The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-24
PEACHES BY THE MILLIONS.
son IN THE COUNTRY A
P0CkETFUL-

4
frigerator Car Companies ana
Commission Men The Consumer
Spends an Enormous sum to Eat
the CrOp-PrOducers Getting Fair
Returns So Far.
! Twenty million quarts of peaches will
be shipped out of Georgia this season. the
| greater part Of which VIII be moved dur
ing the month of July. If distributed on
| sociaistic principles this would give two
quarts Of peaches to every man of voting
age within the confines Of the United
| States, and if the best way to paeify an
enemy is to feed him We'll this quantity
/ would allow Uncle Sam enough to present
| every person in Spain with quart each.
| Twenty million quarts of peaches means
almost too many single peaches to com
| pute. If the finest quality of Elbertas
were alone considered, those that are so
large that good size coffee cup will hard
| ly hold one the number might be safely
put at 100000 peaches. But these Co
| liaths of the peach family do not comprise
| the bulk of the crop. The smaller ones
| while equally succulent, require consid-
cradle number more to fiji quart meas
ure. Ten peaches to the quart might not
be considered too large an average for the
| whole crop, as peaches are measured
That would mean 10000 900 peaches, col
ored and sweetened under the sun of Geor-
| gia and sent forth to bring satisfaction to
the palates of hungry millions of fruit
lovers.
| 1t would he interesting to know what
the consumers will pay for the privilege
| OF eating these peaches. What the con-
sumner pays and what the grower receives,
II should be always borne in mind, are
two vastly different financial items.
About the lowest price Georgia peaches
have sold for in Savannah has been three
| quarts for 10 cents, and this has only been
| for the past two weeks and not for the
| finest quality, as a rule. In the North
ern and Western markets though, no
! such prices have as yet ruled, and the
| average price to the consumer is hardly
| apt to be, taking the WHOLE crop, less than
| cents a quart This would mean an
! expenditure on the part of the public Of
$4,000 for Georgia peaches in this sea-
/ son of natures prodigality.
/ comparatively small part of this vast
/ sum comes back into the pockets of the
| growers around Fort Valley, Montezuma,
! Marshallvilie and the other Georgia
| points noted for their orchards There Is
| the freight, the use of the refrigerator
cars, the commission mems charges. the
cost of the packages and the retailers
! profits all to be considered before the
! grower can be regarded as having any
/ right to a share of this money. Every
body else has to be provided for before
the man who produced enters into the
division.
The freight and refrigerator car
| charges naturally, cut a big swath in
! the total returns. 1t costs probably 500
| to put car load of peaches into Chicago,
and perhaps $3.50 or more to provide and
| transport car in good condition to the
| New York market. Special refrigerator
cars are used, well iced throughout the
trip, and the trains are given practically
! the right of way On one day, on the
| Central between Macon and Atlanta, pas
! senger trains we're sidetracked four times
in order that trains of cars loaded with
| peaches might, not be delayed on their
way to market At Atlanta whenever
/ there are enough cars on hand to make
! up train no regular schedule Is waited
for. An engine is attached and away the
train goes toward Louisville, Cincinnati
/ Chicago or whatever other point the
peaches may be bound for 1t will be
| some time after the end of the season
before the Central Railroad will know
! exactly how the peaches were distributed
! and how much money was paid out for
] transportation and refrigerator car ser
vice. AS the crop will doubtless be about
1900 cars, if these costs were an average
of $3.50 a car, the total paid out for get
ting the crop to market would be 1915, 900
OF course this is not authentic 1t mere
! ly gives some insight into what the peach
crop means for the railroads and the re-
! frigerator cal company. The total may
! be soncw hat less and 1t may be some
hos ErNf In, Mill h1
of proportions that VIII surprise the pup
| lie not accustomed to thinking over this
phase of the crop
Al New York on Thursday the best qaul-
ity of Georgia peaches We're bringing $l25
a carrier, holding six three-quart boxes.
This was the commission mems price On
| some days prior to that the price had been
down to 81. Early in the season, as else
where. the prices had ranged much higher,
some bringing $3.50 a carrier The aver
age of prices up to date in that and other
Northern markets is said to have been
quite satisfactory. There is danger of a
drop any time now, though, with such
enormous shipments. There has been but
one day in New York, 1t is stated, when
there was what might be term
/ ed decided overcrowding of
the market, and the same is
/ true of Baltimore The returns from
the large distant markets to the growers
Have been quite satisfactory up to this
time. From the Savannah and other
nearby markets, though as much cannot
be said Of the situation at present.. Peaches
are now hardly more than paying charges
! when sold here. The finest on the mar
! ket yesterday We're Offering by jobbers at
20 to co cents a half bushel basket To
| the peach-lover Savannah as been a per-
| feet paradise for the past week and prom
| Uses to be SO for another week to come
! Housekeepers will be wise TO avail them
/ selves of the opportunity the next few
days affords to put up peaches in various
! ways for the coming winter al a minimum
1 Of expense. After that the supply may
/ be expected to drop off August brings a
! speedy decline in shipments
More Popular Than Ever.
Hicks restaurant IS more popular to-
/ ln,r hn, l. l, he