SHIPMENT OF OEANGES FEOM FLORIDA. 3 



Boil and favorable climatic conditions in the hardwood forests and live-oak groves, 

 where the tall native growth protected them from sun and radiation, grew up into 

 seedling trees, and in time formed wild groves of immense extent throughout the 

 northern and central parts of peninsular Florida. ^ Although sweet oranges were 

 known in Florida before the Civil War, they were not considered of commercial 

 importance because of the absence of transportation facilities. Commercial orange 

 culture dates back to between 1865 and 1870, when the success of the trees along the 

 banks of the St. Johns River began to attract attention to this industry as a good invest- 

 ment. As the profits were large from the first, many were thereby induced to engage 

 in the business, and the industry gradually expanded until in 1895 the production 

 had reached nearly 6,000,000 boxes. 



Transportation problems and market conditions have changed considerably since 

 Florida reached its highest point in citrus production before the freeze. First of all, 

 the citrus industry of California has been largely developed since that time. Through 

 the establishment of efficient transportation facilities and modern refrigerator-car 

 service, the California growers have been enabled to distribute their fruit over prac- 

 tically every State in the Union. In the early days of the industry, the Florida 

 orange growers did not have to meet the keen competition which has developed in 

 recent years, and therefore the condition of their fruit upon its arrival in the market 

 did not affect the selling price as much as it does at present. The market demand 

 for Florida oranges was strong, and fair prices were usually obtained in spite of the 

 presence of considerable decay. As the production increased just prior to 1894r-95, 

 less favorable prices were being received, and at the time of the freeze efforts were 

 being made to extend the market both at home and abroad and to produce fruit of 

 better keeping quality. 



The formation during that period of the Florida Fruit Exchange may be considered 

 as an effort among the growers to obtain better marketing conditions, induced, it la 

 thought, by the necessity of improving the quality and condition of fruit in the mar- 

 kets. Although the Exchange failed to accomplish the special object for which it 

 was created, it did prove that Florida oranges often failed to reach the northern mar- 

 kets in sound condition. Notwithstanding the general impression now current among 

 growers that the decay of oranges was unknown before 1894, it seems to be well estab- 

 lished that for many years the fruit has shown considerable waste. 



A few reports taken from the current issues of the trade papers will serve to show 

 that even at that time the decay problem was of considerable importance. In the 

 issue of December 23, 1893, of "The Florida Despatch Farmer and Fruit Grower," 

 under the Buffalo-New York fruit-sales letter, a statement was made which is char- 

 acteristic of many others and serves to illustrate the wasted condition in which the 

 fruit often reached the market. This report reads, in part: 



Very sorry to report that the fruit is still coming forward in poor condition. . . . 

 About 1,400 boxes, good and bad, mostly all of which showed more or less decay, aver- 

 aged $1.51. 



Under date of December 2, 1893, the following report is given: 



The dealers and handlers throughout the country are worn out with the constant 

 labor of repacking, in the effort to save something out of the ruins of the decay, and 

 to save the fruit from going bodily to the dump. Buyers are afraid to take hold, 

 because they have no assurance of getting an article that will hold together until 

 they can get rid of it. 



Out of 19 telegraphic reports, 12 mention fruit showing decay, using such re- 

 marks as: "Both much decayed," "Some lots in very bad order," "Oranges mostly 

 decayed," and "Very rotten." It will thus be seen that the conditions which are 

 conducive to the occiu-rence of decay were present in the early days of the industry. 



1 Mead, Theodore L. The orange. Article in Cyclopedia of American Horticulture, 1901, p. 1154. 



