The record-union., 1892-02-03
THAT ENGLISH MARKET.
Difficulty in Getting uit-Growers 10
Offer Goods.
Secretary Maslfn of the State Board of
Trade Complains of the Lack of
Interest Displayed.

AT the last regular meeting of the State
Board of Trade Secretary Maslin, in
speaking of the efforts that had been
made to interest fruit-growers in the
matter of sending an experimental con-
signment of dried fruits to England, said:
There are no communications except
what the Committee on the Market Seek
ing Fund have received. l will state,
Mr.. President, that since the last meet
ing have sent out about 5000 circulars
TO the different fruit-growers in the State
of California, soliciting subscriptions TO
the market seeking fund. / have re-
ceived no response from any one Of the
circulars, except from gentleman in
Butte County, a Mr.. Mills, who put his
name down for one share.
At the Fruit Growers Convention in
November, David Lubin of Sacramento
proposed plan by which the fruit of the
producer could be brought to the con-
sumner without the aid of the middlemen.
A committee was appointed TO organize
the plan in San Francisco. | was present
at the convention and offered the services
OF the board to the committee, which was
accepted. a circular was prepared, So
Letting subscriptions in money, say
81 300, sufficient to rent room, purchase
teams, etc, and start business for one
month. after which it seemed certain the
business would be self-sustaining.
sent out two thousand circulars to the
fruit-growerS, but have received no re-
sponse. The want of interest manifested
by fruit-growers in the effort to find a
market for dried fruits in England and
green fruits in San Francisco is surpris-
ing. If fruit growers will not help them
selves, we can do no more.
Mr.. McAfee received a letter from Will
lam Brooks of Mayhem, native Of Eng
land, who writes that we should try and
get the wholesale cooperative society TO
handle the fruit. 1t has every facility for
placing the fruit in the hands of the con-
sumner at the least possible cost. The
members of the cooperative societies in
the north of England run up into millions,
and are class of people being mostly
engaged in manufacturers more likely to
consume our fruits than the people of
London or south of England.
Another plan pursued in England is
this: Lady teachers are sent out to teach
the women how to cook good meals at
the least cost, and actually cook the food
III the presence of the audience. If we
could supply the cooking school with
some dried fruits it might create taste
and demand for them.
There are many other ways and means
of introducing fruit, but there is one
which is almost sure to succeed. 1t is
somewhat after the plan of Mr.. Lubin in
reference to our fresh fruit here. In every
town in England it has its market, and
people from the surrounding districts at
tend. The public square is used for the
sale of every kind of goods. In some of
the large towns hundred thousand peo-
pie pass given point every market day
Into these towns / would send q man or
woman well equipped, have the fruit
made into pound and half-pound pack
ages, and supply the passer-by as cheaply
as we could afford. l have seen lots of
articles introduced to the public in this
way. My object in writing is from a sin
cere desire to introduce the fruit into Eng
land. believing that it would be boon to
England and blessing to us.
In response to a suggestion of William
Brooks, MIR. McAfee wrote on December
so. 1891, to G. j. Beckett of the Co-opera-
tive Society, Darmen, Lancashire, Eng
land, with the purpose to obtain informa-
ton in reference to the English market,
and particularly in regard to the CO.
operative societies in England as a
means Of introducing these fruits, stating
the probable price of fruit. OF course,
there has not been time enough for a re-
spOnse.
Mr.. McAfee prepared circular, ad-
dressed to the fruit-growers of the State,
which we are now sending out, request
ing contributions of dried fruit to the
amount Of say two or three TONS We
canvased among some of the commits
sion merchants and they say that fruit is
consigned to them on commission, and
they do not feel authorized to contribute.