232 STATE BOARD OF HORTICULTURE. 



In answer to an inquiry regarding importations and pros- 

 pective competition from California prepared citron, the 

 following interesting data were obtained: 



CHICAGO, August 23, 1899. 

 MR. B. M. LELONG, Sacramento, CaL: 



DEAR SIR: Yours of 1st received and contents fully noted. The citron 

 that we import to this country is mostly grown on the isle of Corsica, some 

 being shipped from Messina, Italy, and some from Greece, but that shipped 

 from those countries is not considered as good as that which is shipped from 

 Corsica. The price generally rules from 12 shillings and 6 pence up to 18 

 shillings and 6 pence, cost and freight N. Y. We do not know of any citron 

 grown in this country. It would be a saving to the trade west of the Rocky 

 "Mountains, but it would not be if shipped east of the Rocky Mountains, as 

 the freight would be more than the freight from the isle of Corsica. 

 Yours truly, 



SPRAGUE, WARNER & CO. 



CHICAGO, August 16, 1899. 

 Horticultural Department, State Board of Horticulture, Sacramento, CaL: 



GENTLEMEN: Your letter regarding citron has been handed the writer, 

 who is manager of our citron department. 



The amount of citron imported annually into America is about two 

 thousand tons. The firms who are curing or manufacturing citron from raw 

 citrons that are imported in brine are: Hills Bros. Company, New York 

 City; Andrew L. Causse, New York City. The Chicago manufacturers are 

 Sprague, Warner & Co., Franklin MacVeagh & Co., J. B. Inderrieden & Co., 

 and ourselves. 



The best quality of citron is raised in Corsica, the next best quality in 

 Greece, and the poorest in Sicily. We understand the culture of citron is 

 very difficult and that the trees require the most constant care and attention, 

 and even then failures of crop are frequent. As to whether it can be pro- 

 duced successfully in California is of course a question that we cannot 

 answer. This is about all the information that we can think of that would 

 be of service to you. 



Yours very truly, 



REID, MURDOCH & CO. 



NEW YORK, August 12, 1899. 

 B. M. LELONG, Secretary State Board of Horticulture, Sacramento, CaL: 



DEAR SIR : In due course of mail we received your esteemed favor of 28th 

 ult., relative to citron, and in reply can tell you that for several years there 

 have been regular importations of citron in brine coming in large hogsheads, 

 almost entirely from Leghorn. It came to two houses in this city and to 

 three or four houses in Chicago, all of whom put it through a process and 

 candied (glace") and sugared it. We understand it costs about four cents a 

 pound landed here in the brine, and there is no duty on it. The demand for 

 this whole country yearly, we are told, equals about 12,000 cases of some 250 

 pounds each after it has been candied. We are unable to ascertain whether 

 it is a profitable business or not, although one w T ould judge that it would not 

 have been continued during late years if it had been found unprofitable. 

 One of our informants, a man pretty well posted, says he does not believe 

 one penny profit is made, but none of these people care to give it up, hoping 

 for better times, etc. 



