Elizabeth daily monitor. [volume] (Elizabeth, N.J.) 1868-1880, 1873-08-22
THE PEACH SEASON.
A LIGHT CROP AND POOR FRuIr-TuE

MAHhEG GLOIIIO IGMEOlAhhIL1.
A reporter made inquiries at the
largest commission houses in the fruit
business, and was informed that one
hundred and tifty-one carloads of
peaches were brought to this city, yes
terday, thirty coming by the daily
steamer from Lewes, Del. Each car
contains about four hundred crates,
though the regular limit for carload
is three hundred and fifty crates. The
cause of this glut in the market was the
fact that Sunday was followed by rainy
day in the peach section, On neither
day was there any picking, SO that on
Tuesday an immense quantity Of fruit
required immediate gathering and ship
Inent to market to be saved from spoil
ing. As the largest quantity entering
the city on any previous day this season
has been only eighty carloads, it may
well be supposed that there was heavy
pressure III the business yesterday. The
great number of carloads arriving at
once, and the mellowness Of much OF
the fruit, pushed down prices to the
lowest point. The rates ranged from
one dollar to two dollars per crate, ac-
cordihg to kind and quality, and three
dollars was, demanded for few fancy
sorts. At these figures the large dealers
were eager to work off their stocks. siao
There is no expectation that the re-
ceipts for any coming day will approach
those of yesterday, and by the middle
and latter part of next week the ship
ments will probably be greatly reduced
Housekeepers who have, not procured
their annual supplies for preserving will
do ill to delay much longer. Lower
prices than yesterdays are hardly to be
looked for this year, though the future
supply may be made UP of irmer and
less perishable fruit. On aocout of the
heavy rains that have followed the long
drouth, peaches have naatured suddenly
and the season is to be short one. In
q singlefday last season two hundred
and forty .cars-loads. reached this city. ST..
The severe winter and the cold spring
chilled large partof the peach section
into barrenness, and the long lack of
rain afterward caused much of the fruit
which had formed to drop from the
trees.qV YIN Il Northern D Delaware and
Northern Maryland there is little ACTIVE
ty in peach gathering whereas every
energy was taxed last Summer to secure
the abundant crop. The same causes
which cut down the size of the crop of
1873 have lowered its quality There
is general deterioration in all the well
known sorts which do not equal the pro-
duct of last year, either in size. Or lus-
ciousness. The diminution OF the pro-
duct, has, Of lcoIrse, raised the prices
this year, as compared with those, of
1872. But the great August storm has
cut deep into the hopes OF great gain en-
tertained by those peach raisers who
have well laden orchards in the midst
of the general falling off. Last August
in the middle Of the peach season the
price per crate ranged from fifty cents
to one dollar and % half. aDIf the rain
had not softened the .1ruit and prevent
ed picking on Monday, prices this year
would hardly have gone at all below
the double Of last years rates. The
great quantities used by the canning
establishments, which must be supplied
whether the crop is great or small, in
some measure relieved the market Of
the crowding, together Of the seasons
business into a short space. Dealers
are sending away, this week, a great
deal of soft fruit to New England, up
the Hudson, and into the interior of the
state, thus also taking off some OF the
pressure of perishable stock. The soft
ness OF this years peaches and the effect
of the storm in producing their speedy
decay are shown by the quantities Of
unhealthy peaches which have been
seized by the agents of the Board Of
Health within the past week, ;g'
The New York commission houses
which are largely interested in the
peach trade have encountered formula
BILE opposition this season in the efforts
of certain spectators of this city, who
are cooperating with Philadelphia and
Baltimore houses. The agents of this
combination went through tile peach
section, about six weeks ago, and offer
ed TO pay peach raisers from one dollar
to one dollar and q Quarter per crate for
their fruit in the orchard, the buyers to-
make all arrang enients and meet all ex-
penses of transportation. Large quan@i
titles were sold in this way, but it is
stated that the raisers who sold through
commission g houses have made more
money than the others The former
have received from one dollar to two,
dollars and o. half per crate, less ex-
penses. Steamboat transportation from
the peach section to New York has cost
this season on an average from thirty