Savannah morning news. [volume] (Savannah) 1868-1887, 1885-06-20
sUAIM ER fruits.
Things that are In Market and How
They Get. There.


'Huckeleberyees. Here'syournicefresh-
huckeleberyeesv'
From sunrise to sunset the little blue
berry is thus sung in treble LeqdtO notes
from street to street The season opened
some time ago, and is now at its height.
The luscious strawberry, and the little,
wild, vinaigrous blackberry have each
had their day and their praises sung by
these same dusky vendors who are now
crying the popular huckleberry. The
fruit is said to be quite plentiful. The
surrounding country is literally covered
with the short, scrubby bushes, and every
morning, while the dew is yet glistening
on the leaves, the pickers regularly wend
their ways to the patches. These pickers
are "profes sionals,p and during berry
season do little else than gather and sell
what mother Nature sows and nurtures.
The blackberry, the huckleberry and the
wild plum are the loot Of these arabs.
During the season o. each whole families
of the professionals leave the cabins early
in the morning and scatter over the
woods, fields and swamps. All are armed
with baskets, tin or wooden buckets. The
fruit Is quickly picked from the bushes,
and in a few hours all Of the utensils are
full of the berries, as are also the pickers.
1t is nothing uncommon for them to
tramp half dozen miles in quest Of ber-
ries and then trudge into the city IN
the afternoon to dispose Of their
burden. With a basket on the head and
bucket in each hand, as much as
bushel is frequently carried at one time.
They get now 10 to - cents a quart for
the huckleberrIes. At this price they
make So or 81 some days and occasionally
hon Tat=
themselves fortunate and wealthy If they
make one-tnird of that amount, and they
generally fOregO work day or two until
the purse is empty.
THE LUSCIOUS PEACH.
The blushlng, velyet-skinned, luscious
peach has at last made its appearance in
quantity. For weeks IL has been on the
fruit stands in small quart boxes con-
tanning a dozen perhaps, or less. They
were always said to he from Florida.
Those now in the market are genuine
Georgia fruit. Georgia is one of the
greatest of peach-grOwing States. Ten
nessee, California, OHIO and Maryland are
the other famous peach orchards of this
country. They ripeu earliest in Florida
and California, but the Georgia fruit Is
the first to 90 Into the market
in quantity. Reports Of the crop this
year are conflicting. Some of the
NtdltIb say IudL buCIt are more DedCutb
this year than last. Others say that the
crop is one-third less. All agree that the
fruit is smaller and inferior in quality
this season. The truth seems to be that
some growers have a small yield this year,
while the trees in other sections are
breaking beneath the rlpeuing fruit. The
season opened two or three weeks earlier
last year than this. This summer they
are ripening more together ana as a result
ha ma RI "a " fl nj
shipments continue. Beatrice, Hale's
and Heath are coming in now. The red
clingstone varieties are about the only
ones ripe. They retail at 80 cents to 81 a
basket.
NO FANCIES N MARKET.
"There are no fancies," said a dealer
yesterday.
'sThey would bring S. to 50 80 bushel.
The peaches are all poor. What we get
are used here in the city. Very few are
being shipped North. New York is q
good market for choice fruit, but there is
not much money 10 sending inferior
/ peaches there. They are wiling TO pay
fancy prices for fancy fruit, but not for
1 any other"
Few if any are canned in this State.
| Maryland and New Jersey have a mo-
| nOpoiy of that business. The Georgia
| peach crop, being from SIX to eight weeks
| Shore Of Maryland, the fruit generally
finds ready and better paying market
for domestic use than TO Gamers.
PICKING THE FRUIT.
Peach picking is quite a business.
| Some of the professionals are very
| expert, climbing the trees and
/ stripping the limbs of fruit
! with remarkable deXterity. The soft,
over-ripe fruit has to be handled tenderly.
! The firm peaches can be tossed in the
/ baskets with less care. Growers always
| endeayor 10 pick the fruit little green,
/ rs it stands shipping better, and enters
market in good condition. Climbing about
| the trees and carrying the baskets are
| very tiresOme, but to the skilled is lucra-
tive. The pay is By the basket or bushel.
la years when the trees bear well and
| the fruit is of good size, expert pickers
will make from 81 TO $3 30 a day. The
| basket is placed in a fork between two
limbs. The picker generally carries a
prOnged stick three or four feet long, and
| as thick as his thumb. This stick is
deity manipulated with the left hand.
| and branches are pulled in from every
side, while the right hand plucks the
| peaches and losses them with unerring
precision into the basket.
APPLES AND MELONS.
The apples that are being received now
are very small and inferior. Commission
men are already tired of seeing them.
The market is dull, and dealers say they
can hardly sell them. Grapes are color
ing and are expected within week or
ten days. The piles Of cantaloupes on
the stands do not decrease as rapidly as
the price. They are a drug at ten cents.
| Walermelons are hardly down to popular
figures yet, tut the receipts are expected
to be large next week, when the prices
! Will drop.
Local PeraOnai.
EX-COngressman John &. Nichols and
wife, Of Blackshear. were at the Marshall
| House last night.