The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1920-01-17
PLAYING A


is losing game? Why will they
stand in their own light?" Why will
they take temporary advantage,
make seemingly advantageous deal
today for what they must know will
bring them losses for a great many
tomorrows? Even Solomon might
not be able to answer any or all of
these questions with satisfaction,
least of all with convincing conclu.
sivenes sto those who do the things
which the queries imply. But less
than Solomon can at least warn 9TH
ers, sensible people, to guard against
doing the very things that these ques-
tions suggest are unwise, perhaps un.
just, surely harmful.
Time and time again citrus fruit
growers of Florida haev been ad-
vised and urged not to ship unripe
fruit from their groves. Generally
the advice and the argument have
ben headed. But, again, this year nm
scrupulous growers or buyers, or both
have brought untold injury to them
selves and to all who are honestly in
the business of raising citrus fruits
especially oranges and grapefruit, by
sending to market fruit that they
knew was unripe, immature, and
therefore not only imposing on the
) ultimate consumer but also doing in
jury to the growers who are not gull.
ty of this, to say the least, unwise
procedure.
) Grapefruit and orange buyers, con.
, sumers, are increasing in numbers,
have been for years past But they
are not going to part with their mon.
, ey for fruit that is not fit to eat TO
send such to market is to discourage
their buying of that which Is even
thoroughly ripe and of the best. They
; want none of it, once they have been
"stung."
Herein lies the shortsightedness Of
shipping unripe fruit; it destroys a
market built up through years of pa
tient industry, precludes extension
of that market and thus works i'm.
measurable injury to growers who are
in the business to stay and to devel-
op by honest methods.
Marketing unripe fruit is not an
honest method of doing business. Will
! growers and shippers learn this? II
not they might as we'll, in fact, had
better get out of the business. They
are hurting themselves, which would
! be punishment deserved if it ended
there, but they are also harming the
business of conscientious people who
hope to continue to do business by
methods that all men recognize as
I trustworthy.
Grapefruit now going to market Is
fully ripe, is delicious, commends it.
' self to the public, establishes a repu
tation that is permanent The same
cannot be said with reference to the
immature fruit that was sent to mar
ket early in the season by avaricious
growers and shippers who hoped by
being early to gain few extra dol
y lars. They hurt themselves and die
untold damage to the entire citrus in
dustry in Florida. The effect will bt
felt for years to come. The money
loss will be immense, until the public
is again treasured through the ship
ment of only ripe fruit.
v II ought to be evident to ever,
grower that the best of citrus frui
is what the public wants and vii
pay for literally, This is convincing
ly proved when the Buckeye Nurser
les, a thoroughly responsible concern
is able to say that when ordinar.
q Florida oranges were selling at from
II $2.75 to $3.50 box" carload lots o
the new and improved Temple OF
ange, If they had been obtainable Il
that quantity, could have been sol
at $40 a box But enc shipment o
even that excellent variety of orange
If shipped in immature state, woul
have damned the entire output OF
season or more. The same holds tru
with every other variety of otherwis
excellent oranges or grapefruit.
Orange and grapefruit grower
have it in their own hands to bull
up in Florida an industry immensel
more valuable than in any time sine
its establishment. But they mus
drive out the robbers Of temporar
advantage, the shippers Of immatur
fruit. If it cannot be done by PEI