Memorandum by Chase & Company (April 8, 1924)

SC00259.pdf

Dublin Core

Title

Memorandum by Chase & Company (April 8, 1924)

Alternative Title

Chase Correspondence (April 8, 1924)

Subject

Chase and Company (Sanford, Fla.)
Citrus fruit industry--Florida
Agriculture--Florida
Citrus fruit industry--California

Description

An original memorandum written by representatives from Chase & Company. The memo highlights issues that the Florida Citrus Exchange experienced during the 1923-1924 season, including competition between the citrus industries in California and Florida, issues with color-added products, and establishing market regulations for the citrus industry.

Chase & Company was established by Joshua Chase and his brother Sydney in 1884. The company sold insurance and later invested in storage facilities and fertilizer sales. Chase & Company was known mainly for its agricultural interests and maintained a series of citrus groves throughout Central Florida. The company was based out of Sanford and became one of the city's largest employers into the early twentieth century.

Creator

Chase & Company

Source

Original memorandum by Chase & Company, April 8, 1924: Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.54, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.

Date Created

1924-04-08

Is Format Of

Digital reproduction of original memorandum by Chase & Company, April 8, 1924.

Is Part Of

Chase Collection (MS 14), box 3, folder 13.54, Special and Area Studies Collections, George A. Smathers Libraries, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida.
Citrus Collection, Chase Collection, RICHES of Central Florida.

Is Referenced By

Folder referenced in Chase Collection finding guide, http://web.uflib.ufl.edu/spec/pkyonge/chase.htm.

Format

application/pdf

Extent

3,520 KB

Medium

2 page typewritten memorandum on Chase & Company letterhead

Language

eng

Type

Text

Coverage

Sanford, Florida
Orlando, Florida
California

Spatial Coverage

28.811729, -81.268138
28.538084, -81.378593
36.747138, -119.770317

Temporal Coverage

1924-04-08/1924-04-10

Accrual Method

Donation

Mediator

History Teacher
Civics/Government Teacher
Economics Teacher
Geography Teacher

Provenance

Entire Chase Collection is comprised of four separate accessions from various donors, including Cecilia Johnson, the granddaughter of Joshua Coffin Chase and the children of Randall Chase.

Rights Holder

The displayed collection item is housed at Special and Area Studies Collections at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Florida. Rights to this item belong to the said institution, and therefore inquiries about the item should be directed there. RICHES of Central Florida has obtained permission from Special and Area Studies Collections at the University of Florida to display this item for educational purposes only.

Contributing Project

Digital Collections (UFDC), University of Florida

Curator

Marra, Katherine

Digital Collection

Source Repository

External Reference

Kirkland, L.P. "The 'Color Added' Situation." Florida State Horticultural Society, vol 49 (1936): 103-106.
"Sydney Chase Sr. (1860-1941)." Florida Citrus Hall of Fame. Copyright 2012. http://floridacitrushalloffame.com/index.php/inductees/inductee-name/?ref_cID=89&bID=0&dd_asId=600.
Hopkins, James T. Fifty Years of Citrus, the Florida Citrus Exchange: 1909-1959. Gainesville, Florida: University of Florida Press: 1960.
Warner, S.C. "Development of Marketing Citrus Fruits in Florida." Florida State Horticultural Society vol. 36 (1923): 198-200.

Transcript

CHASE & CO.
CARLOT DI Si TRIBUTOR S
C I T RUS FRUITS AND VEGETABLES JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA_
April 8th 1924.
Views to be presented by Chase Company at the Orlando
citrus growers' meeting of April 9th.
First:- The low market conditions this season have been brought about by a variety of causes. There has been excess citrus production in Florida and California, and there has also been excess production of apples and an kinds of canned and dried fruits. Consequently, the Florida crop has been called upon to compete not only with its own excess production but the excess and overproduction on all other fruit s both green, dried and canned. The opening of the season was handicapped by a very heavy grape crop, mostly from California, whichhad a very material effect on lessening the demand for early grapefruit.
PRE-COLORING: Pre-color ing if proper ly handled is an advantage and not a disadvantage to the Florida citrus industry. If the color is accelerated by ethylene gas, which is the process in vogue in California, the color of the peel is changed from an objectionable green to the color of maturity, and if proper judg¬ment has been used in the quality, and also if the standard of maturity established by the State and Government is observed, it helps prolong the marketing season for Florida grapefruit. If improperly handled, it i S undoubtedly a detriment. This is a matter that should be controlled by a more rigid enforcement of the law and not only by the authorities but by public opinion in each locality.
CONTROL: In event 75% or more of the estimated crop is in the hands of one agency, it could be mishandled so that the results would be no better if as good as they have been this season. If the distribution is in the hands of people who are ignorant of National merchandising or fail to properly advertise the product in the markets and sell it to the consumer or attempt to place too high a value on the goods, it would interfere with the proper consumptive demand and the results would be poor.
The control of the crop should mean that those who have charge of the distribution would be in authority to, accelerate, retard or completely stop the shipment of any variety where the prospect of results do not hold out the valid hope of at least a return to the grower which w ill equal the cost of production.
With the coming crop as large if not larger than the one that has just gone into market, it will be absolutely necessary to pay stricter attention to the grading and packing of every
Sunniland
TRADEMARK
8.124p. It may be found that through improper cultural methods or some unforeseen disaster a crop is of poor quality or of undesirable sizes. It may be found that 75% of the crop is of good quality and sizes, with 25% of quality and sizes that should not go into the markets and should be left in the groves. Who is to determine this question?
The writer believes that the Florida growers should invite the cooperation of the U.S. Department of Agriculture and if all agree to abide by the grading rules, this matter can be determined in that way.
CITRUS SIGN-UP-DAY: There is talk of making Thursday, :lay, 1st as Florida Citrus Sign-Up-Day, in an effort to combine 75% of the crop. who is to determine when this volume of busi¬ness has been signed up and who is to decide what is to be done with it when it is under contract or agreement? ,ho is going to be drafted into the service of the growers, to be responsible to them for a satisfactory outcome on the coming crop? How many of you today can agree on three, five or ten men qualified by experience in the business of marketing and istributing 75% or 40,000 carloads of citrus fruit?

Document Item Type Metadata

Original Format

2 page typewritten memorandum on Chase & Company letterhead

Collection

Citation

Chase & Company, “Memorandum by Chase & Company (April 8, 1924),” RICHES, accessed March 28, 2024, https://richesmi.cah.ucf.edu/omeka/items/show/705.

Locations

Categories