The Lakeland evening telegram., 1917-02-08
NO FROSTED FRUIT TO BE
SHIPPED BY CITRUS EXCHANGE

Nearly 100 citrus growers. mem
hers ef the Florida Citrus exchange
met in the directors room of the ex-
Change at Tampa yesterday to dis
euss the recent freeze and what dis
, position should be made of the fruit
; hich was damaged by the cold. DR..
J H. Ross, president of the ex-
change, presided During the dis
cussion it was cited that the health
officers over the country are particu-
lar as to the quality of the fruit
reaching the market this year. and
il was the consensus of opinion that
should fruit be shipped now. it
would not bring enough money to
pay for the freight and packing.
A molten was offered by one of
the members that all fruit should
be held until March,, and nothing
shipped except on order. II was be-
lieved that in this way the market
uld be held steady and the grow
ers would suffer no great loss. Ac-
oording to reports voiced at the
reeting. the independents were
flooding the northern markets with
fruit which has been through the
cold. and any attempt on the part of
the citrus exchange at present to
place fruit in the market would be
disastrous.
Dr. Saddler, one of the exchange
members who owns extensive groves.
objected to the motion and argued
that it would not be wise for the
exchange members to hold their
fruit and then offered suggestion
that the exchange make an attempt
to dispose of it through the jobbers
a. much as possible, and what they
would not take could be sold direct
ly to the retailers.
Sales Manager r l.. Skelly of
The exchange said that such a move
would involve thousands of dollars
OF expense, to organize sales force
which could handle the fruit that
way and that, if it was undertaken.
the season would be over before the
Tlan could he nerfartad
AS for frozen fruit, DR.. Saddler
said he once shipped some fruit
which was frozen solid during tran
SIT and which was returned to him. |
lie said he placed it in cellar for
tea days and presently had another
order from the same people who had
returned 1t. The oranges and tan
eerines seemed to be in good condi-
lion and he filled his order with the
Iruit which had been frozen solid
and the report came back that it was
The best fruit which had ever been
e ceived from him.
When the cold wave hit the state
he other day, orders were sent out
hat all the packing houses discon- /,
inue operations and 1t is probable
hat they will not open again for +,
ome time.
The motion passed unanimously
nat no frosted fruit would be ship
'ed under the exchange label and .
hat the packing houses would re- /,
ume operations as soon as the true /,
ondition of the fruit was discov- .
red and the men could be assured :
hat only the best would go out of ).
he state under the Florida Citrus !
'xchange labels. :.
The crop damage in the state. ac-
ording to the consensus of opinion
the meeting, amounts 10 about 25 :.
er cent. of the remaining fruit.
alued approximately at $500. 900. ),
mis- does not include the damage to :.
'ees, which cannot be estimated al
lis time. and while many of the
oung trees suffered. it is not
fought that any permanent damage =
as been done the old bearing groves
ner than loss OF foliage. The ~
trus exchange members decided at -
le meeting that there should be no
iestion raised as to their honesty w
III none of the members will make III
" attempt to put frosted fruit cut VI
der the sealed sweet label.-Tam- 10
Times. dc
to