The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1867-12-20
The Strawberry Trade of Chicago.

In no way can better idea be formed
of the immense area of populous, rich and
prosperous territory which obtains its sup.
plies from, and forwards its surplus pro-
ducts to, this city, than by brief view
of the strawberry trade which is ooncen.
trated here.
Early 10 May, about the 18th, fresh
strawberries, the earliest of the years first
fruits, and unquestionably the best Of
them all, made their appearance here from
Southern Illinois. The FIRST receipts were
pale and unripe, but by sorting over a
considerable quantity, the city epicures
were furnished few quarts of very tine
specimens, which were sold at the fash.
ioEable restaurants for the very moderate
price of $1.25 per quart. By the middle
of the month receipts we're large, and the
quality very fine, prices rapidly receding
to rs cts. quart box or basket, about 40
of which are required to mako a bushel.
BY the 18th, this delicious fruit com.
menced arriving at the rate of 4 to car
loads day, or l6 to 20 tons, and prices
ranged, according to quality, from 10 to
20 cts. per quart.
At a meeting of fruit growers il
Southern Illinois, just before the opening
If the season, it was gravely but unsucces.
fully proposed by member whose ideas
of supply and demand had got somewhat
queerly mixed, to insist upon the citizens
of Chicago paying rs cts. a quart as tho
lowest price, and to donate all the fruit
for which that rate could not be obtained
to the Soldiers Home. Had the rssolu-
ton prevailed, and been fully carried out,
the price of strawberries would not have
been any higher, but the inmates of that
noble Institution would have reveled in O
most abundant supply of this fruit, which
it would have embarrassed them very
much to find place for in their stom-
achs.
In June the receipts reached their
maximum. Think of rs car loads, or 100
tons day, or 5000 bushels, or 100000
quarts-more than million a week-oi
this fruit coming into single city! One
commission house is said to have repeat.
eddy received 4 car loads a day-22,0 900
quarts. Prices receded rapidly till they
got as low as 3 cents quart, or about a
dollar a bushel for common article,
though very choice specimens still COM
manded a good price. The supply was
evidently beyond the power of the market
to absorb, though no other locality in the
country is SO situated as to dispose oil
such enormous amounts of this perish
able commodity. Large quantities went
off 10 every direction, by every train, par.
ticularly North and West. Strawberries
came 200 to 300 miles from Southern Iii
nois to be instantly despatched 200 OF
300 miles further, to Council Bluffs, On
aha and elsewhere. On the whole, the
season has not been prosperous one and
at the lowest prices, with the expensive
intervention of middle men to receive and
sell the crop, good deal of money mus
have been lost by the growing. Immense
as were the supplies, they would have
been much greater if the demand would
have warranted. Large fields in Contra
Illinois are said to have been left ungath.
cred. There was no market for then
that would justify picking them. TIL,
season was In its prime about two month.
from the middle of May to the middle
of July, and could have been prolonged
several weeks by bringing supplies from
the North; but in that time the people
had become surfeited, and there was n.
demand for the fruit, cheap and abundan
as it was.
Of all the varieties, Wilson's Albany
has unquestionably proved itself the straw
berry for the million, and no other variet,
can compete with it for size of crop anc
fruit, or gives such general public salts
faction, both to the producer and con
sumner. In fact, none other is worthy o.
mention beside it.
In addition to this supply Of strawber'
ries, the standard fruit, immense quaint
ties Of pie plant, gooseberries, currants
early May cherries, whortleberries, black
cap raspberries, ETC., have been sold in
this city. The last named fruit is deser.
vedly favorite, either fresh or dry, and
there is no danger of the market ever be.
coming overstocked with it. 1t is readily
transported to market, and being picked
without either stones, or large seeds, is al
once the most condensed and the cheapes,
of the small fruits 1t is worthy larger
cultivation than it now receives, to the
exclusion of the strawberry, which canno,
continue to be profitable in the more
porthern portions of the fruit growing
regions which supply this city, as the
south part of this State forestalls the mar
ket before their crops--can possibly come
in.-Chicago Paper.
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