Brownsville herald. [volume] (Brownsville, Tex.) 1910-current, 1929-03-31
SHIPMENTS in
TRAINS, CARS
BREAK RECORD
Carlot Loadings Rum
$50 Cars More Than
'28; Fruit Now Off
Trees
Especial to The Herald)

N0RONA6A W &64
SAN BENITO, March 30.-More
than three-quarters of a million
aO-pound boxes of citrus fruit
moved out of the Lower Rio
Grande Valley during the season
which closed today, bringing "a
ross return of $4,000 600 or more
to the Valley.
These estimates are derived
from figures secured from all avail
able sources today, as the season
comes to a close, the money return
of the Valley crop being estimated
on a conservative average return
per box.
The seasons total in carlot ship
ments ran approximately $500, or
$50 cars more than the 1929
season.
The increase during the season
just closing is greater, however.
than $50 cars, due to the fact that
practically all cars shipped out
during this season contained 348
boxes Of citrus, whereas last season
the cars contained 80 boxes.
The 1928-29 season goes down on
the record books Of the Valley as
one of its most successful seasons,
in spite Of price fluctuations at
times, due largely to the shipping
of some green and other inferior
fruit from the Valley.
Figures given out by p. A. Hoi-
dale, in charge Of federal inspec-
tors in the Valley on the citrus
quarantine regulations, show that
the truck shipments made up q
considerable part of the total out
of the Valley during the season.
Through March 26 a total or
1882 boxes and bushel baskets Of
citrus had moved out of the Valley
in trucks, and 1920 boxes and
bushel baskets had moved out in
passenger vehicles. The baskets
contained usually so pounds OF
fruit, and the boxes 30 pounds. "A
rough estimate Of 10000 boxes, 80
pounds to the box. is made. from
the figures on these shipments.
Express shipments from the VAL
ley during the season just closed
are estimated at 40 per cent more
than those Of last season, which
were $500 boxes.
Railway freight shipments
amounted to approximately 1850
carloads. Or 574,2 200 boxes, contain
ing 348 boxes to the car.
This gives a total of approxi-
mately 10000 boxes Of citrus that
moved out Of the Valley during the
season which closed today. This
total may be increased considerably
by shipment of fruit that has been
pulled and put in storage, or in
packing plants during the past few
days, although there is no way Of
estimating the total that will be
shipped during the next few weeks.
The end of the season came with
very little fruit on the trees, ship
perS and growers said. The addi-
tional month in the shipping sea-
son, which was secured through
cooperation of growers in removing
alternate host fruit trees through
out the Valley, enabled the Valley
to move citrus another month, and
to get a good price for the citrus
throughout the season.
Citrus inspectors Monday will
start a close inspection of orchards
throughout the Valley. to see that
all Off-blOom fruit and other fruit
has been removed from the trees,
in compliance with the citrus quar-
antine regulations.
Estimates of the Valleys citrus
crop for next year varied greatly,
ranging from 5000 to 5000 boxes.
A large number of trees will come
Infn hnnrirc fhir FoII - - .a
tlme-trees planted when the pres
ent large scale paintings of citrus
in the Valley first started.
In the opinion Of several shippers
the l929-30- season will be the be-
ginning of big scale production of
citrus in the Vallev.
The bloom has Dccn unusually
heavy, and with lair weather con
dltions the crop should be good.
they said. There will be some
light crops in sections due to the
off-Dloom citrus, which took con-
siderable of the vitality of the
trees, but this Will be more than
offset by the general heavy bloom,
it was explained.
With good weather conditions,
and a fair market, the Valley !
should begin realizing a tremend-
Gus return from its citrus Begin
ming next season." one shipper
said. The yield will increase from
now on at a rapid pace, as the
large acreage of young trees come
into bearing"
1t is estimated that less than 10
per cent of the Valleys citrus
trees are now bearing. and the re-
naming 80 per cent will begin
coming into bearing at a rapid rate.