Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1903-12-04
ABOUT APPLES.
Those Exported Only One Per Cent
Of American Cop.
Portland One of Five Principal Ship
----q ..-. ping Points.

1t is doubtful if it is generally I'M
derstood what the comparison is be-
I tween the apples raised in this country
for export and those used for home
consumption. The published state
ments from week to week show that
the various. American and Canadian
ports are shipping from 5000 to $4,000
barrels of apples per week. While this
is a large quantity of apples to ship to
Europe when compared with the total
| crop raised it is a mere baGatelle. In
fact, the apples raised for export in the
past few years, which have been the
| record breaking years, so far as the ex-
port business is concerned, have only
| been from one to five per cent of the
| entire crop raised.
The apples export business is at its
| height in November although the sea-
son commences in July and continues
| through until the next April, but the
bulk of the apples, which in some years
have been as high as five million BUSH
els, have been shipped from the first of
September UP to the first Of January.
Formerly eighty per cent of the entire
trade was done in the autumn months
alone. A,
| During the past few years because of
| the important part that the cold stor-
age plays in the apple business, and
improvement in methods of packing
and handling the fruit has tended to
prolong the season for heavy eXporta-
ton OF apples and other fruits. There
are several ports in the United States
and Canada that handle apples for eS
port, but the bulk of the apples are
shipped from Boston and New York,
| these two cities handling about so or
90 per cent OF the total output. The
other points Of noteworthy Importance
in the trade are the cities Of San Fran
cisco and Portland.
| The bulk of California trade is moved
east by rail. In the years 1901-1902
there were upwards Of 1000 cars shipped
across the continent to the eastern
markets for shipment, as against 739
cars in 1900. AS Il rule about one-fif:h
of the annual shipments by rail from
| California are destined for Great
Britain, and consists largely of Newton
pippins a variety whose color size and
| flavor make them popular in the Eng
fish markets. The English people like
an apple green in color, While red is
preferred by the German and russets by
| the French.
10 get an idea of the apple shipments
the government statistics for the past
four years show conclusively what is
being done in the export business. In
| the year 1899 from the ports of Boston,
New York, San Francisco, Portland
and several smaller ports there Were
3s0,2a2 barrels shipped, while in 1900 the
business nearly doubled, these ports
sending to Europe 526,636 barrels while
Eagain in 1901 the business took n jump
when S83;673 barrels were sent out.
Last year the apple crop was Door SO
only 1918 barrels We're shipped.
In 1900 the country produced 5S.466, COO
barrels and only .636 barrels or one
per cent of the entire crop We're export
ed, indicating that 80 per cent were
used for home consumption. Other
years the exports have been as high as
five per cent of the entire crop raised.
For the fiscal year ending. June go
1908, there We're 1,655.247 barrels Of APP
pies exported, valued at $4,37S,96 q
larger quantity of apples, with one or
two exceptions than ever exported in a
single year by any country.
In 1S96-1S97 the record breaking years
for shipments, there We're 1.J03,S 91 bar
rels sold in the foreign market, but at
much lower figures than those that
We're sold for the year ending June so,
1903. The apples for 1896 and 1897 We're
|, valued at S2.3371 ,1A3
The United States in a limited sense
has a universal market for its surplus
of apples, but the United Kingdom is
the principal purchaser, in fact is the
fOnly important single customer for
United States apples. Germany is the
next important, taking a. greater guam
tity than all of the rest of continental
Europe. but compared with the United
Kingdom. Germany only averages $780,
coo bushels year. The combined inn
portations OF the United Kingdom and
Germany are about 10000, 200 bushels a
lyear.
OF course. Europe does not buy all Of
her apples from the United States. al
Though the bulk of them are bought
here. On the other hand Canada is
strong rival for the apple business and
the Canadians ship large quantities Of
Iapples to Europe
Though an unimportant customer for
fruit iii its natural state. Germany
ranks first as a customer for dried or
evaporated products of American apple
orchards, ami OF S1190593 worth OF
dried apples shipped from the United
States In 1902 Germany took about forty
five per cent
Funeral of Late s. g. ReaIe