Kankakee Valley Post, Volume 19, Number 6, DeMotte, Jasper County, 7 January 1949 — California's Fruit Crop Is Hit By Frost [ARTICLE]

California's Fruit Crop Is Hit By Frost

Frantic Growers Fire Smudge Pots In Effort To Save Crop; Florida Prices Up Los Angeles, Jan. 6. A killing frost, the worst in southern California in 35 years, brought fruit and vegetable losses estimated today at $20,000,000. Citrus fruit prices started climbing immediately. One section alone, San Bernardino county, which accounts for about a forth of California’s citrus production, estimated an SB,000,000 loss, County Farm Adviser Albert Salter, who said a third of the crop may be gone, added that growers had spent $2,250,000 in two nights of heating orchards with burning oil. Citrus fruit crops return more than $100,000,000 to California growers each year. Flowers And Vegetables Lost Manager Walter F. Swartz of the Southern California Floral association said it is problematical what can be saved from Los Angeles county’s annual $13,500,000 cut flower industry. In Imperial county, at least a million dollar loss was the estimate of the farm commissioner there, with the winter tomato and pea crops heavy losers. Much of the citrus and Imperial valley vegetable crops go to eastern markets. There, the California Fruit Growers’ exchange reported, oranges, lemons and grapefruit were up an average of 50 cents a box. The exchange, which markets about 75 per cent of the Calif-omia-Arizona citrus crop, said it had not withdrawn quotations on fruit en route to eastern markets, but the smaller American Fruit Growers, Inc., canceled its quotations on both fruit en route and ready for shipment. Loses Crop, Kills Self There were these other developments as residents for the second' successive day read thermometers in the low 20s, found water pipes and auto radiators frozen, slipped on icy pavements andv complained generally about the back east weather: Agricultural inspectors seized €SO boxes of oranges en route to market in violation of laws against shipping frozen fruit. At Glendora, Sheriff’s officers reported that Oliver S. Powell, 53, despondent over the loss of the crop from his 20 acre orange grove, took poison and killed himself.