, 1862-12-29
TEE BEsT REGION FOR THE
SUMMER FRUITS.


TEzE BEsT REGION FOR THE
SUMMER FRUITS.
The CuTr&nt-The Thornberfy-Eoose-
berries s-1sIaclkCnp Raspberry
Ecrrlcs-The Tomato
The Feach-Ihe ApH1e-The Cherry
The PIum-Protect1ou.
The qucstionis often asked, Where is the best
location to grow simmer fruits, for tho north
ern markets, taking Chicags as the great dis
tributing point? Forthe past ten years we have
given this question careful attention, and now
believe that We can answer it in satisfactory |.
manner. Some of the. small fruits, like the
currant, delight in cool, damp climate;
while the peach is pleased with hot sun and
q more vigorous range Of 1ntitude. What is
wanted is not to sell at one particular place,
d township or SO, that may become famous
for it's summer fruits; but range Of country |
that shall give an abundant supply through
out the entire season. On no one line Of 1ati- |
tude can this be accomplished for, with few |
exceptions, the period Of any particular fruit |
is only about three weeks. In this case there |
would be breaks in the line Of |
succession, and periods in which the |
markets would be bare. Untoward drouths
would often cut off the supply. But this
would not be the case when we selected o line
oflongitude, running through fertile coun-
try adapted to fruit culture, and such is the
country along the liue Of the Chicago Branch
Of the Illinois Central Railroad, commencing
near Chicago and ending at Villa Ridge, in
Pulaski county, q distance Of $50 miles. It's
constant succession Of climate modified by
alternate elevations and .depressions, its va
| rious soils and almost inexhaust1ble fertility
point to it not only as the great source Of sup
ply Of summer fruits, but the great fruit grow
| ing region Of the Northwest. This is not all,
| running as it does almost due south, We can
| almost perceive change in the progress OF
the season at every station.
| In the shipment Of all perishable fruits, time
is Of the first importance, and cheap feights
the second, and in these two consists the
| elements Of success. Should we diverge OFF
to the Southwest, VIC largely increase the dis
tance tor-<eaeh the same parallel of
latitude and the same levels. This
! adds to the cost Of transportation, and
the time between the picking and that Of
iCdE44uE NuatO1uEAS <AAA LII N00Go t4lA0
would prove fatal, as the fruit would be sour
on arrival. Therefore, though southwest
crn or southeastern location bcselected, these
would be good, but the direct line south is
the best, and in j time Of close competition,
would turn the scale in favor Of the latter.
While the summerf fruits command high price
and the market not fully stocked, the differ
ence is not SO perceptlble, because the grow
ers on both routes make fair profit; but the
time is not far distant when the market will
be fully supplied, and those who can furnish
the cheapest will have the trade. A difference
Of one or two cents a quart, q few hours time
in the transit that will bring the fruit to mar
ket in q better condition, will settle the ques-
ton Of priority and profit.
Strange as it may appear, the profit Of fruit
growing along this whole line Of $50 miles, is
pretty well averaged. Those from the south
end have high rates Of freight and extra cost
ofpackage to Offset the high price. It is there
, fore, nice question to decide which point il
the whole distance is the most valuable, when
ne take the whole range Of fruits into consid
. Grafton, but when we take single fruit, the
case is different. No one would think Of grow
ing peaches for market near Morris, nor cur
| rants on the hills Of Egypt, while Strawberries
; | are a frorite at all points. We will take VI
some Of the leading summer fruits, and point
to their particular location, and the season d
maturity, and first Of
E THE CuRRAaT-
, THIS fruit delights in cool, moist climate
and is particularly valuable along the lax
;, shore, but here it comes SO late that the NOR
q Southern fruits crowd it to one side, tn
5 strawberry being in market from the Soutl
- <3F
miles south, is the southern limit Of this mos
i valuable Of all the summer fruits. Not th
i limit of its growth but the limit of its profit
S able culture from this point, it can be sent t
! market the 1st Of June, ten days after th
I; I; str9wberry is ripe at Cobden, it then come
that time has been cheap and abundant i
Il ! market.
When We say that the currant is the mo:
Is valuable, ne do not mean to be understood t
y say that it is the most popular. At the 6easo
Of its maturity it's clear acid is Of great Sa1u
q in warding off the diseases incident to sun
ID mer, and thus as a prophylactic is Of inest
r mable. value. Its value for wine within Il
d range Of its culture is not second to that
IS the grape. It carries we'll to market both
G. better demand both for the table and for VIII
u making i'll the city. It can therefore be pr
titably grown within the range Indicated.
- THE STRAWBERRY.
This fruit 1lasnow become not only a 1u
lry but necessity, and the care with whit
e. it is cultivated las brought it within Il
reach Of even the poorest class Of our ci
ha population. 1t begins to ripen ut Cobdt
" " about the 18th Of May, and, III some season
~ ~ few days earlier It is then in bloom iu tt
- neighborhood Of Chicago. Being the tr
,o he green fruit in market, it commands hiE
~ =, but this only continues few days, when Il
y, | price is more reasonable. The growers
IL .lh this fruit at Golden must be ut the expen
Iaf of Of boxes and cases. These cost q tritle oy
~. ~ one and a half cents quart After debut
h.. he ing loss, cases, freight and eomnissio
~. Strawberries is only ten cents per quart
Z! y the grower. At Centralia and Tonti, we II
~ dcrsta1d, the growers receive full as niue
~ ~ At Champaign the Wholesale price was Il
W W selling to lis customer direct, saving col
~ ~ mission and boxes, realized full as good
X price. Thus we sec that at all points t
'S growers received the same net return
These are facts. In the case Of the Cobd
nv grown, we have returns Of the largest grow
i1y Of the sales from day to day. This, Of court
OF was at wholesale, the range being, after
red ducting freight and commission, the first
Or Of twenty eight boxes at thirty one cents; t
~ T. next Of 116, at twenty-three and half cen
inn course they were retai1ed above this, but nc
, ,ra season the growers will put them up in cas-
ngs Of six, twelve and sixteen quart box,
yet aud they Will be sold to consumers by the co:
III. at wholesale, thus cutting of the petty dea
q q with his high tariff This will at on
~ ~ donble the demand, for when the grow
"a sold By the case Of thirty-two quarts, at twt
ion ty-tiys cents quart, the retailer sold by
cen single quart, at thirty-five to forty cen
ND Under the new system the consumer call {
ms tain his case Of six quarts at S1.50; where
~ y ~ he would pay $14O for four boxes to the
1Ge Iaa taller
as When the Chicago grower comes into II,
.ro- ket he supplies the consumer direct ut suel
you | low price that all can purchase. Now, If
any sold at wholesale, and the retailer had
te4 M profit, the demand would decrease just in p
~ a portion to the added price, but in this case
i'm the grower Or petty dealer wishes to supl
e to his customers, he must do it ut a mere no1
sidc nal rate. At the price at which the Cold
the strawberries arc sold to the consumers,
viii deInand is limited to the wcaltl
M 1ois and the mass Of the people must forego the
'I Gs But this will not be the case for the a1no,
'"A grown ut Golden, by the year 1864, will be
ope large that the price must be reduced, but t
,nr- to the grower, can be but trifc or his pro
will be gone. The railroad company cam
9sk. reduce the freight much, if any, below
Il ~ - present, as they now take q car load Of
q n tons in the passenger trains at $50, and sn
= to lots at SO per ton by express. The red
nth tion then must be with the dealer, and
de- consumer must buy Of first hands, and by
will ease Of six quarts and if these cases must
oily broken let it be done at the agency at sn
1a! nan cost, say one or two cents per box. Thers
MI. I1sn no other way to protect the Golden grow
fhc | Large quantities would in this way go to