Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1888-02-25
THE WHIRLIGIG OF TIME.
Strange Turn of Affairs in the CaItfornis
Rsisin and Fruit Business.


Now when you talk of fruit am at
home" sad ]. X. Ormsby, the heaviest
handler of California goods in Chicago, il
not in the United States, TO reporter yes
terday
Do you know it's perfectly wonderful
what demand there is now for California
| goods As late as ~ the entire consump.
ton Of Pacific coast fruit and salmon both
did not exceed 10000 cases. Now our own
sales last year to people in the United
States were over 100000 cases, and the con-
| sumption of the United States Yves about
100000 cases of salmon, and between 500,-
600 and 1000 cases of fruit
As late as 70 the consumption of Cali
tornia raisins East was less than twenty
five carloads. In 81, it is claimed there
were 500 cars shipped east of the Rocky
Mountains, and there probably were be-
tween 500 and 600 cars. The value of the
cars was about the same in 'S7 as in '79-
say 81 900 car-sO that while there was
shipped S37 500 worth in 70, there was
Soc, 900 worth in 1887. | know what am
talking ab5ut, for | bought the first car
load ever shipped East from California.
" The California raisins have driven the
Malaga raisins almost entirely out of the
market. Five years ago the United States
imported about 1,7000 900 boxes of Malaga
300 600 imported.
More than this, in Malaga great many
of the old vineyards have been pulled UP,
and wine grapes substituted.
A strange thing has happened in the
raisin business. 1t is not three years since
we were accused probably truthfully-
with putting California rasins into Malaga
boxes, and now we are accused of putting
Malaga raisins into California boxes as was
done last year.
The whirlgig of time brings about his
revenge in the raisin business, assure you.
The public taste has changed in favor
OF the California product. Spain yet pro-
duces few, and very few, raisins better
than ours, but our average is great deal
better Will we ever reach their finest
products? Just as sure as can be; getting
better and better every year. Yes, sir;
pretty soon there won't be any foreign
raisins sold here at all.
What is the demand generally for Cali
forDla raisins, peaches, pears, aprieots
prunes and so on? Growing, all the time.
Last year there was heavier proportionate
demand than usual, owing to the general
shortness of the crop East. There will be
a good demand for California goods this
year, but not so heavy as last if the usual
rule works here, because generally when
We HdfN pun Tic Ouc ear We nave
q good one the next.
L want to tell you one thing. 1t is all
nonsense, this talk about the flavor OF Ca
ifDrnia fruit not being as good as that of
Eastern fruit. have eaten California fresh
fruit here year after year, as well as East.
and maintain if you bring Eastern fruit
here. it won't taste any better than yours
does there, if as good
:" | tell Eastern people that right along.
Fruit has to be picked green in order 10
stand shipment and, with the possible ex-
ception OF pears, it don't taste quite so well
east of the Rockies as it does here, but
there will always be heavy demand for
everything California can raise
Why, California fruits will sell on the
fruit-stands on their beauty. and the United
States can take 100000 more boxes of CAL
ifornia raisins than the State has yet pro-
dEced. As for olives, too. we can east OF
the Rocky Mountains eat all California can
produce. Therefore, 1 say 20 the fruit
growers Of this State. go in and raise all
you can. The people will buy what you