The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-09-22
ENCOURAGING
Is Outlook for Florida Citrus Prices
This Season

citrus fruit, / was never so encour-
agedras / am today" says r. P. Bur-
ton, sales manager of the Florida Cit
rus Exchange, VINO is on a tour OF
inspection through the principal fruit
markets of the country, sizing up the
situation and laying plans for the sea-
sons work, in a letter to the sub-ex-
change managers throughout thel
state, and to the orange growers gen.
orally:
"In every city visited by me l have
made a personal canvass of the deal
ers, and have presented the following
points to them: First, we are against
the shipment of immature fruit, and
will not tolerate it from our packing
houses; second, we control ninety per
cent. of the Parson Brown oranges
in Florida, of which there are not
over $4,000 boxes; that these will
not be ready for market before the
middle of October, and that not box
will get out of our packing house
branded Parson Browns that will not
be true to name, but, if some mis-
guided grower should violate this,
and it is brought to our attention, we
will be just as quick to ask the pure
food department of Washington to in
spect it, condemn it and confiscate it
as we would car improperly brand
ed by one of our competitors; third,
our associations have invested, in
the last two years, quarter of a mil
lion dollars in packing houses and
equipments; they have systematized
the picking, hauling, grading and
loading, which has given us prestige
all over this country, and that each of
our associations this season will put
out better work than they did last
year. | trust that when the ap-
preaching season is over the sales de-
partment will not have to apologize
for any car of fruit put up by you.
Dealers Enthusiastic
I'm all my experience in handling
citrus fruits, was never so encourag-
aged as l am today. | received from
the dealers visited by me, almost
unanimously, enthusiastic commenda-
ton for. the improvement that we
have already made. These dealers
have assured me that they will give
our fruits preference at higher price
than that which may be named by
our competitors.
Il am informed that there is no
buying of oranges by spectators;
this will lead growers to imagine
that there is some market which
makes it unsafe for operators to buy
at reasonable figure. You may as
sure your neighbors that this is a
. condition that our competitors may
seek to use later on in an effort to
buy at low price, which is not justi-
fed by the conditions as they now ex-
list. California is winding up her
largest seasons business, and grow
ers are receiving today more money
for their lowest grade Valencia lates
than they have received for several
years for their first grade. Their low
est grades are selling at prices net
ting them $2.75 to $500 f. o. b. Cali
fornia.
"The crop prospects throughout
the south are the best in many years,
and all dealers are looking forward
to a large trade. They do not care
whether they pay $500 f. o. b. or
$1.O0, if they have a steady market
which will insure them a profit
Looking to Citrus Exchange
The reason that dealers are not
buying in Florida is that the trade
throughout the country is looking to
the Florida Citrus Exchange for
supply of fruit properly graded and
handled. The small operators know
this and are afraid to buy, as they
will find it extremely difficult to sell
1t is necessary for every association
if they have not already done so, to
get busy right now and perfect their
plans for putting out the best grad
ing and packing that it is possible
to get out of their houses. 1t is also
necessary that they keep after neigh
bors who are not in the association
and let them know what the condi-
tons are in order that they may not
become panicky and sell their fruit
to spectators at @ridiculously low
prices, thereby losing what the grow
ers are entitled to, and placing these
operators in a position where it will
be extremely difficult for the ex-
change to maintain a fair market
price for the fruit that is in the or
ganization.''
A good citizen is man who takes
pride in his home town, speaks well
of his neighbors, takes his home pa
FanV naI