The herald., 1895-05-28
LOCAL FIELD Of COMMERCE
California DeciduOuS Fruit at
Auction in Chicago
UNSATISFACTORY MARKET
The Outlook for the Crop of Washington
NaveIS
Sgobei s Dav Want Lemons, Not Cured,
but About Ten Days After Picking
From the Tree

Reports were received yesterday from
the first open auction sale of deciduous
fruits at Chicago. The sale is said to be
open and to be established for the ex-
press purpose OF allowing the small dealer
to 60 into the market ana buy
on parity with his fellow dealer
who handles fruit in large guam
titles. The Union Auction company
sold one car OF fruit, and the results are
not reported to have been very satisfac-
tory more accurately, the results are said
to have been not at all satisfactory. The
buyers were not hucksters and fruit stand
dealers, whose needs are supposed to be
served by the auction system. but were
commission men, better known as con-
signees Of the California shippers; and it
is openly asserted that the auction is
being used merely as a shield between the
growers and the shippers, whose con-
siguees at the eastern end OF the route
buy in the fruit at the auction to resell
to small dealers. The net result is that
tho consumer pays he same old big price,
while the price to the grower IS not ad-
vanced penny.
The orange market is in rather 4 bad
way. At Porter Bros. auction sale at CHI
cago. May 22d, the prices of choice seed
lings ranged from 80 cents to Sl.15 per
box. As the freight alone amounted to
30 cents, the lack of profit to both grower
and dealer is nlournfully apparent Ord
ers continue to come into the exchanges,
but slowly: and the making of prices is
always hedged about with difficulties at
tendant upon the fact that there are q
thousand more or less. OF dealers and
growers who have their crop of late
oranges on hand who are already scared
at the prospect that the bottom will drop
out OF the market. The crop of Washing
ton navels is disposed of. They went off
with a whoop. and good many more
could have been sold if they had been put
on the market. OF the seedlings probably
20 per cent has been marketed. and at fair
prices. The latest var ietv. the Mediter-
ranean sweets, is still on hand with the
exception of per cent, which has been
forwarded. Prices are low: the fruit is
beginning seriously to feel the effect of
competition with small fruits in the east
and south, and the market is still further
demoralized by the anxiety of the growers
to dispose Of the % per cent OF the seed
ling oranges still remaining unsold. This
state of alta irs, however, is not likely to
last long. The seedlings will dispose OF
themselve by the decomposition route,
which, if hard soI the growers, will be
good for tho market. The small fruit
season ill the east is very short and the
appetite for oranges persistent and peren-
satisfactory condition Of the market, the
promise is good for Il better clear-up of
the orange crop than the California grower
has known before.
A letter from Horace W. Day of New
York says that on May 21st there we're on
the docks and atioat for New York 800, 900
boxes Of foreign lemons. This is large
amount. to be sure, but it is less than has
been reported at this season for three
years past and Mr.. Day sees in the report
a promise OF New York demand for
California lemons. 1--WE want lemons,'
he says; mot cured, but not more than
ten days off the trees and through the
first sweat, "a demand which will be no less
satisfactory than surprising to those
growers who have been cudgeling their
brains and depicting their pockets in the
effort to supply the market with lemons
scientifically cured.
NEW YORK. May 27.-The World
says AT the present time the receipts of
California oranges are ten carloads of
$3.50 boxes each. The fruit is large ana
delicious. and although in normal year
the traffic charges are against Califor-
mans. the Florida planters being enabled
to undersell their western rivals from 30
to 40c box. there will in the future be
a standard demand for the luscious fruits
of the Sierra slopes. Last week car
lOau OF Cdl11Ornla cherries were SOlQ AT
auction. There were %, 600 pounds in
all. At that sale the California fruit
season of 1ss was formally opened. Cher
ries were of all standard California
growths-Black Republicans, Tartarian.
Rockports, Governor Wood and Prin-
cess, and sold ut from cents to 81. O5 per
box. containing less than seven pounds
each. a few apricots were included in
the shipment. Cherries will rule iii the
California shipments for the next two or
threc weeks, the apricots becoming in the
meanwhile more plentiful. Peaches will
begin TO arrive about June 10th. and will
constitute the bulk of the receipts until
the first week in July, when pears of the
bartlett variety -world-iamous for their
size and lusciousncss-com in, along
with California S variety of giant plums.
LOCAL PRODUCE