The San Francisco call., 1904-12-08
EARNEST DEBATES
FIARk PROCEEDINGS
OF FRUIT GROWERS
Railroad Service Discussed
Passage of an Act Making 1t Unlawful
to Give Rebates Is Favored
Special Dispatch to The Call

SAN JOSE, Dec. There was an in
creased attendance at the State fruit
Growers convention to-day, and lit
tie spice was added 10 the proceedings
by a wrangle over the report of the
transportation committee. Immediate
ly after the convention had been called
10 order the delegates passed a vote OF
thanks 10 the ladies Of the san Jose
Grange for the reception and entertain
ment rendered them last evening.
Alden Anderson, Lieutenant Gov
ernor Of California, read a report Of the
operations Of the California Fruit Dis
tributors' Association. II was in part
as follows:
Regarding the past season and the shipment
OF fresh Deciduous Fruits, regret 10 say that
IL has not been & propitious one, principally
because OF adverse climatic conditions mis-
Is particularly true Of peaches, there being
shipped this year only 559 cars, as against 1eoi
cars last year.
The quality OF the peaches that were had
this year was not up 10 the usual standard
and the consequence was that many places
turned their attention TO the peach growing
districts In the south for their supplies and
The scarcity OF peaches here for shipment re-
suited also in a curtailed outlet in outside
markets for other varieties Of fruit that
would have gone in the cars Of which peaches
would have been the chief assortment
CHERRTES.-The crop OF cherries was prac-
ticaliy about the same as last year When
north wind bruised the fruit remaining on the
trees that the rest OF the shipments did not
realize the prices that the market conditions
ned.
APRICOTS S-Oving 10 the marked shortage
OF this variety of fruit in the early shipping
districts there were only shipped 81 cars, as
- against 241 cars last year Prices were salts
factory for those shipped.
PLLMS AND INES--There were ship
ped 1858 cars. as against 1145 cars last year.
on the whole. returns for this variety OF fruit
were satisfactory.
PRARs.-The total number Of cars shipped
was considerable in excess of that OF last sea
and the excess wholly in Bartlett
pears. fail and winter varieties being about
he same ouartftv as last vea- There was
more competition in this variety Of fruit than
has been the case for a number Of years. and
the bulk of them shipped at a time when
there were heavy supplies Of southern fruits
The markets became demoralized and returns
generally Were not good or Satisfactory; How
ever. The greater quantity OF this fruit was
purchased by shippers and the loss did not fan
upon the growers.
GRAPES There were shipped 1851 cars Of
grapes. against 1904 cars last season. The
unusual and excessive rains Of September were
responsible Tor a shrinkage in the total volume
of grape shipments that would have been
made ~ 500 or 900 cars. and seriously affect
ed the prices received for all the grapes ship
ned after the heavy storms as the berries ab-
s0rbed 50 much moisture that when they were
packed in cars FOR shipment they developed
much decay
SHIPMENTS OF FRUIT.
The following ststenent Of shipments. be
ginning May II and ending November &c 1904.
cipes iD actual figures some 80 per cent OF
the shipments and estimates Of the balance
as gathered for statistical purposes and same
is correct within very few carloads OF all
varieties:
Cars.
cherries ......................... 209
Anrforfs ............. ~
Peaches - -. -. . 49,. ...-... $50
T5iu-9s and nrunes ........-.--.--,.-. .-.... .IQ53
Pears ....... -. S6
APPLES IAN shipments not inciudsd) ... AZ
FiCs, nectsrines, ounces, etc-----...----.. 2S
Grapes .--..... ...-. .l45l
Total -.--..----. ------..-. ----.- ooZo
RAILROAD TI8IE--The time given by the
transnortatiou companies UP 10 the point
where happened unusual and bad washouts
on the southern routes and occurred the eN-
cursiors Of the Knights Templars and Odd