12 



ANNALS OF HORTICULTURE. 



their crop in this manner when it reaches a certain size, any 

 more than the other two parts of the world could theirs, and 

 for similar reasons. 



The Orange Outlook. — "To my mind it is a question of the 

 survival of the fittest. It is not which orange is the finest, but 

 which will sell the best, that all fruit men must consider. 

 Even if the Sicily oranges were as good or sold as well here as 

 those grown in this country, it must be remembered that a duty 

 of 30 cents per box, a freight of 32 cents, as it is to be this 

 coming season, commission and auction charges of say 10 

 cents, and a cost of 40 cents for the box, paper, nails, packing 

 and shipping, sums up $1.12 per box, without the cost of the 

 oranges being taken into consideration. At less than 50 cents 

 per box in Sicily for the fruit alone, I am confident that grow- 

 ers and shippers cannot possibly send it ; so we have a total 

 cost on a moderate calculation of $1.62 per box for the Medi- 

 terranean orange, against which the oranges grown in America 

 must compete. The charges on a box of Florida oranges are 

 about as follows : 35 cents for box, paper, nails, packing and 

 carting to shipping station; 15 cents average local freight in 

 Florida to Jacksonville ; 35 cents freight to New York (five 

 cents less by one line), and say 10 cents commission, auction 

 charges, etc. ; that is 95 cents for all without the fruit. The 

 charges on a box of California oranges are heavy, owing simply 

 to the high freight to New York or Chicago of 87 1-2 cents per 

 box. Add to this 35 cents for the box, etc., and 10 cents com- 

 mission, gives $1.32^ per box without the fruit. This freight is 

 certain to be reduced, however, because the fruit cannot possi- 

 bly stand it, and efforts are now being made to secure a reduc- 

 tion to 50 cents per box. It will be some years, in all proba- 

 bility, before any very heavy quantities of these oranges come 

 as far east as this city, although I fully anticipate heavier 

 receipts each succeeding year. 



"On the above calculation, allowing duty, freight, etc., as 

 given, it shows the actual expenses on a box of oranges- from 

 the tree to the wholesale merchant here to be : 



To this must be added the value of the fruit itself. Flor- 

 ida has the great advantage of low freight and no duty, while 

 her fruit sells above the others. It must be remembered, how- 

 ever, that I am figuring the cost in New York for all these 

 oranges, because the freight to the Western cities from Florida 

 is almost double what it is to this city. At present, the Flor- 

 ida orange stands at the head, and with equal quality and con- 



Mediterranean 



Florida 



California 



$1.12 per box. 

 ..0.95 per box. 

 ..1.32y 2 per box 



