New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-08-19
wATERMELONs AND BANANAS.
SCENES AT THE DOWNTOWN PIERS.
WHERE THESE FRUITS ARE GROWN AND HOW
THEY ARE DISTRIBUTED HERE


THEY ARE DISTRIBUTED HERE
...ru,o,on soason is now at It's height, and
- ,.y IN an average, there from MY 10
c,xty thousand melons received in this city. oomo
dca NJ the enormous trade done In this product o wv
South NAV DO gathered from the fact thae ono =" -
,Ione In Washington Market handles rom ni'oo" "
t,ventv thousand melons every day There arc '"o'o
other houses in tho same limo OF business anu M,
ems have exclusive control Of this profitable pra"on
:, o., tr,It trade The chief supply of this luscious
,, comes from the Southern States around savannah
C.corcta Tallahassee Thomasvo and Bahpr'uso'
Florida being tho greatest OF the melon Prou"'"h
centres. ..Ao carving
m, southern steamers do great deal OF tho CARRYING
trade hut the bulk Of the produce comes W o"
York over the Pennsylvania Railroad ana JUS ooun.'''
connections Tho main point in handling inc i"cion
Is IN gct II from the grower to the market aS sP'
c nossIb,c rs the fruit IS susceptible ana frequent
handling rapidly spos IT, For this reason tno ran
roads Get tho lions share OF the traiic. La'er III
tbe season. which lasts until the first oil octoocr. 'no
coostinr schooners begin to deliver cargocs oi noo"'
fron nonts on the coast within three or lonr uds'
sail Of New-York. vcseyst. is tho place where most
80 ,h fu vessels dispose OF their cargoes, and every
morning from TO M the scene on tho p'oi -
exceedingly interesting Though the melon IS inc
oh,ef nroduct being handled at tho present utho'
reochcs and pears from the Southern orchards arc
coming into market In great abundance Nirs'ni"'
MARYLAND and Delaware the favorite growing
districts for the latter fruits.
Most Of the schooncrs and railroad floats ioadeu
with ,rut reach the Washington Market piers before
| aarItcht Tho iobber and grocer generally get tho
| choice consgnmcnts, but with the hrst streah Vi
,,r,cbt the dusky italian with his push-cart begins
| IN anncar The scene changes completely from "hh'
| tho market was two hours earlier. "hch u" s'o'.
corner vcnder comes tho scene, the choicest iru.
has disappeared and is on Its way TO the ih'eror Vi
tho state to the kitchens OF the big hotels ara INC
s.orcs ~ the regular dealers and grocerymen But
,hcrc "a ponty left for the Italians Very soon WIN
much eestculaton and amid tho continual uii,
rado nv the chattering OF the foreign monoponst OF
tho sidewalk fruit stand, tho thousands OK ,heeo
uincrant vendors arc supplied and they scatter Vhe'
sclves over the city to mako work for inc doc'oIs'
undcrtalers and the sanitary police ono OF INC
largest fruit dealers in Washington Market attempted
a., n,ts an estimate OF the quantity OF watermelons
and bananas disposed Of by these ltiians' pu' ms
patience was unequal 10 MS A"o"o' -
and he gave II up ~
When an English tramp steamer arrives az fici
M G North River with cargo OF bananas from tho " 60
indies the Italians always on hand 10 purVnaSo ID"
damaged fruit left by the regular dealers Thero Is
large trade done In this fruit, and at this season
most OF It comes from Central America Jamaica an"
Cuha In TO tho present time there had pcsh re
ce,vcd in this city from Jamaica 1,11S,e94 ouhche'
~ bananas. and from Cuba 771,ss5 punches Inc
season proper has only Just begun but the receipts
Tins far this year almost equal the total receipts lo
1857 II Is estimated that the increased receipts o.
h,,oras nor year are 40 per cent. The total Imports
last wear were 500 O45 punches from Central America
and Jamaica. and from Cuba s23702. From 1881
IN thc present time the imports of this fruit nave IN
creased in marvellous manner AT that Tune 'cSso
carried a cargo of 1000 lunches and that was thci
considered a great consignment. Now the steamers
carry from, is 600 TO 10000 lunches and tho ship
n.rs do not think them to DO above an average load
so vast has the banana business become mat OH
Nevy York firm has three frst-class steamers con
s,aptlv engaged in the trade These steamers al
specially constructed for carrying fruit Ihey nav
largo store rooms with plenty Of ventilation, SO Una
the fruit will not rlpen too quickly In transit
course these enormous imports are not all ior loca
consumption Shipments made to western
cities. Chicago and tho Northwest as Tar as NAM
toba. Formerly New-York was the only port
which the banana was received, but since the trad
has increased so extensively Boston, PhiiadclPhl
and Baltimore are now importing the fruit.
The yellow banana mportatons are 40 per con
moro than those Of the red species. The SAFE OF IN
red banana IS confined to New-YorK inc Easter
states and some portions OF Canada Tho ycno" iru'
+, prcferred on account Of It's superior naVor' d"
because II IS more profitable to handle IN
bunch OF yellow fruit there are Just ABOUT twloo
many bananas as in bunch Of tho rcd variety
Most OF this fruit comes on steamers 'o ~ 4 ois va
| ii and IL East River and Nos d, IL ~ anu =
North River. ,, ,., corro ,ror
tbe West Indies and Central America on the reguiia
steamers but no fruit IS imported In such quantite
as the banana