Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1903-10-31
FACTS ABOUT THE NUT SEASON.
Great Bulk of Supply Comes From
Europe and Pacific Coast.

Chestnuts hickory nuts, black walnuts.
and all other domestic nuts that. to all
appearances, mark the opening of the nut
ting season. cut a very small figure in the
nut trade of New York. The big dealers in
imported nuts. which form three-fourths of
the market supply, will have nothing what
ever to do with them. The season for i'm
ported nuts begins this week, and will be
on the rush until the full holiday supply
is put out. Every steamship crossing the
Atlantic, particularly from Mediterranean
ports, brings tons of them.
- Chestnuts, the first of the domestic nuts
to get into the local market, are sent by
farmers, few bushels at time. In New
York. Pennsylvania and Ohio. 1t is not
so long ago that Italians and small boys
could go into the woods around New York
and gather few bushels to sell to the
commission men. They cannot do this any
longer. Owners of lands with nut trees on
them put up trespass signs, and likewise
turn loose on the property a dog that will
bite.
Chestnuts sent to market by farmers are
sold to street vendors and grocery stores
at from 81 to s. bushel, according to
grade. The street vender buys the cheap
est he can get. By the way he roasts them
and doleS them out in and 10 cents worth
to the man on the street he realizes more
than 1000 per cent on his investment. But
then he has a short season, and he needs
the money.
Hickory nuts go direct from the commits
sion men to the grocers. They are selling
now 1t s. and Sc a bushel. Ratailed by
the quart there is a very handsome profit
or them-far larger than on imported nuts
Walnuts and butternuts also so to grocers
to some extent, but a large proportion of
them go to pielslefs. Until recent years
picked walnuts We're an imported luxury,
but since local picklers have put them on
the market they are cheap and plentiful.
With all domestic nuts the yield this year
is less than 90 per cent of the average,
and prices are CORRESPONDENCE high
Reports from California, which is begin
ming to rival the foreign market on walnuts
and almonds, say that the crop there is
about 40 per cent of the normal. Reports
from Texas and Louisiana say that the
yield of pecan nuts, which come exclusive
ly from these states is about 30 per cent
of the normal Cabled reports to traders
from abroad say that the foreign crop is
fairly bountiful with the exception of wal
nuts. which is the most important nut in
the trade. Its sales, as compared with
other nuts are in proportion of three to
one.
English walnuts. In the trade there is no
such thing as English walnuts No walnuts
come from England. London has to buy
her English walnuts from Italy and
France, the same as New York does The
only really English nuts that come here are
Kentish cobs, and they are sent in small
quantities exclusively to high-grade fruit
dealers. They cost from 1Sd to IS a pound
even in England. When few of them an
pear in the windows of Broadway fruiter-
ers about Christmas time they cost 81 a
pound.
California growers have made such sue
cess with walnuts and almonds that no
one but traders can tell whether the wal
nuts they are eating came across the Amer
lean continent or across the Atlantic ocean.
The California nuts are protected by a
duty of three cents a pound on walnuts
and almonds in the shell, and six cents a
pound unShelled. California growers have
virtually excluded foreign paper-shell al
monds from the New York market When
ever one eats paper-shell almonds it is
safe to- assume that they came from the
Pacific coast.
Imported chestnuts last all winter and
domestic cheStnutS WI not The former
come from France and Italy. Imported al
monds come from Italy and Spain. The.
best of them come from Tarragonia, Spain
California grafters have had better success
with these than with any other nut. Eng
Chile. Italy and France. The Chile crop
begins to reach New York in August but
they are not put out a new crop until
the walnutS arrive from Europe in Octo-
Der and November. The first impOrtations
of French walnuts from Grenoble and of
Italian walnuts from Naples are due next
week. They will all be sold as English wal
nuts. The best soft-shell almonds come
from Ivica, Spain. The first consignment
Of them reached New York yesterday The
same steamer brought the first large con-
signment of hazel nuts, which come prin-
cipally from Italy.