The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1870-12-20
CITY AFFAIRS.
THE FRUIT TRADE.
A Chapter On the Fruit we Eat-Where
It Grows-Tyhen and How it is Inn
ported-Its Increasing Importance.

It Grows-Tyhen. and How it fs Inn
ported-Its Increasing Importance.
Charleston is without doubt the largest i'm
porter oftropcal fruits our South Atlantic coast
Indeed it may be said that 1t was the success Of our
fruit merchants thirty years ago, which, directing
the attention Of persons in New York to the mat.
ter, led to the establishment Of the immense trade
which low exists between that city, the West In
dies and Mediterranean ports. The fruit business
is Of necessity speciality. requiring peculiar
risks In It's management, and peculiar expert
ence in its managers. The nature OF the crops
abroad the selection Of fruit at precisely theright
season to avoid rot, the style OF packing, the
probable demand at home, the prompt disposition
OF cargoes-an these considerations and more con.
stitute the business one Of peculiar hazard, and
compel the exercise Of the utmost energy, pru.
dence and sagacity. The four antilles Of fruit
which are most largely imported into Charleston
are bananas oranges pineapples and cocoanuts.
BANANAS
Of the best quality come from Baracoa, on the east
end of the Island OF Cuba, and are known to our
citizens by their long, red SKINS and large size.
In New York at the beginning Of the season they
command almost fabulous prices. Here they are
always reasonably cheap. There the trade COM
nences about the 18th Of March and goes on
briskly until the latter part Of August, when the
red Is succeeded by the yellow. skinned banana,
known as the Ruatan, Aspinwall, Jamaica and
Nassau banana. Here the season commences
about the first Of November, and continues during
the winter, the yellow bananas generally follow
Tnh md n
tine Is established on the first OF May. This pretty
etrectualy stops the trade. The fruit Is perennial
and common to most tropical countries. Its
.leaves are six feet in length, more or less, and
about a foot broad in the middle. Unlike
ourselves the Spaniards have o superstitious
dislike to cut O banana across; they always
slice 1t from end to end, because In
the former case the section presents an
imaginary resemblance to the instrument OF
our Sayior's cruc1Xlon In the West Indies, the
banana s fried In slices like fitters, andf the pulp
be squeezed through flne sieve, 1t may be form
ed into small loaves, which, after having been
properly dried, may be kept for great length Of
time. On the arrival of q vessel In Cuba, word Is
at once sent to the plantations In the Interior,
and the picking Is commenced, the punches being
e~~ S-~'sS@
Our Charleston schooners In the trade are gene
rally of from seventyfve to one hundred and
fifty tons burden, and carry from twelve to eigh.
teen hundred punches. The Northern vessels are
larger. On reaching this port, the discharglng
Of the cargo generally occupies two days. What
Is unsold on the wharf, goes into store, but there
Is virtual disposition OF the fruit at the vessel.
ORANGES.
We are now in the midst OF the orange season.
The West India oranges come from Jamaica and
Havana but the latter are giving way before
the Florida crops which are not inferior In sweet
ness do not rot so easily, and give more satlsfac
tion to both dealers and consumers The Florida
trade commences about the 18th OF October, and
continues until the 1st OF March. When imported
from the West Indies, oranges are packed loosely
in the hold, sometimes to the number of three,
four or five hundred thousand, and are sold BY
the barrel on their arrival. There Is always Eore
or less OF loss on the cargo generally averaging
from fifteen to twenty per cent, but 1t varies &C.
cordng to the stage OF greenness ut which the
fruit Is picked, the amount OF handling and the
length Of passage.
P1NgAPPLRs
are better between the middle Of April and the
10Th OF June than at any other period OF the year.
They come in small quantities during the winter,
but do not possess that rlch luscious flavor which
makes them so welcome an addition to the table
at the season above referred to: The great bulk
OF this fruit is now shipped to Baltimore, New
York and Philadelphia, where 1t Is canned in i'm
mense quantities and shipped to all parts Of the
world. Their importation Is attended with even
greater loss than on oranges, owing to the fact
that they generate vast amount OF heat aud rot
RAPIDLY. The sweetest pines come from Havana
and an island near Nassau but we rarely taste
them In their purest navor.
coCoANUTs
and bananas abound on the same plantation, and
grow in great proruson. They generally consti-
tute part Of the fruit cargo, and as an invest
meat are safer, II not as saleabe. The compet-
tlon in this line Is small, but the profits are more
certain. Thirty or forty thousand cocoanuts often
constitute the ballast OF alarge schooner.
sHADDocK.
This is species OF orange but usually inslpld
10 the taste, except during the months OF April
and May. They ore much used for preserves by
Southern nousekecpers, are cheap, and in this
condition highly palatabe. In the West Indies
they are frequently frled like apples aud make
delicious dish when properly prepared. AS an
article Of trade they have little prominence.
MALAGA GRAPES, FIGS AND NUTS.
with the exception Of the pecan, which comes
from Texas, are not imported direct into Charles.
ton. New York monopolizes this trade, and sup.
plies the country. The season for Malaga grapes
Is December and January, when the steamers
bring them In large quantities the fruit being pack
ed in cork saw-dust, In kegs'ho.ding about elgf.
teen pounds each. The pr ,e ranges from 50 to
SIS per keg.
THE MANNER OF 4. JRTAT1oS.
This, of course, var.es according 20 the demand
and other circumstances. Frequently cargo OF
provisions lumber and general merchandise is
made up here, and exchanged for fruit In the
West Indies. Again, vessel will sometimes stray
into Charleston for a market, with q cargo
which the captain or supercarso has taken on
board az a venture, and II the fruit be good
there Is little difficulty In eGectng SALE the Sc
lection of fruit is always made by commission
merchant or other responsible party, and the cap
talp. as q representative Of the importer, Is also
expected to exercise proper vigilance in rejecting
everything not merchantable. Much OF the sue
IN;