The herald., 1895-04-11
r. G. Dun & Co.'S Review OF the
Business Situation
RETAIL TRADE IS INCREASING
A Marked Reduction in the Price OF
Seeding Oranges
California Growers Decide to rlect Foreign
Competition==The General Produce
riarkets

r. W. BurnhBm. local manager OF Il.
G. Dun IL Co.'S commercial agency, fur
nishes The Herald with the following
business review for Southern California:
Retail business continues to increase
and merchants report satisfactory collec-
/ tions. The approaching carnival may IN
some degree account for the unusual
.9 busy appearance of our streets. but the
activity in all lines indicates that business
is on the up grade.
The jobbers report collections as i'm
proving, but volume of trade is not UP to
last yearL though in some lines an IN
crease is reported. Sales OF farming I'M
p ements show the most appreciable
growth.
Country trade appears to b. slowly
improving and with a promise OF bounti-
full crops the districts future seems as
sured.
"Monev in the banks is plentiful and
deposits all the time increasing, with
lust Il fair demand for money i'll legitl-
mate enterprises
The tourists though not as plentiful
as in some seasons, are remaining with
us later than usual ana their money is
still in the banks.
"A good deal of eastern money is being
invested in real estate and good many
business enterprises are being promoted
pson purely eastern capital ana u large
amount of money will, during the year,
be expended in industrial Improvements.
''in some quarters we are told that the
orange business is improving ami that
the market shows signs of firmnesS ana
an inctesae demand. But after careful
investigation we are led to the conclusion
that this condition is more fancied than
real.
Recent sales are far from satisfactory
and the daily sales are far below what
thev should be. It now looks as though
the cheaper grades must be thrown ON
the market in too large quantities Tor sat
isfactory returns, and altogether the pres
ent situation gives little encouragement
for the ultimate outcome.
. The failures in our district so far
this month number five with liabilities
aggregating so, 700 and nominal assets OF
about Sll, 900.
. "Our eastern advices indicate a fair in
crease of retail business over 1894, but it
is not vet up to 1893 Indications also
point to more hopeful condition in job
bing trade, with moderate rise i'll value
of iron products.
An all-day session OF the executive
board of the Southern California Fruit
exchange was held in their rooms in the
Phillips block yesterday. The meeting
was a full one, and the condition OF the
orange market was discussed at length
1t was agreed that the situation required
prompt action, and while navels had
taken care of themselves, the abnormany
heavy Shipments of Messina fruit, to say
nothing of Valencia stock to come, would
have to be met Accordingly quotations
on seedlings were reduced to meet this
competition, the figures being set as fol-
lows, f. o. b. California: Fancy, 81;
choice, soc; standard, 65c. n disposition
was shown by the board to take decided
action, but the details are not yet perfect
ed. There were no changes in other vari-
cites.
Advices received at the exchange head
quarters yesterday from New, York, .Bos
ton and Chicago show decidedly better
feeling in the orange trades NA-st Is '5iAi
4 4 4
The April number of the Irrigation Age
has the following concerning canneries,
which will be of interest to trult growers
of Southern California; -'
The industry which will be of the
greatest Importance to fruit-raising
colony is the canning industry. In. the
case Of a new colony, vegetables would be
the first product they would raise There
would be a local market for a large quan.
tity; but if large colony engaged in
their production, the local market would
be over suppl ed il they all had to be
marketed fresh, and the market would be
liable to be depressed to the point of un-
proiitabeness. a cannery would obviatc
this and would be needed the first crop
wear. Two classes OF outfits could be used
One would be an outfit especially adapted
to the making of iellies, jams, fruit but
ters, preserves and the canning OF toma-
toes and fruits. An outfit of this kind
capable of handling 1000 cans per day, in
cheap frame building, would cost about
$500. This method OF canning, with
preserving outfit. would add about a of q
cent per can to the cost. This outfit
would not can peas or corn. The extra
cost of outfit to can peas and corn would
be $1,000. A factory TO can 10000 cans per
day of peas, corn, tomatoes or fruit and
cheap frame shed buildings, would cost
about $500. If the preserving outfit were
desired it would add 500 This includes
power machinery for pitting peaches APP
rcots and cherries The cheaper outfit
would answer at the founding of Il colony
Recent California writers show that a.
fruit grower, canning ihs own fruit, will
net 2la cents per pound at the present
prices of canned fruits. After the third
year large amount of fruit vinegar could
he made from overrpe and imperfect
fruit, and the prese wing outfit could be
used to good advantage in the manufac-
ture of pickles. AS cabbage can be pro-
duced very cheaply, soul kraut could be
made in large quantities.