The daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1873-1877, 1874-08-20
CALIFORNIA FRUIT IN NEW YORK.
Bartlett Pears and German Prunes and Plums
Nine Days from San Francisco in Market
The Method of Transportation.

The rapidly with which fruit can now
be transported across the continent from
California to New York, and the splendid
condition in which it arrives in that market
has created for it trade that is not only
worthy of note, but it is to some extent
surprising. The fruit which at the pres
ent time consists of Bartlett pears, Ger
man prunes and plums, is first very care
fully picked, and chen turned over to the
packers. 1t is next sorted with great care,
and those which may be oyer-ripe or in
the slightest degree damaged, are picked
ont ana laid aside for home use. During
this process the fruit has to be very care
fully handled, as the least abrasion would
render it unfit for packing, the slightest
unsoundness of one plum or pear lmperil-
ing the whole box The fruit is then wrap
ped carefully in paper, each pear or plum
by itselfand next packed in II box 80 tight
Y that it is imRoss;balss t hagEafhh:t each other
while en- route to the Fast. Although SO
closely packed, the paper wrappers prevent
any undue pressure or contact between the
fruit. The boxes are made sufficiently
open to admit the air, and yet the openings
are not wide enough for any ordinary dam
age through handling the fruit. These
boxes arc Is inches long by II inches
broad, and when intended for pears are II
inches deep, rendering them capable of
holding about 200 When intended for
plums the depth is very little more than
six inches. the box holding about the same
number OF that class OF fruit
The boxes having been thus hacked are
shipped East by means Of the Diamond
Refrigerator Line, ;,lJuc the puciii, Rail
road, and slowed away IN ears .sIructcd
Tor the purp So. iue>e on. nave double
walls Of wood the intervening spaces be
ing died with curh. The floor covered with
zIna. aud :. roat in which i an i,;e chest
cs,panie OF h ding seyeral t,ms Of Use.
When the gar i. beaded, thik double doors
close the cooling chest, All Ordinary railroad
car door then shutting the whole from the
outside world. When thus closed the only
AIR that can reach the contents as the car
Is through the air passages; small but
constant current passing under the caves
OF the car INTO the ieecnest, where it is
cooled to the temperature of melting ice,
is9m s. to 81 degrees Fair. This cold air
then SINKS by its own weight through air
passages alCog the sides and ends of the
car INTO the receptacle or stOrehOuse for
the fruit, at the same time driving out,
through yentilators in the roof, any air
that might have become heated inside the
car. The warm air thus driven out is
made to pass again over the ice, and after
being cooled falls as bcftrc into tho rocop-
tacle. BY these means a constant current
OF ar OF an even temperature is kept up
not cold enough to freeze the fruit, but sui
iiciently cold to prevent any change taking
place IN its condition. Whole cal loads of
perishabfe fruit are thus consigned in Cali
iornia to persons in New York, and arrive
in the market in an excellent condition.
The cost of transit is very great, a certain
car load, consisting of $40 boxes of pears
and 299 boxes of plums and prunes, hay
ing cost for freight and charges alone, ST.
200. But as the fruit realized at whole |
sale upon the average about IS per box. |
the shipment of car of fruit at this time |
OF the year proves to be somewhat of |
profitable investment, the gross receipts |
being over 5000 per car.