The morning call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1878-1895, 1891-04-02
CALIFORN MA FRUIT.
F. W, Bennett, an Eastern I'M
porter, Gives His Views.
Present Condition Of the Markets and Future
Prospects of Marketing the
Prune in France

F. W. Bennett of Philadelphia, who is in
this city in the interests of Eastern import
ers of California fruit, was seen yesterday
at the Office of Williams, Brown & Co. and
asked for his views on the present condition
and the prospects of the fruit trade.
eff California fruit of all kinds is to be
sold in large quantities in the East this
year," said Mr.. Bennett, 1.-THE prices asked
must be low. There was scarcity of fruit
last year, but the prospects for the crop
both here and in the East are good. and we
simply can't give high prices. Working
mems wages there run from 81 to ST. 80 per
day, and they have to look at two bits
and high prices mean that only small
quantity of fruit is sold. l hope growers
will keep prices low and work off the whole
crop, and not hold out and have the fruit
on their hands.
''As to raisins there is only one thing to
say-the market is glutted-filled right up.
1t is too early yet TO say much about tue
future, but there will be difficulty IN gettln g
rid of what is on hand, to say nothing OF
this years crop, unless prices come down.
do not know anything about the &C cage
planted with raisin grapes in this State"
ADDITIONAL ACRES.
A member Of the firm of Williams, Brown
& Co., who was standing by. stated that
$4,000 additional acres had been put in
ralsns this year.
1.-The fruits which compete most with
prunes in the East" Mr.. Bennett went on,
''are dried apples and peaches. All OF
these are mainly used for stewing. was
in France last year. and visited the prune-
growing district. 1t is only small tract,
not larger than the Santa Clara Valley, Sit
uated in the southwest at the foot OF the
Pyrenees. The farms there are cultivated
by small peasant proprietors, and each one
only has a small number of trees. The
prunes are sold in the 0pen-air markets,
which are held usually once week at the
various market towns The fruit is carried
to the markets by the wives of the peasants,
and you can see them on market-day trudg-
ing along the roads to the towns carrying
baskets of fruit on their heads. At the
markets the prunes are bought by agents OF
firms, who dry, pack and ship them.
THE FRENCH PRUNE.
1.-THE reputation of the French prune
comes from two facts: In the first place
they have been on the market a long time,
and have a well-establShed name, and
then the French have the secret OF drying
the prunes. French prunes are softer than
Californian, but the real secret OF their ILL.,
proved flavor lies in the drying. They are
perhaps better packed, the custom in France
being to seal them Dramatically in tins.
California prunes are put up In boxes.
Prunes in Turkey, Bohemia and Servla are
dried in a Dutch oven before an open IRE,
and they get smoky taste in the process.
81 was ia England last year, and intro
duccd some California prunes. The only
objection taken to them was that they were
too sweet. California prunes are as good as
any on the market. There has been some
trouble about failures of fruit to come up
to contract stipulations. For instance. con-
tracts have called for fruit running sixty to
the pound, and the fruit delivered will run
100. OF course, as rule. there was no
difficulty of this kind with firms of good
standing.
THE CANNERY COMBINATION.
az do not believe that the combination of
cannery interests will pat prices up. l
think there is hardly any doubt that the
combination will be formed, but l have
seen several of those who are interested,
and it will be to their advantage to keep
prices reasonabl lie"