The Hawaiian gazette., 1904-10-04
AMERICAS fRuIr Trade.

IlmpurtH ~ fruit tu The United ttatss
Imports IL bananas range from lhupno o
az l0.0op.0oo punches annually md thei
cost. laid down ht ports ~ ths produt
ling countries, ranges from tHeN0aV q
o.. 100000 a year. The figures for tn
FISCAL year ending June 30. 1893 wer'
ge7it.3Oi punches and fs.t9i.563 Nnlu"
~ lemons the Imports for the sans
yonr. Sicily being the almost exclusive
source Of supply. were ib2.1ii.SG7 pounds
valued at S3.0Sd2li. Figures are not
complete for the corresponding yeni
ending June 90. 1904, but the value Of
Imported bananas was S7,5O9, $40, de-
crease OF ss3i.92O from the previous
year. while lemons show an increase ~
the importation Of III ,g23,221 pounds
valued at S35j9,jeS.
/ Up to the beginning of the present
century, a recent official report says
the annual exports OF fruit from the
United states seldom amounted In value
to one-half so much as the Imports, but
since that time they have Increased
steadily, and In the year ended June 30,
1901, exports of these products, for the
/ first time In the history of the trade,
actually exc eeded the imports, the value
of the former at ports of export haN-
| ing been s20,34s,299, while that of
the latter at foreign ports whence i'm
ported was s1S964, $3.50. The exports of
1904 were, however, exceptional, ow-
ing to a shortage in the apple crop of
some countries of northern Europe, and
to a partial failure of the prune crop
in sections of southern Europe. The
probability is that there will not be
REPETITION of these heavy exports, espe
cially of apples and prunes, during the
present year.
mentioned as the chief imports of fruit,
the remaining fruits imported embrace
great variety. Probably the most
important, as measured by the cash
standard, are the small raisins, or dried
grapes, imported principally from
Greece under the name of currants, or
Zante currants; about $1,000,000 worth
of this fruit Is consumed annually in
the United States. There is also an i'm
port trade of almost equal value in
fresh grapes, of which the Almerian
district in Spain is the chief source of
supply. Olives, green or prepared, are
imported in quantities amounting to
about 100000 gallons a year. and rep
resent an expenditure abroad of about
$,50.O00 annually. Imports of oranges
have been undergoing steady decline
for the past few years under the in
fuence of a heavy increase in domestic
production; the total imports of this
fruit for the fiscal year, 1904, amount
ed in value to only about 100000, and
4 far Ia laY h1y
the exports of domestic oranges, the
value of which was upwards of 100000.
The only other fruits imported in
quantities whose value exceeds or APP
proaches the 100000 mark are figs,
dates, raisins, and pineapples. For figs
and dates Turkey-in- Asia is the prin
cipal source of supply. From 10000, OO0
to 100000 pounds of figs and about
20, 600, 900 pounds of dates are imported
each year, the annual value of the for
mer being from about $500, 900 to $70O, 900,
and of the latter from $3.50, 200 to $450,0O0.
Raisins twenty years ago We're import
ed into the United States in quantities
in value to upwards of 3d.
100000 annually. But for several years
past the cultivation of this fruit in
California, notably in the vicinity of
Fresno, has been conducted with such
success that practically the entire de-
mand of the United States is now sup
piled from that source. Imports, it is
true, are still made to the extent of
from 100000 to 100000 worth annually;
a growing export trade in domestic
raisins, however, coupled with the re-
exports, practically balances the ac-
counts. Pineapples are imported from
tropical America in considerable guam
titles; the annual imports amount in
value from about 100000 to 100000
Other fruits in great variety are import
ed but only in comparatively small
quantity.
The export trade in fruits has increas-
ed enormously within recent years. |
From a value of Si,S56,517 in lS94-95 this
trade increased to sl1, 4S6172 in 1899
1900, declined to $S,415, 1903 in 1902, and
again increased to s2O,S4S,299 in 1904.
American fruits are now known in the
markets of many of the principal coun-
tries of the world. The varieties most
abundantly found on foreign markets
are apples and prunes. In 1904 there
was shipped from the United States to
lorelSH countries 1850, oSt worth Oh dp-
pies Including both fresh and dried)
against 81, $50, 1876 worth in the previous
year; and of prunes during the respec-
tive years S3,i1O,497 and s3,5l2, 507 worth.
In point of value apples constitute
over one-third, and apples and prunes,
combined, over one-half of the fruit
sent from the United states to foreign
consumers. 1t is thus seen that these
two products occupy in value a position
in the export fruit trade corresponding
closely to that filled by bananas and
lemons among imported fruits,
Hawaii has a part To play in the fruit
trade of the country at large. This
Territory ought TO hold down, in sub
stantial degree, the expenditure of
mainland money upon foreign bananas
the biggest item as seen above In the
national fruit bill. II has even started
IN TO do 50, Perhaps If the second
largest Item lemons Is taken up spien-
titcally here we may also cut II down,
We are already doing well In checking
the outlay of half million dollars ON
pinrapples from foreign countries, and
gnUtIl1 aim a MAXI nlaItN uuuaafe-