MISCELLANEOUS. 145 



Nor would these profits accrue to the foreign orange as 

 often as they do, were it not for a trick of the trade 

 adopted by some dishonest dealers. Knowing the eager- 

 ness with which Florida oranges are sought, they select 

 the best looking foreign oranges, usually those from Va- 

 lencia, in Spain, mark them "Florida," and sell them as 

 such to unsuspecting or ignorant customers. 



In New York alone, during the Christmas holidays, 

 over fifty millions of oranges are sold, and nearly all of 

 them are labeled "Florida oranges." A dealer in New 

 York, who largely supplies the Washington and Fulton 

 markets, tells us frankly that all of the best imported 

 fruit is labeled "Florida" to meet the popular demand. 



The day is coming, however, when the superior orange 

 of Florida will drive the inferior imported fruits out of 

 the markets, and there will no longer be any temptation 

 to deceive the consumer. 



It is quite likely that the prices of Florida oranges, as 

 ruling at present, will fall somewhat in years to come, but 

 they will never fall so low as not to be remunerative. 

 Even supposing that the impossible should become pos- 

 sible, and the United States should find more oranges 

 raised on her soil than she could consume with profit to 

 the grower, there is England ready, as has been proven 

 by actual experiment, to buy our oranges at a higher 

 price than she gives for the sour Mediterranean fruit a 

 price that yields a handsome profit to the producer ; but 

 we shall never, in all probability, have need to seek a for- 

 eign market for our oranges. 



To further show how preposterous the cry of overpro- 

 duction is we will ask how it is that, with the immense 

 area of country devoted all the time in the United States, 

 to raising apples, peaches, plums, cherries, there has not 

 long since been overproduction ? 



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