The St. Lucie County tribune. (Fort Pierce, St. Lucie County, Fla.) 1905-1920, 1911-09-08
.EST|MATESON
CITRUS CROP
Various Authorities Place Next
Crop at Five Million Boxes
RECORD OF FIVE YEARS
Grapefruit Crop Will Show a Decided
Slump-QuaIity of Fruit Will be Far
Above the General Average

''That the Florida orange crop will,
for the coming season. show an increase
over that of last year, while the grape
fruit yield will fall below the last sea-
son, is the prediction of a well known
railroad representative in Tampa"
says the Tampa Times. "The gentle
man making this statement has been
engaged during the. past few weeks in
making an inspection tour OF the citrus
fruit districts of the state, and his re-
marks are most pertinent to the occa-
sion based as they are upon sound in
formation.
1.-The action of the last legislature in
regard to the shipping of immature
fruit has had its effect this season. re-
tarding shipments of citrus fruits near
ly two weeks. While light shipments
will be started by September 10, heavy
movement of citrus fruits will not be-
gin until about November |. Last
year the heavy shipments of the sea-
son began about October l5.
"ActuaI shipments for the season of
1910 II show that the movement of cit
rus fruit in the state amounted to A.
614 ,497 boxes In spite of the short
age of the grapefruit crop the coming
season, a conservative estimate places
the shipments from the state at be-
tween 4.5OO, 600 and 5,00O,OO boxes,
with the probability of the shipments
reaching close to the latter figure.
"At one time there was AN indlca-
ton that the citrus crop might show
both in quality, quantity and date Of
NOV the effects of the cold wave
last fall, but the observations of au-
thorities lead them to believe that re-
Gently the fruit has made up the time
lost directly after the cold weather.
Especially is this noticeable in the Man
atee section, where, within the last
few weeks the crop shows a wonderful
| Improvement over the condition of
month earlier. Also through the Fort
Pierce section the citrus crop is show
ing considerable Improvement over the
same date of one month earlier
Figures for the past five years re-
garding the citrus fruit shipments are
interesting, showing a substantial m
crease up to the past year, when an APP
probable drop from the previous year
Is indicated. These figures, which
come from thoroughly reliable source,
are as follows: l906-07, $500, 600;
1907. OS, 1900, 900; l908-O9, 4,SOO, 600;
1908. 10, 6,17S. 900; 1901, 4,6l4, 1876.
with the modern methods of pro-
lection, which are being used by quite
number of the large grove owners,
the danger by frost has been to some
extent reduced, but these arrange
ments have never proved of such salts
faction as to be adopted generally
among the orange and grapefruit grow
els of the state. =,
The Times Union says: 'tlorlda
transportation men are already begin
ming to guess about the orange crop.
and are generally inclined to figure
that present indications show an IN
crease of approximately % per cent
over last year. The crop may be even
better if there are no West Indian hur-
ricanes or other setbacks. This hurri-
cane contingency is one that can never
be overlooked. A twister that swept
over the peninsula last year cost the
growers no less than million crates.
Accurate estimates will not be
available until the period between the
1st and 18th of September. when re-
Lorts from all points in the state are
compiled in the traffic departments OF
the various railroads moving the crop,
A few are figuring that the pure food
inhibition against the artificial coloring
of oranges may delay the opening OF
the shipping season. As soon rs the
first estimates are in hand, however,
the freight men will begin figuring on
extra equipment that will be necessary
for the movement. 1t is not believed
that there will be any trouble along
this line.
Secretary W. B. Powell, Of the Tam.
pa Board of Trade has interviewed
some authorities who state that the
orange crop will be about normal and
the grapefruit crop deficient about
ffty per cent. One fruit buyer said
that grapefruit, in his opinion, would
sell in The northern market this winter
as high as fifty cents each.
According to the DeLand Record the
crop of oranges in the section about
Deiand will not be full one, a con-
siderable shortage being caused from
the February cold and the spring
drouth, but the fruit will be more uni
form in size, and prettier in color.
There are groves heavily loaded, while
others have not more than half crop.
The fruit is now of good size and on
account of the early bloom lots of 1T
will be ready for market earlier than
usual.
G. E. Coon, of Jensen, passed through