Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1926-11-26
I'm OUR
VALLEY

fuit shipper should have. Especially
that shipper and others are max
g the mistake of using Houston or
ny other city as dumping ground
or grapefruit this season.
The letter is written by c. b.
2uarles, vice-president Of the Perry
narde Company, Houston, to j. NJ.
Stein, publisher of The Browns
VILE Herald. Since it is of interest
60 every grower, the letter is given
herewith, in full, that growers may
guide themselves accordingly.
Il am not posing as a savior of
the Valley grapefruit grower, but
thought it might be of interest to
give you the situation on this fruit
Is 1t actually exists in the Houston
farket today.
Marsh seedless grapefruit from
|Pnsigned cars is being quoted at
'E' for the fifty-fours, sixty-fours
Il 'd seventies; 81 for the eighties.
j.60 for the ninety-sixes and one
hundreds. and $3.50 for the one
twenty sizes. up to So.
THE BASKET grapefruit is being
quoted at 81 to S2.25 per basket,
Aouston; Duncans are meeting with
10 sale whatever if the Marsh seed
|ess can be secured; but the demand
for grapefruit of any size is very
United III Houston at the present
:ime.
4 There are, to the writer's knowl-
tdge, three straight cars Of this
Eruit in Houston at this time on
consignment. and every train from
he Valley is bringing from n hun
E'ed to two hundred and fifty pack
ICES to the various commission mer-
PANTS in Houston on consignment.
me merchant told me that he has
is house full Of grapefruit that was
Not even being offered to the trade
there was no demand, and with
be consignment of a big stock. it
aturally has a tendency to shove
'e market down. and If the grower
the Valley insists on consigning
Is fruit for the 'luv o. Mike don't
ey to dump il all on the Houston
larket. If they don't send another
'aekage for two weeks at least,
here will be an ample supply for
be present lin this market
r--~.--S
1T is TO BE regretted that this
|eason's grapefruit is running to
mall sizes, and, of course, the trade
. demanding the large sizes, which
ire very scarce. Last year, before
he freeze and the previous season,
Fith the sizes running large. they
kere clamoring for the small sizes,
sat this season, with small sizes pre-
dominating they are very slow sell
ers; in fact, the big demand for
grapefruit does not start until after
thristmas. Probably the grower has
lot forgotten last years freeze and
i trying to market his crop to pre-
rent getting caught again this year.
but he is certainly not doing the
Valley grapefruit industry any good
when he uses Houston as n dump
Ing ground.
"IF HE MUST consign this fruit,
why not send il to the various mar
Gets around the country, as | under
tand it will carry a thousand miles
AZ readily as to Houston. So why not
spread il out if they are going to
.onsign it. But | am firmly con-
inced that the consigning of this
ruit, If it continues, Is going TO
bring disaster to the grapefruit in
dustry. Why not market it through
the various exchanges and selling
agents in the Valley. that should be
able to take care of il?
"while my firm represents the
Texas Fruit Growers Exchange. and
some of the Valley people may think
this is n case of sour grapes /
wish to advise that the exchange has
20 date delivered two cars of grape
fruit in the Houston market this
season. One reason for this was. they
were afraid to ship until the fruit
was mature, and the other, and
more important reason, was that this
fruit Is blocking the legit-
innate shippers cut of THIS market.
"WHILE THE PRICES have
given you above are those the COM
men and produce dealers are
trying to get for this fruit today, it
is not moving, and in this mornings
paper I noticed that one of the larg-
er retail merchants is offering Val
lev grapefruit at 25 cents a dozen,
and il goes without saying that if
this condition continues to exist
can see nothing but ruination for
the Valley grapefruit grower. and /
would strongly urge through your
paper that you try and impress up
on the grower the necessity Of mar
keting his grapefruit through the
regular channels.
"This letter is written in a friend
lv spirit and simply to give you the
facts as they are in Houston, and it
might be advisable if it can be ar
ranged, that you send a committee
from the Valley to Houston to in
vestigate these facts as stated in
this letter.
.Hoping this letter will have the
desired effect, so that the grower
will get something for his grape
fruit. as I understand the whole
limited States is sold on the quality
AZ the Valley grapefruit, and it
should not be sacrificed" etc.