The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-08-06
A GREAT FRUIT FAMINE.
All Kinds Of Fruit Except Pears a
Total Failure.

Total Failure
The season is passing by and there
practically no fruit. Consumers and com
mission men have watched alike with inter
est, hoping against hope that some section
Of the country had escaped the general
shortage and that fruit would be put on the
market from somewhere. The season Is
almost over and the crop so far Is insignia
cant.
The fact is there is no fruit With the
exception Of a small pear crop in South" west
&c Jrgia, no fruit wha -ever was produced
this year in Georgia or any Of the nelgnbor-
ing states, and advices received from the
northern and western states are TO
the effect that the failure is as com
nlete there. Southwest and Western
Georgia has Of late years risen
into prominence as one Of the great fruit
producing sections Of the country, and each
| year during the last decade has shown
large increase in the output.
Last year the Georgia peach crop was
something immense, and peaches were
| shipped from this state by the carl ads; the
same with the LeCOnte pear of ) Juth vest
Georgia, Of which an immense quantity IS
marketed annually. A large quantity OF
smaller fruits is generally produced.
At the beginning Of the present season II
was announced that the late spring freeze
had caught the fruit crop at an unprotected
stage, and the crop in consequence would
be short. 1t was not dreamed that the
destruction was so widespread, and that
there would be no fruit whatever
cit er il Georgia or the country at large.
Peaches, with which this market was glut-
ted last year, have actually been so few
that not half the people in Savannah have
seen one. A few plums were marketed.
Cherries and other small fruits have not
even been heard Of
About half a crop of pears was produced,
which, strange to say, did not bring very
good prices, selling at 81 25 to 81 50 per
bushel crate at Wholesale.
What makes the scarcity so universal is
that 1t prevails over the whole country.
The Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey
peach crop is complete failure, and so with
other crops. Other sections Jared but little
better. Ii is probable that such an unu-
suaI famine was never known in this coun-
try. A commission man said the other day
that the whole fruit crop of Georgia this
year will not equal one days shipment last
year, and he followed up the assertion with
the further statement that the whole fruit
crop east OF the Rocky mountains even will
not equal one days shipment of last year.
The California fruit crop is unusually
good, however, and California fruit grow
ers are reaping harvest and supplying the
country with fruit. The apple crop is now
being looked forward to with some anxiety
as the one crop which must supply the de-
mand, and all the indications point to the
fact that that crop will be very short 1t
1t time for the Georgia horse apple to
to come on the market, and they are
being brought in in small quantities. Mer-
chants who have dealings with the farmers
OF neighboring counties say the the reports
are that the crop will be short, not more
than half crop, anyway.
A commission man said yesterday that If
there are any apples in the country he can
not find them. He has written
through the north and west and
had not been able to secure any nor hear
OF any. He believed, though, that there are
apples in Michigan, and he is calculating
upon getting his supply from there A
total failure of the apple crop would be
great calamity indeed, as this healthy
and nutritious fruit is a staple article in
winter and its loss would be felt by all.
How many millions of dollars loss that
late spring freeze meant to the people of
this country can hardly be calculated.
The northern commission men, who
usually spend the summer in this section,
looking after the handling of the fruit crop,
are occupied elsewhere this year.
An Efhngbam county farmer brought in
two wagon loads of LeConte pears yesterday
from a distance OF twenty-five miles. He
had twenty bushels, which he retailed at 80
cents peck. His trip Melted him the neat
sum of s64.
The Savannah market has been we'll SUD-
piled with vegetables the entire season.
There was a scarcity of Irish potatoes re-
Gently, but the late crop is coming in now.
The truck farmers say that their crops have
not been injured by the recent rains and
that the late crops are growing finely. The
crops now growing will not more than
supply the Savannah market