Orange Wing and Lemon Wing

The next story will be even more interesting and exciting than this one. Be sure and read every bit of it.

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How the Orange Was Brought to California Once upon a time, long before even America was discovered by Columbus, there was orange tree growing in what is now called California. No one knew how it happened to be there. However, the Fairy of Fruits told me all about it not long ago.

A big sea bird started to make a trip around the world from way off in Sicily. All of the other birds laughed and said it could not be done. So it was decided that he should carry orange seeds in his bill and drop one ever so far to mark his path. Later, the other birds were going to follow him and see if he had really gone all the way.

Orange Wing, for that was the bird's name, started early one morning. He flew across the Meditterranean Sea and on his way dropped a seed on the little island of Corsica. Then he stopped in Northern Africa and left a seed right outside a quaint little Arab town named Sfax. The Arabs were very frightened and fled into the desert on their fast white steeds.

Waiting until the wind was blowing a strong gale, Orange Wing started across the Bay of Biscay. He did not know how far it was across the water nor whether he would ever find land again. But he had boasted that he would go way around the world and he had to do it.. He flew and flew day after day. He passed many other birds who tried to discourage him but he kept on going. Sometimes at night he would pause to rest on a floating piece of log which had probably fallen into the sea from the Spanish coast or a Phoenecian ship. He had to be very careful in drinking and eating to keep from dropping the seeds.

Finally he saw a speck in the distance. Soon he was near enough to see that it was really and truly land. It was a new country. The trees were tall and stately, much prettier than he had ever seen before, but he kept on his way. Besides, it was then winter and very, very cold. Do you know where he was? He had just reached the New England coast of our United States. Only Indians and wild animals lived there then. Flying high so that the red men could not kill him with their arrows, he flew directly west. He dropped a seed in the

East, but he knew it would never grow because it was so cold.

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Over mountains and valleys, he flew day by day. At last he came to a country that seemed more beautiful than any he had passed. It warmer and prettier than ever far off Sicily. Now Orange Wing was a very trustworthy, and honest bird but he was so happy that he decided to pause and rest a bit. Putting his last big orange seed on the ground near a spot covered with green grass, he flew to a nearby tree. After putting his head under his wing he fell fast asleep.

Months passed and the birds in Sicily did not hear from Orange Wing. Some laughed but the others were sad. Getting together a few of his friends, Lemon Wing, a yery true friend of Orange Wing, started out to see if he could not discover what had happened to Orange Wing. They passed over the same places and finally came to the beautiful spot. They were surprised to see growing there a wonderful orange tree on which were the most luscious oranges they had ever tasted. As they were flying about, one of them saw a big animal slink away in the rocky cavern nearby. All of the birds were afraid except Lemon Wing, who flew swiftly into the cave.

And there he saw a wild cat. It snarled and grumbled. In the corner, guarded by another wild cat, was poor Orange Wing. They had been kind to him but were afraid to let him go. They thought he would bring all the birds to this beautiful place and drive them away. Calling the other birds, Lemon Wing frightened the animals and set his friend free.

So that was why Orange Wing never returned.

Today you will find the same tree there. All of the other trees in California came from seeds of that one little tree.

IN AND OUT THE WINDOW

This is one of the many circle games best adapted for children, but it is often played with enthusiasm by older people. The players form a circle, joining hands, with the exception of two, who take their places, one inside and one outside the circle. The one on the outside of the circle must catch the other, but must follow the exact course of the one chased. The one chased will go in and out under the arms of the players forming the circle, which suggests the name of the game.

When caught, two more are selected, and

so on.

The business is one dealing with the future as well as the present. The sales manager must confer with managers of the district houses in order to distribute the picking of oranges in proper proportions to balance, so far as possible, the prospective demand in the market. This requires looking ahead two or three weeks rather than at sales being closed at the time the information is required. Growers are often tempted to wait until they see high prices in Auction, or otherwise know of the high prices actually being realized, before they start picking. Usually this results in creating an oversupply and lower prices, for they are picking when many others are generally doing likewise.

We are often asked how the real market price is determined. There are no set prices. The product being perishable does not permit of any inflexible ideas as to value. The determination of the market price is similar to that of weighing. On one end of the lever is the demand. On the other end is the supply, and the price is the balance that you slide back and forth to equalize the two. As a big proportion of the crop is sold on the delivered basis, the price on a crop of fruit a grower picks is usually not determined until about two weeks after he starts picking. Foresight in the picking problem is necessary. The future must be probed.

For example, each member of our sales department receives a copy of every incoming telegram, he being responsible for a particular district. The sales manager has the problem of balancing the tendency to play for too much money or to accept too little, against other available markets, as cars are divertible from the West to the East. The price taken in any market on arrival depends greatly upon the probable price securable if the cars were moved east. Diversions, in spite of this, are fewer than many realize, for these cars are usually billed to those markets and customers from whom assurances of realizing full market values on arrival have come.

The problem of distributing cars enroute involves the handling of over 100 different agents who receive, in circular form, the sizes and details on every car shipped. Each one is trying to make as many sales as possible at prices given him by wire. One agent, therefore, vies with another to sell cars, under the sales department's direction.

Proper judgment in diverting cars must be exercised to make money for growers in this

manner and requires the forecasting of probable prices obtainable on the car that might be diverted as compared with the price available at original destination. Thorough investigations made by the Mutual Orange Distributors, Redlands, of the losses and gains resulting from diversion or pressure of diversion, showed that the year's business indicated a net gain of over $20,000.00. This result was secured by deducting losses made at final destination as compared with the highest offer made at any previous destination, and adding gains made by sale at final destination over the highest offer at any previous destination.

Outright sales at definite prices before cars are shipped are not overlooked. The Pacific Coast states and Western Canada are sold exclusively on this basis. The proportion of business so handled is dependent on the prospective price realizable on arrival in eastern markets compared with the known prices that cars can be sold for in the f. o. b. territory. Selling in f. o. b. territory is wise where there is a tendency to over-ship or the market in delivered territory is weak. When crops are short and prices generally high, this f. o. b. territory but few times in the season comes up to the price paid by eastern markets on the delivered basis.

Closest personal attention must be given each individual car to properly market oranges. Each car is a distinct problem in which sizes, grade and condition, its present location and future possibilities, must be carefully weighed before reaching conclusions. The sales manager must have previously grasped the market as a whole and the "feel" to the market. His past experiences with similar fruit under similar conditions plus his present wired information, give him a general basis upon which to pass judgment on any car in question. Expense is not spared in sending necessary wires for additional "feelers." The department must prevent congestion and equalize supply so as to realize higher prices.

Prices obtainable in any market depend not only on the market situation at that point, but also upon the ability of the agent operating there. He must use his powers as a salesman to the utmost. Each agent has his own clinetele. Where he has a limited number of cars to close, he can bring more pressure in forcing his sales than if the trade were able to select from the agent's offerings, one of a great number of cars, with the assurance that the other cars would move on east. The ability of an agent to so concentrate, coupled with a sales manager having constant contact with the problem through the agent, accounts for the satisfactory results obtained competitively by the Mutual Orange Distributors. The organization has a maximum amount of information and a maximum number of salesmen throughout the United States and Canada, and yet is small enough to concentrate on every individual car and see that it is sold on its own merit at full value. It also benefits by the personal persuasion of its sales representative on that particular car, for he need not dissipate his energies on a great number.

The Mutual Orange Distributors strikes the happy medium. It is large enough to keep fully informed regarding prices, levels and tendencies, yet small enough to avoid being