Evening star., 1903-08-03
CALIFORNIA DRIED FRUITS.
American Prunes Firmly Established
in European Markets.


From the San Francisco Chronicle.
From various quarters there comes evi-
dence that California dried fruits are now
a recognized factor in the markets of con-
tinental Europe That is to the advantage
of the American producer. as the price Is
always higher abroad than the home price
or the product would not be exported 1t
has not heretofore been the case with our
dried fruits. California fruits have been
taken because they could be delivered at
lower prices than the home product could
be had for. 1t Is true that this is denied by
some A press dispatch recently quoted a
San Jose prune operator who had just re-
turned from Europe saying that Cali
fornia prunes find favor In Europe. As
matter of fact they command from l to
cents pound more than the European
product" II the gentleman meant prunes
produced in France or Germany. he is mis-
quoted or mistaken. They do not. Bor-
deaux quotations of French pruneS IN
variably run much higher than our prunes
can be delivered there for, freight and duty
paid. Consul Britain of kehl, Germany.
states the matter correctly as follows:
From a leading importer in tho western
part Of Germany / learn that Cahfornla
prunes and apricotS are rapidly supplant-
ing the products of France and Italy. Cali
fornia fruit is cheaper. and Its flesh Is
brighter and more solid.
That describes the situation exactly. and
incidentally shows that the importer In
question has received our best fruit. Our
fruit is always cheaper than the French
fruit and our sun-drying leaves the flesh
of the prune in It's natural color. while half
cooking in the French ovens darkens IT.
But in the later sections those prunes
which are dried last often partially fer
ment, a process which darkens the flesh
and leaves a more or less disagreeable
1t,>n bA 1,f n f
alton 1t Is almost certain that our whole
sale custom of mixing our inferior and
partially fermented prunes with those
which are dried in the first of the season.
when the sun Is hot and the fruit dries
quickly. is the cause Of the lower price
which our prunes bring When fruit is thus
mixed 1t is a matter of luck whether any
particular shipment is good or bad: There
is a general rule. applicable to all indus
tries that inferior stock will not bear long
transportation. The importer quoted by
Consul Britain states that he has no fault
to find with the packing except that the
boxes do not hold we'll. He thinks boxes
for export should be dovetailed. 1t is not
certain that dovetails would hold very we'll
in our lumber which Is available for boxes.
but they would help the nails. and at any
rate, the cost of banding would not be Sc
rious. We do not think there Is much
cause for complaint of the honesty Of the
packing of our prunes, but there certainly
is in that of our apricots. as any one will
In the present condition of our fruit trade
there is great opportunity for substantial
firms to build up a great export trade in
their brands. 1t is only necessary in the
case of apricots. peaches and other cut
fruits to face the boxes with the fruit
with which the box is filled and ship none
containing sulphurouS acid in excess OF the
legal limit of the port destination In the
case of prunes. ship no lot containing par
TALLY fermented fruit. In both cases make
the boxing fit to bear the handling on
steamships and lighters and arrange the
grades and weights according to the metric
system. There is also. we believe. a good
opening for prunes-especially the large
szes-cured by the French method to be
eaten out of hand without further cooking.
1t is fruit thus prepared which brings the
high prices in the French markets. and Is
exported to some extent to this country. 1t
is usually for sale by leading grocers in
this city at about 25 cents a pound. There
is a market for this oven-cured fruit, and
we can prepare it as well as the French.