The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1896-10-28


shs Ksna - Pnslrngs 49, KssAgAt
Tha esmpetitSaa IN ths local n1arkef OF
Eastern grapes with those Of CAn1ofha
growth n being thoroughly discussed
among Calffornia growers. and several
articles have appeared In tho San fran
cisco papers relative - ths mattsr-
The discuauton vas opened ~ . bet1s1
written by ,. r. P0wiea. Of Goodwin = Co.,
9eetfie. II answer 70 questisns prcpound-
- ~ . ArDe California grewsr me
qunettona we're - to the sire 1t shipments
from the East. the eondition On arrival.
Kind Of package and freight In the re-
ply Nr- PowIes STATED that the Concord
erzps was not cutting int the sale OF
California grapes. ~ cousuners seemed
70 regard the two ~ separate fruits. ara
the sale Of California grapes had been AZ
large ~ ever. Eastern grapes are ship
ped hers In ten-pound baskets with
handle and round cornsrS- These can be
packed closely In . car. and but LITTLE =
lost IN dunnage In comparing the prof
Is Of the Eastern and California growers
and the packages used. the San Francisco
Chronicle u October = says:
We understand the Eastern prices
quoted q eU2ts pr baskef) to Be free on
board IT points Of shipment. which cor
responds fairly well with the prices lately
quoted In an Eastern dispatch Of cents
per basket to the growers NJ the vine
yard, which barely pays cost OF baskets
GA cents) and packing. leaving nothing
whatever to the grower. The extra
cents would just about pay delivery 10
station, loading and local profit. With
fraixht ~ q "A per 100. which We UNDER
stand 70 include all transportation
charges Of every kind and . weight of
nine pounds TO the hAs<ss, the total cost
delivsred In Seattle viii be - cents Per
basket. II they sell at % cents the profit
20 the dealer IL Is cents per basket. or
80 per car Of 3.o6o baskets: u IT % cents.
the dealers profit II cents per basket.
or $ise per car. OF course. there Is also
risk OF loss. as there il In zu such
trade. II - q curious fact that the East
srn grower. taking ali the risk Of produc-
ton. y working through the year abso-
lusely without pay. and giving the use OF
nis land to produce an article upon which
stranger a,6oo miles away from him
makes . handsome profit
Inc ten-pound basket contains prob
any. on an average about eight pounds
OF grapes net. ard sells. let us say. at 40
cents TO local dealers. We do not know
bow California grapes are selling there
snas ysar. but In former years growers
have usually got from - 70 50 cents for
'fwenty-peun& crates. usually containing.
according 70 the writer's observxsion,
about twenty-five pounds Of grapes net,
daiiverod In san Francisco and subject TO
drayAgs charges there and per cent
commlsston- Such growers az ship NORM
direct Of course do not pay commissions
hars, but ~ an offset take The chances Of
the eoivency and honesty cf distant
agent or purchaser. The cost Of such
grapes delivered In Seattle il probably
about 3 TO 50 cents Der crate. Reducing
the cost Of California and Eastern grapes
to net weight per 100 pounds. ne dnd the
Eastern grapes IT shove prices to cost aha
Seattle dealer - per 100 pounds. a. against
c.75 Per 10 pounds net weight Tor Cali
eorniA grapes IT an assumed average cost
Of = cents per twenty pound crate deliver
ed II Seattle. But the ADORE PRICES pay
the California grower fairly wei. while
the Eastern grower gets no return what
ever.
This, Of course. win not continue. as
Eastern growers viii dig out vineyards.
II Eastern growers mould receive u cents
per basket 1T the vineyarda instead OK
cents. a. now. they would be receiving
about the same A. California growers,
who get 30 cents per cfxts In the vine
yard. or 70 cents In San Francisco. subject
to commission. I, Is probable that North
ern dealers buy more grapes in San Frau
cisco at 20 cents than At 80. but ~ high
- % cents has often been paid.
We DO not know the exact cost OF de-
uvernf> our fruit north by steamer. but
presume Il = S per ton, Plus local freight
to San Francisco ana drsyage there. As
against this the cost OF delivering Eastern
grapes Is s34 50 per ton The cost OF our
present style OF package Is not far from
cents on rise average per 20 pounds. There
- Also an evident gain on the Eastern
shipper IN the greater quantity that can
b.. packed into car and less amount of
dead weight in the packages. The esti-
mas "a shipping weight OF our grapes IS .
pounds per crate, az which rate 80 crates
make a twelve-ton car There Is also the
cost OF the lumber for the framework, or
aaunnage,- ard the expense OF putting 4
IN. A sare of 5 pounds per package makes
Id tons TO thu tweive-ton car. We DO
not know the weight OF the Eastern basket.
but can hardly exceed pound. when
would make 4 tare OF onry Ia tons N q
thirteen and a half ton car III Eastern
growers can save 50 much by methods OF
narksng 50 can we. IL Their fruit VIII
~ r~v across the continent 80 packed, ours
os,rht 90 do the same. We have frequently
alluded GO the bad packages hahtually
used by our frTttgrovers, ana THIS new
ron,n>titson may result IN better practice
on our part.
r. q. pow1es. who wrote thu original
letter fer Calvin q Co. was shown the
article YESTERDAY. and said;
.-That IS all right In most respects. but
makes a mistake IN advocating the use OF
the Eastern basket by California growers.
In fssi to isss was In the fruit broker
sxe business. and 1T my request sample
shipments werr sent forward In carloads
Of fruit consigned to this territory. IL
Was purely experimental From 80 70
.un Eastern baskets flied with Tokays
Mu.cats and several black varieties were
raekea in q car. IL was always q fall
uye. The grapes would arrive In only
fair condition and held up no time at
all after being taken from the car The
consumers complained OF their poor keep
tag Qualities as compared with Eastern
cranes Iris II my opinion. L. because
ira California grape contains large per-
esntage % sugar and when confined In
bulk q mslas and rots fast. The Concord
viii stand close confinement and pack
ting That Is ore reason why the pack
age would net be success Ter the CAL
Hornia grape.
"Furthermore. the packages are not
asa pssse - steamer Shipments. which,
as erriairea in the fret letter. Is the only
practicable way 10 ship 10 this northern
market TIE fran package would rot
xsasd TIE NUMEROUS transfers by tnex-
r-rs.rreA hands while in shipments all
rzsl from the East they are Gsvsr handled
axceps tv TIRE owner ca the ore end ard
the rorsulsxson merchants al the ether
Hence IL must se plain that tire aevar-
tagem OF tire package. outside Of the car
rytnE qualities 9. the fruit. are limited 10
at rail- shipments.
Fart ser-sore. tie rArtAasar styfs os
the PACKAGE being ro0rS On the e-as
would make IL bear 4 heavy us@asarerner,,
o. the ssesrzer Hires To further Hiss
srate. the sixteen pounds Of grapes n
two baskets wogi4 bear abous the sars.
carrying charge as twenty pounds In ths