The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1865-07-12
Wednesday Morning, July l2, 1866.
THR TRoP1oAL FRUIT TRADE.
WHERE BANANAS, PrNEAPPLEs AND
ORANGES COME FROM. - ~. ..l !.


ORANGES COME FROM. 81 sfs.55 4
Very many of our readers have seen dur.
ing their downtown walks, group of schoon.
ers lying in the slip below Fulton Ferry. ali ot
them filled to the gunwale with rich and fra
grant fruit from tropical elimes Itmav moi
be generally known, however, that these small
vessels bring to this city all those luscious
fruits which attract the attention of the eouT-
mand, give delight and relief to the sick-bed.
ana without which our cosmopolitan life would
be almost deemed unendurable. s. ii seil haaf,Iss
Strange to say, although it Is nevertheless
true, there is but little information to be oafb-
cred regarding the scope and general charae-
ter OF this tropical fruit trade. 1t seems To
nave no positive law governing it, nor 10 those
engaged IN it appear to be of the class ustallv
found In business of such Importance.
The vessels engaged in collecting and bring
ing 1rut TO this port are mostly British boz
toms, and are NOT at all regular traders. Some
OF these peculiar craft are represented to be
wreckers from Nassau, Cuba, Windward Is
i' iaulus' &C, ana they are large dealers in old
junk Wrecked goods, vessels cottons and
IRON work are their customary splunder. the
supply OF which proving short, they betale
themselves 10 the fruit growing districts. and
load their vessels with bananas, pineanples
cocoa-nuts, oranges and lemons. Inaf3ed wifi
a rich cargo OF these luscious edibIes. the vas.
sels put for New York, or whatever mort seen,
most desirable to them, and forthwith n,,f
themselves and their freight into the hands Of
the commission merchants, who see to the dis
posngof the cargo. A number of American
vessels are, however, yearly chartered hv the
merchants dealing in such Commodities. and
these latter trade regularly and IN an orthodox
manner Payments for fruit at the plantafions
are generally made in specie. occasionally va
l1ed, however, by bartering of goods, when a
captain goes out on a speculating tour of his
own. In such cases -four, sugar, tea and New
England rum form the leading articles of
merchandise-the rum prepondefating. Some |
lew cottons and gInghams g for the natives form |
These vessels trade along the Sontb Amar;-
can coast touching at Cuban and West Indian
ports, including Kingston, Jamaica. Bananas
mostly come from Baracoa, Ruatan and Matarl-J
zas; cocoa-nuts, from Brazil, pineapples from
Cuba, Matanzas and Nassau,
The fru1t from these climes is represented |
by dealers as being usually poor owing to an |
unprecedented drought Of over three months, |
duration. The pine apples are especially lack |
ing IN quality, as well as size, some specimens |
not being as good as second cptti.aee7 .f s.---=
er years. Bananas are middling while scarcely I
any change is to be perceived in cocOa-nuts.-
In fact, the trade is brisk, but supply is very
short. 0D Ayss- "
sno L. u.
~ = " see lov n;uIn Masee e
s eues iion 1ne luls uecayns wnne III laliSl.
iOl4 iol tlls por., Wnole caIs1es sonetllles pe
los1 ~ t,lls stllner, anu lne cIeM are aIEays
ensa9eu' WINE on ene soyase ,3 noncwaIu, Ia
e, eulll ous tne ulseassu lruit, SUI s1lneellnes
Sney ~ nos Succe0u ~ enecEnlY g1A llls giea'
e.SS W 200 ooa aci s1sset
~ s5 e.. 20 600 ~ 40
anu on aAooo ~ s'o1o uo1Th
SUSoa-nsSs 49,. S IN I eaIn % ZIP ns Ialf
Sn1a Iln ,em trtao " r,d and
AZ oas ~ s q ,oe ,ssais a1l,daJ ~
. oo,,S;SarahIa a7Ia,t;tv of innL ond old iron
ao,,sf;t,,ts ,,o,tir,, ~ +ba;y ha VOW
oCas Of AMI drooer generay consists Of
sso,,, ta e. ffsooT 5svS ofhongh fon C,nhs tbe
t,,eS so ~ .,,ol1,, sIo,tar
X RoT = fr1;t@co1s;stIno of oranoas lemons
o,,J l;,as ,,,0st7, A,a1, t5s island of
S;O ssd ~ .sossaIS =. ,,st a. +ba
,or4s of poIa,,,o and Mess;na and tba ;t is
,,,,sr - +;s 49,, +, sail;.so vessels NJ Tho
iarae, cIass and stes,n vessels The MentoTn
ersons ns,,aIIv ffi, kno1v +; tba trade as Freneh
Iemons > ganeralIv heo;., n come in about the
middle Of FehrT,arv and tbeii. season ends the
i+t,e,. ,,e,. f I,.,, - 40 G,s+ of INV soroa
,,u tmee lasting nntil Auoust II, unusnaiIv nros
naro,,s seasons The Talsga orangas and lem
p,,s come into1nsrtat ahoHt A,,o7st and re-
,,a;, until Tanna- tb,s tha vaar
In S,uhan fI1,its the trade is alwavs lively.