The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1911-06-02
FLORIDA FRUIT
BIG INCREASE
Last Years Total Product Placed
at Five Million Boxes
TWENTY YEAR RECORD
Shows an Increase Of Fifty Per Cent 10
Twenty Years, Despite the Annihila-
ton of Industry in North Florida

The development of the citrus fruit
industry in the past twenty years in
Florida is brought out in detail in the
annual report of Commissioner of Agri-
culture B. e. McLn. The book con-
tains 667 pages and covers every line of
agriculture in the State. Twenty years
ago the citrus fruit crop of the State
was valued at little under $4,000. 900.
decreasing to $1,000. 600 ten years ago.
and now reaching over $4,6OO,O 900 for
the last year, an advance of so per cent
in twenty years, despite the big freeze
of 1894 .95.
The grapefruit then was hardly known
there being only Ia 600 reported with a
crop worth $2O,000 for 10000 barrels.
Ten years ago this fruit took squirt in
the public favor, the report showing
$50, 900 trees, but the crop only reached
%, 900 crates, which sold at SAP. 900, or
over Sc per crate. Last years crop
shows over 500, 600 trees, which produced
as many boxes of fruit, selling for over
$3.50, 900. The leading producing coun-
ties of grapefruit are Dade which has
three times as many trees as any other
cOunty-St. Lucie being second. then
Orange, DeSoto, Polk, Hillsborough,
Lake and Volusia.
Twenty years ago there were less
than 100000 bearing orange trees,
with crop worth 81 box for the crop
of nearly 3,OOO, 900 boxes. In that day
Alachua county had nearly LOCO, GOO
trees, or more than double the number
in Orange county, and three or four
times the number in any other county
The big freeze of 1894 wiped out the
crop so far AS middle Florida was con-
cerned. and Alachua dropped out OF the
list of orange shipping counties, the
whole State showing only 500, 900 bear
ing trees ten years ago, with 5000. 600
non-bearing ones; nearly 1000, 600 box.
es were harvested worth 81, $50, 900.
Last year the banner orange county
was Hiilsboro, producing over 200 900
boxes. Orange comes next with nearly
900. 900; DeSoto with nearly 600, 600;
Volusia with sou, 600; Brevard and Lake
each with near y 100000. These are
the six big orange counties. The total
of the product Of the State is not shown
as several counties failed to report, but
is placed at 1000, 900 boxes,
In the way OI lttHcS VIC ucNeOP"S"'
has been marked. Twenty years ago
there were only $1,000 trees reported,
mainly in Dade, Lee and Nassau cdun-
ties, with a crop of about 300 boxes
worth over SIS, 900. Ten years ago lines
doubled, producing 1000 boxes from,
%. 600 trees, nearly all in Dade and
Monroe counties. Last year an increase
in number of trees was reported, but
only $4,000 boxes were produced; Dade.
Monroe and St. Lucie counties produc-
Ing practically the whole crop. !,
Lemon culture has not made such ID
vance. Twenty years ago there were
90, 900 bearing trees and 5000 non
inp ones, with crop worth $50, QUO fol
10000 boxes. The past year the CROP
was 1000 boxes from 5000 bearing
trees, valued at $l3, 900. am
The big orange counties OF over lo sI
600 trees are: Orange, 4O9, 81; Hills
borough, ,2y4, 5O4; Lake, PSI .62S; DeSoto
224. 3l9; Vclusia. 2l0, $40; Brcvard, l8o,
5l2: Polk,,,lO9, 79S; st Lucie, 100, w.