The record-union., 1898-07-18
DEMAND FOR CANNED GOODS.
THE MARKET SUPPLY NEARLY
EXHAUSTED.
Heavy Shipments Abroad-Good
Pack This Year and Big
Prices.

IN the most excited cOnultlOn since tIlS
year 1887, says the San Francisco
Chronicle and, in some respects, is
the most peculiar ever witnessed in the
business One cause is the injury to
the fruit crop of the State, but the chief
reason has been the fact that stocks of
/ California canned fruit throughout the
world have been virtually cleaned up
and gone into consumption for the first
time in many years. AS an evidence of
this condition of affairs, it may be said
that about February last all classes of
California canned fruits arriving in
England by sailing vessels from last
years pack advanced an average of
one shilling dozen. Since then the
English demand has been increasing
and this branch of the trade during
1898 is certain to be the heaviest ever
known.
While several hundred thousand
! cases shipped last year arrived Curing
the early months of the present season.
the demand has been unprecedentedly
| heavy. The Drumblair, chartered by
Balfour, Guthrie & Co., is now loading
canned fruits for Liverpool and one To-
cal concern has already placed 10000
cases of apricots on board. The Luci-
para. chartered by George w. McNear
& Co, will commence tomorrow load
ing canned fruits for London, and will
take an enormous quantity
Still more remarkable than all this Is
the fact that, for the first time in the
history Of the industry. a large ship
ment of California canned goods has
been made to Europe overland The
California Canneries Company Of this
city, an English Incorporation has
made shipment of a trainload of april
cots of about 1000 cases overland to
New York, and thence via the White
Star line of steamers to Liverpool
These goods are expected to arrive next
week The cost, after landing at Liver
pool. it is said, averages fully two shil-
lings higher than last years price This
demand for European shipments has
resulted in a constant advance in the
price of canned fruits. Apricots, which
began at about S1.1O a dozen, have gone
up to S1.3O, and other fruits In proper
ton. There has also been marked ad-
vance in the prices of green fruits. Ow-
ing to the English demand, some of
the canneries secured large supplies of
green apricots some months ago at
about SD ton, but the market price
to-day for the same class of goods is
A fact not generally known is that
the requirements of the canning busi-
ness are only II per cent Of the green
fruit crop Of the State. The remainder
is sold dried or green. Therefore de-
spite the shortage. it is expected that
| the canning pack this year will be an
| average one. With tho exception Of
1893, when a short pack was made, the
average annual pack of California
fruits since 1890 has been about 600
600 cases of two dozen cans each The
amount sent to England has been about
3oO,OoO cases year. The export busi-
| ness is now on the increase, and lately
inquiries have come from Russia, Siam
and other distant lands, and some Cali
fOrnia packers are about to make ship
ments to Java
Throughout the season the fruit can
ners have been in a quandary Those
who sold early and fixed a low price for
their goods have been compelled to go
out and purchase fruit at a very much
higher figure to fill contracts The
| producers have been greatly excited
| over prices to be obtained. BUYERS have
| been running through the country to
| purchase apricOts and in every wav the
| season has been peculiar one. as when
Gamer could sell he was afraid to do
so, not knowing what his green fruit
was going to cost him.
| The only fruit that is cheaper this
season than last is the cherry. which IS
| lower than ever before in the history
of California. Many of the producers
| did not obtain enough from their crop
| to pay for the expense of picking and
1relght charges. On canned apricots,
peaches and pears, however there has
been an average advance Of at least
3I12 per cent. The following table shows
| the difference in prices between this
| and last season: