The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1873-03-12
THE FRUIT TRADE OF CHARLESTON.

History of the Past Season-Heavy Inn
portations but Unfortunate Weather
Oranges, Cocoanuts, Bananas and Ap-
pies Plenty, but Grapes nnd Ptneap-
ples Scarce.
The trade In fruit between Charleston ano
the West Indies has for many years been
very important branch of business, employing
the capital and time of several large houses.
Like all other lines of business IL suffered
heavily from the interruption caused oy lne
war between the States, bat 1t has speedily re-
vived, and as Charleston was before the war
so she is now-the chief depot OF the West
India fruit trade with the Southern States. BY
a glance at the resume Of the trade
OF the season given below, and for
which we are indebted to Messrs.
Paul, Welch & Co., one of the leading houses
in this business, 1t will be seen that, esti-
mating the population of Charleston at hfty
thousand, there has been fruit enough I'M
ported 10 give each man, woman and child
tsrty oranges, ten cocoaHuts and third OF
broch of bananas. Quite liberal supply In
deed, but one would not think too much for
such great fruit-eating people, as the hun
dreds of little retail fruit shops ln all parts OF
The city prove us TO be. However, large
part of the Imports 60 into the interior of this
and adjoining States, and 1t is sale to say that
of the thousands of people who zee West
India fruit In abundance every day, and OF
the thousands OF children whose mouths water
at the same, very few indeed get their share
of forty oranges, &C., In the course Oh year.
The numbers of foreign fruit arrivals This
season have been without precedent tesling g
the consumptve powers of our Market 10 tne
very utmost. From the 1lth day OF October
,m nresent date there have been no less than
thlrly-one cargoes of West India fruit landed
| at this port, consisting OF 2,l36,e05 oranges
fbesides over half. million from Florida
I6. .6s3 punches bananas, and 607, lsl cocoanuts.
One cargo of oranges from the Bahamas,
two from Porto Rico, three from Havana, and
one from Jamaica, were Inferior or In poor
condition; the rest we're good or reasonably
30. The condition, quality and size OF bananas
have never been surpassed; but the terribly
Indictment winter we have experienced COM
p.etely rounteracted this agreeable feature,
and quantities OF this fruit we're ruined by cold
weather, involving loss to the importers.
Few oargoes have been handled with satis-
faction, nearly every vessel having to lie idle
at the wharf for several days waiting mild
change to admit OF discharging without in
Jury This the country dealers make no al
lowance Tor, when orders are not promptly
filed, through ignorance OF the fact that to
ship bananas in cold weather, is fatal, the fruit
turning black as soon as exposed, even II
shipped In good order. The receipts of grape
fruit and plneapples have been Insignificant,
the former being only 1888 and the latter
Sl0 dozen.
There has been great abundance Of apples,
but accurate statistics are unattainsble, owing
10 their being brought In small lots 10 great
variety of persons. The apples have averaged
small but good, and have kept well.