The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1912-07-22

ating in this state to begin to move
in many instances before the oranges
were fully grown. \ few early ship
ments would sell for fair prices, but
as soon as the movement began IN
earnest the market would collapse,
and would remain in that condition
Until late in the season. The growers
then selves were not responsible Tor
thai condition. as the people who
Wt74 doing this shipping were either
,.ily,Tr on their own account or hand
mo Oh account for the growers. II
.crt 1T. the growers who sold felt
HAT having sold the fruit and receiv-
q the money, he had no right to say
10 IL. shipper that he should wait
Frti' the fruit was mature. The pur-
chas fiji that il was his right To
."nd his fruit 10 market early
80 III 70 anticipate the decline
witch would wipe ont his profit and
preiabIr result in loss. Those who
were handling for the account OF the
grower were not interested beyond
/, pr per box that they received
4 + thor services. Much of it was
! landed at fixed price per box, re.
gardle-a of what it netted the grow.
q. hence they were interested in be.
ginning as early as possible; shipping
as fast as possible and moving as
mitch a. possible as the volume NOV.
ed governed the net amount OF their
income for the seasons business. IN
private conversation with number
of the most intelligent of these oper-
ators. they admitted that it was
wrong, that the shipping of this green
stuff killed the market, but took the
position that if they did not ship it,
somebody else would, and they were
in the deal for all they could get out
of it. have studied this question
closely, both in California and in
Florida, as we'll as in the markets. l
have seen promising markets 60 to
pieces when the volume Of fruit Of.
fered was not excessive, but l never
saw it go to pieces under a normal
supply unless there was some inner
ent defect in the fruit. California
navels often cross the continent, en-
counterIng extremely low tempera.
lures in transit, are frozen en- route,
and, when they finally reach destina.
ton, are thawed out and become bit.
ter. The most disastrous season that
ever saw in California fruits was
the season of 1903 and 1904, one Of
the severest winters on record, when
practically everything that reached
the Eastern markets for six weeks
had been seriously damaged by cold
in transit. Prices were disastrous.
When this period passed, large vol
ume of good fruit, well matured and
in perfect condition and sizes, was
sold at about the same price as that
the damaged fruit sold for before the
consumers were convinced that they
were good. When confidence had
again been established. 1t seemed to
be practically impossible to oyerstock
these markets. Knowing these things
to be true, the management OF the
Florida Citrus Exchange, in its first
seasons business. placed itself square
ly against the movement of imma-
ture fruits, as there was no other
way to rchabilitate the market for
Florida oranges a1d place them where
they should stand, in the lead Of all
others in this country. The growers
themselves, in the main, had come
to learn the effect Of putting this
green, immature stuff on the market,
and they are not to be held response
hle for the shipments that were made
by brokers and spectators. Growers
who were buyers and shippers prior
to the organization of the Exchange
have assured me that the industry
had reached such a stage that they
could make nothing on their own fruit,
but that they evened up and man.
aged to live on the profits that they
made in handling the fruit Of their
A sad state! So far as
| know, there isn't a factor today
operating in Florida California or in
any other of the markets Of this
country who doesn't admit that the
influence of green or immature citrus
fruits on the market is such as to
destroys values. II curtails consump-
ton, reduces the volume of business
that can be handled by wholesale fruit
dealers, who. of necessity. are the
distributors after the fruit reaches
the markets and deprives the grow
or of living price for his product.
The cause producing this effect is
the failure on Tho part of the consum-
er 10 accept this fruit and pay their
GOOD money for IT,
The Western Fruit 1obbcrs' Associ-
alton Of America held It's annual con-
vention January T.. 1912. in ST.
Louis. On page - Of the renort OF
their proceedings i found the fol-
lowing language. embodied in the re-
port Of the legislative committee of
that association:
GREEN CITRUS FRUITS. Our
also requested the advice