The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-10-18
GREAT PRODUCE MARKET
INDIANAPOLIS DISTRIBUTING SUP
PLIES FROM MANY STATES.
Decrease in Freight Rates Makes 1t
Profitable to Bring Vegetables
and Fruits from Altar.

With each year the commission merchants
of this city extend their business into new
fields and draw supplies from more distant
points. Indianapolis has not only become
prominent as a good purchasing center, but
as distributing point. In speaking of the
States that ship their products to Indian
apolis. one of the commission merchants
said Saturday:
Our supplies are not only drawn from
Indiana, Illinois, and Ohio, but from States
much farther distant Time was when
freight rates We're so high that, aside from
the three States named, it was impossible
to ship potatoes in here so as to make any
profit on them. Rates now have been so
reduced from the Northwest that Irish po
tatoes are being shipped to indianapolis
from Utah, Montana, Nebraska. the Da-
kotas and Wisconsin. The daily consump-
ton of potatoes for the city of indianapolis
alone is seven carloads, and the cars are
loaded to their largest capacity on these
long shipments. In addition to this, every
day large numbers of carloads Of potatoes
are shipped from here, without breaking
bulk, to Richmond, Norfolk and other Vir-
ginia and West Virginia points, Baltimore
and other prominent points in Maryland;
in fact the shipments to Southeastern ter
ritory have become so heavy as to attract
attention, and rates to meet the views of
the shippers have been made. Cabbage is
another vegetable that the Northwest is
supplying this market with largely. Form
erly Tennessee and Kentucky furnished the
cabbages for this market. Now many car
loads come from Wisconsin, Minnesota and
Michigan Indiana. however, is becoming
quite famous for the fine cabbages it raises.
They are grown largely in the eastern part
of the State by French gardeners, who ex-
eel in this line.
In the fruit line Indianapolis has be-
come great grape distributing center. Last
month Ohio sent many thousands of baskets
into this market to be distributed over In
diana. This week the New York grape will
be offered, several carloads arriving last
Saturday. 1t is stated that as high as thir-
ty-hve carloads of grapes have been sold
at Indianapolis in one week this season.
Probably no market has been better sup
piled with peaches this year than has In
dianapolis, as all markets have suffered in
quantity of peaches oIIered and in their
quality no Delaware peaches coming to this
market this year. Georgia, Tennessee and
Kentucky in rotation furnished the first
peaches, then Illinois, Indiana and now
MlCllEdn. Much OF the ITulL JIllS SSdSOu
has been inferior in quality. The apple
crop is partially failure Indiana will fur
nish but little choice fruit, and Missouri,
which usually furnishes a very handsome
per cent of this desirable fruit, will have
but few to ship here. The indianapolis
commission men will have to depend largely
on Michigan New York and the New Eng
land States for their winter apples and high
prices, as compared with last year, are GER
tain to prevail. Within the last sixty days,
plums from Idaho, Montana, and the Dako-
choice nave been
''This market is furnished with sweet po-
tatoes grown in Indiana, Illinois and Ken
lucky, but the best stock comes from New
Jersey and Maryland. AS in other States,
in Indiana the pear crop this season was
failure. Fruit so far offered has been OF an
inferior quality. Celery is another article,
large quantities of which are handled an
nually by the commission merchants, some
of the finest coming from California.
1.-THE railroads have made such rates that
distance no longer counts in purchasing Tor
any line of fruits or vegetables is in de-
mand, the prices it will bring will justify
the shipment, Railroad companies are will
ing now to handle business. at fair profit.
The large cars have done much to bring
about the reduction in rates and the ami
hilation Of distances. The question IS not
how far or what the rate is if any article
desired is in demand and will sell prompt
ly on its arrival. Oranges OF California
quantities and transcontinental line rates
are so low that a California orange can be
sold as readily at a fair profit were the
Florida oranges in their best days.
THE large increase in orders from the gas
belt territory the last ninety days is the
best evidence that times are better and
more money in circulation, as fully 100 per
cent. more fruits and vegetables are being
shipped to such points than in October last
year. Home consumption on which our
commission men most depend has been de-
cidedly larger. The retail merchants have
more money and buy on larger scale.
With seasonable weather the thirty-three
commission houses in this city will be doing
the largest business in their history.
1t is stated that the Indianapolis commits
sion houses in 1896 did fully one million dol
year it will exceed 81, 250,O 900. as more fruit
and vegetables have been handled and as a
rule bring better prices. Irish potatoes
have been selling at treble the price of last
year, and apples sell at double the price of
tha fall Of 1896