The San Francisco call., 1901-12-05
MARKETING FRUIT.

- EBATES at the Frut-growers' Convention
now in session in this city furnish another
L. proof that the fruit industries of California
have reached that point in their development where
the marketing OF the crop becomes the chief issue
before the producer. There are of course many
things yet to be discussed and learned to the best
means Of managing orchards, selecting varieties of
fruit for different localities, destroying fruit pests and
increasing production, but the main effort at present
is directed toward obtaining better markets or
cheaper and prompter access to existing markets
1t is not strange that it should be so. Compared
with the fruit industries of other States those of
California are young, but such has been the rapidty
OF their development that they surpass those of any
other State In paper read at the first day of the
convention it was pointed that shipments of Cali
fornia fruits to the East have increased from 10000
carloads in 1890 to 10000 carloads in 1900 So huge
an increase in the output in short time naturally
gluts the existing channels of the trade. The mer-
chants of the country who handle the fruit have
been able to keep up with the increase in the guam
tity offered them to handle, and consequently the
producers suffer for lack of adequate markets
A similar condition has prevailed at times in other
lines of industry. In fact the increase of produc-
tveness in nearly all lines of American industry has
made such experiences common. At the present time
the railroads themselves have been caught mapping
and find themselves lacking in facilities for handling
me traffic offered them Reports have come from
manufacturing centers of establishments that have
had refuse orders solely because they could not
get haul their goods So strong has been the
pressure for rolngstock that the orders given
for cars and locomotives this year are we'll nigh be-
yond the capacity of the car and locomotive build
ers supply, that the glut appears in spots all
along the lines of our industrial life.
cscl conditions cannot he oerrnaren+ ;e no4
for nothing that we commonly speak of trade as
flowing in channels. Commerce is, in fact, governed
by laws very much like those which regulate the run
ming of waters. When an obstruction stops the flow
of water there is for time cessation of the stream
but eventually the water either finds new channel
around the obstruction or else overhows it. SO it is
with trade An obstruction here or there never per-
manenty stops it. There is no reason to believe
that the fruit supply of California yet equal to the
full needs of the American market The trouble i:
that through the existing channels of trade the fruit
cannot find its way the market. Better methods o
transportation and of distribution would soon put
end to every appearance of glut.
To devise a means of reaching the whole American
market expeditiousy and cheaply is now the problem
which engages the attention of it-growers anC
fruit-deaers alike. 1t is difficult problem but il
the end It will be solved. American energy anc
sagacity have yet been baked by difficulties
that kind If nothing else avail we can initiate tn.
Southerners, who, when they found they could no
sell their cotton at fair price, proceeded to manu-
iacture il at home. California can find profit il
working up into preserves, jams jelles and confec
tons large quantity of the fruit which she nov
sends East to be sold for what it will bring. Th
present gut may therefore in the end prove to be
profitable experience for U.s.