The record-union., 1899-08-23
WILL CITRON- GROWING PAY?
A MATTER OF INTEREST TO
CALIFORNIANS.
What Is Learned Through Corre-
spondence With Eastern
Parties.

Parties.
Growers of citrus fruits have won
dered why it is that they cannot nno
a market for the citrons grown In CAN
fornia The tree grows and produces
well wherever the orange, the lemon
and the lime thrive. 1t is also easily
raised from the cutting, and trees
grown in this way bear in three years
The finest varieties have been i'm
ported.
Hon. Ellwood Cooper, President of the
State Board of Horticulture, received
urgent requests from growers asking
that all information bearing on the sub
ject be sought.
Letters of inquiry were sent to diff
ferent houses in the East, by b. M Le-
long, Secretary of the State Board, ano
the replies so far received SHOW the
number of houses dealing and manlpu-
lating the citron, of commerce IN the
United States. They also show tha'
the business is an extensive one ano
that the crude material is imported
for which no duty is paid and this
fruit, Mr. Lelong thinks, should be sup
piled by California growers.
The citron of commerce belongs to
the citrus tribe-Citrus Medica-from
Nudia.
Nate r. Salisbury, of Chicago, in the
course of his reply to Mr.. Lelong, has
this to say:
II find that nearly all of our large
wholesale grocers import citron in
brine and cure the same here.
l have always thought California could
make a success of cultivating the cit
ron of commerce. and late years the
bulk of the citron used in the United
States has been shipped here in brine
and cured in New York and Chicago,
4nd in treating citron in this manner,
I believe a large saving has been made
in duties, etc."
Sgobel & Day of New York, IN theif
letter, have this to say
For several years there have been
regular importations of citron in brine
coming in large hogsheads almost en-
tirely from Leghorn. 1t came to two
houses in this city, and to three or four
in Chicago, all of whom put it through
a. process and candied (glace) and sug-
ared it. We understand it costs about
4 cents a pound landed here in brine
and there is no duty on it. The demand
for this whole country yearly. we are
told. EQUALS about $4,000 cases of some
$50 pounds. each. after it has been
candied.
1--WE are unable to ascertain whether
it is a profitable business or not, al
though one would judge that it would
not have been continued during late
years if it had been found improbable
One of our informants. a man pretty
we'll posted, says he does not believe
one penny profit is made. but none OF
those people care to give it up, hoping
for better times"
Mr.. Madden of the firm Of Reid
Murdock & Co. of Chicago, among other
things, says:
THE amount Of citron imported an
nually into America is about 1000 tons
The best quality of citrons are
raised in Corsica. the next best in
Greece, and the poorest in Sicily. We
understand the culture Of citrons is
very difficult. and that the trees require
the most constant care and attention
and even then failures of crop are fire.
quent. AS to whether they can be
produced successfully in California is
of course a question we cannot an
swer."
AS a matter of fact. the question re-
ferred to by Mr.. Madden has already
been answered by practical demonstra-
ton. Citrons in California are the
finest, it is said, in the world, and croI
failures are rare The difficulty has
been that fruit growers here have had
no information as to the market value
of the article.
Mr.. Lelong, who is nothing if not
practical, believes that the orchardist
can put the fruit through the brine
candy and sugar it and place it on
the market, and make a neat sum on
the market price which now prevails
provided the crude article is protected
equally with oranges. Or, If they pre-
fer, he will suggest that the fruit, as
it comes from the tree. be shipped to
New York and Chicago, and let the
firms which handle the article prepare
it for the market.
Mr.. Lelong will. in the course Of a
week or two send out bulletin en-
bracing the foregoing facts, and with
a consumption of 1000 tons cured an
nually there appears to be an incentive
to the California, fruit grower to plant
a few extra acres to citronS.
An IncorrigibIe Girl.