The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1883-02-21
EXPENsIvE STRAWBERRIES.
What IL COST to Bring Twenty-Three
Quarts of Strawberries From Florida and
What the Consumer Paid for Them. -Srs
NEW York World

What IL COST to Bring Twenty-Three
Quarts of Strawberries From Florida and
what the Consumers Paid for Them. -rts
New York World
The first strawberries of the season arrived
recently on the steamer Chattanooga of the
New York and Savannah Line. consigned to
Messrs. Z. p. LOOMS & Co. of No. 95 Barclay
street. There were twenty three quarts in the
consignment,which were grown by A. G.
Williams & Co. of Palatks, on the st. Johns
River, and were shipped from Jacksonville.
Fla. The strawberries are of the variety
known as Federal Point" and were about
the size OF a walnut. The soil in which they
are grown is very sandy. The plants were
set out last fall. The berries were packed
at fruitery in new patented refrigerator,
and were then placed upon the steamship
They were packed between trays filled with
tomatoes, cucumbers and other spring
vegetables.
A member of the firm to whom the berries
were consigned said yesterday to reporter
of the World that Mr.. 4. G. Loomis, his
senior partner, who is now in jacksonville
purchased the fruit at 81 per quart The
freight upon each quart was fifteen cents, and
with ten cents added for handling and
truckage. the cost of each quart was about
81 %. The twenty-three quarts were sold to
a retail fruit dealer for 81 IS each. thus Civ
ing Messrs. K. @. Lomis & Co. profit of 81. so
Ou CdCu QudIb, VI POt-OO lno NuOlc Gull
Segment.
The second purchaser of the twenty-three
quarts of strawberries was Charles Horton, a
| fruit dealer. He sold twelve quarts to
Thomas Lotion, four quarts to George E
Charles e. Co., four quarts 10 William Cook
& Co.. one quart to William H. Ward-all
for 80 each. Two quarts remained unsold
at his store. Mr.. Horizons profit on each
quart was seventy-fve cents, or $3.50 on the
entire lot.
Thomas Lotion, the fruit;dealer at No. 1876
Broadway, said to the reporter that he sold
one quart for S. to a broker, who sent them
to lady in Brooklyn. Three quarts were
sold 10 Delmonico's for use in adjoining
fancy drinks; and the remainder were placed
in baskets of assorted fruits, which sold from
81 to 81 basket. Mr.. Lotion calculated that
the fruit sold at the approximate rate of 81
a quart each, or $4S on the twelve-box pack
age, which gave profit of fifty cents on
each quart.
George E. Charles & Co. divided each of
| their four quarts into gilded baskets of about
one-third of quart each. These were sold
at 81. so each, the four quarts making twelve
baskets, which brought SIS, or profit of 81
on each quart. One of these baskets was
SOLD to Mr.. Smith NJ. Weed, who took them
to his home in Plattsburg, n. Y; another
basket was sold TO Mr.. L. @. McGroves, of
Poue hkeepsie, and the others were sold to
persons whose names were not known.
Messrs. William Cook d Co. sold their
four quarts in small baskets at the rate of
$1.50 each. The profit made by them was 81
on each quart which was the usual retail
profit. A member of the firm of Altman &
Co., OF Sixth avenue and Nineteenth street,
purchase two baskets, and an invalid lady
living on West Forty-fourth street took
three baskets. The remainder were sold to
unknown persons. The last quart, which
was purchased by William II. Ward, fruit
dealer on Exchange Place, was divided into
four baskets, which sold for $l25 each, or at
profit of 81 so on the single quart. From
the time the berries were shipped in Florida
they were owned by five different people
and the combined cost and profit were s94.50
The lowest price for which a single quart
was sold was 81 and the highest S.. The
highest profit made by any dealer was $3.50
quart. In the entire consignment there
were about $500 berries. or 100 to the quart.
Therefore, when the consumer ate single
berry he was eating fruit which had been
sold five times and which cost him four and
q half cents