The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1901-08-16
MELONS SCARCE.
Dreuth Made Them Few and
Small.
Apples and About all Kinds of Fruit are
Short Crop This Year, With
Prices high.

The drouth in the southern and cen
trail states is making its influence felt
in Mankato in the melon and fruit
market. None of the great melons that
make the small boys eyes stand out
with wonder and delight are being
brought up from the south this sum-
mer. They are small in size all over
the country and no big ones are ex-
pected. The crop is also short and
prices high. The melons that are now
coming inland six or seven carloads
have been unloaded in Mankato thus
far-are from Missouri, While they
are small, the flavor is very good. The
Iowa crop is expected to begin to ar
rive about Sept. 1st, and later the
home product will be on the market,
but the dry weather has made them
small in both states.
Musk melons and cantslOupes are
very scarce.
Lemons are now selling at shout the
usual price for this time of the year,
Sc. so to s. a box A couple of weeks
ago they brought IS, and it was ex-
pected that the price would advance to
$40. but the cool weather came and
stopped the upward tendency and set
the price back to where it belonged.
There is never any shortage in the
lemon crop, fortunately, and the ad-
vance was caused by the unusual con-
sumption due to the extremely hot
weather everywhere. The stock is the
finest that it has been for years, and
comes from California and Messina.
Fancy late Valencia oranges from
California are still On the market, but
are the last of the crop, and by Sept.
1st there will be none on the market
Some of the new crop from Mexico
will be due along in November, fol
lowed by the Florida and California
products. Oranges the past season have
been the finest ever handled here and
prices have ruled about the same as
the previous year. The crop was an
excellent one.
Business in the banana line has been
very unsatisfactory this summer, as
the not weather has caused rapid de-
cay. Shipments have been received in
no shape to sell The demand has been
light, although prices have ruled
about the same as last year. 1t is ex-
pected that the banana trade will ra-
pidly improve with the cooler weather.
The stock comes from Port Linen.
The California peach crop is excep-
tionally fine this year, and the quality
is the best ever marketed from the
state The demand for the late Craw
fords and Susquehannas is heavy and
prices are firm. Yesterday in Mime
apolis peaches auctioned off at 95 cents
box, against 81. 10 a year ago. Prices
are apt to continue steady, but may
relax trihe next month when the late
Salways come in from California. The
peaches how on the market are the
best favored, and good many Man
kato ladies have already put up their
winter supply of cans.
The Michigan peach crop is very
poor, on account of the hot spell. while
the crop in Georgia and Ohio is so
light that none are expected to be
shipped from those states. The Cali
fornia crop will continue to rule the
market.
Pears are higher than they were last
year, owing to a shortage in the Cali
fornia crop and the heavy demand
They bring So. 30 box against 81. rs
a year ago, but are the same price as
two years ago. Bartletts are now on
the market and are very fine.
Plums are Of extra quality this year,
and the prices are higher than year
ago, owing to the strong demand. The
Gross prune and the Kelsey Japan
lead among dozen varieties from
California that are now on the market.