48 
FLORIDA STATE HORTICULTURAL SOCIETY. 
anges. Did the consumer get any advan¬ 
tage of the low prices paid the grower? 
A few figures from my own sales on 
consignment of about 1,500 boxes, mostly 
car lots, will give one example of the very 
small returns to the grower. The average 
sales returned was $1.78. The average 
freight, cartage and commission, was 89 
cents, leaving 89 cents f. o. b. at packing¬ 
house. Taking from this the usual pick¬ 
ing, packing and shipping 50 cents, leaves 
39 cents on the trees. This was during 
January f February and March. Those 
sold f. o. b. at home did better, bringing 
$1.30 to $1.40, showing considerable ad¬ 
vantage of f. o. b. at home, over consign¬ 
ment. But this year there were very few 
f. o. b. buyers, and not all could be relied 
on to carry out their contract. 
Now, let us see if these low prices were 
necessary to the retailing of the fruit with 
a reasonable profit. 
I have inquired carefully as to many 
places, from Georgia, North, East and 
West, and in my own town, and find that 
retail sales were 15 cents to 20 cents for 
the smaller sizes, progressively upward to 
25, 35, 40, 50 and 60 cents as to size, 
and one gentleman living in New York 
said he paid 75 cents per dozen for 150- 
size. Averaging all prices would give 37 
cents per dozen. If oranges run all sizes 
in equal quantity, the average dozens in 
a box would be 15J4, giving an average 
retail sales price of $5.73 per box. If we 
only include 250s, 216s, 175s, 150s and 
126s, we get an average of 18^4 dozens, 
and averaging per-dozen prices at 15 
cents, 20, 30 cents, 35 cents, 40 cents and 
50 cents, we get an average of 31 2-3 
cents per dozen, 31 2-3x18^4—$5.85 per 
box, average all sizes and prices. 
If we grant a loss of i 6 j 4 per cent, 
for decay, there is still left $4.90 as the 
retail price per box. The above average 
commission house return price of $1.78 
leaves a net profit of $3.12, while the 
grower has received the generous sum of 
39 cents, including his investment, and 
profit?—where is the profit? 
Suppose we add one dollar more to the 
cost to the small and interior town retail¬ 
ers, he still has $2.12, or over five times 
more for selling than the grower for pro¬ 
ducing. 
Fruit-growers of Florida, are you will¬ 
ing to continue this unequal division of 
the products of your labor and expense, 
without an effort to change ? 
Let us take another example in the veg¬ 
etable line—cukes. The first week in May 
cukes selling in the chief markets at $1.00 
to $1.25. The average express charges 
in less than car lots not less than 75 cents, 
commission 11 cents, hamper, picking and 
packing 30 cts.—$1.16, average consign¬ 
ment sale $1.25; loss, 3 J4 cts. for grower. 
Consequently none but those who can ship 
in car lots have any chance of coming out 
even. 
Investigation as to retail prices, by per¬ 
sonal inquiry at large and small stores 
and fruit stands, I am told cukes average 
—small, medium and large—6 dozen per 
basket ; averaging the prices 30, 40 and 
60 cents per dozen—43 1-3 cents or $2.60 
per basket, or $1.38 net profit for selling, 
against nothing or a loss for growing. 
What is the use discussing how best to 
grow our products if we can get nothing 
for them ? The few commission men I 
have talked with about the matter, who 
should be the grower's agent to see that 
he got his share of what the consumer 
pays, say they do not see how they can 
change conditions. Although they have 
a society, they make no concerted effort 
to get our equal share, but, on the other 
