Graham guardian., 1900-11-09
MILLIONS FOR FRUIT
Annual Bill Of Chicago for Oranges,
Lemons, Etc.
Enormous Outlay of a Large City
Cor the Various Products of Or
shards Far and Near
sources OF supply.

Chicago consumes $4,000 car loads OF
fruit every year, paying more than
$4,000 900 for it. 1t eats pineapples
from Hawaii, oranges from the Med.
iterranean, apples from Wisconsin and
bananas from the West Indies. Every
parallel of latitude and every degree
of longitude contributes TO its tables.
There are figs from smyrna and lines
from Italy, grapes from France and
winter Strawberries from southern
Mexico Steamships sailing 25 miles
an hour, refrigerntng ears travelling
one-third faster, and the universal use
Of ice and ice machines in all climates
have made these things possible for
Chicago palates, Chicago markets
know no seasons from the coming of
the Christmas strawberry from south
ern Mexico to the browning of its own
russet apple in northern Illinois, says
the Tribune.
Aud, incidentally, Of all the fruits
consumed in Chicago the apple is first
in quantity and value. Every section
of the east, north and west is drawn
upon for the supply, and tens of thou
SANDS of barrels soon will begin to
crowd ;he already crowded markets of
South Water street.
In the minds of most Chicagoans
the fruit trade with California is ex-
aggerated to first place. As matter
OF fact, however, more cars of straw
berries may come into Chicago in one
day from Michigan than come from
California in n week. The same is
true of Michigan peaches, and the sea-
son of the Michigan peach is now com
ing on in its fullness.
An average of IS cars of California
fruit day are disposed of the year
round in the auction rooms at the
Dearborn street bridge. In their or
der the fruits so shipped rank:
Oranges, lemons, pears. peaches,
grapes, plums and cherries. These
cars range from an orange car, worth
SIGo, down to load OF spoiled fruit
that will not bring freight charges.
Ky reason of the long shipments and
cost OF refrigeration the California
fruits, in value, stand above their car
numbers by comparison. Scarcely one.
fifth of the fruit cars received in Chi
cago are loaded with California prod
ucts. but in value these shipments are
placed at one-third OF the value of
ChicnGo's total receipts.
The California fruit trade in Chicago
is perennial, From December to July
the orange crop is received, while
from May to November the deciduous
fruits are coming steadily. No tastes
in the market control in the matter
OF fruit received; the extent of the
crops and their relative prices as laid
dcwn in Chicago determine whether
more pears are sold than peaches or
more grapes than cherries.
Of late years. however, the Califor-
mia cherry trade has grown immense
~, The fruit reaches the market
about the last OF March, and it is one
of the few California fruits that is not
considered fiat" by connoisscurs of
the northern-grown article. The Cali
fornia plum, too, haa an active mar
ket.
But as compared to these, both in
flavor and quantity, fruit now coming
from Michigan, southern Wisconsin,
Ohio and Illinois overshadows them
completely.
1t begins to do so in June, when
the first northern berries begin TO
come from Illinois. When the Michi-
gan crop ripens few days later one
days receipts often reach 60 cars or
their equivalent quantity. Nearly all
of the Michigan berries, of course,
come by water.
Following the strawberry come the |
and blackberry, and before
these are gone, about the last of July,
the early peach has arrived from
Michigan.
Twenty thousand bushels of peaches |
from Michigan alone may be landed in |
)ne day. Five thousand pickers NAV |
have gathered them from the Mjchi |
yan orchards, and 1900 men NAV be
seeded TO receive them and unload
hem and transport them from the
locks at the mouth of the river. One
1out may come in with 10000 baskets.
lo!ding one-ffth OF bushel each, and
'nch picking represents n whole
rnlt farm of moderate proportions.
Nnd from mid-July till the first SHOWS
Michigan peaches keep coming.
Concord grapes from Ohio and west
rn New York are in season, and the
'riccs at which the consumer buys a
'vc-pouDd basket of his grocer often
aads him to wonder where the grower
'ot his profits. Often they are as low
$ ten cents basket, yet of excel.
'nt quality. Cold storage methods
ave prolonged the life of these grapes
ntil they may be had for Christmas
ables.
In the whole fruit business cold
forage methods have done wonders
Or the trade. Apples are kept almost
rom one harvest to another. Almost
very other fruit has its life prolonged
Or weeks by the storage warehouse.
When these houses have been exhaust
d rapid transit is drawn upon for the
lpply.
The Cars Most Trusted Servant
(hND A1p~At N;npI,;a,t.l |