Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1888-06-13
HANDLING FRUIT.
They Are Ripened Here.

The largest anu finest consignment
of West India fruit that has ever
reached the Northern market came into
the port of Philadelphia recently, and
when the matches of the Charles
Morand, one of the Tropical Fruit
Compapy's steamers, were lifted the
dozen or more of fruit dealers who had
been invited on board for first view
went into ecstacies over It. This is
the height OF the foreign fruit season,
and every day brings additional car
goes and carloads of fruit from the
Ports of the Southern seas and the
Mediterranean.
When the big fruit steamer arrived
from Jamaica she was loaded with 49,
$50 punches of bananas and hundreds
of pineapples that have been brought
from numerous places In the interior of
the island to the coast at Port Antonio,
Port Maria, Annatto and Montego
Bays, where the steamers of the fruit
trade stop. An agent, who resides on
the island, travels out into the country,
buying green fruit, which after being
cut down is brought by the natives
growers to the places on the coast
wherever the agent has designated,
and it is loaded upon the ships as
for human hands TO work.
Everything depends upon reaching
the market in the shortest time after
the unripe fruit is cut, and 1t is guarded
from dampnesS, cold and draughtS with
greater care than one of the ''pick-
anninyS'' of the natives who grew it.
Once upon the steamer every aperture,
no matter how small, that will admit
air is carefully sealed, and the boat
leaves on her voyage hOmeward, and
from the moment sHe Is sighted off the
Breakwater the fruit dealers are dane
ing on a hot stove'' until the condition
OF her cargo is ascertained, nor is the
wholesaler the only one who is anxiCeIsly
awaiting the opening of her matches.
The retailer who buys bananas by the
single bunch is equally interested in
condition of the fruit, for should the
consignment be found to display signs
of rIpeness the prices go down with
lightaing speed, as the entire lot must
be sold Immediately to secure the con-
signees against great loss.
The fruit is classed by titles of
"irsts, ,""seconds, ''''Outs "and "drops;"
the "Ersts'' being the prime, full bum
ches of bananas. The "outS'' come
next, as denotng a shade less than
'.6rsts,' but too good to be classed
seconds" which are scraggly, half
ripened or bruised punches, aud the
''drops'' follow as denotlng the class of
fully ripened fruit, which may break
off in the handling. At times cargoes
of bananas arrive which are all "drops," :"
and then dealers mouths assume like
expression, for this often results IN the
handlers having TO go down In the hold
2 no nf haf d a,-I l.
overheard IN the shape of shovelfuls of
rotten and over-ripe fruit.
After the steamers matches are re-
moved the dock sides rapidly I'll with
wagons aud handlers, and in place of
the grimy mud of an hour before one
walks over a verItable ''downy carpet"
of salt hay, which is used in packing
the fruit. AS fast as a wagon is loaded
with the punches 1t is sent off in a
hurry to the dealers houses. where in
low dark rooms, heated by gas stoves
and closely resembling gigantic ice
boxes IN shape, though far enough re-
moved in the character of what little
air they contain of from that within
an ice box, they are not so unpleasant
to spend a half an hour in watching
the handlers attach a rough cord to each
bunch as it comes in and hang them on
hooks fastened to the ceiling timbers
and here they are hanging while the
stoves are started, the temperature of
the room reaching 15 degrees very
quickly, but beyOng this 1t is not al
lowed to go. The fruit ripens very
rapidly now and soon turns from
sickly green to a beautiful golden
yellow. when it is lt for the table. y
great portion Of the cargoe5 of fruit
steamers is sold right at the wharf and
often before il is unlOaded. The dealer
buying il las his own ripeniug rooms
and can attend to this part of the
work without depending upon the
wholesaler.
Pineapples are brought from Jamaica
and Florida and ripened fully after ar
irving here.
Lemons and oranges are constantly
arriving in company with shiploads Of
dates, figs and raisins, fancy fruits from
the ports of the Mediterranean. and
when these ships come In a complete
catalogue describing the umber and
character of the cargo Is forwarded to
all dealers In the market, who there
upon set out for the wharf where the
stevedores have been busily engaged in
putting the precious, fragrant boxes of
lemons, raIsIns, ETC., out upon the floor
of the piers. After thoroughly inspect
ing the character OF the goods the
loungers repair to the auction room,
where they must bid for what they
want.
The Custom House inspectors are
constantly on guard over the conslgn-
ment, and as fast as portions of it are
taken away, they are checked off in the
inspectors books.