The Indianapolis journal., 1896-05-17
OUR IMPORTED FRUIT
COME IN AND COMPETE
WITH AMERICAN FARMERS.
Some Of the Peculiar Varieties Found
I'm the New York Markets-Mag-
nftude Of the Trafic.

on the globe, is shown by an inspection OF
some of the imports that arrive almost
daily at this port Fruits come from the
Occident and the Orient, and vegetables
from torrid. temperate and frigid cimes.
Thousands of hot-houses- scattered over the
whole country raise delicacies that COM
pete with the imported goods. Not only are
the lcxuries imported into this country. but
the substantial fruits and vegetables as
well. Potatoes. for instance, are brought
to New York by the steamer-load from
England. Scotland. Ireland, Germany
and the Canadian provinces. These
are not new potatoes such as
are received from Bermuda and Florida in
the spring of the year, but ordinary pota-
toes that enter into competition with the
products of Long island and New Jersey.
The Scotch Magnum Bonums are of pecul-
lar quality, and are generally the best Of
the transatlantic potatoes. They come here
in sacks, and are sold often lower than the
native products. The steamers westward
bound bring the potatoes to New York often
for about the cost of loading and unloading,
as they are in ballast" and the potato
growers In Europe find that they can place
their products in New York city at about
the same cost as a man can do living in
New York State. During the last year the
supply of both the home and foreign raised
potatoes has been so great that there has
been little or no profit to the farmers. Ber-
muda ships new potatoes and onions TO New
York early in February. and these are fol-
lowed a little later by those from the West
Indies. Although Connecticut raises excel
lent onions. fully dozen different coun-
tries enter into competition with her In sup
fut he N.x
Egypt has become an important factor in
onion growing, and thousands Of bushels of
Egyptian onions are consumed here every
winter.
Consignments of fruits and vegetables
from Africa are not uncommon here, al
nearer market for that country, on account
of the closer trade relations. Most Of the
products from Africa that find their way
curious appearance and flavor than for any
general demand. A curious vegetable called
eymnlhlng' ynnahns = closely resembling :. summer
that an acquired taste for this strange pro-
duct soon increases the demand for it
south America sends long green peppers out
OF season and this year Brazil sent some
watermelons in April as novelty. Last
summer before the new apples ripe
consignment of these fruits was received
from Tasmania. They came here In excel
lent condition. and were packed in the most
approved fashion. Another consignment is
Hhcly W lOuOW tHlS summer, dltnOugn the
profits last summer were not what the ship
pers expected. Great quantities of grapes
come here from France, England, Spain and
Italy, although this is one of the largest
land excels most countries in the art of hot
house culture of fruits The grapes received
from that country are all hothouse grown,
and command good prices here out Of sea-
SON. Very often they sell from three to four
dollars pound wholesale. Last spring some
OF the finest and largest DineaDples ever
received here came from the London hot
houses, and they retailed in New York at So
apiece.
VEGETABLES ALSO.
Danish cabbages take the place of the
home product in the middle OF winter, and
they are imported into this country and
sell for only trifie more than native win
ter cabbages. France is quite an exporter
OF cauiifiowers, and she can send them to
New York cheaper than the California grow
ers ship them overland. Those from
California are the choicest, but French
farmers are satisfied with smaller profits,
and they find their shipments satisfactorily
remunerative. France, and also Italy, raise
celery for New York. and 1t is rare now
that the market is not supplied with this
deiicacy twelve months In the year. This
spring early in March there was a consign-
ment of vegetables from France that start
led the home hothouse growers and the
Southern truckers. 1t consisted of celery
artichokes, mushrooms, rhubarb. sea kale.
asparagus and white cau.ifioWers. The vege-
tables arrived here in good condition and
sod for fancy prices. They were shipped in
cold storage and the cost OF transportation
was thus unusually high. They were so fine,
however, for that time of the year that the
wealthy buyers took them readily at what
ever price was asked. Other consignments
of similar nature will very likely occur
| in the future, and the Southern truckers will
have to take into consideration another
mand. however, will be limited to those VIII
can pay the nigh prices necessarily asked.
| The imports of tropical fruits of the more
ordinary kinds. as oranges, lemons and ba-
nanas. are naturally large. but as New York
| is the distributing point for this trade. all
| that is received here is not by any means
consumed here. ne Plneapples are coming earl
| although Florida has entered into the bust
ness OF raising them, the imports from the
M West Indies i3.,a and south America do not ap-
| gradual reduction in the prices paid fol
| them. and the benefits OF the home products
apples in the season can now be bought and
| preserved al home almost as che3ply as
| peaches. grapes or any other domestic fruit
| in this country, and gradually the taste fol-
| them increases and demand expands proper.
| tionately. Those that cannot be shipped
| here IN the green state are preserved, sucn
| as guavas and kumquats. The cold-storage
] shipment OF fruits and vegetables from trop-
| lcdl America OaS never yet been developed
| but there are signs that indicate a develop
| ment Of this in the near future. -
CALIFORNIA stands at the head of the frilit-
| proddcng States in supplying New York
with choice fruits, and Florida comes next
| leading even her Pacific coast rival in the
matter Of green vegetables. California ships
between five and six carloads of fruit tC
| this city every year. The cost of railroad
| transportation is drawback to fruit-grow-
| ers In this country, and to no one Class more
so than those living In California France
and Italy send their fruits here for less
| than the California growers can ship their
oranges or grapes east. Tropical American
| and African fruits have never received ful
| attention. With the exception of the cocoa.
| nuts. bananas and pineapples, very few Of
| the South American fruits have genera
| demand here. and those that are imported
| are sold more as novelties than anythinf
| else. Brazil nuts have fair import trade
| but the oil made from these nuts in trop,ca
| America has wider demand.
| FROM BRAZIL.
| The Brazilian or hog plum reaches New
York occasionally. and creates little wonde,
| among those who see specimens In trop,ca
America this fruit is highly priced. and con
tains many valuable medicinal qualities
The medlar, native of Europe, but grown
in tropical America. is imported to New
York. as is also the lcquat species O
plum, sometimes sold here as the Japanes.
plum. Large quantities OF citrons and lime,
are imported from both Europe and Soutl
| America. although both of these fruits ar,
| raised in Florida, but TO such limited ex
tent that they do not figure much in tn
| markets. The guava comes from Nexic
and the West Indies, and those who ar
f1-~1 90 so1tx fofo tA-