The record-union., 1896-05-24

SiueS THAT, the crop IFOIn lHe ldllCi
State always falls short of expectations.
1T it can be impressed upon our growers
that first-class shipments always de-
mand first-class prices, California fruit
will always find a ready sale in the
East
WHAT E. T. EARL SAYS.
Il have just returned from the south
ern part of the State" said E. I. Earl
of the Earl Fruit Company, where we
have been busily engaged during the
last six months in shipping oranges and
winter vegetables. The orange season
is now about over, and our headquarters
will be at Sacramento during the sum-
mer and fall. The Southern California
orange crop this season fell short OF
last year. and the total shipments will
aggregate only about 5000 cars, COM
pared with 300 cars last season. The
orange crop of Northern and Central
California is attracting attention, and
last November and December large
number of carloads were shipped from
| Butte, Placer, Fresno, Kern and other
counties north of Tehachapi. These
| Northern California oranges are OF eX-
cellent color, flavor and keeping quail
! lty, and ripen at time when very de-
s1rable for Eastern shipment, especial
ly the Washington navel variety. 1t
| is unfortunate that late varieties of or
anges have been planted in Northern
California, as the navel variety ripens
| first, and has proven to be more prof
| liable than later varieties. The navel
| orange in Northern and Central Cali
| fornfa ripenS several weeks ahead of
the same variety in Southern California,
| and is in good shape for November and
| December shipment.
splendid prices are being realized for
California cherries in Eastern markets.
Several carload shipments have al
ready arrived East, and the prices re-
| allied for these first shipments are
nearly % per cent. better than prices
realized for the first carload shipments
last season. Our telegraphic advices of
prices realized for cherries in Chicago
| this week indicate that black Tartarian
| cherries will net the growers an aver
age of over 10 cents per pound above
the cost of boxes, packing, freight and
other expenses, and as the crop is light,
prices are likely to continue to rule
high, especially as other varieties of
| fruit are backward and there are very
with the sale of cherries during the
| next few weeks. There were large guam
| titles of California oranges in Eastern
markets during May and June of the
previous two years, and as they sold at
low prices they interfered to some ex-
tent with the sale Of California cher
ries. This, however, will not be the
| case this season, as the California or
ange crop is about all shipped, and the
| few oranges left are selling at high
| prices. The supply of apricots and early
varieties of peaches, plumS and prunes
| is likely to be limited this season, and
| we confidently look for a good Eastern
market for the same, especially as cher
| rleS and oranges are scarce and selling
at fancy prices. 1t is rather early yet
| to say much in regard to prices for later
varieties of fruit.
THE prices realized for dried fruits
| last season were SO ruinously low that
| the growers are not encouraged to dry
| any large quantity of fruit this season,
and if the green fruit can be marketed
| East at reasonable prices, it is certainly
better to ship it green than to dry it,
as the green fruit can be turned into
money more rapidly and with less ex-
pense and delay than when it is dried"
CHERRIES HAVE SUFFERED.
Il have just received a letter from
our agent at Suisun," said F. S. Van
De Venter, travelling agent for the
National Fruit Association, which in
forms me that at least one-third of the
entire cherry crop has been spoiled by
the last rain, and l fear the loss will
be far heavier than estimated. The
cherries swelled and cracked under the
| rain, and the damage would have been
| far greater had not Friday been cloudy.
| \ hot sun after the rain would have
| caused much more damage.
THE fruit crop is short all over the
State, except pears. The Vacaville
grape crop is badly damaged, and the
shipment this year will not exceed 800
| cars. Last year the shipment was 100
| cars. Reports from all sections say
the plum crop will be light. Advices
! from Winters state that the last rain
cracked the cots the same as cherries,
and as the rain was general, it may be
! found that the already light crop has
been considerably damaged.
| Express shipments of cherries have
sold well, and prices promise to keep
up, provided a good article be shipped.
LAS long as pains are taken to pack
| choice fruit, just so long will good
prices be paid but many Of our small
growers have a habit of dumping in a
| lot Of practically worthless fruit, and
| covering it over with choice articles.
This trick won't work. Eastern buyers
are no fools, and if our growers expect
TO get fancy prices they must ship fancy
goods.
1T would be useless to say that heavy
shipments of Georgia peaches would
not interfere with prices for California
consignments. What our shippers must
do through that season is to make light
shipments Of choice fruit and 1 think
| they will realize good prices