The Portland daily press., 1883-01-08
Tbe Fr,,,t prving Trade.

It must be admitted now that fruit grow
ing as a business, as far as 1t relates TO ap-
ples and peaches at least, offers more In
ducemenis and a more encouraging future
than 1t has ever done before. The feature
of the business that figures most signfi-
cantlv is the drying of the surplus and
saving it in that way. Eyaporated fruit
was novelty in the west few years back,
and the evaporator was equally unknown.
Inc eVaporator arises now as the most i'm
portant factor in this connection, and with
In few years the old, slow and Improbable
process of sun-drying, either peaches or ap-
pies, will be abandoned. Many of the fruit
growers of the country, can now make more
money through the evaperator than by ship
ping the fruit green. Some of our eastern
friends have not been slow to take advant-
age of the situation and opportunities offered
in the west this season.
A prominent firm in Rochester, n. Y,
sent half dozen very fine evaporators into
northern Arkansas and southwest Missouri
this summer-l0cating where fruit was
abundant-whole orchards were purchased
at fifteen cents per bushel. The eastern
parties, it is said, will make little fortune
out of the enterprise, and the fruit growers
have their eyes opened to their own interests
by the advent of the evaporators. The
bulk of this fruit heretofore has been per-
l.
fruit was not very profitable at best, but now
the system has been revolutionized, and the
question of what will we do with our sur
plus fruits, no longer fills the heart of the
grower with dismay.
We are shipping green apples to Europe
quite extensively. Evaporated fruit is more
of a staple article-much more inviting in
appearance, and more marketable than that
we have been shipping there heretofore.
The freight on it, whether sent to local or
foreign markets, is not onefourth of the
amount on the green fruit, so the profit be-
comes more apparent. The disadvantages
resulting from being far away from leading
markets will not be regarded as bad as here
tofore, as all the fruits can be utilized and
quite profitably too by the evaporating pro-
cess.
One of the most astonishing features to
note III connection with the transportation
of dried fruit, is the fact that some of the
leading operators in the trade in st Louis
are now shipping to Europe, and the freight
throughout is less than that paid on the
same frnit at st Louis by various shippers
within the borders of the State. Thus, we
see, the freight on the same goods, for say
200 miles, Is equal to that on a 1900 mile
trip for the st Louis shipments go by way
OF New Orleans and thence to the ocean.
Large quantities of dried fruit are now ship
ped regularly to Havre, France, at sixty cents
per hundred, through rates and bills of lad
ing being given to the St Louis shippers.
Heretofore all such shipments were made to
New York, and parties there received and re-
shipped, additional charges resulting. Large
| quantities, at similar low rates, go forward
regularly also to Liverpool, Amsterdam and
other points in Europe, direct from st Louis
following the water route throughout. An
unreasonably large share of the freights
attached are those between St Louis and
New Orleans
The eastern operators are slow to nnder-
stand the change, and very naturally feel
provoked at seeing this valuable business
slipping away from them.
1t is not generally known, but yet true,
that st Louis is the leading primary market
in the world, and receives far more dried
fruit direct from the producers than any
other city in the United States, and is the
first place that foreign buyers now look tc
for supplies. st Louis will be the great
dried fruit emporium of the future, situated
as she is in the heart of the greatest produc-
ing district, where the business of fruit rails
ing is only yet in its infancy.-Rnral World