The Daytona daily news. [volume] (Daytona, Fla.) 1903-1926, 1913-02-11
EFFECT OF FREEZE WILL BE
FELT FOR SEVERAL TEARS
ESTIMATED 1T WILL &c THREE
YEARS BEFORE OUTPUT GETS
BACK TO THE NORMAL PRO-
PORTIONS.

62Ch II TIE NSn"-- THO-
PORTIONS.
Los ANGELES. Feb. 1l-oyer 100
cars OF oranges are going out OF
southern California a day and over
three-fourths OF the shippers are IN
able TO say Just what the fruit viii
look Ike when it reaches the east
ern markers. The remaining one
fourth either smadged successfully. o
On account OF favored locality. had
fruit which did not freeze as hard. !
Il Is safe 10 say that all fruit froze,
but some did not freeze as hard as
others, the virtue lying in that fact.
California oranges viii stand ten
perature outside OF the tree OF IS.
and lemons OF IS, for some hours .
without marked injury, provided the
thaging is very gradual and that the i
fruit is always well sheltered by the {
leaves. Prolonged temperatures OF
about % degrees or lower for some
time during the night viii take every
thing in the way OF fruit that pro
/ iects out into the open This is men
/ toned 70 show that after freeze
both good and bad fruit viii Be found
On the same trees and in the same
orchard OF course the harder the
freeze the less the proportion Of
salable fruit. A year ago last Deem
Der the temperature in the citrus
belt OF southern California varied
IRON - to q degrees during one cold
night, yet about 10000 cars OF or
anges and lemons went forward
Last month the minimums averaged
I , to 5 degrees lower than that, with
/ Ghe result that while last years out
put was cut 10000 cars this seasons
shipments will probably 20 about
10000. including the 5000 already
shipped
Not only viii this years output Of
oranges and lemons be Topped of
hugely. but next years outgo is
bound TO show a big shrinkage which
zill be about three years in getting
back 10 normal. This IS especially
50 in lemons. 4 drop in tempera-
tnre 10 IS degrees takes the small
fruit, that would mature ia sep
: TENDER and October. Two degrees
5 lower causes hollow centers il the
fruit and anything much lower viii
: cut the foliage, first the outside new
. growth, then farther and farther into
Z the center OF the tree; the next year
yield falling OF with the loss i'll the
foliage. IN the writer's trip through
+ the citrus belt just a year ago he
j found a few dozen frozen trees; that
b IS. trees entirely defoliated and with
o limbs beginning 10 split. This year
q there are thousands Of two 10 three
2 year old trees with split trunks that
are going 70 perish.
Among growers the concensus Of
. oponion is more and more prevailing
! that all picking OF oranges should Be
y withheld until March, when the ex
o act condition Of the California Naya
can be accurately determined. Sc
r overwhelming has been the disaster
that the best shippers are now loath
TO pack except under regular brands
thus doing away with the doubtful,
packs that last year should have
n gone TO the dump heaps instead Of
going east under new and trumpec
: up brands. There IS a feeling in Cal
ifornia that oranges are going TO be
. worth money in March and with the
! best of the Florida crop out of tbs
0 way and with California Navels a.
; their best il is felt that nothing vii
i be lost by waiting until then to pick
E though the yield will be much small
7 er than If picked and graded now.
That good deal Of bad fruit has
: gone out since the freeze there is
= no doubt and probably all Of it has
Il brought more money than the grade
l. demanded. a small section of about
II 100 acres, shipping through Allessan
dro. has been putting out a mess Of
e stuff that no Californian would care
: 10 eat. The trees were cracked witt
the cold and the temperature went I,
! 10, or near from there, but specu
5 lators were willing 70 take a chance
b at it by shipping. One large company
T. has been shipping to eastern auction
b. markets several cars day since tht
L freeze Of fruit that was subjected t.
e 70 degrees above zero and under fol-
. good many hours. The fruit ha.
, been bringing good prices too.
h On the whole the better class Of
b. growers and shippers are unwilling
p 70 ship 1t the present time and ars
pleased with the governments pres
ent activity in holding up bad ship