Orange Statistics – About $800,000 Brought Into Orange Country

Orlando, Fla., Feb. 20. – According to the opinion of orange shippers in all parts of the county carefully collected and compared, the crop this year will amount to 500,000 boxes, nearly half of which are still on the trees. Every month since the shipping began the shippers have increased their estimates over those of the previous month. If these oranges sold on the trees for $1.45 per box, which is the generally considered about the average price, they brought the growers sum of $725,000. Some oranges sold for less and some sold for as much as $2 per box. The buyers are generally citizens of the county, and expect to make a good profit. It is worth about 35 cents per box to pack them; box, paper, hoops and nails will consume half of this, leaving 17 1/2 cents for labor of packing, 5 cents for picking, and at a low estimate 2 1/2 cents for _ making a total of 25 cents for labor, or a total labor bill of $75,000. Some of the box sides and all the heads are made here, but allowing nothing for these and on profit to the shippers, the crop will bring into Orange county a grand total of $800,000.

The population, according to the census, is, in round numbers, 12,500, and dividing $800,000 by 12,500 gives $65 for every man, woman and child in the country.

We make no pretense in the way of scientific statistics, but we do think that is a pretty good showing for a county that is practically but 10 years old, and that only one of its products.

Well, we can still give a few more which we think interesting reading and certainly go a long way toward answering the question: “How can a person make a living in Florida?”