PRINCIPLES OF VALUE AND PRICE 451 



increased from 83,657 acres to 191,357 acres, an increase of 128.9 

 per cent; oranges increased 138 per cent and lemons 82 per cent during 

 this period. In the five years from 1908 to 1913, the total area 

 increased 29 . i per cent, the increase for oranges and lemons being 

 23 . 3 and 67.6 per cent respectively. 



The shipment of citrus fruits has also increased rapidly. The 

 increase in five-year periods in the number of carloads of oranges and 

 lemons is as follows: from 1895 to 1900, 225 per cent; 1900 to 1905, 

 71.5 per cent; 1905 to 1910, 10.9 per cent, and 48.5 per cent from 

 1910 to 1914. A normal crop now is 50,000 carloads, one-seventh of 

 which are lemons. Of the oranges, approximately 63 per cent are 

 Washington navels, 27 per cent Valencias, and 10 per cent miscel- 

 laneous varieties. The Valencia shipments have increased 60 per 

 cent in 1914 and will increase rapidly in the near future. 



There has always existed a fear since the beginning of the Cali- 

 fornia citrus industry, lest the increase in production might outrun 

 the increase in consumption; or, to state it differently, that there 

 might be more citrus fruits produced than the people could consume 

 at a price that would pay the producer. The total consumption of 

 citrus fruits has increased in two ways: first, through the increase in 

 population, and second, in the increase in the per capita consumption. 

 The increase in population is not rapid enough to absorb the increase 

 in the production of citrus fruits. The population of the United 

 States increased 20.7 per cent from 1890 to 1900; the shipment of 

 citrus fruits increased 195 per cent during the same period. From 

 1900 to 1910 the population increased 21 per cent, while the shipments 

 increased 292 per cent during the same period. 



In order to stimulate consumption and to insure a fair return on 

 the investment, the industry has been obliged to eliminate speculative 

 distribution by placing its own agents in the different markets of the 

 United States and Canada. Searching investigation has also been 

 made of the cultural and labor cost of production, in order that the 

 industry may better understand its problems. It has organized on 

 a co-operative basis the purchase of materials used in the packing- 

 houses and in the groves, and it has secured the aid of the state and 

 federal government in order that its business may be conducted 

 economically, and the cultural and fruit handling difficulties that 

 confront it may be solved by scientific research. 



NOTE. Much the same situation has confronted the producers 

 of various other fruit and vegetable products apples, peaches, 



