The Florida agriculturist., 1907-12-18
Orange Prices and Green Fruit
Discussed.


fOrmant, says:
The following is taken from the
Cincinnati Packer and speaks for it.
self:
"Tangerine, Fla, Sept. 2o.-There
has been considerable activity recent
ly in sales of oranges and other fruits
in the orchards. The common price
for oranges on the trees has been
SIPS per box, while tangerines and
grapefruit have been bringing So per
box. Under these sales the fruit is
to be shipped before December 49,
do not see how man with the
facts before him will sell oranges at
$125 on the tree. According to the
most accurate estimates that can be
obtained, there is a little over 50 per
cent Of citrus fruit in Florida, and
there is no great money in oranges
at $I.25 box on the tree, and it
is absolutely certain that if the grow
er would be satisfied to retain his
fruit until it was ripe enough, better
prices could be obtained. 1t is hardly
worth while to repeat the old story
that there is no orange like the Flor
ida orange" hence it has no COM
petitor, and there is no good reason
to sell it at an under price 1t is
absolutely ridiculous to think. that or
anges should sell for less than apples.
The weight Of one barrel Of apples
is exactly the weight Of two boxes
Of oranges According to this reck-
oning, apples sell at $4 barrel and
oranges at $3.50. 1t would be bad
enough to think that oranges should
ever sell for as little money as apples,
but to think that they should sell
for less money than apples is to my
mind something that ought not to be.
If the grower would take into con-
sideration the cost Of production Of
his oranges, including the interest on
his investment and his labor, he would
find that selling oranges at $I.25 on
the tree is not paying proposition.
Of course there are some that do not
spend any labor, fertilizer, or any
thing else on their groves, and SIM
ply take the chances Of letting them
produce what they will. If the man
places no value upon his trees, nor
the land upon which they are grow
ing, Of course he may consider that
he is making money; but the man
who takes proper care Of his grove
will necessarily find things very diff
ferent when the fruit has been sOld
because, it matters not whether he
does the labor himself or hires it
done, it all amounts to a question
of expenditure, and [ do hope that
every man that owns an orange grove
or a tree in Florida may join the
Orange Growers Association. It is
but just and right that the horticul-
turist should be rewarded for his la
bors, and in order that this may be
accomplished, there must be a unity
of purpose, and every energy must be
bent in that direction.
One other important question is
that of shipping the fruit at the prop
er time. Nothing is so detrimental
to Florida oranges as the haphazard
manner in which the fruit has been
sent into the markets. [ allude to
this condition as to maturity. There
is probably no other green fruit that
is SO disgusting to the taste as the
green orange. It has no redeem1ng
feature, and while they may be art1-
fcially colored, when the purchaser
attempts to eat them the punishment
is such that it will forever set him
against buying green fruit and he tor-
ever shuns it, not willing to take the
chances of being punished.
1t is hoped that the purefood law
will play an active part in the reg
ulation of the shipment Of all kinds
of fruits and vegetables. There is but
one place to grow Florida oranges,