The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1898-12-14
Expert Judgment Passed on Ia
Waiian Fruit.
CERTAIN MARKET FOR ORANGES
High Praise for Samples Grown in
Honolulu-How Money Gould
Be Made-Figures Given.

In the days when California was
quite young indeed and Hawaii was
but little older, produce was shipped
in quite a volume from the Islands to
the coast. In a few years the course of
trade was reversed. Now there prom
ises to be another change. Mr.. Byron
o. Clark, the Commissioner of Agricul-
ture, has been doing some hard work
in the direction of ascertaining the
fruit development possibilities of the
group. He is a practical man and has
ON the coast many acQuaintanceS who
are practical men. A short time ago
firms at San Francisco some navel
oranges grown right in Honolulu, and
judgment has been passed upon them
The verdict confirms precisely what
has been held by Mr.. Clark in the
premises and that gentleman said yes
terday that he could think of no bet
ter business enterprise than an orange
grove in Hawaii, conducted by men
who knew the business.
The trial shipment was not made
from fruit specially grown. These
Navel oranges were picked from trees
ON the Claus Spreckels premises in
Honolulu, Oahu. The trees
were planted some years ago by Mr..
Walter M. Giffard, whose interest IL
fruit culture is we'll known. The trees
have not received any especial care.
Here is what old commission mer-
1SSO-say of the
market at San Francisco for Hawaiian
San Francisco, Nov. 26, 1898.
Byron o. Clark, Honolulu, H. /.
Dear Strive were recently handed
a sample of Navel oranges produced
in your locality and requested to write
you regarding the quality of the same
and future prospects should you be
to market here during the
holiday season.
In this connection, we desire to say
that in some respects these oranges
are a revelation to MS, as they are
equal in point of juiciness and sweet
e.
It is safe to say they will weigh double
an orange of the same size produced
IN California. We have never seen an
orange with so much juice, although
these were evidently picked before
hey were fully matured. There is, of
course, slight insipidness in the
.aste, but this was undoubtedly caused
oy their being taken from the trees be-
f,,1i
can produce oranges of this quality in
any quantity we see no reason why
they should not take the market
wherever they are sent in preference
to anything else. 1t is barely possible
some portions of Florida produce an
similar to yours, but it is very
doubtful if they will equal them.
In regard to the prices that could be
obtained for them-of course, at this
writing, we could not fully say, but
we should judge that range in price
would be from 81 to Sc per box, if they
could be gotten here early in the sea-
November 1st, to the middle
of December, or the 1st of January.
After the California oranges become
plentiful in the market, of course, they
will be quite cheap, which would ne
cessitate selling fruit of this quality
much lower than their real value, but
we are certain all who may have the
pleasure of once using them would give
them the preference at quite consld-
cradle margin of values of anything
else coming to this market. Should
you be able to get few boxes togeth-
er, we shall be pleased to have them.
Will place them with the very best
trade here and advertise them liberal
ly. Presume, however, you Will not
have them in sufficient quantities this
season to be merchantable but in the
future suppose you will be able to ship
quantities of them.
We are hoping to hear from the col
ony recently organized by yourself, Mr..
kellogg and others, and sincerely hope
it will prove a success beyond your
most sanguine expectations.
Hoping to hear from you at your
convenience, we remain,
III