The Providence news. (Providence [R.I.]) 1891-1906, 1896-04-22
Biz Supply OfStraWberrieS
From the South.
Warm Weather Advance the
Price of Lemons.
Something About Oranges, Bananas
and the Pineapple Crop.

The warm weather OF the past ten days
has been very efficacious in hurrying
along fruit and garden truck, and the
store windows exhibit an unusual array
of these commodities for this time OF
year, and at reasonably low prices, ex-
cept, perhaps, in the case OF lemons,
which have gone up from % TO 30 cents a
box, according TO the quality snd condi-
tion of the fruit. This advance was due
TO the increased demand which always
attends hot weather. still, lemons are
abnormally cheap, and as the stock on
hand Is quite large and heavy shipments
are on the way no further considerable
immediate advance Is expected. The warm
wave, however, failed to proportionateiy
estimate the prices OF oranges ana
bananas, which continue in abundant
supply. The sale of the latter two kinds
OF fruit 10 beginning TO be iuterfered with
by the increasing receipts OF straw berries,
Ii is said. They are coming in freely
from Florida and being sold for from 20
to 40 cents a box. The supply OF straw
berries, In about a week will be increased
extensively by large receipts from North
Carolina, where the crop il remarkably
heavy. Large shipments will Immediately
follow from sources further north and
the berries will soon be 80 abundant that
prices Will be largely reduced.
California cherries are being shipped
fully two weeks earlier than usual, the
reason for which can be easily realized
when il is remembered that Provi-
dence cherry trees have been in full
bloom for several days. The crop is
not only early, but remarkably full
full one and the fruit will undoubtedly
ne sold at correspondipgly low prices.
Reports from Georgia, Maryland and
other peacbgrowing centers are TO the
effect that the peach crop promises 10 ma
ture much earlier than usual and TO be
very large.
Late advices from Florida indicate that
the orange crop next season Will tie much
larger than has been expected. The
orange crops of California, Jamaica and
the Mediterranean and the California
lemon crop are expected TO be greatly in
creased, go that the supply OF oranges
and lemons next season will be enormous.
There are now on the way to American
ports from the Mediterranean SO, 300 boxes
and az, ,2fO half-boxes of oranges. The
quantity of lemons In transit from Medi-
terranean ports Is 232, 600 boxes.
Receipts of bananas were unusually
heavy last week there having been 100,
0O0 bunches received III New York,
against $1,000 burches for the CORE
spending period last year.
Pineapples are still scarce and the re-
ceIpts from Havana are much smaller
-
issued orders in the sec ions they occupy
pro hibiting growers from shipping their
fruit.
Cocoanuts are plentiful, there having
been 1873, 600 received thus far this year.
There were 1S6, 900 in one cargo received 8
few days ago. They are In good demand
among confectioners and bakers.
Speaking Of pineapples. ii is stated that
the bIrdseye, or straw berry pineapple,
now in the market, Is an acid hut excel
lent fruit for all culinary purposes ex
cept for preserving. The cultivation oi
pineapples in hothouses has never been
carried. .on in.this country TO the same ex'
tent II has In England. There, since earlS
in the eighteenth century, the hothousc
fruit has become regular article OF the
market, though seldom sold for less than
f1 apiece. Wise ones say the perfection
of the hothouse pine is due 10 tho fact
that IL is ripened on the plant and il
never picked until it Is thoroughly ma.
tured and luscinusly ripe.
The pineapples broug, from the West
Indies are necessarily picked green and
allowed TO ripen during their passage.
Some fruits bear this treatment. Those
persons who have lived in the tropics
declare that the inisns grown pneapples
are far sweeter than those picked near
the coast, which are the only ones shipped
to mort hern markets
In the latter rart OF May pineapples OF
the same variety as those raised In En-
glish hot houses. arrive from Havana
gardens,