The Ocala banner. (Ocala, Marion County, Fla.) 1883-194?, 1911-09-15
100000 INTO GROWERS PocK-
ETS

In srecent interview w. G. Tenn
pie, general manager of the. Citrus
Fruit Exchange is quoted as saying
that he expects the proceeds of the
coming crop to net the state not less
than $10,000,00O. He talks on the
green fruit law, also upon the sue
cesses of the exchange. He says:
California today occupies the posi-
ton she does through three points.
First, combining shipments to fruit
fit to eat; second, proper preparation
of fruit for market; third, proper dis
tribution.
In every other respect, Florida cit
rus fruit beats California in every di-
rection. Fortunately, these three
points are ones that can be easily
equalled by the Florida grower.
THE most glazing offense against
the consumer that Florida has ever
committed is the shipment of fruit
so green that it is not only unpalata-
BILE, but evidence collected shows
that it is injurious to the health.
when the Citrus Exchange was
organized the main object was 10
right as rapidly as possible these
three gross wrongs. The green fruit
proposition is started out to correct
in four ways: First, through appeals
to common sense of growers; second,
through the pure food department of
the United States government; third,
through the cooperation of the board
of health of the principal cities;
fourth, through the laws passed by
the Florida legislature preventing
this practice.
"The first success of the exchange
was through the pure food depart
ment, which responded very rapidly,
thoroughly and efficiently, carrying
on an exhaustive series of expert
ments which covered a period of over
two years. Next our own legislature
passed the so-called green fruit law,
making the shipment of immature
citrus fruits an offense punishable by
fine or Imprisonment, or both, togeth-
er with the confiscation of fruit so
prepared for shipment.
I'm regard to the hue and cry that
has been raised about the shipment
of early fruit, the dealer and not the
grower has been at fault. There
should not be any question about the
shipment of fruit, as any grower, by
sampling his fruit. should know when
it is ripe.
mo man ever shipped a car Of
green fruit who was not aware that
it was being done. The only ques-
ton in the minds of some of the
growers is not whether he knows
whether the fruit is ready to ship or|
not, but whether he can get away
with it without being caught in the
act. The general answer to the cues
ton is that when fruit is fit to eat I'll
is fit to ship. Growers, should work
together for the protection of the in
dustry throughout the state.
"The greatest points that the ex-
change has made throughout the
country is shown in the interviews,
which have been published in the
last sixty days, that the exchanged
has forced the growers, both in and
out of the exchange, to improve the
grade and pack of fruit and the shut
ting down on the shipments of unripe
stock.
shipments will begin to go out of
the state after October 1, and they
will be the Parson Brown variety cfI
oranges.
Il should estimate the crop this
year to be about 100000 boxes,
which includes oranges and grape
fruit. The grapefruit crop is light,
while the orange crop is about the
same as it was two years ago. Pric-
es should be higher than last year.
There will be great deal of russell
fruit of good size and very fine in tex
ture.
Orange and Volusia counties will
have bumper crops, while those in
the Manatee section will be little
light. Tampa Tribune.
N00R cTAMANno