The Tipton advertiser. [volume] (Tipton, Cedar Co., Iowa) 1856-1962, 1865-08-10
The Tropical Fruit Trade.

The Tropical Fruit Trade.
The vessels engaged in collecting an,
bringing fruit to this port arc mostl,
British bottoms and are not at all regular
traders. Some of these peculiar crafs
are represented to be wreckers from
Nassau, Cuba, Windward Islands, 80.
and they are large dealers in old junk
Wrecked goods, vessels, cottons and
iron-work are their customary pluuder,
the supply of which proving short they
betake themselves to tho fruit growing
districts, and load their vessels with
bananas, pineapples, coco nuts, oranges
aud lemons. Loaded with rich cargo
of these edibles, the vessels put for New
York, or whatever port seems most de-
slrable to them, and forthwith put them
solves and their freight into the hands of
commission merchants who see to the
disposiDg of the cargo. A number of
American are, however, yearly chartered
by the merchants dealing in such COM
modities, and these latter trade regularly
and in an orthodox manner. Payments
for fruit at the plantations are generally
made in specie, occasionally varied how
ever, by barteriDg of goods, when a cap
tain goes out on aspeculating tour Of his
own. In such cases flour, tea, sugar
and New England rum form the leading
articles of merchandise the rum prepon.
deratiDg. Some few cotton and giug-
hams for the natives form a part also.
These vessels trade along the South
American coast, touching at Cuban and
West Indian ports, including Kingston,
jamaica. bananas mostly come from
Baracoa, Russian, and Ma:anzas; cocoa
nuts from Brazil; pineapples from Cuba,
Matanzas aud NASSAU
The fruit from these chimes is repre-.
scented by dealers as being unusually poor,
owing to the unprecedented drought of
over three months duration. The pine
apples are especially lacking in quality,
as well as size, some specimens not being
as good as "second cuttings" of former
years. Bananas are niddling, while
scarcely any change is to be perceived
in cocoa nuts. In fact, the trade is brisk,
but the supply is very short
1t is astonishing how much waste en-
sues from the fruit decayiDg while in
transit for this port, whole cargocs some.
times being lest in this manner, and the
crew are always engaged, while on their
voyage homeward, in cullirg out the |
diseased fruit; still sometimes they do
not succeed in checking this great draw
back to cheap supply. Each vessel
carries from 3, 900 to >, 900 bunche. of
and from 10000 to $4,000 |
dozen pineapples or cocoa-nu.s on each
rip. They frequently bring few bar
els of rs.e sea shells; half dozen or 80
If turtles or terapins, and in the case of
oreisn vessels already alluded to, a con-
idsrable quantity of junk and old iron
constitutes portion Of their CARGO
The voyage Of frui. drogher generally
consists of ten to fifteen days, although
rom Cuba the trips are naturally much
shorter.
Box fruit-consisting of oranges,
emons limes-come mostly from the
Island Of Sicily, and the vessels are
most laden at the ports of Paleomo and
NJ cssina, and tho fruit is conveyed to
this port in sailing vessels of the larger
class aud steam vessels. The Montown
emons, known ia trade as "French
emons," generally begin to come in
bout the middle of February, and their
eason ends the latter part of Juno or
he first of July, sometimes lasting until
August, in usually prosperous seasons. s.
The Malaga oranges and lemons come
nto market about August and last until
January, thus completing the year.
In Cuban fruits the trade is always
lively on account of the regularity of the
.upplies aud the ready sale always found
for such fruit. Havana oranges gener-
ally make their first appearance in No.
vemoer, aud last through the win&r into
March. LINES also arrive in large
quantities from Cuba, and form no ia.
considerable part Of the trade.
Baracoa bananas and cocoa-nus, have
their season from March to July, when
the Carthagenian fruit assumes full SWAY.
Mantazas pineapples last from May
through to July and the Nassau fruit.
tHc sugar ioai species, come IN from
May until the end of August
An instructive lesson might be learned
regarding the mystery Of the cheap fruit
constantly hawked about the streets If
the city, by visit to one of the schoon.
ers discharsing its fragrant cargo
Pinespples now range from $40 to SIG
per, hundred, according to the quality
and size. But it is easily seen how the
apple women manage to make a living.
when the spectator observes several Of
these enterp'isins dealers buy "specks"
at 81 and s. per. hundred. A little
lower grade Is reached by paying So per,
bushel for pineappIes almost half rotten.
Bananas are cuIIed and sold in the same
manner.-N. Y Times.