The daily sentinel., 1914-03-04
COLORADO APPLES MORE
PROFITABLE THAN ORANGES

1t only requires little COM
par1son on our part to convince
us that Colorado fruit growers
are in pretty fair condition and
ought TO be very well satisfied
with their holdings in this state,
says Clinton Oliver in the
Pueblo Chieftain.
On the markets one can buy a fine
grade OF oranges, from California.
for from zoe to soc per dozen. Col
orado apples of the same grade are
worth from 40c to soc per dozen. Now
how much profit the orange growers
get out of this sort of deal We 5san't
know. Of course it is pleasure to
us to be able to have nice big juicy
oranges at such a reasonable price.
but having had experience from the
growing end in the apple deal it ap-
pears that the California orange
growers cannot be getting exceeding
ly rich.
For years the marketing organiza-
| tions of California have been the
models after which the growers of
Colorado have been trying to pattern.
True they haven't made very big pro-
gress and are not close to the goal.
but always we hear of the immense
success of the California organiza-
tions in the getting of big prices for
the growers of that state. Now it
may be possible that the California
organizations are making big returns
to the growers. but 1t doesn't look
possible when first grade oranges can
be bought in Colorado for as low as
zoe per dozen.
1t is probably true that With their
well oiled machinery the California
organizations have less waste in get
ting from the growers to the markets,
but on the same ratio il the Colorado
apples sold for the same price as the
California oranges there wouldn't be
anything coming to the growers but
bills for freight to be paid
After looking at the matter from
every angle there is everything In ia
yor of owning an orchard in Colo
rado over the possession of an orange
grove in California. Take, for In
stance, the terrible wet season that
state has just been going through
with its floods causing loss of life
and damage to property. Colorado is
never troubled in that way and who
would care for prettier climate
than is enjoyed by Coloradoans TAX
ing the average for the year. Next
to the pleasure of living there is the
production of a crop that is worth
more on the market than the orange
crop. 1t s doubtful whether there
are many properties in the fruit dis
tricts of Colorado that would be trad
ed acre for acre, for any orange grove
by any person who had lived in both
states.
Colorado also enjoys better
freight and refrigeration rate to
points south and west of Chicago In
cluded with this is storage in transit
without extra charge. We can also
make quicker delivery to southern
markets.
If it requires such high class and
extensive organizations as the Cali
fornians have to get the low prices
that they get and without this organ
ization prices would be very much
less consider what such an organiza-
ton could do for the apple crop of
Colorado Cooperative organizations
are the necessary thing these days,
but it is very doubtful whether the
apple growers will ever be combined
into an organization Ike the Cali
fornia Fruit Growers Excahnge be-
cause there are too many diversified
sections of the country to serve in an
apple organization. 1t would be i'm
possible to control the apple crop as
the orange crop is controlled, and III
such control meant similar prices it
would be better to have some com
petition from the marketing end.
While there are a good many
things that would work for the gem
eral benefit of the Colorado fruit
grower If they could be brought about
still, on the whole, conditions are very
good and there is very little room for
one to complain. Compared with
California there is nothing to be de-
sired except her flowers and we can
have them in this state at the proper
season of the year-maybe not so
large and highly colored-but inf
nitely more fragrant. Where is the
experienced man in communities like
Paonia, Hotchkiss, Cedaredge, Pali-
sade or dozen other fruit-growing
centers who would trade their or
chards acre for acre with a California
orange grower?