The Florida star., 1902-05-02
COMPETITION OF CUBAN ORANGES
Some Predictions as to Orange Growing In
the United States and Cuba.

sampled from the trees In Mexico,
Central America, Jamaica, California
and all parts of Florida, and L have
never eaten a more juicy or finer favored
orange than the Cuban product. Its tex
ture and meat compare more favorably
with Florida and Central Mexico than
with California. There is only one varI-
ETY. which has never been improved on
the common, wild, sweet Seeding; it is
neither acid nor sweet; of pleasant
flavor The general verdict of the tourists
from the north is that the oranges are
fiue.
few navel orange trees were brought
here by accident in 1896 from Ocala, Fla,
and bore this year about four boxes TO the
tree. The navel was perfect, thin skinned
as compared with ThomsOn's improved
navel, and better color
Fifty per cent. of the soil in this prov
ince is as red as Redlands, Cal, and COM
pares favorably with that soil
Grapefruit grows wherever planted,
without care, and equal to any grown in
Florida.
In 1896, when | was geaeral agent for
the Southern California Fruit Exchange,
New York merchants will remember the
prediction | made when inauguraled the
first sale at auction of California oranges
on the Lehigh Valley piers, viz, "What
California would do for Italy on the or
ange question: She wonld drive the Sicily
oranges from our markets" | now make
the same prediction for CalfOrna-with
Porto Rico, the Isle of Pines and Cuba,
lying within two DAYS sail with fast
steamers from the largest and best mark
cts of the United States, with possible
freight of - cents per box, against 80
cents from CalifOrnia-they will not br
in it.
No doubt this will be unwelcnme news
10 California growers, but it is the inevit
able, and they might as well prepare for
it. There will doubtless he pests To fight
here, as they have in California, as scale |
will come with trees from Jamaca and
Florida, but this country is immune from |
frost and lack of irrigation.
Commenting upon the above, the Jack
sOnville Times Union and Citizen says |
To Floridians who are acquainted with |
this MOrehnuSe (the writer of the foregn- |
iBg), 1t is hardly necessary to dissent from |
his statements.
To others, an analysis of them will |
probably he sufficient.
The statement that the soil of the PROV
ince of Havana, 30 per cent. of it, is a.
red as that of Redlands, Cal shows the
shallowuess of the man. fla soil is red
lenei 10y the oxide of iron il NAV he a
soil for orange culture; if red
1ened hv the oxide of aluminium (clav) il
is pretty certain TO be worthless
The atmosphere of importance with
which he makes his predictions as To the
fate nf California oranges, as against West
India. Is characteristic of the man.
''WithIn two davs' sail and possible
'reIght of IL cents" from the West Indies
10 the northern markets, are impossible
% realization. Fruit steamers cannot he
iriven at that speed; if they couil, the
freight wOnld he three times IL cents
California is able to take care of herself
N defense Of her orange industry, but anv
me who counts on seeing citrus culture
destroyed in Florida hy the competition
If the West Indies Is reckoning without
MS host, and is almost certain tu bc dis
appointed. Spain and Italy have to en-
olOy protection to their grove s. they have
% irrigate and fertlllze at heavy expense.
They have Europe as market, il is true,
With three or four times the population
If the United States, though the average
American will consume as much fruit az
our averagr Europeans. When the French
,rosSed over into Africa, into the very
nome of the orange, they did not ruin
he market for Spain and Italy.
The latest consular report we have at
land shows that there We're then in culti-
'ation in Spain 1852 hectores go, ,965
cres) of oranges and lemons; that the
ultivatiOn Of them cost Sl15. so an acre.
eaving the grower S29S7 per acre as final
let, Iieosrs We doubt if the best and
nosext Ii cultivated lands of northern
lurof d: ~Jetter than that. This, re-
nember, is the product of the sovenly
nethods of Spain, where they have
lmost as much to fear from frost as Flor
la has-more than Florida b. from v
TarYa and protected regie.1x'os, her Mrs.
5owN>N 3)Hxlv te -, who has
S1&''& wA ton: , r.
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