8 



ANNALS OF HORTICULTURE. 



consignment reached the destination in good order, showing 

 that means may yet be devised to put some of the firmer peaches 

 of the Atlantic coast upon the London market in good dessert 

 condition. The market will undoubtedly be a profitable one, 

 as peaches are rarely grown in the open in England. In fact, 

 peaches have been shipped from California * to England with 

 success, but it is doubtful if it will ever become a profitable 

 trade. 



Citrous Fruits. — The citrous fruit crop of 1893-4 is 

 heavy upon both sides of the continent. The orange crop in 

 Florida is estimated at about 4,000,000 boxes. The crop would 

 have been fully 4,500,000 boxes, or perhaps even more, had it 

 not been for the fall storms, which blew a great deal of fruit to 

 the ground and injured other fruit on the trees. For this rea- 

 son it began the season by carrying badly, and as a conse- 

 quence prices ruled lower than last year. The gross receipts 

 on this year's crop to the growers, if calculated on an estimate 

 of 4,000,000 boxes, will be about $1,600,000, while the share of 

 the railroad and steamship lines will be fully $2,400,000. Of 

 that amount the transportation lines in Florida alone will re- 

 ceive fully $800,000. At the close of December, 1893, 406,600 

 boxes of Florida oranges had been received by local dealers 

 in New York city alone. The first California oranges of the 

 1893 crop reached New York January 19, 1894. 



The Louisiana Orange Crop has made a distinct impres- 

 sion upon the market this year. It is even earlier than the 

 Florida crop, the first shipments being made late in September 

 or early in October. The fruit is sweet, and will undoubtedly 

 attract much attention in the future. 



Future of the Orange Industry. — The enormous production 

 of oranges in North America has greatly increased the con- 

 sumption of the fruit amongst the masses of the people, and it 

 can be no longer classed with the luxuries. At the close of 

 1893, oranges of prime quality were cheaper than first-class des- 

 sert apples. The acreage of orange groves has increased enor- 

 mously within the past few years, particularly in California, 

 and there has been much speculation as to the disposition of 

 the crop when the entire area comes into full bearing. ' The 

 following consideration of the subject by Horace W. Day, a 

 fruit merchant of New York, in The Fruit Trade Journal, has 

 unusual merit : 



" Thirty years ago the supplies of oranges for the United 

 States came almost exclusively from the Mediterranean, and 

 sweet Messina oranges filled the popular demand. At that 



*Annals for 1892, 4? 



