River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1906-02-01
FRUIT EXPORTS.
Some Figures Which Show to What
Enormous Proportions They
Are Growing.

Every once in awhile We catch a
glimpse of the fruit trade which shows
us that it is of great Importance. There
has always been tendency in certain
quarters to regard fruit growing as an
ornamental side issue in farming
something not worth considering in
comparison with real business. Yet
in the year ending June 30, 1904, the
exports of fruit from the United
States amounted to more than two
thirds as much as the exports of corn
king Corn, whose p opaganda has
been Systematically preached IN Eu-
rope for years; in fact, the exports OF
fruit were worth almost two-thirds as
much as the exports of wheat, long
considered one of our staple export
farm products.
A still more striking feature of the
statistics is that the exports of fruit
are steadily increasing. The account
for three years stands as follows:
Year ending Jan. so, 1902. ........... SS,415,10S
Year ending Jan. So 1903. ........... 17.75S,l19
Year ending Jan. so, 1904 ........... 20,S4S.29
This does not include nuts and GER
tain other items frequently consid-
cred as belonging in the fruit trade.
In comparison with these figures,
the statistics of wheat exports are
very suggestive. for they show an
even more striking and steady de-
crease. For the same periods, they
are:
Year ending Jan. 80, 1902 ........s 112, S7o, 222
Year ending Jan. 80, 1908. .......... S7,795, 10i
Year ending Jan. 30. 1904. .......... 35,S50, SIS
Horticulturists generally will take
greatest interest in the figures show
ing the exports of apples. Our for
eign apple trade has been a pet with
the fruit growers, and great things
have been hoped from it. AS a mat
ter of fact, this trade shows SUBJ
stantial though very irregular growth.
For the years ending June so. 1902,
1903 and 1904, the quantities and values
were as follows:
Year Barrels Value
1902. ................ 459,719 $1,62S, SS6
19Uo. ...................l i, oo9,4L9 4,ool,oV
4SU4. ....................2 zoz o44o,41S
1t will be seen by very simple
reckoning that the figures for 1904
represent the crop of 1903, and so on
through the list, explains the Country
Gentleman. Last years crop has not
yet been heard from in the government
reports, but it is known that exports
were very much below what they were
the year previous.
The United Kingdom is still our
best customer by far, taking more
than four-ffths of the great shipments
of 10000. Germany is a very poor
second, taking 333, $50 barrels. France
is a poor third, with Belgium fourth
and Canada fifth. 1t is rather surpris-
ing to find that the United States
shipped 1859 barrels of apples to
Canada in 10000, while Canada was
sending thousands of barrels across
the water. Cuba and Mexico are COM
paratively good customers, but they
do not take nearly SO many apples as
they ought to have. Probably great
trade to the tropical and sub-tropical
countries can never be built up, owing
to the abundance of fruits native in
that region; yet one cannot help feel
ing that oranges and bananas can
never take the place of apples A
friend who lives in the West Indies.
in very low latitude, writes home
that he gets so hungry for good Bald
wins or Greetings, that he would
trade all his clothes for good ba3'
relfull.