The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1897-08-31
Growers Happy at the Rise
in the Price of This
Commodity.
State of the Market Due to the
Failure of the Eastern
Crop.
Fruit-Growers Holding Back for
Higher Prices-0ur Prunes in
Great Demand.

The growers of prunes, raisins and other
dried fruits were extremely happy yester-
day over the state of the market, prices
offered for those com ODDITIES being much
higher than they have received for many
years.
The market showed that pruues had
gone from 81 to 81 to 81 to 33l cents for
the four sizes There are no prunes on the
market, either old or new. and the buyers
are scram bling for them. Raisins ad-
vanced to 81 cents for two crown, "A
cents for three crown, 81 cents for four
crown and 81 Is for London layers. The
prune crop in the Santa Clara Valley is
drying up much lighter than has been ex-
pected and this also adds to the firmness
of tue market.
The i'm mense shortage of the apple crop
in the East is partially the cause of their
good fortune, as the volume OF the apple
crop rules the whole dried fruit m arket OF
the United States. Ii the Eastern apple
crop is short California dried fruits do
we'll, and should the Eastern apple crop
be large it tends to prod luce light prices
for the California dried fruit. This year
the Eastern people were only able to real
iZe but half crop.
AnOlner IaCtOT UudU LeHOS TO give LIE
growers fine dried. fruit m arket this year
is the constant demand in Europe for CAL
ifornia dried fruits. A large amount of
prunes have been exported to Europe this
year, and there is now constant call for
more. A still stronger reason for the
present state of the market is the better
times throughout the United States due
to the new tariff, which increases the con-
sum ptive power OF the masses.
m
fruits in this City was seen yesterday and
made the following interesting statement
of the dfied-fruit market. He said:
"The prune m arket opened early in the
season on a basis of 21z and 25lc for the
four sizes for outside stock, that is fruits
other than those OF the Santa Clara VAL
ley Santa Clara Valley stock opened at
cents. At least that was the price made
by the exchange for considerable guam
tity sold by them. Under heavy export
and bomedemand prices have advanced
until Santa Clara stock is firm on basis
of 81 for the four sizes, with half cent
per pound premium paid for the large
sizes-forty to fiftys and over. Outside
prunes are firm from to SIC, and even
at these comparatively high prices stock
is more difficult to obtain than it was
more early in the season at the opening
figures. The crop is conceded to be con-
siderably larger than last year. The total
output of the coast, including Oregon and
Washington, is estimated to be from
80, 100000 to 100,000,000 pounds. But
the season opens with larger proportion
of the crop sold in advance than any pre-
vious year.
''Raisins are practically in the same po-
sition as prunes, as far as the opening
and present prices are concerned, though
smaller proportion of the crop than OF
prunes has been sold. The crop will be
about the same as that OF a year ago, and
growers will doubtless realize more net,
from the fact that few of them have con-
tracted their crop in advance. while last
year a large proportion of them sold be-
fore the advance took place.
1.-THE peach market is in an excellent
condition just at present, as the canneries
are paying extreme prices for the green
product, and until quite recently ship
ments East have Melted the growers fancy
prices. The dried product will have 20
bring a high figure in order to be equally
prof "a BILE, and the way buyers are scour-
ing the country and taxing stock offered
would indicate that most of them have
faith in the future of this article. Prices
to-day are fully so per cent higher than
those of last year, while in many instances
double, especially for the very fancy
grades. The output undoubtedly will be
less than that of 1896, though present.
prices are causing growers to dry every
peach IN the country, and there will be
none wasted, as was the case last year.
"Pears are conceded a very light crop,
and, owing to high prices at which they
have sold at all Eastern markets, a very
small proportion of the crop has been
dried this year. AS consequence prices
are much higher, and nearly all the stock
to be dried has been sold.
"Apricots were in larger supply than for
several years past, the output of the dried
product being three 10 four times as large
as that of 1895 or 1886. Prices have ruled
fairly steady from the opening OF the sea-
son, though they are at present a little
firmer owing to the advance that has &C.
Cured in other lines. The trade evidently
considers apricots good property at the
present low prices. There are q great
many still left in the State.
1.-THE crop of almonds will be fairly
good one-considerab larger than last
year. though not full crop by any means.
Prices are about the same as those ruling
about a year ago, though some of the
variety of papsr shells are held at about
half cent per pound above last years
figures. the growers evidently believ-
ing that they should get the benefit of the
increased tariff on these articles.
THE walnut crop will be about two
thirds of last years crop, ard it is be-
lieved that the prices will rule about
cent per pound higher. As is usually the
case with light crop, the quality prom
Uses TO be eX IA fine, and no lear ls enter
tanned but that the crop will move as soon
as rea.y tor market.
Taken as a whole the prospects of the
fruit and nut growers of California Is
brighter than for several years past, as
with short crops East there will be no
trouble in placing our entire output at re-
munerative prices to the grower"