Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1883-01-04
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The Fruit Drying Trade,

i must be- admitted now that fruit grow
In- is business. A. FAR a. j. relates to APP
DIE and peaches Al least. offers more IN
daeemen,> aud more encouraging future
than i ha, ever done before. The feature
Of tho business that figures most signifi-
cau,.y J., tht try M Of the surplus and
saving it in that way. E,aporated fruit
was novelty ~ the west few wears back,
and the eyapor4tor was equally unknown.
The eyaporator arises now as the most I'M
por,ani factor ia this connection. and within
a te~ year, the old. Sow and Improbable
process of >un-dry.ng. either peaches or ap-
pies. viii be abandoned Many Of the fruit
er.Ners g: the country, can now make more
money through the eyapora,or than by ship
ping The fruit green. Some Of orr eastern
friends haze not been Slow 10 take ad,ant-
- of,hc situation and opportunities, offered
III the west th.> season.
4 prominent firm in Rochester. \. Y,
sei., half dozen very fine e,apora,ors into
northern Arkansas and southwest Missouri
th> sammer-lota,uS where fruI, was
abundant hole orchards were purchased
az fifteen cents per bu,hel. The eastern
parties. j; j, said. Will make a little fortune
OUT @; 'he enterprise. and the fruit grower,
have their dye, opened to their own Interest,",
by the advent Of the e,aporators. The
ht..A af ILL. frt4it heretofore, has been rier-
m.tfcG % Spoil The old method Of driving
frui vas Lot very profitable at best. bu, low
tho system Ia, heen rcvulgtionized. and the
question o. What viii We DO with our sur
plus frI.t>. nab longer H., the heart Of the
grower WITH d.>may.
We are Shipping green apples To Europe
quite extensively Esaporated fruit ], more
Of a staple ar;ic.e-much more inviting in
appearance. and more marketable than that
" have been shipping there heretofore
The freight Oh il, whether sent to local or
foreign markets. is not one-fourth Of the
amour, On the green fruit. so the profit be-
come more apparent. The disadvantages
resulting from being far away from leading
markets Will not be regarded a, bad a. here
to:s,e. as all the fruits can be utilized and
ql.,e prof,ab.y too by the cooperating pro-
cess.
One Of the mos, astonishing features to
note in connection with the transportation
Of dried fruit. the fac, that some Of the
leading operators in the trade in st. Louis
are now shipping 10 Europe, and the freight
Throughout, j, le>s than that paid on the
same frui, 10 S. Louis By various shippers
within the borders Of the State. Thus. we
see. the freight on the same goods for, say
2jp miles. is equal To that on 1000 mile
trip for the ST. Ions shipments 90 by way
of New Orleans and thence to the ocean
Large quantities Of dried fruit are now ship
ped regularly 10 Hayre, France, at 90 cents
per hundred. through rates and bills of lad
ing being given to the S. Louis shippers.
Heretofore all SUCH shipments we're made to
New York, and parties there received and re-
shipped, additional charges resulting. Large
quantities. at similar low rates, 90 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 under
stand the change. and very naturally feel
provoked at seeing this valuable business
slipping away from them.
It i not generally known, but yet true,
that St. Louis is the leading primary marke,
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 to
for supplies. ST. Lolis 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 It's infancy.-Raral World.