The herald., 1895-07-19
LOCAL FIELD OF COMMERCE
The Outlook for the Seasons
Apricot Crop
PRICES SLOWLY ADVANCING
Increase Of Demand for Fruit Of This
Class
lacrease Of Business and Short Fruit Crops
Promise at Least Return to
Better Prices

Dried fruit seems to be recovering its
health, metapborically speaking, and the
market shows some considerable activity,
with prospect of some further increase
Of price and promise of the marketing
Of the hold-over crop of last year and the
prompt absorption of the fruit now on the
trays.
There are reasons enough to expect at
least fair incre tse in prices. Last year
the railroad strike knocked out the dried
fruit business in one round and it has
not since fully recovered. The railroad
workers and the men whose business and
wages are more or less directly depend
ent upon profitable railroad operation
comprise 10 per cent OF the working force
of the country, and very much larger
percentage OF the dried fruit eating COM
munity Tor dried fruit, and particularly
dried peaches and apricots, are too good
for the sweatshop worker and mine oper-
ative, and not good enough for the mer-
chant or broker who can afford green
fruit preserved bey ond the natural season
by cold storage process.
The railroad man ana his friends have
been hard up for year, but with the
late improvement in business he is begin
also beginning to supplement- his diet of
bread and meat with little fruit. In
addition to that fact is the unquestioned
shortage, not only of the fruits produced
In the east, but of the crop which is to
furnish the material to dry. Last year
the California dried apricot crop exceeded
1900 car loads; this year, even according
to the least conservative estimates, the
output will scarcely reach 800 car loads,
and q big peach crop will not mpensate
for the shortage OF tho same fruit, apples
and pears throughout the east. And
more effective by the fact that the dried
apricot product this year will be of finer
quality than ever produced BEFORE the
grounds are good for believing that
cots though there are but few of them
this year, are going to bring good prices,
If not fancy price.
= y =
The Fruit Grower: Californians are feel
ing fairly cheerful this season. The freez-
ing Of the Florida orange crop created
good demand for the California product,
and the destruction of deciduous fruits
and grapes throughout the northern fruit
belt. from Illinois to New York, prOmi ses
to confer additional benefits. But the fact
that such unfortunate incidents as these
are necessary to MAKE good prices should
set the CaliIornians tu thinking. Is it not
time for them to stop increasing the pro-
duct1On OF things which they now largely
export, and begin to increase the proper
tion OF things which they largely import?
The scheme Of the diversified farm, which
aims first at the production Of what each
family consumes. and then OF surplus
adjusted to the demands OF local mar
ket. and figures last Of all upon produc-
ing what must be sent to distant mar
kets bearing heavy transportation charg-
es, is just as well suited to California con-
ditions as to those of Utah or Idaho.
Those who went exclusively into the rails
in crop have already learned this es-
son. In time the lesson will be taught to
those who confine themselves to other
branches of horticulture. The fact is.
that competitors of the California fruit
industry are growing up in half dozen
states which are nearer the great markets
and offer cheaper land and better railroad
facilities. There Is probably no place in
tile world where fairly industrious man
can get so good living for so little work
as in California, but it is not to be OBJ
tanned in the long run by dependence on
q single crop.