The herald., 1895-06-26
LOCAL FIELD OF COMMERCE
California Oranges in the Mar
kets of the East
LIST OF COMPETING FRUIT
Summary OF Last Years Fruit Product
in California
Should Be, But Is Not Largely 0rowr
in This state

A letter from p e. Platt, representa-
tive of the California fruit exchanges at
Chicago, received yesterday, calls atten-
tion to the competition which the Cali
fornia orange must meet in the eastern
market, the list OF competing fruits en-
bracing apricots, peaches. cherry plums,
Clyman plums, Royal Anne cherries, pine
apples, bananas, black berries, straw berries,
raspbcrres, eastern wild cherries, water
melons and canteloupes. According to
Mr.. Platt's account the sidewalks in
front of South Water street stores are
filled with these various products, AID in
his opinion no other explanation is nec-
essary OF the lack of demand for oranges.
Oranges are still going out. but not rap
idly enough to promise cleanup of the
stock of seedlings, nor at prices so salts
factory as during the earlier part OF the
season.
The New York Tribune presents the
following summary of the California fruit
crop OF last year.
California's products are distributed
throughout Amerlca in especially con-
structed patented refrigerator cars, each
car continuing 10000 pounds of fruit.
The time in transit to New York is ten
days. In 1855 the entire output of Cali
fornia fresh fruits amounted to %, 000. 900
pounds, and in 1890 there were 10, 600. coo
shipped, an increase of 80. 600, 900 pounds.
In 1894 the total ou put reached the enor-
nous quantity OF 160, 000,0 900 pounds. 1t
must be borne in mind that this repre-
sents the production of the state of fresh
fruits that were exported. There were
used for canning and drying in 1894 about
300, 0O0 900 pounds, so that the aggregate
production of the state was the enormous
quantity represented by the figures 4Go,-
700, 900 pounds.
The cultivation OF the peanut has new
er attained the proportions IN California
to which it is justly entitled. The soil in
many parts of the state is admirably ad-
aptcd to it .and large crops have been
raised. Tne price. too. has been fair,
and the local consumption is so large that
heavy importations are necessary. Yet,
except in few cases, no one but the Chi
nese has thought it worth while to go
into the business upon scale of any i'm
portance. The bulk of the peanut crop
of the United States is produced in Vir-
gina, Tennessee and North Carolina, and
averages upward of 3. 900, 600 bushels an
nually. AS high as three-quarters of q
million pounds have been produced in this
state in single year, but of late the am
cunt has fallen off. An average of 5
cents pound is paid for peanuts on the
coast, and the crop can be made profit
able one by those who care to engage in
it's production. The fact that less than
six months are required to mature ithe
crop is one great inducement to engage
in its cultivation on large scale. There
are large areas all over the state which
are admirably adapted to the cultivation
the peanut,and the only reason why this
industry has not attained large proper
tions is because SO many are 10th to en-.
in WITH hiuU vp hirh 10 tsnaxv ~ and
Concerning which they have no practical
knowledge. There are two varieties of
peanuts, the red and the white, but the
latter is the only kind cultivated here.
The yield is from ton and half to two
tons and a half to the acre. and, at s
cents pound, there Is very fair profit.
The vines, after the nuts have been de
tached. are eaten with relish by stock of
various kinds, and are quite valuable for
that purpose. The cultivation of the pea
nut by Americans is carried on upon a
more extensive sacle about Santa Ana
and other localities in Orange county
than anywhere else, and most satisfacto-
ry results are reported .-Bakersiield Cali
fornian,