The New York herald., 1868-02-24
THE WEST INDIA FRUIT TRADE.


| ness--The Old system and the New-innOva-
tions for the Better.
New York city employs moro less regularly from
three hundred vessels in the West India fruit
trade-the holiday seasons representing the most ucra
tive periods OF venlure-oranges bananas, pinaappes
and cocoanuts being the principal fruits supplied TO the
market from this The orange season, which
begins regularly September and closes with the month
OF February, has been one Of exceedingly plentiful
supply, the bulk Of the sales having been dur
ing the period OF tho winter holidays Al
ready the cry OF ''fresh Havana oranges, ten
for twenty Ave cents" has become less frequent
than IL was month since, and generally the regular
dealers beginning absorb most OF the oranges In
the market for the limited demand Of tho summer SOL
stice; and speedily fresh oranges Will have disap
peared from the Market and the deep reddish yellow
ness OF ripened age will blush in globes Of scarlet
tinted gold from huckscr's stand and Broadway show
window for the orange rud darkens with age and that
which was pasr than Roman gold when taken from the
barrel Of the importer rpens into deep Eruscan yellow
when exposed for few days to the ripenins sunlight
THIS melsmorphosis is especially true OF the Havana
orange-by far the best in tho market though the
smaller Seville orange has always darker reddish hue
rind which it to resemble globe OF curded
sunlight, and whoh alters less with age than
that OF the Havana. The orange importation Of
may be reckoned, therefore, substantially
closed, though the 4th OF July viii doubt bring
few additional invoices OF tho more fully npened fruit
to the New York market The great dependence OF the
a therefore, OF course, the period OF the winter
holidays and the whole month OF December is one OF
lively competition among importera IL is computed
in fact that isy per cent OF the whole New York con-
sumption OF tins fruit is during the month bounded by
tho middle OF December and the middle Of January
the best for the wholesale trade being IN De-
cember, before the holidays. For this reason the i'm
-nf, Is hpoin alta nA0Au n Nnn
siderable sk since, should the invoices Of the importer
for any reason arrive too late tor the holiday
trade the venture Is often disposed Of at
considerable lose, ia left the hands Of the holder
unsaabe any except ruinous prices Fortunes have
been made aad ost IN the same season, singie un
lucky venture sometimes serving TO neutraze whole
season OF prosperity for, be It understood, the hign
prlce Of West Indian fruit due par lcuIarly
the profits OF the importer of tho
1t may bo added, iacl that IN trade generally the
OF profit which accrue 10 the middle
men or distributors make the great cause OF high
prices to The Consumer. For instance, barrel OF
oranges lust unoadsd from ,he vessel II, worth three
aOiiars at present market prices Assorted for
the market-wnch process consists IN picking
out the rotten iruit ana that ~hcu is tanted-a
barrel Of the same dimensions Ia worth eight dollars;
and still further assorted for the Broadway trade
oranges worth IRON nifty 70 seventy tive cents per
dozen, or from i've dollars per hundred winch
last Is the usual mode Of buying among broadway
dealers.
being available for all purposes-tcnds 20 iur
Idea OF the extent OF this rade nor Is it
oranges foot OF iormer tnoroughiare, with
four or hso men buly engag IN asserting Along
| ary-f tao climax OF the season closes
"itn ,hs mon.h-,t is interesting 10 ,ako notes
dred barrels OF the yellow globes, sometimes
more. sometimes less, having been wh,sled
a.nore nashailed ranks along the wharf In sod
pnalanx, with hardly space De.ween tnem. Tue
rt business is that OF asserting and repackng which,
seasJn happens to be one oi slush s disagreeape
enough any spccta oil romantic passion
Tor oranges. The rotten ones are ust carefully picked
out Incorporated with tue mud and susa,
nue. OF orange juice, oranSe peel, for
eii square rods around. Inc very atmosphere
win essonce OF Portugal the pungent sghuy bi.ser
odor, II an odor may be said 70 De biter OF tue yellow
rnd Qu te as yellow pulp lie very siush exnaes
nero, something very similar To 1t, the soft,
aud sickening odor Of orange pulp. Pulp
slusn cuis ones snoes aud IS with every step be-
spattered upon ones cothes pup siusn nes thin
liquid and OIL IN the cutters; pup sush soaxs
rythng n the sicnty mpregn .,inS with the odor OF
and pulp slust runs oil into the little rs
and rvuiets dry yenowsn coir; in Short pulp sush
IS element OF All things visible ana invisible,
men o! pave and atmosphere, ana in pulp sush the
assorers ve aud and nave their orange scented
beng IL dries in lltle threads anu nocs upon th
han and co,nes; stands 10 them IN pace oil shoe
bcking; they innale it and exna!e IL until nwardy
they may be composed mostly orange pup;
tBey Dsspat,ered with " without and impregnaled
vita d within unit, they become simply walking bodies
orange pulp nout the slightest iavor of
conssten:y y, and amid orange pulp tney work AID toll
and manifest tueir orange odored dcs,ins wnile an
super .ntendon himself a graduate both Ia
and range esnaoa walks ABOUT among them
bsrres aad gives direc hons as " the minute
mat'ers oi assoruhs snu iopa'Nns ,,-,..
la tns rroccstnzt is, ny rot and other incidents and
accoents OF tho voyase-ab0nt twenty per cent oi tue
irait IS lost anu arrives 10 por nat. s'ae ana unproh
e, being afterwards devoted To the business Of
ing orange susn along the whar and the sssored re-
naInder the process ol separating hasnls oeen COM
pcted Il ei1ne reshpped OF disposed Oh .ocy etaiefs
Tne best OF TINS assorted rut absoroed Dy the Broad
way retail Dealers wne that walcn y let Is either
boxed ior tue country rae o disposed OF 10 ess aIsto
dealers WITH less aristoc'aic run OF custom OI
tho socA imported tle bfoau"a. aea eis apsorp tne
very best The dealers aong te avenues and SIDE streets
taae grca; part oil the second quay and IN, rest
- distributed 10 he nshest among hucKseTs aha
ttreetcorner dealers anu among country buyers IN small
\ or arse IotS ny me u0zeI nuiuieu, ooA OF parrcL
accordp8 10 the wish or hnahcal condition oil MN
VINO buys Down town aud Ia the extreme eastern
| and wessern portions OF tue CITY orange peodhng
| Is Carried on 10 considerable extent a
many n hI'y wagons Deins frequently em.
ploycd IN working OIL supernuous stocSs, mostly OF
second quality. Several OF The largest importers run
three lour wagons during tho season, routes ocnS