The record-union. [volume] (Sacramento, Calif.) 1891-1903, 1897-05-01
GOOD PRICES FOR FRUITS.
That is the Present Outlook, Say the
Shippers.
But Little Competition Expected in
the East-Fair Crops Along
the River.

F'r11it growers as well as dealers ana
! consumers. are eager to obtain the lat
est advices of the prospects Oh crops
and prices during the coming season.
and while the estimate OF the various
crops of California fruit have peen cut
below those made two weeks ago. o"-
ing to the extreme heat and the north
wind the outlook is, in the main, cheer
full.
The strawberry crop in the vicinity OF
Florin is reported heavy and the Varle-
/ ty fine. Several hundred boxes are De
ing expressed daily from that section TO
| Portland and points north, ana are
| bringing good prices. The berries on
the local market are remarkable Tor
their size and flavor, though as yet few
have thoroughly ripened.
California cherries are already on the
Chicago market, as the following dis
patch received last evening will show:
| CHICAGO, April 30-Porter Bros.
Co. sold to-day the first box of
cherries shipped out of California
this season. This box, weighing ten
pounds, was shipped from Vacaville
April Goth and sold by Porter Bros. Co.
for So
A. ]. HECHTMAN'S DEDUCTIONS.
A j. Hechtman, VicePresident of
Porter Bros. Co, was seen yesterday
and respecting the prospects OF crops
and prices had this to say:
THE prospects for a good demand at
fair prices for California fruit in the
Eastern markets have not been so
bright for the past three years. Present
indications are that cherries, early april
cots, peaches and Bartlett pears will
be wanted in the Eastern cities at good
prices.
Georgia, Tennessee Virginia, Mary
land, Delaware and the Jersey crops
have been so seriously injured by frosts
and by cold rains while the peach trees
were in bloom that competition from
! these sections will cut no figure as
against the California product The
! Michigan crop has also been damaged
but my people in the East are not, up
to this time prepared to give positive
opinions as to the extent of the damage
in Michigan.
The severe weather in Illinois and
the lake sections occurred Sunday night.
The next ten days, though, will bring us
some news of the extent of the damage
done in the lake regions.
so far as the fruit crop of California
is concerned. conditions have changed
materially within the last week. While
we believe California is going to have
a fair crop Of deciduous fruit, the yield
| will not be near so large as was pre-
dicted earlier in the season. While
cherries are a heavier crop than last
year, there has been considerable drop
ping within the last four or five days.
The same is true of Bartlett pears,
plums and prunes.
! Early estimates of the peach crop
in Placer County placed the figure at
>, 100 carloads. This estimate has been
cut down to l 900 cars. The latter
figure, we believe, win be much nearer
the mark The largest single season S
shipment ever made from Placer Coun-
ty was / 500 cars.
"Vacavflle and Winters sections show
up well. While there is some COM
plant from that section that Bartlett
pears are dropping, apricots and
peaches are we'll set and will make a
good crop. In our opinion Vacaville
and Winters will have a three-fourths
crop of decduous fruit.
THE Sacramento River section re-
ports light crop of peaches, apricots,
Bartlett pears and Tragedy prunes. but
other varieties of plums are a fair crop.
The financial outlook is good and
prospects for a revival of business are
brighter than they have been for a
number of years past With the i'm
proved conditions that are beginning to
show in the East, the outlook is en-
couraging and we look for the best
| ln =
we have had for several years"
GEO. B. KATZENSTEIN'S VIEWS.
1T is very difficult matter to make
either a reliable or satisfactory state
ment of the condition of the California
fruit crop and general prospects," said
George B. Katzenstein, Vice President
| and Manager of the Earl Fruit Com
pany, in response to the inquiries of a
Record Union reporter
"A fortnight ago the prospects for a
full and Cverfiowing crop of summer
fruits was never better, although con
tinued cold rains earlier in the season
: and at inopportune times had some
what seriously affected apricots and
: the earlier varieties of peaches. But as
; the compensation, which is generally
looked for, bountiful crop of cherries
? which is always a favored and staple
marketing fruit was never as promis-
ing, likewise the more popular varieties
of early plums, etc. Then. too. the
Bartlett pear trees were completely en-
veloped in bloom.
The advent Of April, which is usu-
/ ally looked to for nourishing showers
proved an unusually warm and partic-
= ularly dry one, both of which circum-
stances left the orchards of the Sacra-
mento and San Joaquin Valleys in any
thing but satisfactory condition tC
withstand the desiccating effects of the
north wind which came down upon us
and prevailed during the earlier part
of last week This unfavorable vista
ton seems to have been widespread
, and more or less disastrous in it's re-
q suits, reducing the cherry crop fully
one-third. But don't run away witt
: the idea that there will be a scarcity
! of cherries, for unless some other un-
= favorable circumstance shall immedi-
ately occur, there will probably be-
double the quantity of cherries shipped
7 out of California this season as com
, pared With what went forward las
= year.
f The Earl Fruit Company commenced
shipping cherries early this week, anC
| Is making daily and increasing ship.
ments. Quite a rivalry existed between
: different localities as to which point
should make the first shipments Vaca
vile district carried off the honors
closely followed by Marysville Sacra
a mento is also in evidence, having like
wise made a cherry shipment