The record-union., 1898-01-25
GRAPE FRUIT VS.. ORANGES.
THE FORMER RECOMMENDED
TO ORCHARDISTS.
What a Leading New York Fruit
Selling Firm Has to
Say Of It.

HorticultuTists in this county have
lately manifested considerable interest
in the subject of the culture of grape
fruit" a species of citrus fruit that is
becoming quite popular and sells well
in the market.
Harry 5. Landis, a prominent fruit
grower of Orangevale, recently wrote
TO Messrs. Sgobel & Day. the New York
handlers of fruits, for their opinion
as to the advisability of engaging in the
culture Of this fruit Under date of
the llth of this month that firm wrote
Mr. Lands as follows:
A PROFITABLE FAD.
Mr.. Harry S. Lands, Orangevale-
Dear Sir: We are in receipt of your es-
teened favor of the 18th, and note with
attention everything you tell us. Hav-
ing handled this grape fruit for great
many years, particularly when as
agents of the Florida Fruit Exchange
we were the heaviest receivers in the
United States, we feel competent to an
swer your questions on the subject.
Your friend was right in telling you
1t is a fad, but it is just the finest kind
of fad You take our advice and go
ahead and put out grape fruit rather
than oranges, and we do not believe you
viii ever regret it. We had letter
from Highlands, in the southern part
of your State, from a Mr.. z. o. Smith
there who wrote that he believed the
Thursby variety, which originally came
from Florida, was the best one to set
out. He said there We're some out
there which We're seedless. In fact, we
cannot do better than to give you an
exact copy Of what we wrote back to
him on the Sth inst, which we now
do
1--WE sum it all up by saying, go
ahead and put out your orchard Of the
Thursby variety. All the grape fruit,
as far as we know, that comes from
Florida, Nassau and Jamaica, the only
points from which We receive this fruit,
are full Of seeds and, with you, we
believe that if you could have them
seedless, or almost so, they would not
have the flavor that the others have.
You must understand that this was
fad. Ten years ago you could not sell
it. but when we became agents of the
Florida Fruit Exchange, about that
time, the managers urged US to push
it, as it was a growing industry. We
did SO, and once the consumer tasted
one he wanted it again Then the fash
ionable people took it up, as it was
found to be very beneficial to certain
organs of the body.
THE demand grew so fast that there
was not sufficient to supply the demand
at the same prices which had ruled, so
they gradually crept up until boxes
were known to sell at so to So, and
barrels at double that price. They are
used before breakfast and at luncheon.
All dinner parties given by fashionable
people serve grape fruit Naturally the
finest were in demand and although
the external appearance really has
nothing to do with the quail
ties Of the fruit itself. there
would be the greatest possible diff
ference in the selling price. Everybody
wants clean, bright, perfect fruit of the
sizes you name as to go; in fact, any
thing between 80 and so goes, but
smaller sizes are not wanted
In going for this new orchard go
more for quality than for quantity.
Spend a little more money, and do
everything that experience and inves-
tigation shows you will, in the future
enable you to produce something extra
fancy. Have every dollar you spend
bring you back SO True, other people
are doing the same thing in the three
districts you mention, as well as in your
State, but the demand is growing. and
it will be a great many years before
trees planted the past few years can
bear to any extent, by which time the
demand will take it. But. as we said
before, the big prices will be obtained
by the men who grow the truly finest,
bright grape fruit.
"As to the prices, of course you will
not get Sc per box, as that is an enor-
nous price, nor 81, and perhaps not
SO, but we think it viii be a good many
years before you have TO sell any good
grape fruit as low as SO per box, f. o.
b. yours while the time is very close at
hand when you viii have to sell your
Navels at 81 80 per box, owing to the
excessive production.
Naturally grape fruit is not in strong
demand here through the coldest wealth
er. Fall and spring are the best times,
particularly the latter. March, April
and May, September. October and No
vember. are the months of the greatest
consumption.
Our trade do not know one variety
from another. They only know grape
fruit. Some that comes from your
State is not nearly as heavy as that
which comes from the three above
points. We have seen some from Call
ifornia that were decidedly lacking in
juice Try to overcome that You
write you are fearful that your sizes
are bad, but We tell you they are the
very ones that are and win be wanted.
The three points to send grape fruit
here have not much more. Florida has
been ruined by the late freeze; Nassau
has not much, while there, as well as in
Jamaica, there are no regular groves
just trees here and there, scattered all
over the islands. The handling IS al
most brutal. Lazy negroes pun the
grape fruit from the trees, throw it
down to other negroes under the trees.
who sometimes catch it and sometimes