Middletown transcript., 1868-05-09
3urtitulturat Department.
Comparative Demand and supply Of Fruit.

Comparative Demand and supply OF Fruit.
There is not one-twentieth part of the
fruit. produced that we should have, and
everybody everywhere, and more especial
ly in the cities, is gratifed to learn that
there is a growing determination manifest
ing itself among farmers in all parts Of the
country to pay more attention to orchards
and berries. The last few years have wit
messed demand for fruit far exceeding
the supply. and thousands of poor people
are denied the healthy luxury entirely.
from exorbitant prices. Fruit, judiciously
cultivated and marketed. is very profitable
to the grower, and every reader Of The
Transcript who has an acre or more
of land, will heed the wisdom Of the fol-
lowing article from Whilocks Hortieulsu-
raj Advertiser. 1t is from s. Edwards
Todd, Esq. of the NeW Fork Times, q
gentleman who has given much attention
to farm matters
There is an imperative demand for far
more bountiful supply of all kinds of fruit,
than is produced. The demand is tran
scendently greater than the supply. The
supply has been increasing for more than
thirty consecutive years, with q regular
annual increase and the demand has also
increased in far greater ratio. The i'm
mense supplies Of small fruits that are
thrown into the markets of our populous
cities, are utterly inadequate to the de-
mand. For this reason prices continue to
rise, almost every season. There never
was time before, when the attention and
efforts of such large number of people
were directed to the cultivation of cranber-
ries. And season like the past was
never before known, when there was such
an active, cash demand for that kind of
fruit The same facts are true with pears.
How few among the hundreds of thousands
of people in New York and Brooklyn are
supplied with pearsl The poor people can
have none at all, as they cost too much.
Persons who possess only a fair compe-
tence, can indulge in the luxury of q good
pear occasionally. The wealthy have them
when the supply is mot exhausted. And
so it is with grapes, and with almost every
other kind of fruit. There is not over
half enough to supply an active demand.
If there were hurried into our markets,
Just twice as many barrels of fapples. three
times as many pears, and four times the
quantity of choice grapes that dealers now
receive, the prices would be more firm and
sales quicker than they now are with the
limited receipts. Our pears cost too much.
The person who eats pears pays more than
.wice as mach per lb. as wheat -four costs.
This should not be 30. The man who pur-
,hases grapes for his family, treats
hem with most expensive luxury. The
price of fruit is too exorbitant. They
'ught to be lower by just one half. And
+ the cultivators of the soil would put out
more trees and vines, and cultivate them
With proper care, they could produce more
han double the quantity that is now
'aised, at the same amount of expense.
md on the same area of ground. This
'ystem of management would bring the
producers more ready cash, and supply
consumers with delicious fruit at reasons
Die, yet remunerative prices.
There is no danger of raising too much
# anything in the fruit line. Farmers
'annot get too many choice apples. One
,ushel of good Tallman Sweetings, when
ed to domestic animals, in connection with
neal, is worth as much as bushel Of oats.
The great mass of the people are almost
destitute of fruit More than. Eve hun
lred thousand people in New York,
Brooklyn and other cities scarcely get q
aste of apples from day to day. The cry
s more fruit and better fruit.
People in the country never before had
10 much encouragement to plant more
ines, bushes and trees, than they have at
he present day. Our old orchards need
ejuvenating and two new ones need to
e transplanted, where there is now but
ne. Every farmer and fruit grover, who
as only seventeen bearing grape vines,
hould have seventeen hundred, in order to
ring the price Of this kind of fruit within
he reach of every family. Much Of the
ruit we eat, costs twice as much, pound
Or pound, as beef steak, ormutton. Fruit
an be produced cheaper than any kind Of
ereal grain. Producers alone are to
lame for the lack of fruit products. Real
7 excellent fruit always has been, and
yer will be at premium while poor
'uit, like miserable butter and tough,
alf-fattened beef, must be sold at low
CURES. Let all the fruit that is marketed
e of a choice quality, and we shall hear
o more grumbling about low prices.