New-York tribune., 1903-02-19
CALIFORNIA FRUITS.
Prospect OF Record Breaking crop
of O,-auoes and Lemons THIS \ car.

Los Angeles Cal Feb II fspeciaD.-Twenty-tWo
thousand carloads of oranges and lemons VIII De
shipped from Southern California 10 'he Eas
markets this year. The net value OF the crop n''
been conscrvatively estimated at NIUE over
S. Oo00O9 1t is impossible however TO MAKE Z"
nneitiva estimate owing to various contingencies
which may arise such frost, heavy "lnd anu
lack of transportation facilities Some damage
has already been done by the frost. but IL is no'
serious and unless there is another cold speh hhe
that of two weeks ago the original estimate i"i
the season will not be materially changed Last
years citrus fruit shipments aggregated eisi'eel
Thousand carloads, which was about the Same DIS
the TWO preceding years. that, barring any pos-
sibe contingencies, the present crop VIII DC d Ie'
ord breaker. =,
The citrus fruit year began November and VIII
end next September but the bulk of the crop VIII
be disposed of within the next two OF thiec
months Up to the first OF the month acoo car
loads had been forwarded to the Eastern markets.
OF .hIs total about 40 carloads were lemons
Placing the crop at 22.0r0 carloads there remain
less the shipments. 1900 carloads stih 10 ce MAJ
keted. Should the rainfall OF the last two "eehS'
by increasing the various sizes of the frult' aou
10 per cent to the growing crops. there wouid re-
main for shipment during the season close 10 IUVV
carloads of citrus fruits AS the Florida and Porto
Rican fruit is about exhausted, and not d sinsle
box of foreign oranges is on the way TO American
markets the California orange grower mas 'iie
entire season before him reap the better prices
as they rise toward the close OF the crop year.
Ayeras;ng 800 boxes of oranges to the carioad the
California grower will supply gcod sVso'V'' oo>es
of the palatabe fruit to the Eastern cohSuiher'
While transportation eastward IS not as peiIeI'
as the shippers and growers desire, the cohuitlols
are much better this year than for number Oh
seasons past 1t is true that the Southern racine
and Fe railroads, whose lines the II u''
is shipped west of Chicago, are cromped ior mo
tive power but the Santa Fe has Inquired that pE
abandoning the colonists' rates in February anu
will have
handle the freight business. Last year bo'h ran
roads allowed the fruit shipments TO be sacriIceo
in favor Of the passenger traffie. Inc aNeiaSe
length of time required to ship carload OF ORANGES
from California to Chicago is from eleven TO NJ
teen davs and about four days more TO NeW-Ao ORR
The present system OF handling crop oil oranges
and lemons through the medium of an exchahgc,
has been IN operation since 1885. anu mas ploltu
a great success. 1t is a system of absolute seihh8
for the best prices obtainable at the time o1 de-
livery No fruit Is ever consigned to be sold Tor
account Of the exchange, except 10 auction ma
kets The fruit is sold upon reaching the markets
and upon personal inspection by the purchaser
If the market advances between the date or SNIP
mont and that of arrival the exchange gets the
advance: if on the other hand, the market de-
clines the exchange is no wors" on, since lhe l. u
b. purchase is almost invariably rejected on d
falling market The exchange operates through
its own exclusive agencies, and is thus aple 10 d
considerable extent TO both equalize ana promote
the distribution of fruit.
The exchange system is simple and democratic
The local association consists of a number OIL
growers CONTINUOUSLY situated. who unite for the
purpose of preparing their fruit for the market
on a co-operative basis. All members have like
privilege to pick and deliver fruit TO the packing
house, where it is weighed in and properly re-
ceipted for. Usually every growers rrit Is culieu
and therefore it goes into the common pool ana III
dine course takes its proper percentage of the re-
turns Any given brand is the exclusive property
of the association using It, and the fruit under 's
brand is always packed in the same locaIly' anu
therefore OF uniform quality. This is Of great ad-
vantage in marketing, as the trade soon learhs
that the pack is trustworthy. The general eN-
change embraces more than seventy associauons
covering every citrus fruit district III southern
California The several associations in iocaty
unite to form the local exchange. For seFeraI
years past the average cost of marketing by the
exchange covering all charges of every kind from
the time the fruit is loaded on the cars has peen
in round figures per cent
The exchange is not trust IN any sense IL
neither seeks to control the production nor aTb-
trariy to the prices. IT does, of course undet
take, as far possible to dspiaee bae ns
marketing by simple method OF co-opefa1on, ,I ~ =
good fruit: and to every association the nenent ol
we'll of the orange orchards is steadiiy incteas
ing as new groves Tbn chief Element in the SUI
periority Of California lemons is the fact that a
anse an .hnsgsiF by Il the ocia Chemist Of the
York Produce Exchange shows that twelve Can-
fornia lemons are equal In value to seventeen i'm
ported ones of the size and tested under IKE
conditions.
The first orange trees in California were only
for ornament about the early missions and village
plazas and for hundred years the fruit grow II
scarcely met the small local requirements of the
scattered settlements and prospective cities In 1914
the, government sent 10 Riverside the first orange
trees of the seedless variety. 1t the destiny
Of these trees to change the history of orange
growing, or. rather, to open new epoch in its
history built upon the excellence of single
VARIETY and bring California almost world
wide reputation for her citrus fruits. Twenty
years ago total shipments were scarcely twenty
were approximately 1000 carloads. The industry has
not reached present status by easy stages by any
means The vast undertakings in the way of water
development, constructing canals. preparing the
forward a great expenditure of time, labor and
money Other like expenditures have been incurred
to protect the groves from the rayages OF seal
and other pests and to guard as far as possible
against damage by frost Despite these, difficulties
the growth industry has been great. and has
exercised powerful influence upon the financial
interests and progress of California.