PROCEEDINGS OF THIRTY-THIRD FRUIT-GROWERS' CONVENTION. 



Ill 



MARKETING CITRUS FRUITS BY THE GROWERS. 



By B. A. WOODFORD, of Los Angeles. 



The above method of placing in the markets the products of our 

 citrus fruit orchards originated practically with the advent of the 

 Exchange in 1893, so that in treating of this subject we must look 

 largely to the operations of that organization during the last fifteen 

 years, although various individual citrus fruit-growers and various 

 associations of growers independent of the Exchange have, during the 

 same period, with more or less success, handled their own marketing 

 problems independent of any other marketing factor in California. 



Oranges and lemons have been grown in California for nearly one 

 hundred years, but until within the last thirty years the only variety of 

 consequence was the Seedling, planted largely by or through the influ- 

 ence of the padres who were in charge of the early missions. 



Beginning with 1874, the Washington Navel was introduced into 

 California, and that variety now furnishes three-fourths of the entire 

 orange shipments, the Valencia Late being second in volume of output, 

 which variety is largely increasing and bids fair to finally become as 

 large, in total output, as the Washington Navel itself. Lemons have 

 only been produced in commercial quantities during the last twenty- 

 five years. 



Twenty-five years ago the annual total shipment of oranges was 

 barely 30 carloads; fifteen years ago, 4,000 carloads; and during the 

 last three seasons, approximately 30,000 carloads each year. 



Difficulties in marketing arose when the volume of business began 

 to increase largely, and reached an acute stage when the shipments were 

 only 4,000 cars yearly, at which time the growers were absolutely at the 

 mercy of the speculative buyers, or shippers, on commission, the pro- 

 ducers themselves having no direct voice in the marketing of their 

 product. In the season of 1892-3 these marketing difficulties became 

 so serious that, in instances without number, not only did the grower 

 receive no returns whatever for his fruit, but also, in addition to con- 

 tributing his crop, was compelled to pay the freight and packing 

 charges which the gross sale of his fruit did not cover. 



Various methods of combination among the then existing shippers 

 and among the growers themselves were tried, with a view especially 

 to regulating shipments and distributing the fruit evenly in the various 

 markets of the country, but these efforts were spasmodic, irregular and 

 short-lived, and only partially successful. 



In some sections, growers undertook to ship and market their own 

 fruit and in a few instances the growers associated themselves together, 

 marketing on a mutual basis. Owing to the failure of the combinations 



