Smyrna times., 1892-06-08


Four years ago 100000 pounds of
California fruit were sold in New
York; last year 100000 pounds found
purchasers here, and this wear E. L.
Goodsell, the fruit auctioneer, who has
large fruit interests in California, and
who has just returned from a four
months stay on the Pacific Coast, says
the amount of fruit sent to New York
to be sold will be fully 2O,OOO.OOO
pounds. The fruit producers of Cali
/ fornia now have advantage of the fast
est freight transportation in the world,
says Mr.. GOOdsell, as at this time it is
possible to run through solid loads Of
California fruit from Sacramento to
New York in seven days. The Fruit
transportation service succeeded in
| establishing this fast freight service
this spring, and from this time on
fruits from the Pacific Coast will be
shipped to the East in less time than
was dreamed of few years ago.
Mr.. GOOdsell collected much Valua-
BILE information about the fruit indus
try during the months he was in the
Golden State, aud he has figures to
show that the fruit production of Cali
tOrnia amounts to $35 200. 900 more
than the production of gold; $l5,000,-
600 being the amount of the gold out
| put, while the fruits amOnt to $50, ,000,-
600 annually. Here is what Mr.. Good
sell says about California and the fruit
industry
Land in 1S49 that was used only to
dig gold out of is now growing wheat
and fruit that each sells for $lO,0OO,-
000-the value of each product being
equally divided. Besides this Spain,
! Turkey, and France formerly supplied
| America with the 110,0O0,000 pounds
of raisins and prunes that are annually
consumed. These fruits are now
grown so extensively in the Golden
State, and are so popular by reason of
their superiority of flavor and quality,
that the foreign products are nearly
! driven out of the market This is
| illustrated bv the fact that California
| produced and shipped in 1891 27,0OO,-
600 pounds of prunes and 52,000,0O0
| pounds of raisins, there were only i'm.
ported 5000 600 pounds of prunes and
18,O000 900 pounds of raisins, as against
the previous years importation of 61,-
| OOO,OO pounds of prunes and A 900 900
pounds of raisins, showing joint fall
| ling off of 100000 pounds of both
kinds OF fruits in one year.
1T is safe to say in t!.ree years the
| production in California will be enough
to supply America and preclude impOr-
tations altogether. Peaches, pears,
plums, cherries, apricuts and grapes
are also known, Of the finest flavor and
appearance. Formerly it was claimed
that some of these varieties were taste
less. The art of cultivation has been
brought to such peri ction, however,
that both these desirable qualities are
now conceded to the Pacific Coast
products. The finest pruns produced
in the world is grown on the ranch ola
retired army surgeon. This man util-
lied his knowledge of organic chemis-
try in the curing of this fruit aud en-
riching the soil to the song of an in
come of $4,000 year from property
that he gave $1,000 for twelve years
ago.
"A comprehensive view of the great
ness of the tree fruit industry can be
had from the statement that there are
nearly 100000 trees planted in Cali
tOrnia, all of the varies named. When
these are all in bearing fully one bill
lion pounds of fruit will have to be
mark keted.
Last year fourteen days was the
average time in transit, and the reduc-
ing of the time to seven days makes
the probability of fruit landing here in
perfect condition unquestiOned. In
this event $500,00O can be saved to the
growers yearly from what has been
realized in the past. 1t is significant
too, that IN California any fruit pro-
duced anywhere can be grown in its
perfection on the Pacific Coast, and
that not one third of the available
fruit land is now under cultivation.
Therefore, when we read that in 1891
there were shipped out of the State
352,000,0J0 pounds of fruit of various
kinds, 100000 gallons of wine and
and brandy, 800, 900 boxes of oranges
there is not only material for cOnsump-
ton but also for reflection as to where
it will go in the future. Active minds
are taking up the question, and Eng
land has been made an outlet possible
for green fruit already by placing re-
frigerating boxes on board fast steam
ers, an experiment that has been re-
Gently tried with considerable success.
Dried fruits are already favOrably
known and disposed of there The
process of shipping fruit in a green
state has necessarily been reduced to a
science in order to get it here in mar
ketable shape Picked from the tree,
il is packed in neat boxes, often each
fruit wrapped in paper and loaded into
a refrigerator built excessively for
the business. Trains of fifteen of these
cars are made up at Sacramento and
hurried over the mountains and plains
to Chicago and thence to Jersey City.
From the fact that twenty-five
years ago land that is now worth 81 900
an acre in all the best fruit centres
could have been bought for $25, it
must be accepted as fact that fruit
culture is profitable. This can be be.
lieved when l say that 27 900 pounds of
peaches per acre have been produced
from fOur-year-Old trees on some of the
best ranches near MarysVille. These
were sold at two cents pound at the
ranch. Besides this / know of fruit
growers that have cleared $4,000
yearly from small sixty-acre fruit
farms.
1.-THE successful cultivation of the
olive has attracted the attention of
English capitalists to California, who
have recently bought out some of the
best ranches. Nearly 100000 gallons
of olive oil are used in the United
States yearly. California is now only
producing one-tenth of this quantity
but will in few years be able to com
pete for public favor, and unquestion.
ably will drive the imported article
from the market in a short time. There
are now 100000 olive trees in cultiva-
! ton and bearing"
But California cannot grow the finest
of everything, Mr. GoOdsell admits.
He returned to New Yark by way of
the south. and he found a great fruit
country there. He says:
''In Mississippi and around Crystal
Springs grow the finest tomatoes pro-
duced in the United States" said he.
} 'There is tremendous acreage COM
ing into bearing that will furnish a
a million pounds for shipment this
year and double that quantity next.
The first arrivals can be looked for
about June 10.
FLORIDA is a great fruit State also,
although oranges ara her chief indus.