The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1890-09-08
THE CITY'S FRUIT TRADE.
She COMMANDS THE BANANA
AND COCOANUT FIELDS.

Alone-Failure of the Georgia Apple
Crop Has Brought Northern Fruit
In Eerlier-A Heavy Cane Crop AS
sures Us That the Georgia Syrup Will
Not Fail.
There Is never a time in the year when
Savannah Is without fruit or vegetables. If
they are not home productions they are i'm
portati ons
In Consequence Of the failure Of the fruit
crop In Georgia this year the market is
being supplied with fruit from northern
markets. The finest sort Of apples are
being received here now. 1t is rarely the
case that these apples find their way down
here so early. Pears and also grapes are
coming In lively.
LEMONS HEAVILY IMPORTED.
Lemons and oranges are coming In proba-
bly, more rapidly now than any other elias s
of fruit. The lemon market here is some
thing enormous. It will surprise a good
many TO know that upward of 10000 boxes,
containing 10, 800 900 lemons are imported
at Savannahin the course OF season. The
season extends over period covered by less
than ak months. The season begins in
April and closes In September. There is, how
ever. a demand for q limited quantity Of lem
ons the year round, but OF course dealers
consider it side business.
Savannah consumes upward OF 5000
boxes alone. The rest of the importation
finds its way out into the interior. The
lemons which Savannah dealers handle are
imported from Valencia on the coast of
SDainp Messina, Sicily, Palermo, Sorrento
islands and coasts on the Mediterranean
sea. Many lemons are grown in Florida,
but they are generally large aud plthy.
They do not sell before the lemons imported.
The crops in the islands of the Mediter-
ranean this season were short, and the de-
mand generally over this country exceeded
the supply, keeping the prices up through
out the entire season. Lemons have sold
here during the season, and are now selling,
for So and 81 box. In New York they go
dealers do not get the fancy fruit for this
market. 1t cannot be readily disposed OF.
ORANGES FROM JAMAICA.
The oranges which are being received
here now although they sell well, are ia
maca importations and are really not to be
compared to the Florida fruit. They are
very sour, aud but a little les acidulous
than a lemon. They sell for IS barrel.
Florida ''drops" viii begin to come into
market the middle of next month and the
field will be given entirely up TO them.
They are not good keepers but bring good
prices toward the first part of the season,
but everybody knows how the prices range
and what remarkably small value ia
placed upon this superior fruit toward the
close of the orange season.
Grapes OF almost every variety are COM
ing in now. They are imported from the
north. They are generally very fine, an d
find ready SALE The Georgia grape crop
was a moderately large one, but the finest
has given out long ago. Grapes are on tn g
market good portion of the winter, and
the later the season the better price that
grapes command. Just now, any quantity
of the fruit ia being sold This trade is
principally retail. Some orders from the
interior are received by dealers here, but
they amount to but very little.
DEPENDING ON NORTHERN APPLES
Apples will have a long aud prosperous
run this season. They have made their ad-
vent early, and they usually stay until late.
Dealers say that the variety was never bet
ter. The prices for them are high. the
fruit vendors want to charge 5 cents apiece
for the moss ordinary variety, and they
have had the audacity to ask 10 cents for
some varieties as large as ones double fist.
These are, however, fancy prices for the
first fruit coming into market, and cannot
be regarded as having any influence upon
the market price for apples.
Very little has been seen of the Georgia
apple this year, and what quantity got to
| market had the chance Of staying there a
| long time. The fruit was not tempting.
1t was hard and knotty unfit for eating
and not good for cooking or preserving
purposes. The bakers miss these apples and
the cider-makers are at a loss to know how
| TO get along without them.
THE HOME OF THE SUGAR CANE.
TNhara Ia a na1ryio NJ hac
passed itself That is the sugar cane crop.
It has been blessed with the best seasons
and the product has grown lover the
| fence" Cans is just maturing now and
| planters are flooding the markets with it
for chewing purposes. It is very fine for
| this purpose and it is regarded as the very
best tonic and liver regulator. The fruit
veuders got whatever price they had q
| mind to ask for it when 1t FIRST ca me in, but
| they let it 60 now for a song almost
Two stalks is an ample supply for person,
| and one can buy them for 5 cents. Selling
| cane for chewing purposes. is a side issue,
however, with farmers. They manufacture
the cane into a syrup, and, nothing has
| ever yet been found to equal the Georgia
syrup. From present indications it will
hold Its own above all other varieties
known.
Some bananas arc in market, but they
Will LOb ludho dDpodtduC0 III duJ
quantity until later. Savannah is ahead of
any city south of New York on this fruit.
Her importations are surprising to the
northern concerns. She imports direct
from the heart of Bluehelds, and from the
| island of Jamaica and Barracoa.
OUR BANANA AND CoCoANUT TRADE.
This fruit has been cheapened wonder.
fully by direct importation, and Savannah
dealers are able to supply the territory east
OF the Mississippi river and south OF Balti-
more at such prices that it will not pay
| other dealers to enter the field.
Savannah is nearer the banana fields than
New York, and certainly the north cannot
compete with her In the territories adjacent
to Savannah, New Orleans is, perhaps,
her most formidable competitor, and she is
not to be feared much, said Savannah
dealer to an inquiring MORNING NEWS re-
porter. The distance from the banana
aud cocoanut fields is very little apart, and
Savannah is near a splendid territory which
New Orleans cannot reach except across u
wide stretch of country, with heavy
freight against her. For this reason Sav van
nah is ahead on oocoanuts, aud is likely
to always maintain the lead. She is q
great fruit center. and her season runs from
New Years to Christmas of every year.
"a Meeting for Missions.
Rev. T. Christian, presiding elder Of
Savannah district, Is arranging for grand
missionary meeting to be held in Savannah,
commencing with preparatory services in