The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1898-07-17
FRUIT ALMOST GOING BEGGING
MELONS AND PINES NOT PAYING
FREIGHT TO SAVANNAH.

Peaches Are Also in Great Abund-
nnce and at Prices That Are Re-
markabIy LOw-One of the Great
est Fruit Seasons on Record in
This State - Shipments Here En-
pected to Fall OF Owing to Poor
Returns to Growers.
From the standpoint of the grower.
fruits are now practically drug on the
Savannah market. So abundant has been
the supply of watermelons and so low the
wholesale price that commission men have
found it impossible to meet expenses in
handling some consignments, and have
been compelled to refuse shipments, know
ing that they would not pay the freight,
let alone give them their charges and al
low a return to the producers.
Watermelons have been extremely low.
as can be judged by the retail prices.
Some small ones have. it is stated. been
sold at wholesale as low as % cents per
hundred. 1t is easy to see that with the
market in & condition that permitted of
this, there Is little or no profit to the ship
per.
own cure. The unsatisfactor returns will
lead shippers to keep out of this market,
and the effect will doubtless be seen in
smaller supply and better prices in few
days. Indeed, some commission men think
that the coming week will see some
change for the better
The public has certainly had a harvest
Of
the past fortnight has the Savannah mar
ket been altogether In their favor.
Peaches, pineapples and watermelons have
never before been seen here in such re-
markable profusion and at such exception
ally low prices. The low rates at which pines
have been selling are especially noticeable,
that being a fruit for which fine prices are
generally obtained, no matter if the speci-
mems be meagre in size and doubtful in
quality. AT present there are signs at
various retail stores announcing that
twelve pines can be bought for twenty-five
cents. These pines are small but they
are deliclously fragrant and sweet and
sound. They are almost as small as
shoots, but even for their size the price is
extremely low
The low prices of peaches and Of melons
has tended TO kill the market for the
pines, and wholesalers yesterday were
selling them at 90 cents a crate, a crate
holding fifty to sixty pines, this being
little less than a cent each. These pines
are all from Florida. The small size is
largely due, it is said, to the cold weather
at the blossoming time, which stunted the
growth The best quality of the pines go
to the Northern and Western markets,
those sent here being the ripe and small
fruit. Nevertheless, they make a fine dish,
and at the present price are about the
cheapest thing in the shape of delicaey
on the market
The Florida crop this year, so far as
numbers are concerned, has been much
greater than ever before but the quality,
as pointed out, has been below that of
past seasons. The total shipments are said
to have been about $1,000 crates, running
from twenty-four to sixty to crate. The
pine growing industry in Cuba has been
we'll wiped out by the warfare of the past
three years. Porto Rico, though, has sent
magnificent fruit to New York the large
| pines from that island being now quoted
there at 25 and 40 cents each. A Savannah
fruit dealer said yesterday that when the
war is over and Porto Rico comes under
the American flag there will be some
grand opportunities for young men from
the South and other sections to make
money in the cultivation of tropical fruits
| there
Peaches got down yesterday in retail
price to three quarts for ten cents At
wholesale, carriers of six boxes. each
holding three quarts, sold from 80 cents
to $100, the latter price being obtained
for few of the large, handsome fruit
that has seen no superiors in this market
For 50 cents crate of IS quarts of good
fruit was obtained. There is not much
in the fruit to the shipper at these prices
and it Is probable that, as with the melon
growers, the peach men will stop chip
ping fruit here or in smaller quantities TN
til they see that their returns are profit
able.
Figs are coming In more freely now,
and are selling well at 10 cents for a full
quart. They will be down to cents a quart
soon. Pears and apples are also in market
at cents a quart. Grapes are abundant
at Is to 20 cents for a basket, ranging In
weight from four to seven pounds.
Altogether this may be said to be one
of the greatest fruit years on record. The
Savannah public had better make the
most of it. The end is approaching and
the man who does not satisfy his crav-
ings for fruit within the next two or three
weeks will find 1t necessary to spend more
money than just now to satiate his de-
Slres