CALIFORNIA FRUITS: frow TO GROW THEM 



RELATION OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA TO THE 

 WORLD'S ORANGE PRODUCT 



Competition with the product of California is working hard- 

 ship in the Mediterranean region because this region can more 

 than supply Europe, and needs American markets as an outlet. 

 Italy has exported six million dollars worth of oranges and lemons 

 in a year, but recently prices have declined and the interest is 

 depressed. Every effort is being made to secure relief from local 

 taxation and from duties imposed by north European countries. 

 The Spanish product of oranges and lemons which ranks next to 

 the Italian, has to meet heavy tariffs in all countries except the 

 United Kingdom and the belief at Valencia is (U. S. Commercial 

 Relations, Vol. 2, 1902, page 686) that the limit of British consump- 

 tion of Valencia oranges at paying rates has been reached ; in fact, 

 the British markets collapsed under the heavy shipments of 1901. 

 When it is stated that the value of oranges imported into the 

 United Kingdom in 1900 was $10,603,950, and such a free buyer 

 has more than enough, it can be realized how important it is to 

 the Mediterranean producers that the populous countries of central 

 Europe should hold less strictly to agrarian interests which aim 

 to hamper the entrance of food supplies even if they can not 

 themselves produce them. Manifestly the American product can 

 only enter such markets with a fancy product which will win an 

 extra price, except as a little difference in the ripening season 

 may afford an opportunity. 



The commercial position of the orange in the United States 

 is also such as to awaken apprehension. The present strength 

 of the situation lies in the protective tariff and the bete noir of 

 growers is the possibility of making gaps in it by reciprocity treat- 

 ies. The product of the West Indies is a direct menace to the 

 Florida product, which meets it in point of market season, and the 

 Mexican product, which is undergoing expansion at the hands 

 of American capitalists, is constantly feared by the California 

 growers because the Mexican railway will give it quick entrance 

 to the great central States and consequent advantage in distri- 

 bution to the East and the Northwest. The orange from the West 

 Indies and South Florida is different from the California orange 

 in main ripening season and in character of the fruit, but the dif- 

 ferences do not give full relief. With the late ripening varieties, 

 the California grower extends his shipments into the autumn and 

 thus laps upon the early fruit from Florida and Jamaica, while the 

 parts of California which bring earliest maturity to the fruit are 

 shipping before the southern fruit is cleared away. In fact, Cali- 

 fornia can keep the markets supplied with oranges fresh from the 

 trees and in prime condition the year around. 



