The Savannah morning news. (Savannah, Ga.) 1900-current, 1902-09-05
CHANCE FOR THE SOUTH.
BIG OPENING FOR SALE OF FRUITS
IN GERMANY.

Fresh and Canned Fruits Find an
Throughout the Provinces-An OPP
pOrtunity without n Limit-Supe-
riOr Excellence of American Pro-
ducts Everywhere Recognized.
Washington, Sept. 4.-Frank H. Ma
son, consul general of the United
states at Berlin, has made a report
TO the State Department, which was
made public to-day, and which is of
special interest to the fruit growers
of the Southern states. After telling
of the great increase in the consump-
ton of fresh and preserved fruits in
Germany, Mr.. Mason says:
Among the new institutions of Ber-
lin are several so-called reform cafes
in which fresh and canned fruits, jel-
lies, etc, are served lin the. American
way as a tempting substitute for the
drinks and forms of food ordinarily
provided at such establishments. I'm
til within recent years, fresh fruits,
when eaten at most German tables,
were served as dessert-rarely or never
at breakfast, the first meal of the day.
Now many leading physicians pre-
scribe fruits at breakfast, and the
spread of this o-called American prac-
tice is one of the main reasons for the
general and largely increased importa-
ton and consumption which have be-
come so noticeable.
Along with this has come a vastly
increased use of canned, dried and
otherwise preserved fruits. of which
the imported supply comes in steadily
increasing volume from the United
States. Within the past year these
goods have been put on sale in i'm
mense quantities by the two leading
department stores of Berlin, which, by
means of special direct importations,
have been able to offer canned peaches.
apricots, pears, and cherries, and dried
prunes, evaporated apples, etc, from
the Pacific and other American states
at prices so far below those charged
for the same fruits by retail grocers as
to open these imported luxuries to a
large class of working people with
small incomes to whom they were pre-
viously a forbidden-because a too
costly-lexury.
Opportunities Are BOundIess.
There is. hardly any reasonable linn
it to which the dried and preserved
fruit export trade to Germany may not
be in time developed, provided the bus
mess is conducted skillfully. with in :
telligent enterprise. and in good faith
The one exclusively American preserv-
ed-fruit store in Berlin has trebled it's
business during the past year and is
now contemplating removal to larger
and more costly quarters in the prin-
cipal retail thoroughfare. Grocers and
provision dealers in all quarters of the
city display boxes of California dried
pears, apricots, prunes. apples, and
peaches in their show windows as
their most attractive advertisement.
Most of these goods are fairly we'll
graded and satisfactory but there Is
more or less complaint about eyapor-
ated apples, which in many cases are
not sufficiently dried, and, being left
too moist, become mouldy and depre-
ciate rapidly in the humid climate of
Germany. The eVapora ted-apple indus
try should by this time have reached
a stage where account may be taken
of the market for which the product
is intended and special treatment pro-
vided as climate and circumstances
may require. So, too, in packing, the
inner contents of box of dried pears
or apricots should be reasonably with
in the same grade of quality as the
selected pieces which are so tempt
ingly ranged along the top and hot
tom, otherwise the German retailer
will feel that he has been cheated BY
a trick in which the best of Dur-
chased commodity has been put on the
outside.
Care Needed in Shipments.
"And if so trite and threadbare a
warning may be once more repeated,
whatever fresh apples are exported to
Germany this fall should be specially
selected and packed for the purpose, as
they are in France, Italy and the Ty-
rol. 1t is not necessary that Anleri-
can apples, the superior tenderness and
favor of which are now we'll known
in this country should be sold here
as cheaply as they have been offered
in former years. but it is necessary
that they should be picked, wrapped
and packed in ventilated barrels far
more carefully than hitherto. Fine
apples are luxury for which Euro