The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1909-05-28
THINKS TT WILL DC WORTH NIL
LIONS TO FLORIDA ORANGE
GROWERS


lowing his California trip, the hospi- |
tally Of the people, how the orange
growers were taken in automobiles
from one orange grove to another, the
abundance Of fruits, flowers and 9TH
CT things given them. how the whole
region was filed with the perfume of
the flowers, and how much attention
is given 10 their cultivation, Hon. Tom
Palmer tells a representative of the
Tampa Times his impressions of Cal
fornia. and how much good to Florida
n going TO result from the trip of the
Florida orange growers to that state
a. follows:
For four consecutive days We were
hustled from grove 70 grove in mag
nifcent automobiles, and the manner
an which the fruit is grown, picked,
wrapped. packed. shipped and mar
keted proved a revelation to every
member Of the parry. With less than
half the expenditure Of money, energy
and thought Florida could indeed be
made a paradise.
Comparison Of Fruit
Florida grapefruit" continued
Col Palmer. lis infinitely superior TO
that OF California. which fact the lead
ina growers OF that state admitted
without hesitancy. and they further
admitted that Florida oranges we're
Of q much more delicious flavor. At
one meeting place We opened several
boxes OF the Florida product and ask
ed our hosts OF partake with us. You
have us badly beaten on grapefruit
Was their admission and your oranges
have a better favor. For shipping
purposes and in the matter of beauty,
however. your oranges are decidedly
inferior I understand that many
growers intend giving up their efforts
90 cultivate grapefruit entirely. In
every other feature. however. they are
3 long. long way ahead of us Florida
Crackers"
plan Of Organization
The plan Of marketing the fruit.
IN brief concluded Colonel Palmer,
IL this: There are three sepaate and
distinct organizations which work in
absolute harmony. The first is unit
or community association. composed
of growers In q small neighborhood,
and therefore the number Of these is
very large The next is a district as
secession composed OF the unit $3.50
Citations In each large district. each
% which has a representative. These
control a large number Of sub-ex-
changes. which are In turn controlled
BY the third and principal organiza-
ton, the California Fruit Growers
Exchange, which has absolute charge
of marketing fruit and receiving pay
ments for same. The exchange is OPP
Grated on q strictly cooperative ba-
sis. and results in not one penny of
profit 20 any member. The officers
work on a salary basis, and a charge
of three cents on each box Of oranges
sold Il made in order to meet expens
e.. In case there is a surplus at the
end Of the year this is prOrated among
the growers according to the amount
Of fruit they have sold.
Growers have the right to ship
their fruit 20 any point in the Union,
or elsewhere. but IL must be consign-
ed b. the exchange. and the standard
OF excellence set by that exchange
must be adhered to absolutely. en-
municating constantly by telephone
with the various sub-statiOns. every
grower belonging TO the association is
kept informed AZ TO the prices and
market conditions just as If he were
studying the stock market on the floor
az the New York Stock Exchange.
There D. hardly an hour of a day in
the long fruit season in which the
he can get the best prices for his
fruit or whether he should not ship at
an. The exchange absolutely pre-
vents the Cutting Of the market. and
also saves 20 the grower the consid-
cradle sum that generally goes to the
commission men in Florida AnOth-
~ feature OF immense importance is
the information disseminated as to the
best methods Of preventing fruit from
being diseased and otherwise injured,
which Il best shown by the fact that
the percentage OF their fruit which
rots after shipment is not more than
ore-fourth OF one per cent. Florida S
inNses On this regard are infinitely
higher.
Begin Immediate Work
Having made the trip in order TO
study the legal phases OF the situation
IN California. I viii recommend the
practical adoption OF the plan above
outiined. which meets the approval of
fka rrnWers of the committee which