The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1909-09-17

GROWSSTRONG
Citrus Growers Have Perfected
Arrangements for Marketing
PROSPECTS ARE fine
Seventy-Five Per Cent of the Citrus Crop
Has Been Pledged the Exchange The
Grove Property Value Increased.

"OVc SsOpesty vuSut tVSTedoeu.
"In my opinion, Florida's next fruit
crop will reach total of 6, 600, 600 boxes,
and the quality of the fruit will be I'M
usually excellent. The Florida Citrus
Exchange contrary TO the expectations
of even the most enthusiast promoters
of the great movement, will market
fully three-fOurths of crop, and the
volume would be increased but for the
fact that many growers, large and small,
are at present tied up with contracts
which makes the marketing of their next
crops through the exchange impossible.
We would have been pleased at the pro-
gress made if only l,0OO,O 900 boxes had
been turned over to the exchange, but
the great success achieved thanks to
the concerted action of the growers in
all sections, is gratifying beyond express
sion. The organization of this exchange
means financial salvation for the grow
ers, and will affect the welfare of every
man, woman and child in the State. "
This statement was made by DR.. F.
w. lnman, of Florence Villa, president
of the exchange, and one of the States
foremost citizens. -
Throughout the entire orange belt,
east and west" continued DR.. lnman,
"the growers have entered the move
ment with degree of earnest enthusi-
asm which spelled success from the very
start, and today there are enrolled in
the movement not less than seventy-fve
separate sub-assOciations, and other
associations are being organized each
week. In many localities every grower
has now become member of the sub
association, and few are remaining out.
In this respect Florida surpasses the p-
Oneer in the movement, California,
which has been building upits exchange
for fifteen years. And in this connec-
ton we FlOridians certainly owe the
CalifOrnians great debt of gratitude,
for they have done everything possible
to assist in the organization, giving US
their best men, some permanently and
some temporarily, to aid in the work.
Among these is R. P. Burton, our gen.
eral sales agent, formerly of Leesburg,
who is a veritable Hercules in the work
of marketing fruit and looking after the
interests of the grower, and Mr.. Reid, :
the organizer, who did the evangelical :
work throughout the State for two
months. Other men of fine caliber have
also come to us from the grand old State
on the Pacific Coast, including many of
the agents in the various markets of
the country. Mr.. Burton has been high
ly successful in securing his market
agents, his experience and ability aiding
him greatly in this important work. :
When the next crop is marketed thous-
ands and thousands of dollars will be
placed in the pockets of Florida growers
that would have been lost without or
ganizatiOn. The industry in the State
has been demoralized for years by fail
ure to organize, but now the tide has
turned and there is no chance for any
thing but grand success, although the
men will naturally die hard.
"As an illustration of the good al
ready done, continued DR.. Inman, "the
value of orange groves in many sec
tiOns of South Florida has been increased
fully Is per cent and 80 per cent in some
Many people who had prac-
tically abandoned their groves on ac-
count of continued low prices, have
taken them up again and will produce
fruit in larger quantities than ever be-
FORE The same condition of affairs I'M
exist on the East Coast, and
rapid Improvement will be noted from
now on. am thankful, indeed, that |
have been allowed the privilege of par
tic pating in the organization of this
2 rand movement for the benefit of the
people of the State of which / have
grown to love so well,
"No feature of the exchange is more .
pleasing than the fact that graft and
imposition upon the grower is impos-
sible," concluded the noted fnancier
and developer. "Of the forty-seven
men and women who went to California
to study the plan of that State, every
one paid his or her expenses, and thous-
ands of dollars were expended before
the exchange was actually organized.
Hundreds of others also showed their
interest by spending considerable money.
to attend the various organization meet
ings at Tampa, and the enthusiasm
was good to see. None of
the officers or directors will receive one
penny for their services, but those EN-
ployed for marketing the crop and at
tending to other work will be paid high J
class salaries and they will be allowed to
serve no interest but the exchange" :,
1t is about time that a cleaning-up
was begun in Fort Pierce.
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