FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY 
163 
able, we are criminally negligent in not 
using them. In fact it is far better that 
this fruit be not used at all than that it be 
made into products which are inferior and 
unmarketable. Such products bring 
nothing but loss and disappointment to 
their maker, disgust to the consumer and 
general discredit and injury to the entire 
fruit products industry. Quality must 
precede quantity, and I have assembled 
the quantity figures given in this paper 
merely to show what a large opportunity 
awaits the manufacturer of quality prod¬ 
ucts. 
In this connection I cannot do better 
than to read one of the letters received 
from a well known and successful manu¬ 
facturer in reply to my questionnaire. He 
says: 
“Replying to your letters of April 12th 
and 15th, will say that I shall be glad to 
co-operate with you in any way that will 
tend to improve the status of fruit prod¬ 
ucts manufacture in Florida. However, 
if you will pardon me for differing with 
you, I do not think your questionnaire is 
along the right lines. Your questions re¬ 
late entirely to quantity, and quantity of 
the quality that is made at present is al¬ 
ready excessive. What the State should 
interest itself in is quality, and the quan¬ 
tity would take care of itself. What 
Florida should do, is to restrain in some 
manner the low-grade stuff that is shipped 
out of the State. On a recent trip that I 
made to Tampa, Tarpon Springs, Clear¬ 
water, etc., there were three busted con¬ 
cerns represented on the shelves of the 
majority of stores that I visited. These 
concerns busted not for lack of quantity, 
but for lack of quality. The merchants 
of this State are very kindly disposed to¬ 
wards those making efforts in this line. 
They buy once, but they do not ever have 
to buy any more. This is the present 
status of the fruit products manufacture 
in Florida in a nutshell.” 
My paper would not be complete with¬ 
out venturing a few remarks and guesses 
regarding future development. 
Practically all of those answering my 
questionnaire displayed a most cheerful at¬ 
titude toward the future. They are mak¬ 
ing plans to increase their output of the 
products already established and many 
expect to introduce new products. Of 
these new products the most interesting 
and outstanding one is canned grapefruit. 
Never in the history of Florida fruit 
products has anything aroused such a 
widespread interest and promised so much 
as a real quantity outlet for our off-grade 
fruit. For the benefit of those not al¬ 
ready acquainted with this product, I will 
say that the grapefruit is peeled, the seeds 
and bitter membranes removed, and the 
“meats” thus obtained are packed in tin 
cans, like peaches, tomatoes and other 
such products. 
Two plants have been producing canned 
grapefruit in Porto Rico for about two 
years with marked success. One factory 
has been operated in Florida during the 
present season. Many experiments are 
being carried on by different workers at 
the present time and it seems safe to pre¬ 
dict that canned grapefruit will soon be a 
staple article of commerce along with the 
sliced pineapple and many other delicious 
things that come in tin cans. 
