The herald., 1898-04-09
A PROPOSED INDUSTRY
THE JUICE OF GULL LEMONS TO
BE SHIPPED EAST
Probable That q Plant for the Bottling
Of Lemon Juice Will Be Built
Here-Struggling Industry

Lemon growers are determined that no
part of their produce shall go to waste.
and efforts are accordingly being made
by them to find a market in the east for the
Juice of their culls. Heretofore Gull
lemons have been unavailable for any
purpose, and thousands upon thousands
have been thrown away each season. Now
that they are to be saved 1t will mean d
material extra sum of money annually 10
cultivators, and an enhancement of profits
to the railroads of this section, and the
latter are the instigators of the scheme.
1t is proposed to start plant in various
cities of Southern California, particularly
adjacent to where lemons are grown
and use Gull lemons exclusively
in the manufacture of citric acid and lemon
Juice. The consummation of this plan
would mean an appreciable saving to the
grower, a convenience to the public and
profit to transportation lines.
The railroads have shown disposition
to aid growers by placing the shipping
price OF fruit juices on a par with canned
goods, thereby reducing the freight rate
en- a hundred pounds from $275 to 81. .55 on
shipments west Of the Missouri river. and
making the maximum of the new rate 81 10
Wnlcn is 10 new YORK.
At this price growers and railroad men
believe that there will be good marginal
profit for the manufacturers. Just now
however, the juice of the lemon as pre-
served fluid is not in perfected state.
Prof. Woodbridge of Pasadena is ex-
perimenting in the matter now, and so, IL
is reported, are other chemists. 1t is as
serted by one who Is In a position to
know that lemon juice without a dash of
preserving medicinal tincture is unfit for
use after 1t is in the bottle one week,
being at the end Of that time sticky
sediment undefinable In color.
This particular preserving fluid Is not un-
known to chemists in Germany, from
where the present bottled lemon Juice used
comes, and the argument is advanced that
where the lemon grows the lemon juice
industry should flourish.
There is a citric acid plant in operation
in San Diego, though it is not running
full time and is said to be losing money,
and another, but upon a smaller scale, in
North Ontario. Here the juice is evapora-
ted and then crystallized, and when used
Is placed in water, which dssolves it read
lily. The lack of financial success attached
to these two ventures is attributed to the
small selling price Of it-271a cents a
pound-which. some say. does not do more
than cover the cost Of production. The
manufacturers are endeavoring to raise
the price to 321a cents pound which, they
say, would place them on a working profit.
At any price, they admit, they will find it
difficult to compete with German manu-
facturers. who have representatives in the
large eastern cities
1t is probable that this matter will come
up for lengthy discussion at the California
State Fruit Growers convention, which
meets next Monday and Tuesday in the
chamber of commerce building.
NOTES AND PERSONALS
F. w. Thompson Of the Rock Island. w
J. Shotwell of the Denver and Rio Grande
and w. A. Snedaker of the Rio Grande
Western went to Riverside yesterday.
E. B. Stewart of the Santa Fe is In the
city from San Diego.