The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1892-08-13
FRUIT TO ENGLAND.

The shipment by expedited transit of
Truit from Sacramento to New York, and
thence by swift steamers to England, has
proved successful. One shipment ar
rived in London in little over two
weeks time. Two other train loads are
en- route. The fruit goes forward in the
best refrigerator cars and is selected and
packed with especial care. The first
cargo arrived in London in prime order,
in better order, indeed, than fruit under
the old service arrived from Sacramento
IN the cities of the Eastern States.
According to advices received, details
not yet having come to hand, the
Londoners, while they greatly adj
mired the fruit, feared to handle it on the
ground that fruit thus refrigerated rap
idly decays when removed to normal
atmosphere. In consequence the first
cargo sold at too low figure. But that
ought not to matter much. The shippers
could well have afforded to give away
Viz AAA-S NV III OINC1 " OGulOuSlIdIG ILdI
The fruit thus shipped will keep suffi-
GENTLY long to justify dealers to handle
it. The same prejudice existed in this
country when shipment in refrigerator
cars was first attempted. As matter of
fact the shippers assert that the fruit thus
carried is more desirable than that sent
in ventilated cars. 1t is not picked so
soon, is more nearly ripe and hence has a
greatly better flavor than earlier gathered
fruit
Our English cousins viii very soon get
over their timidity--indeed, we may ex-
pect that experience with the first cargo
purchased will almost wholly remove
their prejudices. In London there are
very many banquets daily and nightly:
choice fruit is secured by caterers for or
namentation of tables, and is 50 arranged
that but little of it is eaten, thus enabling
the enterprising restaurateur to use the
fruit at another table on the succeeding
day. Instances are related of the same
pyramids of fine fruit having done duty
on as many as three banquet tables. But
if there is something of fiction in that it is
certain that when the Englishman of
means finds that he can secure choice
California fruit that is well-kept, tooth
some, and not doctored by any abomin-
able salyx process, he viii not let its cost
stand between him and his desire for it:
nor will it be used merely for table orna-
ment.
We may, therefore, expect the ship
ment of fresh California fruit to England
to become most important business. 1t
will there find a speedy and good market.
In no other quarter are distances between
large populations so short or more speed
lily covered as in England. Our fruits in
the tout of season" of the East will find
easy and quick distribution Immediately
on the arrival of swift steamers at Liver
pool, and that the prices will prove fully
remuneratiye to the California growers is
believed Practically California fresh
fruit was unknown to Englaud's millions
until this month; that hereafter they
will lapse into forgetfulness of it is wholly
improbable.
The occasional loss of cargo by de-
tention of steamer or the wrecking of
q train will constitute the chief risk in
the business, and this viii grow less
with the enlargement of the trade,
since with its growth will develop greater
care to conserve the industry and insure
swift and safe passage of the goods on
the ocean, while the percentage of land
risk will not rise proportionately with
the number of trains sent forward. Ex-
perience has proved this to be true, for
the loss by reason of accident has been
in ali the fruit shipping of past years so
small as to cut no material figure.
The special expediting of trains by the
Southern Pacific Company is an essential
feature of this new departure in fruit ship
ping. That it will be continued the
shippers have been assured. If for this
season only fair success is attained in the