The Palatka news and advertiser. [volume] (Palatka, Fla.) 1908-19??, 1912-01-19
THE CALIFORNIA FREEZE.
Estimated at 10000 to 10000
Cars as Total Loss of
Fruit.

The Los Angeles Times, not prone 10
speak OF any disaster in Southern Cali
fornia, has this story of the estimate of
the damage done TO the citrus crop by
the freeze during the holiday week:
The best informed experts, who
have visited the districts differ widely
in their views as TO the amount of the
damage done. Members of the citrus
union have come TO the conclusion
from their own observations and IRON
partial reports from the forces in the
field, that when the final account is
made at the end of the crop season, the
damage 10 the whole crop may not
amount to more than 20 per cent. Bas-
ing this calculation on the output OF the
last crop year, this would mean loss OF
eight TO ten thousand carloads, including
both oranges aud lemons and would
leave a crop for the season of something
ike IS, 600 carloads, or The equal of the
season before last. 1t is generally con.
coded that the lemons being in more
sheltered places where The frost did not
touch, suffered comparatively little.
independent investigators outside OF
the citrus union, in some cases at least,
take very different view. Their views
are peSSimstIc compared with the judg
mcnt of the Others. Some of these who
have gone carefully over all districts are
of the positive opinion that at least hall
the orange crop will be lost Persons
with this view express the earnest hope
that they are wrong and 10 this aspira-
ton all CalifornianS will say Amen III
they are right then the crop of the sea-
A letter from Los Angeles TO The New |
York Packer under date of January 18th, |
telling OF the late freeze in The CalitoT. !
MIA orange section says:
The exchange is requiring their
growers to put up bonds covering
freight. Many growers being diSSalis.
fled and Directing 10 this arrangement
or else being unable 10 furnish bonds,
are Hooking TO the independents and the
Auction company. This action does
not mean that all the fruit is frozen or
hat the Independents and the auction
will make specially of frozen
Dr. injured stuff. These people arc
irawing the line even tighter than the
exchange. For instance, the Pacific
lacking Co, in districts where there is
considerable frost, will handle only fruit
lnder the condition that they be allowed
o go in and pick only the fruit which in
heir judgment is not injured. That is,
inside fruit and that that was protected
~ orchard heaters. In cases where the
Independents are given the right TO pick
,nly the good fruit they are guarantee.
ng freight and packing.
Some frozen fruit might be shipped
{ the government would allow il. Gen
rally all citrus people are agreed that as |
ar as possible the chaff should be sepa-
ated from the wheat, and that no at.
empt should be made TO beat the pure
God law or hoodwink dealers and con {
umerS. :
1T is now an assured fact that this [
reeze is the worst in the history of the {
industry. The damage is a hard blow a
D the growers in many sections. The
rop has been cut down very materially
nd trees have been damaged How.
yer, the growers are cheerful and the
eeneSt thinkers connected with the in.
ustry believe that il the frozen stock is !
emf TO the dump that the balance of the
ruit will bring very high prices and
hat thus the loss in dollars and cents
'ill not be so bad as might appear at
rsl sight. There are many cases on
ecord where different kinds of crops
! years of half yield have been known
, net more money than full yield crops :
lolher seasons.