious tariff shall aid the pro-
ducer, we will be safe, but the time
will come when We must change the
methods of the past. The stories of the
boomer, under present circumstances,
will be likely to unduly stimulate the
planting by the uninitiated of more
than the proper proportion of orange
trees. Orange growers, while at pres
ent prospecting, should not play into the
hands of the speculative boomers by
concealing the cost at which prosperity
has been obtained.
He believed that the time had ar
rived when further orange-tree plant
ing should be discouraged. No one
who has not ridden through the
orchards in the southern part of the
State has any idea of their extent. AT
present there are about 4, 10000 trees
in bearing in this State. If conditions
continue favorable this winter may see
going forward 1900 carloads of or
anges. When the present acreage or
trees comes into bearing it will prob
ably be 5000 carloads to ship, or T.
600, 900 boxes, an amount that the coun-
try has never yet consumed.
Orange growers, then, should make
public the cost to them of producing the
crop. He knew of one orchard, one OF
the best in his neighborhood, where the
expenses for the year were 81, 1OO. The
time was when almost any one in the
State could make money planting
oranges, but now it is only the shrewd-
est and best business management that
will now yield a margin of profit and
when Florida re-enters the field it will
be still harder
CITRTTS CULTURE
A paper on CITRUS Culture and It's
Development" by l. N. Hoag Of Red
lands. was read by B. NJ. Lelong. He
stated that in the northern foothill
counties it was estimated that there is
about 100000 acres suitable for citrus
culture. In some places the condi-
tions are rendered unfavorable by cold
currents of air, and the danger of dam
age is great, while in the near neigh
borhood, perhaps, the currents being
cut off and such fruit can be raised in
safety.
An interesting sketch of the early
planting of orange trees in various
parts of the State was given, showing
the gradual growth of this industry. In
1891, he said, the receipts from oranges
and lemons was about 81 $4,000 and
=
lied, they Will be nearly $7,O00,OOO.
DISCOURAGE OR ENCOURAGE?
The next essay was by Fred c. Miles
Of Penryn on the subject ''Shall Fruit
Tree Planting be Discouraged or En-
couraged?'
he took the ground that the planting
had been to indiscriminate and that in
the past all varieties had been planted,
without sufficient judgment The ques-
ton can only be solved by planting such
varieties as will reach the Eastern
markets at such time that It will not
come into competition with their home
fruits. For this purpose the earliest
varieties are preferable.
On motion of William Johnston the
essays We're placed on file, for discus
sion in turn.
The President announced that the
first subject for discussion this morn
ing Will be the distribution and trans
portation of fruit to the markets.
THE DISCUSSION.
Mr.. Berwick said that Mr.. O'Brien
seemed to think that the English did
not eat much fruit. This is a mis-
take. The British schoolboy, instead
of eating pie an inch thick, with an
upper and under crust, has for his lunch
pie five or six inches thick, with no
under crust. AS for raisins, if Cali
fornians would eat plum pudding as
the English do, Fresno raisins would
be worth six cents a pound, and the
English eat raisins, cooked and un-
cooked, in fifty different ways.
Mr.. Judd of Watsonville, was called
ON to tell what he knew about apples
and gave an account of raising apples
in the Pajaro Valley. He said he had
not yet heard a word about co-opera-
tion in marketing fruit He believed
the day was not far distant when the
State will have a general exchange and
the 13S commission men will be sup
planted by three. II is bound to come.
and men who find that a hundred or
two boxes are to be bought, will come
where they can buy them.
Professor Childs told of the advan-
tages secured by cooperation in Santa
Clara County. The various associa-
tions there have sold some 40 900 600
pounds of prunes at about 315 cents
and got their money, while those who
kept outside the exchange because il
cost a little money to go in. are still
holding their 100000 pounds. which
they cannot sell for more than 21b cents
This shows the advantage gained in
the county by cooperation.
Mr. Judd said that where the guam
titles were large, as In the exchanges.
the fruit can be graded better and
where there was a large quantity buy
ers will come. but they do not know
the isolated buyers and do not come
to them. In his county, in some sec