Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1872-06-06
OUR NEW YORK LETTER.
Eatables in New York-What They are,
and Where They Come from--Tho Eight
Hour Movement, etc., etc.
WHAT WE EAT.


If the stranger visiting New York
could see at one glance the enormou:
quantity of food absolutely necessary
for the subsistence Of the city for one
day, he would think we possessed the
most rapacious appctites of any people in
the country, and yet If the amount con-
sumed in one day were equally divided
among all the mouths in our city, many
sumptuous liver would feel his stomach
nearly empty, and many child of pow
erty would feel wonderfully full, and cry,
perhaps, to think lie would be as hungry
as ever the next day admit that we
do consume and waste an enormous guam
tity, but like wealth, it is unequally dis
tributed. The question of supplying us
with tour daily bread " and meat and
vegetables and fruits and all the endless
variety that make up our luxurious living
or meagre fare, is an important one, and
is becoming a more perfect branch OF
business each year. A few years age
we were satisfied to have full variety
of fruits and vegetables of the season as
others of our climate enjoyed, though
now, as regards the variety, if not the
quantity, winter and summer are all the
same, and we would seem to be living in
Tropic of perpetual fruitage and vegeta-
ton. The rapid increase of steam, the
iron bands that grid the continent,
and the modern invention of refrigerator
cars, all serve to give us the products OF
the summer lands Of every cline, and now
we care not if the melancholy days
come, or the bleak winds of winter sweep
down upon us, we have laid every cline
and distant isle under tribute to our mar
kets, and summer and winter you can have
almost anything in New York that grows.
The business of transporting fruits and
vegetables has become so extensive that
millions of dollars of capital are now
invested in this highly profitable bust,
ness, and such a market has been
opened up here that Tropical fruits sell
almost, if not quite as low as in their ma
tive land, and cheaper, at least, than they
sell in New Orleans.
California is our perpetual summer
land, and we hope soon with greater facil-
tiles to be so we'll supplied at all seasons
with her luscious products that they will
cease to he luxurious in price.
The section from which the greater
quantity of our supplies called truck
comes, is the Bermuda Isles, Florida,
near Savannah, Charleston, Wilmington
and Norfolk. Tomatoes reach us from
Bermuda as early as the Goth of Decem
Der, and these, with grapes, Strawberries,
and other delicious things are brought to
lis from one land or another at all seasons,
and the time is soon coming when these
things will be placed within the reach OF
all classes, benefting the public health, and
contributing to one of the greatest pleas
ures, the qualification of the appetite fol
more paatable food than the daily round
of bread and meat and potatoes. But
the advantage reaches beyond this; it ha:
madea garden spot of the Bermudas, that
a few years ago were almost worthless
barren hills, and now they produce toma
toes. onions and potatoes before any Other
part of the world, while other lands that
come within reach of our market are
awakening to the profits of agriculture
Thus paul plants, Apollo waters, and
God gives the increase" for which the
poor are becoming as thankful as the rict
have been, and beside this qualification O.
the palate, comes the beneficial results II
point of health which it has been clearly
demonstrated that these fruits and vege
tables contribute to by the occasional
change from the heavy bile-producine
food of winter, and they bid fair to ban
ish, to a great extent, the annually re
turning of season complaints, by making
all seasons of food the same.