The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-10-02

TN HIS year is q recOrd-breaker as
to California oranges and deal
ers everywhere are commenting
on the unprecedented facts
which make this statement true.
In the first place the crop for 1898
has been the biggest in the history of
California orange culture. from $4,000
to 10000 carloads having already been
sent. cut or the State, with virtually
three r3;ttbs.0f the year to hear from.
In. the. second place unless a great
-up--which no one expects-inter-
Venes Califc mia oranges fresh from the
groves will be received at every big
city of the land every week of the
T. year This never been true before.
" In the third place the business OF
raising. and dealing in California
oranges may now be said to have GER
tainly passed the experimental stage
for good and all. Nearly everybody
connected with the trade has made
money-n0t hand over fist in every
case. perhaps, but still the profits have
been big enough TO Justify the feeling
that orange growing on the Pacific
Coast may now be considered fairly
safe.
Conditions have been so bad several
times within the past few years as to
make it more than possible that the in
dustry would practically have to be
abandoned. This would have meant
the sacrifice of an enormous amount of
invested Capital-just how much 40 one
knows, but surely many millions. II
would also have involved the yearly
diversion of great sums from American
pockets into those Of European orange
growers.
There. might have been no fewer
oranges. consumed in this country, per-
hapsi for Americans like the fruit SO
Well that they would procure it whether
grown in California or on the shores
Of the Mediterranean. But the pur-
chasing power Of the American dwell
ing in California would have been less
ened by just so much, and every great
center OF industry would have suf-
fered in prop0rtionate degree. The fol-
lowing figures viii make this clear:
At 336 boxes to the car-the aver
age capacity has already
shipped from 4, 704 900 to 1916, 900 boxes
this year. The total shipments for the
year, including the early installments
OF the new crop, which will begin to
move III December, may reach nearly
5,50Q,0D0 boxes. The price of oranges
i'N%-S ''@@NCo iN44 AllC SlISIlLt CDdISe III
conditions, but the average price at
place of shipment has this year been
not far frcm 81 80 a box, or, say. IS. 250.-
GOO for such a crop as that of the pres
ent year, with freight charges of more
than half as much again-say some
where near. SO, 600, 900 altogether It
would be a fine thing for the swarthy
sons of Italy and other south Euro
pean countries to have all the money
paid out by Americans for oranges. but
distribution among them, instead of
among good Americans, would make a
material difference in the general pros
perity of. the country, and there is
hardly any: one among US who wouldn't
feel it. personally.
Th6Fe. are a great many odd things
about the orange trade. For instance,
though: oraEges are sold at retail al
most universally by the dozen they are
handled at wholesale by the bulk. with
out: exception. The box is the unit and
the .prLee.is only incidentally dependent
upon the size Of the fruit. In New York
.IQ-eay large oranges may be scarce and
haEd~to get. If so they are sure to be
gear; Let large oranges become plenti-
1ut and small, ones scarce and the latter
WQAIG at once be in fierce demand
:WIlfe the large ones would become a
drug on the market. In either case
quality would have little to do with it,
ms. ~ untrue IN all cities. but con-
-sumers. OF oranges in New York. like
rnQat. other folk who dwell within it's
borders. invariably call loudest for that
which is hardest to get.
Although the seaboard towns are
hundreds Of miles farther away from
the"Calif0rnia orange groves than sccl,
cities as Cincinnati. Cleveland and Buff
&aio, the price Of the fruit is no higher
in Boston New York, Philadelphia
Baltimore or Washington than in thost
of the interior. This is because agree
ments have been made fixing the
freight rate at 95 cents a box in each
case At first sight this would seem to
it is based on good reasoning and is en-
tirely satisfactory both to growers ana
dealers. =.
oranges, like most fruits. are sold
chiefly on commission. Big dealers in
New York handle large proportion
of the crop each year. They keep as
in every city, using the wires freely
for that purpose as Wall street men
do regarding the prices of stocks and
bonds. They also keep well informed
concerning the oranges on hand in each
town. Ten carloads may be due to
arrive in Cincinnati tomorrow. In
some circumstances they would sell
readily and at good prices, but there
may be a glut in the orange market
IN that city just now. and the price be
so low that to sell them there means
q loss. Boston oranges may be scarce
and prices good, and the freight rates
being the same TO that town as Gin