The herald., 1895-06-06
The Outlook for the Seasons
Output of Fruit
NOT MUCH HOPE FOR A BOOM
A Conservative Statement OF Conditions
and Prospects
A Small Yield of Fruit in the East, but
Industrial Conditions Prohibit the
Buying OF Luxurics

Barnet Bros. OF Chicago write to the
California Fruit Grower and Fruit Trade
Review, published at San Francisco re-
garuing the outlook for deciduous fruit
during the coming season. A the firm
named its com posed of level headed and
conservative men some excerpts from
the letter Will be found interesting:
with the wide-s spread report of the re-
vival of business say Barnett Bros,
"dll producers hope for an increase OF
prices and are anxious TO know to what
extent they have reason to look fol
profits. Naturally the standard hoped
for is the boom year of 1892, when every
thing was intlated-as we now know-yet
most people were dissatisfied, and wanted
to get rich right quick We cannot
see our way clear to hold out much en-
couragement for higher prices for two
reasons. The actual improvement i'll
the business world scarcely exceeds 10
per cent. and this advance IS needed
to procure sta pie necessities. rather than
even semi-luxuries, as most consumers
regard fruit"
Letter from Il. Morrill,, esq. president
of the Michigan state horticultural So
ciety, says that in Berrin county. opposite
Chicago, the damage was not severe.
Il, Il
ent says: 'The damage 10 the straw berry
crop is 40 to so per cent Other cores
pondents say the loss has been very
heavy. ranging from % to IS per cent of
fruits and ealry vegetables. Press dis
patches report the fruit crop of Wiscon-
SIN and Minnesota about wiped out.
While these states are not great fruit pro-
ducers for shipment, the home cunsump-
tion supply has been large.
Michigan, except the west coast. is
badly cut. Indiana and OHIO, especially
along the northern borders, are badly
damaged. The great Chatauqua grape
region is injured but accounts seem to
conflict. Lake Erie may have saved a
large portion OF the crop, as the nor thwest
winds would have to cross that body of
water and thus become inoisture-la laden
and tempered. This fact. too. has helped
Western Michigan. as the winu passes
over Lake Michigan before striking the
orchards Further east, no doubt great
d image has been done in New York, New
Jersey, Pennsylvania and New England,
although the force OF the storm is not yet
spent there.
The grape crop of Illinois and Iowa is
practically wiped out Apples are re-
ported ds but slightly damaged.
From the above il will be seen that the
conditions and prospects for fruit crop
have been radically changed, and instead
OF an abundant supply only half crop
may be expected.
California, Oregon and,Washington have
the promise of good crop. ana the loss
east will work TO their benefit. The i'm.
poverished condition of the country only
will prevent their realizing good and
profitable prices: The merry war on the
tariff OF the refrigerator cars, inaugura ated
by Armour Co. will be II great help to
the shipper. All these things count in
favor of California.
While the net result is still in doubt.
we think a conservative estimate will
place the damage to peaches, cherries
plums and grapes at fully so per cent
throughout the eastern fruit-grow
region.
few days more such as today, with
the mercury lowering around the 90-de-
gree mark, is likely to relieve any anxiety
that may be felt regarding the unmar-
keted portion of the seeding orange crop.
for there will be no moe seedlings to WORRY
about. A week of such hot weather is
likely to unfit Seeding oranges for ship
II ent, If it does not rot them outright.
Yet the loss of the seedlings would not
be an unmixed evil. There is still in the
hands of growers and packers about 25
per cent OF the seedlings, and fully so per
cent OF the late varieties, such as Med
iterranean sweets and st. Michaels. 1t is
late in the season for seedlings, and if
they are to be disposed of at all they must
be sold at once, and while this condition
vi COuIiHueS tfleTe IS no possibility
OF putting fair price uron other va.
rietles. The Seeding orange hangs over
the market like club and its removal
may result in such an improvement in
the market that the other kinds NAV be
sold at profit. At present there seems
little hope OF proht i'll oranges of any
kind.
Il. W. Burnham. local representative Of
the X. u. Dun Il Co. commercial agency
makes the following report of business
conditions for the week ending June 5th:
Our last advices from eastern traue
centers indicate continued rise in wheat
and cotton and decided gain in the iron
industries, clearances show great gains
ard altogether the conditions give great
encouragement for the future.
Locally we find business opens up with
bound and activity is apparent all
along the line. and our bankers report
rapid increase OF deposits, some of them
having struck the highest limit in their
history. One OF them has reached the
three million mark.
Retail trade is fairly active. Jobbng
opens with rush. All collections are
improving.
Building permits are increasing all the
time and it now looks as though the
record OF building for 1894 would be far
surpassed in 1895.
Our farmers are feeling we'll and the
and spending large amounts of money on
internal improvements.
The situation in the orange business is
far from satisfactory. A bout 5000 car
loads have been shipped ard PROBABLY
500 more will be moved before the close
OF the season. The fruit is out of season.
however and satisfactory prices cannot
be looked for unless it may be for some
very late fruit
Our other fruits, however. will bring
good prices and potatoes, while not rui-
ing high. will distribute good deal of
money.
The best crop. however, is to be found
III restored confidence and the hopeful
EXPRESSIONS head on al sides, and money
long locked up, is not seeking investment
that will soon bring it into trade chan
nels.
So far this month there have been no
failures ,,orth men tioning.
LOCAL PRODUCE